Green Invaders
A colorful caterpillar feeds on dogwood.
Photograph courtesy Dr. Doug Tallamy
Green invaders are taking over America. Nope, not invaders from space. Plants. You might not think of plants as dangerous, but in this case they are threatening nature's delicate food web.
The invaders are plants from other countries brought here to make gardens and yards look pretty. Ever since people started to arrive on America's shores, they've carried along trees, flowers, and vegetables from other places.
Now there are so many of those plants, they are crowding out the native plants that have lived here since before human settlers arrived.
And that's a problem, says Dr. Doug Tallamy. He's an entomologist (an insect expert) at the University of Delaware. He explains that almost all the plant-eating insects in the United States—90% of them—are specialized. That means they eat only certain plants.
Monarch butterfly caterpillars, for example, dine on milkweed. If people cut down milkweed and replace it with another plant, the butterflies will not have the food source that they need to survive.
But the trouble doesn't stop there, it goes right across the food web. When insects can't get the right plants to eat and they die off, then the birds don't have enough bugs for their meals. Tallamy points out that almost all migrating birds depend on insects to feed their young.
The invaders are plants from other countries brought here to make gardens and yards look pretty. Ever since people started to arrive on America's shores, they've carried along trees, flowers, and vegetables from other places.
Now there are so many of those plants, they are crowding out the native plants that have lived here since before human settlers arrived.
And that's a problem, says Dr. Doug Tallamy. He's an entomologist (an insect expert) at the University of Delaware. He explains that almost all the plant-eating insects in the United States—90% of them—are specialized. That means they eat only certain plants.
Monarch butterfly caterpillars, for example, dine on milkweed. If people cut down milkweed and replace it with another plant, the butterflies will not have the food source that they need to survive.
But the trouble doesn't stop there, it goes right across the food web. When insects can't get the right plants to eat and they die off, then the birds don't have enough bugs for their meals. Tallamy points out that almost all migrating birds depend on insects to feed their young.
"We cannot let the plants and animals around us disappear," says Tallamy. "The way to preserve them is to give them food to eat. But when we plant non-native plants, we are clobbering the food web, because then we don't have the insects the birds need to live."
Fewer of the right plants mean fewer bugs, and fewer bugs mean fewer birds. And that's bad for the Earth, because we need a variety of living things to keep the planet healthy and beautiful.
The good news is, gardeners everywhere are working hard to protect native plants and get rid of the invaders. Many local garden centers sell native plants. "Just Google 'native plants' and your location, and you can find out which plants really belong where you live," says Tallamy.
Planting the right things makes a real difference, and fast. He describes planting milkweed in a tiny city courtyard about the size of a living room one spring. By summertime, that milkweed patch had produced 50 new monarch butterflies!
Tallamy encourages kids to go out and plant native plants. "Adopt a bird species in trouble and see if you can't plant some things that will attract the insects they need," he suggests. "It will happen—insects move around a lot, and they will find the plants you put out there for them!"
Earth Day Tip:
Plant a native plant or tree this year!
There are many people in America who have plants in their gardens or yards from other countries. Although they could be beautiful and make their garden more attractive, it is dangerous. Because plants from other countries could replace plants from there. So bugs which feed of this plants will die, and for that also birds which need this bugs for feed their sons.
This new is about the important to plant native plants or have native plants y your garden or yard. Because if you don't do it you will damage the biodiversity of your country. I think that people don't think in that when they buy plants for their garden. They only want plants which are colorful or beautiful and they look for plants that don't have all people which usually mean plants for other countries. So is important to make aware for the important to plant native plant to the settlement.
Fewer of the right plants mean fewer bugs, and fewer bugs mean fewer birds. And that's bad for the Earth, because we need a variety of living things to keep the planet healthy and beautiful.
The good news is, gardeners everywhere are working hard to protect native plants and get rid of the invaders. Many local garden centers sell native plants. "Just Google 'native plants' and your location, and you can find out which plants really belong where you live," says Tallamy.
