Tamara Rodríguez Olmos - 3º Trimestre.

Biodiversidad de Andes orientales 'requiere más protección'.

http://www.scidev.net/en/agriculture-and-environment/biodiversity/news/biodiversity-in-eastern-andes-needs-more-protection-.html

[LIMA] La región andino-amazónica de Bolivia y Perú cuenta por primera vez con un mapa de sudiversidad biológica que brinda información detallada de especies y ecosistemas únicos que requieren extrema protección. 

Usando imágenes satelitales e información recolectada en los últimos 100 años por exploraciones científicas, especialistas de Estados Unidos, Bolivia y Perú, identificaron la distribución geográfica de especies endémicas de la pendiente oriental de los Andes, algunas muy poco investigadas. 

Según publican en BMC Ecology (27 enero), los sistemas nacionales de áreas protegidas incluyen menos del diez por ciento de los 91 ecosistemas de la región y 20 por ciento de las áreas irremplazables que albergan un alto número de especies endémicas, por lo que recomiendan crear áreas complementarias de protección. 

Los ecosistemas más sensibles a pérdidas irreparables de endemismos son el bosque de nubes y la selva alta (entre 500-3.500 msnm), confirmó aSciDev.Net Jesús Córdova Santa Gadea, coautor del estudio y jefe del departamento de Herpetología del Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de San Marcos, Perú. 

Afirmó que el riesgo de pérdida se incrementa por falta de decisiones políticas, pero podría abordarse creando unidades de conservación, especialmente en áreas con mayor concentración de especies endémicas, y comprometiendo a las comunidades nativas en una integración armónica con su entorno. 

Carmen Josse, ecóloga regional para América Latina y el Caribe de NatureServe y coautora del estudio, explicó a SciDev.Net que si bien estos hallazgos son científicamente relevantes, para los pobladores lo importante son las decisiones que se tomen. 

“Si se implementan políticas tendientes a reconocer compensaciones, incentivos, pago por servicios, estos hallazgos pueden representar una gran oportunidad para las poblaciones locales”, señaló. 

“Ellos necesitan entender que comparten un hábitat de cuyo mantenimiento depende la conservación de especies únicas y de procesos naturales que han permitido el desarrollo de esta increíble biodiversidad”, añadió. 

Stef de Haan, líder del programa de investigación y recursos genéticos del Centro Internacional de la Papa, advierte que, pese al rol primordial que cumple la biodiversidad, las decisiones de conservación muchas veces entran en conflicto con la población local. 

El bosque de nubes de los andes es uno de los ecosistemas más vulnerables.     

                         

La gente no ve el beneficio económico de la conservación y destruyen la biodiversidad por factores económicos: talan árboles para leña, pastan ganado, extraen minerales. Por eso, es importante incorporar a la población local en actividades que los ayuden a aplicar y valorar sus conocimientos ancestrales o representen nuevos recursos.

El mapa de la biodiversidad andino-amazónica es “un esfuerzo invaluable” y una gran herramienta para científicos, formuladores de políticas y autoridades. Tener ubicadas a las especies y ecosistemas, ayuda a decidir dónde concentrar los esfuerzos.

Indigenous biodiversity 'crucial' to forest futures.

http://www.scidev.net/en/agriculture-and-environment/biodiversity/news/indigenous-biodiversity-crucial-to-forest-futures-1.html

[HONG KONG] Forestry experts are calling for an increase in the use of native tree species in reforestation projects, arguing that they are better for biodiversity and can slow the pace of global warming.

The recommendation appears in a report published by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) that was presented during the UN climate change conference in Doha, Qatar, earlier this month (2 December).

It was written by 60 leading forestry experts, who assert that forests are more than just carbon warehouses: they also shelter most of the world's plant and animal species, and supply impoverished communities with food, fuel and as much as 59 per cent of their incomes.

John Parrotta, an international forest-science policy analyst with the US Forest Service and chair of the committee that prepared the report, says that deforestation and forest degradation must be checked to boost biodiversity and help remove carbon from the atmosphere.

He explains that, although it is costly, tree planting may be necessary for reforestation in certain places and should be targeted at areas where the restoration of forest cover will yield multiple benefits for communities. These include improved water quality, soil erosion control, crop pollination services and the provision of timber and non-timber products.

Christoph Wildburger, IUFRO's coordinator for global forest expert panels, says the report comes at a crucial time for the ongoing negotiations on measuring, reporting and verifying REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).

The rate of deforestation — mainly resulting from the conversion of forests to agriculture — was estimated to be 13 to 16 million hectares per year between 1990 and 2010, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

REDD+ provides mechanisms and financial incentives to developing countries to implement policies, programmes and projects designed to reduce greenhouse gases and prevent the destruction of forests.

Duncan Macqueen, head of the forest division at the International Institute for Environment and Development, tells SciDev.Net that local people are a critical determinant of whether forests survive or are cleared for other land uses. Ignoring the presence of local people is inadvisable for REDD+ schemes, he says.

Wildburger also emphasises the importance of including local people in forest planning.

