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Biodiversity extinction crisis looms says renowned biologist
Interview with Dr. Peter Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden
Mongabay
… biodiversity loss ranks among the top concerns of biologists. While there is considerable debate over the scale at which biodiversity extinction is occurring, there is little doubt we are presently in an age where species loss is well above the established biological norm. Extinction has certainly occurred in the past, and in fact, it is the fate of all species, but today the rate appears to be at least 100 times the background rate of one species per million per year and may be headed towards a magnitude thousands of times greater.
Few people know more about extinction than Dr. Peter Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden. He is the author of hundreds of scientific papers and books, and has an encyclopedic list of achievements and accolades from a lifetime of biological research. These make him one of the world’s preeminent biodiversity experts. He is also extremely worried about the present biodiversity crisis, one that has been termed the sixth great extinction, following the earlier events caused variously by catastrophic climate change, extraterrestrial collisions, atmospheric poisoning, and hyperactive volcanism. Unlike these older episodes, the current extinction event is one of our own making, fueled mainly by habitat destruction and exploitation of certain species. Further, as Raven points out, because the planet has more species now than at any time in the past, a mass extinction today could well involve more species than ever before.
…Current IUCN data show that habitat loss is the leading threat to most endangered species, followed by direct exploitation (hunting and collecting), then the introduction of alien invasive species. To date, IUCN data do not reflect the impact of climate change, although this factor is expected to be an increasingly important source of biological stress to ecosystems and species. Raven suggests that climate change could “rival or exceed” habitat loss in its impact on biodiversity.
..Raven believes that an over-reaching philosophy of sustainability is key to preserving biodiversity. This means improving the lives of the world’s poor while reducing wasteful consumption in wealthy countries. Raven also says that protected areas will continue to play an essential role, provided they are established and maintained in line with sustainability (i.e., environmental, social, and economic). Raven further adds that biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes, like cities, suburbs, and agricultural zones should not be overlooked.
…Mongabay: What can the general public do at home to help?
Raven: In places like the United States where we use twice as much energy as anyone else except Australia, but don’t have an improved standard of living because of it, we can both win great improvements for conservation and save a lot of money for ourselves by embracing a more sustainable lifestyle.
Anything that can help improve sustainability will help biodiversity.
(12 March 2007)
Discussed at Gristmill.
U.S., Europe show gains in forests; rest of world loses ground
Marta Falconi, Associated Press
The United States and much of Europe have reversed years of deforestation and are showing a net increase in wooded areas, while most developing countries continue to cut down their trees, a U.N. agency said Tuesday.
The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said in its biannual report on the State of the World’s Forests that economic prosperity and careful forest management have had positive effects.
However, poor or conflict-stricken countries — where clear-cutting and uncontrolled fires are especially severe — still face serious challenges in managing their wooded areas, the agency said.
“Deforestation continues at an unacceptable rate” of about 32 million acres a year, said Wulf Killmann, a forestry expert at the agency. However, he noted in a positive sign that the net loss had decreased over the past decade from 22 million acres to 17 million acres.
(14 March 2007)
Destruction of Forests in Developing World ‘Out of Control’
Jerome Taylor, lndependent/UK
Progress in forest management in the industrial world is being overwhelmed by accelerating deforestation in the developing world, a global report from the United Nations has revealed.
Many countries in Europe and North America have been able to reverse centuries of deforestation and even, in some cases, increase their forest cover, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). But the global picture is blighted by uncontrolled felling in poorer countries – home to the majority of the world’s forests.
“Many countries have shown the political will to improve forest management by revising policies and legislation and strengthening forestry institutions,” said David Harcharik, FAO’s assistant director-general. “Increasing attention is being paid to the conservation of soil, water, biological diversity and other environmental values.”
But researchers from the FAO, which releases an annual survey of the world’s forests, found that enormous tracts are still disappearing from the developing world.
(14 March 2007)
Fishermen alarmed as sand closes Entrance port
Sasha Shtargot, The Age
PETER Clarke has never seen anything like it. In 40 years as a fisherman at Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland, he has been always able to move his trawlers through the port and into the ocean. That is, until a few days ago.
On Saturday night his son Stuart managed to get his fishing boat out of Lakes Entrance and back again. His boat was one of the last. A massive sand build-up has closed the Lakes Entrance port since Monday morning. None of the 50-boat fleet has been able to move into the ocean because of the high sand mark.
There are now serious concerns about the future of the Lakes Entrance fishing industry. “This is an emergency. We just don’t know what will happen to our industry,” Mr Clarke, chairman of the Lakes Entrance Fishermen’s Co-Operative, said. ..
Gippsland Ports and locals agreed that the problem of sand clogging the Lakes Entrance channel had been around for a long time. But they say the drought has lessened the flows of rivers such as the Thomson, which in past years helped flush sand from the Gippsland lakes. ..
(15 Mar 2007)
Dredging to keep river mouths open has a long history in Australia, but reduced flushing and arguably increasing soil loss is changing the equation. Will the fishers join the farmers in suing polluters? -LJ