Planting the right things makes a real difference, and fast. He describes planting milkweed in a tiny city courtyard about the size of a living room one spring. By summertime, that milkweed patch had produced 50 new monarch butterflies!
Tallamy encourages kids to go out and plant native plants. "Adopt a bird species in trouble and see if you can't plant some things that will attract the insects they need," he suggests. "It will happen—insects move around a lot, and they will find the plants you put out there for them!"
Earth Day Tip:
Plant a native plant or tree this year!
There are many people in America who have plants in their gardens or yards from other countries. Although they could be beautiful and make their garden more attractive, it is dangerous. Because plants from other countries could replace plants from there. So bugs which feed of this plants will die, and for that also birds which need this bugs for feed their sons.
This new is about the important to plant native plants or have native plants y your garden or yard. Because if you don't do it you will damage the biodiversity of your country. I think that people don't think in that when they buy plants for their garden. They only want plants which are colorful or beautiful and they look for plants that don't have all people which usually mean plants for other countries. So is important to make aware for the important to plant native plant to the settlement.
The Secret Language of
Dolphins
Scientists are studying wild and captive dolphins to decipher their secret
language.
Here's a conversation worth talking about: A mother
dolphin chats with her baby…over the telephone! The special call was made in an
aquarium in Hawaii, where the mother and her two-year-old calf swam in separate
tanks connected by a special underwater audio link. The two dolphins began
squawking and chirping to each other—distinctive dolphin chatter.
Cracking the Code
"It seemed clear that they knew who they were talking with," says Don White, whose Project Delphis ran the experiment. "Information was passing back and forth pretty quickly." But what were they saying? That's what scientists are trying to find out by studying wild and captive dolphins all over the world to decipher their secret language. They haven't completely cracked the code yet, but they're listening…and learning.
Cracking the Code
"It seemed clear that they knew who they were talking with," says Don White, whose Project Delphis ran the experiment. "Information was passing back and forth pretty quickly." But what were they saying? That's what scientists are trying to find out by studying wild and captive dolphins all over the world to decipher their secret language. They haven't completely cracked the code yet, but they're listening…and learning.
Chatty Mammals
In many ways, you are just like the more than 30 species of dolphins that swim in the world's oceans and rivers. Dolphins are mammals, like you are, and must swim to the surface to breathe air. Just as you might, they team up in pods, or groups, to accomplish tasks. And they're smart.
They also talk to each other. Starting from birth, dolphins squawk, whistle, click, and squeak. "Sometimes one dolphin will vocalize and then another will seem to answer," says Sara Waller, who studies bottlenose dolphins off the California coast. "And sometimes members of a pod vocalize in different patterns at the same time, much like many people chattering at a party." And just as you gesture and change facial expressions as you talk, dolphins communicate nonverbally through body postures, jaw claps, bubble blowing, and fin caresses.
In many ways, you are just like the more than 30 species of dolphins that swim in the world's oceans and rivers. Dolphins are mammals, like you are, and must swim to the surface to breathe air. Just as you might, they team up in pods, or groups, to accomplish tasks. And they're smart.
They also talk to each other. Starting from birth, dolphins squawk, whistle, click, and squeak. "Sometimes one dolphin will vocalize and then another will seem to answer," says Sara Waller, who studies bottlenose dolphins off the California coast. "And sometimes members of a pod vocalize in different patterns at the same time, much like many people chattering at a party." And just as you gesture and change facial expressions as you talk, dolphins communicate nonverbally through body postures, jaw claps, bubble blowing, and fin caresses.
Thinking Dolphin
Scientists think dolphins "talk" about everything from basic facts like their age to their emotional state. "I speculate that they say things like 'there are some good fish over here,' or 'watch out for that shark because he's hunting,'" says Denise Herzing, who studies dolphins in the Bahamas.
When the going gets tough, for instance, some dolphins call for backup. After being bullied by a duo of bottlenose dolphins, one spotted dolphin returned to the scene the next day with a few pals to chase and harass one of the bully bottlenose dolphins. "It's as if the spotted dolphin communicated to his buddies that he needed their help, then led them in search of this guy," says Herzing, who watched the scuffle.
