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Scoop.it!
The proliferation of beavers and minks at Chile's southern tip - a legacy of a failed attempt to establish a fur industry - threatens biodiversity in one of the world's most pristine corners. Via Garry Rogers 
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Target: Shawn Johnson, Director of Veterinary Science at the Marine Mammal Center Goal: Save marine wildlife from biotoxins caused by nitrogen runoff on California coasts On the coast of California, fisheries are closing and wildlife animals are at... Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
September 20, 2014 12:18 PM
GR: Nitrogen contamination of water occurs near farms. Added to pesticides, nitrogen from fertilizers makes the runoff from farms one of the top contributors to the great human-caused extinction of wildlife.
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"According to a new study, mercury levels in many of the world oceans’ surface waters have tripled due to human activity. Because mercury drains into the ocean from mines, coal-fired plants, and sewage, mercury levels are higher in surface waters compared to the deep ocean. The Guardian. "A recent study found that all penguin species are threatened by habitat degradation. The scientists found that food scarcity, bycatch, oil pollution, and climate change were the biggest threats to penguins, and that management plans reflect these issues. Phys.org Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
August 7, 2014 10:29 PM
Almost any nature research discovers deadly human impacts.
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When the White House signed an order on pollinator health last week, it included all pollinators -- not just honeybees. Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
June 29, 2014 12:41 AM
Dropping pesticides and interspersing food plants with crops will help pollinators, but there are other things to consider. Construction, farming, logging, livestock grazing, invasive species, and toxic pollutants (including greenhouse gasses) are eliminating habitat much faster than farmers are recovering it. Until humans control their population and correct the ways they use resources, pollinators and other species will continue to decline. |
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In 1900, cheetahs numbered around 100,000. Today, there are just 10,000 in the wild. A new study says being fast is not enough to survive. Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
October 3, 2014 2:42 PM
Monospecific landscapes are boring. Wouldn't we all prefer to have a few more cheetahs and a few less humans?
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Brown University scientists in Providence found that pre-human extinction rate was 10 times lower than scientists had believed, which means that the current level is 10 times worse. Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
September 8, 2014 12:08 PM
The Earth could get along just fine without us. If anyone can think of an ecosystem function that requires our presence, I would like to hear about it. Circumstantial and fossil evidence indicates that even when human numbers were small, the fires, animal drives, and plant preferences had harmful effects. Ecosystem resilience absorbed early human impacts, but now with more than seven billion of us, the impacts are simply overwhelming earth ecosystems. Livestock? Earth could tolerate a few domestic beasts, but not the billions we have now.
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Introduction to Invasive Plants in Deserts One or a few species of invasive plants can replace native plant communities across entire landscapes. Biodiversity and stability of vegetation, soils, and wildlife decline dramatically. Once the replacement is complete, it is difficult to restore the original species. In some instances, the replacement is so widespread there are not enough resources available to achieve restoration. The loss is permanent. Invasive non-native species are a central management concern for all wild land managers because they “threaten biodiversity and other ecological functions and values” (Warner et al. 2003). This statement represents a consensus by the scientists and land managers concerned with natural ecosystems (e.g., Mau-Crimmins et al. 2005). Native vegetation is more diverse, resilient, and persistent than invasive plant vegetation; it provides food and cover for wildlife, absorbs precipitation, increases water storage, protects soil, reduces flooding and sedimentation, and helps maintain air and water quality. According to the Sonoran Institute: “Invasive species are the second most significant threat to biological diversity after direct habitat loss”. Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
July 25, 2014 6:48 PM
GR: Invasive species, like storm troopers leading the surging ruin of global warming, are demolishing Earth’s ecosystems.
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Harvard historian Naomi Oreskes talks about her new book, which imagines that current inertia in the face of climate change will puzzle academics for centuries to come Via Garry Rogers
Garry Rogers's curator insight,
June 15, 2014 12:13 PM
Academics will be working on the explanation for centuries, but I doubt that the basic human weaknesses that lead to such a catastrophe will be a mystery to them. The same title could be applied to other subjects: Extinction: 'why didn't they act? |
GR: Human introductions (accidental and intentional) account for 99.99% of invasive species problems. It all began more than 500 years ago as sailing ships began crossing the great ocean barriers. Surprising that after all these years, we can still find problem species to transport.