Grasping the Great Ape Situation
Last night I attended a talk by Dr Richard Leakey entitled Climate Change and the Great Apes: Can anything be done? It was a thought-provoking evening. Leakey covered a number of contentious issues from biofuels to nuclear energy, and poverty to mass consumerism. The main thrust of his talk was that the threat of extinction…
Not all doom and gloom (but not far off)…
A news item from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BCGI) has reported on the Plant a Billion Trees campaign started in January. The aim was to have 1 billion trees planted by the end of this year. This target has not only already been met but more that 13 million trees over the 1 billion have…
International Day for Biological Diversity
Today, May 22nd 2007, is “International Day for Biological Diversity”. As designated by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the theme of the day, this year, is to raise awareness of the link between Biodiversity and Climate Change. If you visit here, the Secretariat has provided resources (posters and videos) in six different…
Hunting both animals and plants
Many people are aware of the negative effects of hunting on the species that are being hunted, especially on large-bodied, slow-reproducing forest vertebrates, but have you ever considered the knock-on effects on the plant community in those same ecosystems? The latest issue of Biotropica (vol. 39, no. 3) features a special section on the ‘Pervasive…
Disturbing Soil Has Disturbing Effects on Forest Carbon
Forests are seen as a major plank in trying to reduce carbon emissions to mitigate climate change. According to the rules of the Kyoto Protocol and of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, forestry can generate a sink for greenhouse gases that can contribute to meeting the national commitments to emissions reductions. However,…
Cod this mean the end for Gadus morhua?
I was planning a brief summary of cod wars and arguments over fishing zones, but after a little digging I found that many countries, particularly the UK, have been involved in a row over cod fishing at one time or another, and I just don’t have time to go into it all.So, the point is…
The State of Britain’s Moth Species
The Moth Count Project was launched today by Sir David Attenborough. The project aims to involve thousands of volunteers in monitoring populations of moths through the National Moth Recording Scheme, which is expected to be the largest project of its kind in the world. The hope is that more detailed information will highlight locations where…
Could it bee your mobile phone?
One serious cause of honey bee die-off in the US is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). It leads to collapse of the hive often with complete absence of bees or only the queen and few other individuals remaining. A story in the Independent yesterday highlighted a theory that radiation given off by mobile phones and other…
Where have all the bees gone?
Recent reports of disappearing bees may initially come as a relief to some of us, but this is actually very serious news considering bees pollinate a large proportion of our plants, including some food crops, and are keystone species in the ecosystem. Today the Bumblebee Conservation Trust invited the UK public to send in sightings…
Hitching a flight
We have all heard stories in the past about how invasive species have travelled along transport networks or have managed to hitch a ride from one country to the next. For example: Japanese Knotweed has spread rapidly down road and rail networks in both the UK and USA. Zebra Mussels have been transported around North…