Scientists think dolphins "talk" about everything from basic facts like their age to their emotional state. "I speculate that they say things like 'there are some good fish over here,' or 'watch out for that shark because he's hunting,'" says Denise Herzing, who studies dolphins in the Bahamas.
When the going gets tough, for instance, some dolphins call for backup. After being bullied by a duo of bottlenose dolphins, one spotted dolphin returned to the scene the next day with a few pals to chase and harass one of the bully bottlenose dolphins. "It's as if the spotted dolphin communicated to his buddies that he needed their help, then led them in search of this guy," says Herzing, who watched the scuffle.
Language Lessons
Kathleen Dudzinski, director of the Dolphin Communication Project, has listened to dolphins for more than 17 years, using high-tech gear to record and analyze every nuance of their language. But she says she's far from speaking "dolphin" yet. Part of the reason is the elusiveness of the animals. Dolphins are fast swimmers who can stay underwater for up to ten minutes between breaths. "It's like studying an iceberg because they spend most of their lives underwater," Dudzinski says.
Kathleen Dudzinski, director of the Dolphin Communication Project, has listened to dolphins for more than 17 years, using high-tech gear to record and analyze every nuance of their language. But she says she's far from speaking "dolphin" yet. Part of the reason is the elusiveness of the animals. Dolphins are fast swimmers who can stay underwater for up to ten minutes between breaths. "It's like studying an iceberg because they spend most of their lives underwater," Dudzinski says.
Deciphering "dolphin speak" is also tricky
because their language is so dependent on what they're doing, whether they're
playing, fighting, or going after tasty fish. It's no different for humans.
Think about when you raise a hand to say hello. Under other circumstances, the
same gesture can mean good-bye, stop, or that something costs five bucks. It's
the same for dolphins. During fights, for example, dolphins clap their jaws to
say "back off!" But they jaw clap while playing, too, as if to show
who's king of the underwater playground.
Scientists have discovered that dolphins have an
special language like humans. They think that they speak and also move their
body to communicate with others dolphin. Also they speak of thinks like food or
their mood, so their communication is more developed that the communication of
others animals.
I have chosen this new because the language of dolphin
is a worry of a lot of scientist. There are people who think that dolphins are
the more intelligent animals in the world. Also there are a lots of films an
series which are about them, sometimes them are more intelligent than us (one chapter
of the simpomps), or films which they could be the best friend of us.
Giant Jellyfish Invasion
Are aliens attacking the Sea of Japan? Not exactly.
But these gigantic blobs are unwelcome visitors from another place. Called
Nomura's jellyfish, the wiggly, pinkish giants can weigh up to 450 pounds (204
kilograms)—as heavy as a male lion—and they're swarming by the millions.
The supersize sea creatures—normally found off the coasts of China and North and South Korea—occasionally drift east into the Sea of Japan to feed on tiny organisms called plankton. But now one hundred times the usual number of jellyfish are invading Japanese waters. And local fishermen are feeling as if they are under siege.
The fishermen's nets are getting weighted down, or even broken, by hundreds of jellyfish. The jellies crush, slime, and poison valuable fish in the nets, such as the tuna and salmon that the fishermen rely on to make a living.
No one knows for sure what's causing this jellyfish traffic jam. It's possible that oceans heated by global warming are creating the perfect jellyfish breeding ground. Another theory is that overfishing has decreased the numbers of some fish, which may allow the jellies to chow down without competition for food. For now, all the fishermen can do is design special nets to try to keep the jellies out. Some of them hope to turn the catastrophe into cash by selling jellyfish snacks. Peanut butter and jellyfish, anyone?
The supersize sea creatures—normally found off the coasts of China and North and South Korea—occasionally drift east into the Sea of Japan to feed on tiny organisms called plankton. But now one hundred times the usual number of jellyfish are invading Japanese waters. And local fishermen are feeling as if they are under siege.
The fishermen's nets are getting weighted down, or even broken, by hundreds of jellyfish. The jellies crush, slime, and poison valuable fish in the nets, such as the tuna and salmon that the fishermen rely on to make a living.
No one knows for sure what's causing this jellyfish traffic jam. It's possible that oceans heated by global warming are creating the perfect jellyfish breeding ground. Another theory is that overfishing has decreased the numbers of some fish, which may allow the jellies to chow down without competition for food. For now, all the fishermen can do is design special nets to try to keep the jellies out. Some of them hope to turn the catastrophe into cash by selling jellyfish snacks. Peanut butter and jellyfish, anyone?
There are a lot of jellyfish in the Sea of Japan. Most
of the population think that they are pursue for them. Scientist thinks that
the cause of this is the global warning or the extinction of fish which fed
jelly fish. Other people think that the solution is fish them or make snacks
with them.
This new is very interesting because here in Almeria
this is also a problem. In the last years the beach of Almeria were full of
this animals and they are disturbing people who want to swim or only stay in
the water. I think that the solution could be introduce the fish that they eat
or stop to fish them at least for now.
La biodiversidad evita el colapso de los ecosistemas
ante incendios o sequías
Una investigación desarrollada en Canadá revela que la
diversidad de especies vegetales en los sistemas ecológicos puede evitar que,
cuando aparecen perturbaciones repentinas como fuegos o sequías, estos se
colapsen. El trabajo aparece esta semana en la portada de la revista Nature.
Según un estudio que ocupa
esta semana la portada de la revista Nature, la
biodiversidad vegetal puede favorecer la estabilización de los sistemas
ecológicos, y ayuda a evitar el colapso irreversible cuando aparecen
perturbaciones como sequías o incendios.
El trabajo sugiere que se
debe fomentar la presencia de terrenos con distintas especies vegetales, en
lugar de monocultivos, para amortiguar esas posibles perturbaciones repentinas.
“Hemos demostrado los
riesgos de la pérdida de biodiversidad”, señala a SINC Andrew MacDougall, que
ha liderado el trabajo desde la Universidad de Guelph, en Canadá.
La manipulación humana de
las tierras lleva en muchas ocasiones a la homogeneización de los ecosistemas,
que puede estabilizar la cosecha, pero elimina el efecto amortiguador que
aporta la biodiversidad.
La acción homogeneizadora
del hombre sobre estos sistemas puede ser intencionada, como en el caso de la
supresión de incendios o la sobrepesca, o involuntaria, como es la
contaminación antropogénica.
Según MacDougall, “mientras
el sistema se mantiene sin sufrir perturbaciones, no se aprecia la consecuencia
de la falta de diversidad, pero cuando aparece una perturbación, se revelan
esos efectos y el sistema puede colapsar”.
Los investigadores
trabajaron durante una década en una región de diez hectáreas que pertenece a
la Organización de la Conservación de la Naturaleza de Canadá, una zona con
robles donde se han evitado los incendios durante 150 años.
El autor apunta que otros
trabajos previos se habían hecho en terrenos artificiales, mientras que este
“se desarrolló en un sistema natural, demostrando la validez de las
investigaciones anteriores aplicadas a las características del mundo real”.
El equipo quemó
selectivamente distintas parcelas para comparar áreas de con una sola especie y
otras zonas que combinaban varias.
Los resultados revelaron que
las primeras, aparentemente estables, fueron después invadidas por árboles,
mientras que las áreas con mayor biodiversidad resistieron a la invasión.
Además, la diversidad afectó
también a la intensidad del fuego, que fue mayor en las zonas con una sola
especie vegetal, donde se acumula mayor cantidad de combustible.
MacDougall concluye que el
nivel de biodiversidad es crucial para la recuperación de los ecosistemas
después de un incendio natural, aunque matiza que es posible que incendios más
intensos que los de esta investigación pudieran sobrepasar la capacidad amortiguadora
de la biodiversidad.
Según
la revista Nature un estudio realizado en Canadá demuestra que la biodiversidad
vegetal puede favorecer la estabilidad de los sistemas ecológicos y evitar el
colapso irreversible ante fuegos y
sequias.
Se debe
fomentar los terrenos con distintas especies vegetales en vez delmonocultivo.
La manipulación
humana lleva a la homogeneidad de los
ecosistemas, que pueden estabilizar las cosechas, pero eliminan el efecto
amortiguador que aporta la biodiversidad.
La investigación
realizada en la universidad de Guelph ( Canadá) nos indica que el nivel de biodiversidad
es crucial para la recuperación de los ecosistemas después de un incendio natural.
Se
quemaron distintas parcelas, para comparar áreas con una sola especie y otros
con varias. Los resultados nos demuestran
que la primera aparentemente estable, fue invadida. Posteriormente el área con
mas biodiversidad resistió la invasión. (El fuego afecto más a las zonas de una solo especie vegetal,
donde se acumula mayor numero de combustible.)
Se ha llegado a la conclusión que el nivel de biodiversidad
es crucial para la recuperación de los ecosistemas después de un incendio Natural,
con la matización de que los incendios de mayor intensidad puedan pasar la
capacidad amortiguadora de la biodiversidad.
Vivimos
en una época en la cual tendemos a sobre explotar las zonas de cultivo
eliminando todas las especies autóctonas. Plantando otras que no son propias
del lugar y además casi siempre manipuladas genéticamente.
Tendríamos
que ser mas cocientes del problema que nos puede causar esto dentro de unos
años.
Estamos
destruyendo la biodiversidad a pasos agigantados. De seguir así con el paso del
tiempo seremos los humanos los que estaremos en peligro de extinción ya que con
la superpoblación que se espera en los años venideros no tendremos recursos para
poder mantener la población de nuestro
planeta.
Tigers Cuddle With Apes
Dema, a baby Sumatran tiger, licks Nia, a baby orangutan.
Photograph by AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim
Bogor, West Java, in Indonesia
Tigers don't normally snuggle with orangutans. The big cats are meat-eaters, after all. But when Demis and Manis the tiger cubs were rejected by their mother, zookeepers at Taman Safari Zoo thought they might like the company of two other orphan siblings: Nia and Irma the orangutans.
"The first time I put them together, they just played," says zookeeper Sri Suwarni. The four shared toys, wrestled, and took naps together. Then one morning, Nia and Irma began hugging Demis the tiger, and he lick-kissed them back! "That's when I knew they were true friends," Suwarni says.
As the tigers grew, their natural instincts started showing, so Suwarni moved them into a separate exhibit. Now two other apes Suwarni is raising have also made a new friend—a leopard cub.
Tigers don't normally snuggle with orangutans. The big cats are meat-eaters, after all. But when Demis and Manis the tiger cubs were rejected by their mother, zookeepers at Taman Safari Zoo thought they might like the company of two other orphan siblings: Nia and Irma the orangutans.
"The first time I put them together, they just played," says zookeeper Sri Suwarni. The four shared toys, wrestled, and took naps together. Then one morning, Nia and Irma began hugging Demis the tiger, and he lick-kissed them back! "That's when I knew they were true friends," Suwarni says.
As the tigers grew, their natural instincts started showing, so Suwarni moved them into a separate exhibit. Now two other apes Suwarni is raising have also made a new friend—a leopard cub.
This new
show a special case of one zoo. In this zoo one tiger and two orangutans, and the played and stay together without
problems, but when they become bigger they became to show their natural instincts.
This means that animals have a natural instinct and you can’t modificate it in
any way.
Sea Turtle Soup? No Thanks!
Sea turtles have been on Earth for millions of years,
but they are in danger of going extinct. The main threat to them is people who
kill them for food, according to Dr. Wallace J. Nichols of the California
Academy of Sciences and The Ocean Conservancy.
But the latest news may slow turtle hunting: Dr. Nichols and other scientists have found that sea turtles (family Cheloniidae) absorb a lot of pollution from the ocean, including pesticides and heavy metals like mercury and cadmium. These toxins are health hazards for both turtles and humans and can cause permanent damage to their bodies. Sea turtles also carry the bacteria salmonella, which can cause severe diarrhea in people. Research shows that many people get sick and even die from eating sea turtle meat.
If you’re from the United States, chances are you haven’t had sea turtle on your dinner plate. “My daughter is four, and she thinks eating sea turtles is gross,” says Nichols. Besides, all seven species are protected by the United States Endangered Species Act, which makes it illegal to harm or kill these amazing animals. “But there are kids–-and adults—around the world who do still eat them,” explains Nichols. “Our first goal was to save turtles; now we want to save people too.”
He wants to get the word out to people who still think turtle steaks or soup make good eating. And he wants people to understand a bigger message: that we should protect the oceans. “The health of the ocean, the health of the animals in the ocean, and our own health are all connected. For a long time we didn’t really make those connections,” explains Nichols. “Now it’s clear that a clean ocean is really good for us too because of the food we eat from there.”
But the latest news may slow turtle hunting: Dr. Nichols and other scientists have found that sea turtles (family Cheloniidae) absorb a lot of pollution from the ocean, including pesticides and heavy metals like mercury and cadmium. These toxins are health hazards for both turtles and humans and can cause permanent damage to their bodies. Sea turtles also carry the bacteria salmonella, which can cause severe diarrhea in people. Research shows that many people get sick and even die from eating sea turtle meat.
If you’re from the United States, chances are you haven’t had sea turtle on your dinner plate. “My daughter is four, and she thinks eating sea turtles is gross,” says Nichols. Besides, all seven species are protected by the United States Endangered Species Act, which makes it illegal to harm or kill these amazing animals. “But there are kids–-and adults—around the world who do still eat them,” explains Nichols. “Our first goal was to save turtles; now we want to save people too.”
He wants to get the word out to people who still think turtle steaks or soup make good eating. And he wants people to understand a bigger message: that we should protect the oceans. “The health of the ocean, the health of the animals in the ocean, and our own health are all connected. For a long time we didn’t really make those connections,” explains Nichols. “Now it’s clear that a clean ocean is really good for us too because of the food we eat from there.”
See turtles have lived in the
Earth for million of years, but know their air in danger of going extinct. This
is because human fish them to it or because de pollution of the sea. Also if
the turtle have fed in water witch is contaminate eat his meat will kill people
who it.
We have to consider that all
animals are important also turtles which eat for example jelly fish, for his extinction,
now the beach are full of jelly fish for these reason. So if you see a menu which
turtle don’t eat it and you will contribute to save the planet. Other thing
that we can do is to look for the sea and don’t pollute it.
BIALOWIEZA, patrimonio del bisonte.
En los límites de Polonia cerca de la frontera de Bielorrusia, se encuentra la selva de Bialowieza, desde hace miles de años es el hábitat de los bisontes europeos.
En este parque nacional viven en libertad alrededor de 400 bisontes. Son los últimos de esta especie en libertad.
Uno de los últimos bosques vírgenes de Europa qué es patrimonio de la humanad desde 1979.
Esta reserva es lo que queda del gran bosque que cubría Europa central y oriental. En el siglo XV.
En el bosque propiedad de la Corona polaca esta restringido el derecho a la caza.
Durante la ocupación rusa, los zares convirtieron la zona en un coto de caza exclusivo y se siguió manteniendo la especie. Pero la I guerra mundial hizo que la falta y escasez de alimentos, sufriera la mayor perdida ya que se talaron los arboles y se produjo la caza de numerosas especies.
Tras la muerte del último bisonte en 1919, pasaron dos años y se declaró parque nacional. Reintroduciendo nuevas parejas de bisontes que lograrían reproducirse hasta el día de hoy.
Esta noticia nos muestra las barbaridades que hemos hecho en el medio ambiente.
Pero nos demuestra que con un poco de iniciativa por parte de los gobiernos y los ciudadanos todavía estamos a tiempo de poder mantener una biodiversidad que podamos dejarle de herencia a las futuras generaciones.
De esta forma evitaremos seguir destruyendo completamente nuestro planeta, conservando las plantas y los animales.
La ONU advierte de que la pérdida de
biodiversidad amenaza la existencia humana
La
desaparición de ecosistemas pone en peligro recursos básicos como la comida y
el agua en un planeta que en 2050 verá incrementada su población en tres mil
millones de personas
Más de 190 países se propusieron en 2002 frenar significativamente la
pérdida de biodiversidad en el planeta para 2010. Este compromiso, al que se
llegó en una cumbre de la ONU en Sudáfrica, no se ha cumplido, según constata Naciones Unidas en la
tercera edición de su estudio "Perspectiva Mundial sobre la Biodiversidad" presentado hoy en Nairobi (Kenia). El informe advierte del impacto de esta
inacción en el sostenimiento de la vida del hombre en la Tierra, en la
obtención de recursos básicos como el agua o la comida. "Hemos fabricado
la ilusión de que, de alguna manera, podemos mantenernos sin la biodiversidad o
de que ésta es secundaria en el mundo moderno. Sin embargo, la realidad es que
la necesitamos más que nunca en un planeta de seis mil millones de personas que
serán nueve mil millones en 2050", ha asegurado Achim Steiner, director
ejecutivo del Programa de la ONU para el Medio Ambiente.
en la mayor parte del mundo
se están reduciendo y casi una cuarta parte de las especies vegetales puede
extinguirse. El número de especies vertebradas (grupo que incluye a mamíferos,
reptiles, pájaros, anfibios y peces) cayó casi un tercio entre 1970 y 2006, y
también se reducen las cosechas y la variedad de ganado en las granjas.
Asimismo, cada vez son menos las selvas tropicales, los manglares, las reservas
de agua dulce, los hábitats de agua helada, las marismas o los arrecifes de
coral.
"La biodiversidad permite el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas de los
cuales nosotros dependemos para obtener comida y agua dulce... Las actuales
políticas nos acercan cada vez más a un número de potenciales puntos de
inflexión, de no retorno, que reducirían dramáticamente la capacidad de los
ecosistemas para suministrarnos esos recursos básicos", ha dicho el
secretario general de la ONU, Ban Ki-moon.
El documento -elaborado a partir de los informes nacionales de 110 países-
apunta que "hay múltiples indicadores de esta continua pérdida de
biodiversidad en sus tres aspectos principales: genes, especies y
ecosistemas". "Las consecuencias de este fracaso colectivo, si no son
rápidamente corregidas, nos afectarán gravemente a todos", ha añadido Ban
Ki-moon.
El estudio culpa de esta pérdida de biodiversidad al cambio climático, la
contaminación, los cambios de hábitat de las especies animales y las invasivas
especies ajenas a ellos, y a la sobreexplotación de los recursos, y advierte de
que estos factores combinados están poniendo en riesgo la comida, las
medicinas, el agua y las cosechas.
"No es una buena noticia", ha lamentado Ahmed Djoglaf, secretario
ejecutivo de la Convención de la ONU de Diversidad Biológica. "Continuamos
perdiendo biodiversidad a un ritmo nunca visto antes; los niveles de extinción
de especies pueden llegar a ser mil veces superiores a los registrados en otros
periodos históricos".
El informe llama a la acción inmediata, y afirma que 170 países cuentan en
la actualidad con planes nacionales para frenar esta pérdida de biodiversidad.
Y subraya que, gracias a algunos esfuerzos por preservar los ecosistemas, se
evitó la extinción de al menos 31 especies de pájaros en el siglo pasado.
"Esto sugiere -resalta la ONU- que con los recursos adecuados y voluntad
política, la desaparición de especies y ecosistemas podría ser combatida a
escala más amplia".
En octubre próximo, una cumbre en Nagoya (Japón) debatirá los pasos a
seguir en la próxima década. El estudio señala que la recuperación económica
tras la crisis es una "oportunidad" para introducir regulaciones e
incentivos que ayuden a detener la pérdida de la riqueza natural del planeta.
La desaparición de ecosistemas está poniendo en peligro los
recursos de nuestro planeta que para el 2050 habrá aumentado en tres mil
millones de personas.
Una
cumbre de la ONU (unión de naciones unidas) celebrada en Sudáfrica en 2002, en
la cual se propuso que para el 2010 habría
que haber frenado la perdida de la biodiversidad.
Según
la ONU en su estudio «perspectiva mundial sobre la biodiversidad» no se han
cumplido los acuerdos.
El
impacto medio en la tierra será tal, que el hombre tendrá problemas para
obtener recursos básicos como el agua o
comida.
Hemos
pensado que la biodiversidad no es importante, que podemos vivir sin ella. Pero
la realidad es que la necesitamos mas que nunca, ya que casi una cuarta parte
de las especies vegetales pueden extinguirse .
Entre
1970 y 2006 casi un tercio de especies vertebrales se han extinguido.
Las
selvas tropicales, los manglares, el agua dulce, el hielo, los arrecifes de
coral cada vez son más escasos.
Hay
estudios que culpa de esta pérdida al cambio climático, la contaminación, los
cambios de hábitat de las especies y a la sobre explotación de los recursos .
La próxima
cumbre que se celebra en Japón se va a debatir los pasos a seguir en la próxima
década.
La recuperación
de la economía tras la crisis es una buena
oportunidad para regularizar e
incentivar que se detenga la perdida de la riqueza natural del planeta.
Desde
la revolución industrial hemos ido contaminando poco a poco el planeta, la
verdad es que hemos hecho poco por
impedirlo.
Creo
que si todos pusiéramos un poco de nuestra parte todo sería diferente.
En
primer lugar las grandes empresas y los gobiernos que colaboraran más, bien no
contaminando o haciendo leyes que lo protegieran.
No
menos importante es la colaboración de los habitantes de nuestro planeta. Deberíamos
concienciarnos y colaborar en todo lo posible con el medio ambiente y el
calentamiento global.
UN ESPACIO PARA LA EDUCACION AMBIENTAL
En el I.E.S La Madraza surgió la idea de un jardín botánico
de especies autóctonas y un huerto escolar. Disponiendo de espacios para la
educación ambiental a pocos metros del aula.
El jardín actual es fruto de varias generaciones de alumnos
y profesores en la plantación de ejemplares del bosque mediterráneo.
Desde el principio se usa con fines didácticos. Se han
instalado etiquetas botánicas y un panel informativo. Como complemento se han
dispuesto ejemplares de rocas a lo largo del sendero, debidamente
identificadas.
Adjunto al jardín hay una zona de vivero obtenido a partir
de semillas.
Es importante desde el punto de vista ecológico que los
alumnos aprendan desde la escuela la importancia que tiene el medio ambiente en
nuestros días.
De esta manera las próximas generaciones serán más cocientes
de lo importante que es mantener nuestra biodiversidad.
ENCONTRADO BAJO TIERRAS GRANADINAS UN “UN MUNDO PERDIDO”
En la localidad granadina de Fonelas se han encontrado bajo
tierra 3000 fósiles de grandes mamíferos.
Siete nuevas especies o subespecies desconocidas.
Bautizado con el nombre de “mundo perdido“. Cuenta con
restos de 24 especies distintas que habitaron en la región hace dos millones de
años.
El origen de estos animales era muy diverso (África al
Cáucaso), de esta última procedencia no
se han encontrado restos en Francia, Italia o Alemania.
Demostrando así la hipótesis de las tres dispersiones de
animales ocurridas en Europa hace 1900000, 1800000 y 1700000 años.
Estos plantean nuevas hipótesis sobre la dispersión
geográfica.
Esta noticia nos demuestra como los cambios ocurrido en el
planeta a lo largo de los años ha hecho que muchas especies se extinguieran.
Debemos tenerlo en cuenta a la hora de cuidar nuestro hábitat
natural ya que el cambio climático, entre otras cosas llegará el día que la
especie humana no pueda sobrevivir.
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