Experts strongly emphasise need to include local people in forest planning

                                              

While there is no one-size-fits-all model, there is increasing evidence that mixed-species planting, including those designed especially for the restoration of native forest ecosystems, generally offer greater advantages than single-species plantings for biodiversity recovery, as well as a broader range of valuable ecosystem services for people.

Poor recognition of property rights, for example, may exclude [local people] from decision making, limit their access to forest resources, deny them access to potential benefits from markets and may also facilitate land grabbing.

West African and Caribbean seas 'need protection'

http://www.scidev.net/en/agriculture-and-environment/biodiversity/news/west-african-and-caribbean-seas-need-protection-.html

More research and better policies are needed to protect the world's most vulnerable seas, lying off the coast of West Africa and the Caribbean, local experts have toldSciDev.Net.

The two regions have some of the world's unhealthiest seas, according to a new index that assessed the health of seas and their benefits to livelihoods. Its methodology was published inNature last month (15 August).

The index rates seas in ten categories or 'goals', including water cleanliness, support for coastal livelihoods and economies, and food provision. It also assesses the state of coastal protection and biodiversity, seas' capacity for artisanal fishing, carbon storage and tourism, and the provision of natural products.

The study examined the overall condition of 171 exclusive economic zones (EEZs), UN prescribed 'sea zones' stretching 200 miles off-shore, over which states have rights of exploration and resource use.

Sierra Leone was ranked last, followed by Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea-Bissau; and Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominica, El Salvador and Honduras are all among the bottom 25.  

Ben Halpern, the study's lead author and director of the US-based Center for Marine Assessment and Planning, told SciDev.Net thatWest African countries "could substantially improve overall ocean health by improving each of the goals".

West African scientists say that investing in marine-related research and fish stock replenishment could help improve sea health.   

Elvis Nyarko, head of the marine and fisheries sciences department at the University of Ghana, told SciDev.Net that West African countries currently only pay lip service to scientific research. The region needs more "funding for marine-related research [...] so that more information can be gathered to better manage the coastal system," he said.

Nyarko added that countries should adopt Integrated Coastal Zone Management practices, an approach to coastal management that integrates different considerations and actors — including the navy, fishermen and researchers — to make coastal management more sustainable.

Improper domestic and industrial waste disposal was degrading West Africa's seas, and local knowledge of associated risks need to vastly improve, Nyarko said.

Edward Obodai, an associate professor at the University of the Cape Coast, Ghana, told SciDev.Net that West African governments need to fund marine-related research and programmes for the education of location fishermen.  

He suggested that a forum for stakeholders — bringing together universities, fisheries commissions, researchers, and fishermen — could help define key issues and the actions needed for long-term ocean protection.

Meanwhile, experts in the Caribbean say their region lacks adequate marine research and environmental policy implementation.

Alida Spadafora, executive director of the National Association for the Conservation of Nature (ANCON), in Panama, told SciDev.Net: "Almost all [Caribbean] countries have regulations related to the conservation of marine and coastal areas but [they] are not enforced. Regulations must be reviewed, and [governments] must ensure the inclusion of environmental aspects andclimate change in development plans."

Spadafora blamed the Caribbean's low ranking on tourism, saying it had "led to pollution and the disturbance of marine ecosystems, especially those [that are] more vulnerable, such as coral reefs — which are home to economically important fish stocks".

But she added that hurricanes and storms are also responsible for causing "enormous" damage to Caribbean reefs and marine ecosystems.

Jorge Cortés Núñez, a researcher at the Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology, Costa Rica, puts poor regional performance down to factors including water pollution, population growth, marine resource overexploitation, and the dearth of scientific research.

The region "must [...] adopt a long-term vision to manage marine environments and resources," he said.

Earlier this month (7 September), the International Union for Conservation of Nature published a report stating that urgent measures, such as limiting pollution and regulating fishing, must be taken to protect the region's increasingly vulnerable reefs.

The world's most vulnerable seas are the coast of West Africa and the Caribbean.
They are the most polluted seas and need cleaning provsion water and food. It is also needed to assess the status of coastal protection and biodiversity.
Countries should adopt Integrated Coastal Zone Management practices, an approach to coastal management considerations and that integrates different actors.
However, hurricanes and storms are also responsible for causing huge damage to Caribbean reefs and marine ecosystems.

Urgent measures must be taken, such as limiting pollution and fishing regulations, if we don't want to lose our wonderful sea.

REVISTA Quo Nº207 

DICIEMBRE 2012.

LA INCREÍBLE LARVA CON CARA DE CALAVERA.

Phyllodes imperialis es un grupo de polillas chupadores de fruta, y esta es una de estas polillas en su etapa de oruga. Su origen proviene de Australia (Del norte de Queensland), Papúa Nueva Guinea, y las Islas Salomón. Cuando algún otro animal lo quiera cazar, esta oruga extiende su piel hasta que se vea como un animal grande, con dos ojos de color negro azulado y varias filas de dientes entre ellos, como un sistema de defensa ante sus depredadores.

Los misteriosos peces sin sangre.

Los Notothenioidei o blénidos antárticos son un suborden de peces dentro del orden Perciformes. Son peces adaptados a las aguas frías cercanas a los 0 ºC, muchos de ellos viven sobre el fondo marino cerca de la Antártida, donde son el grupo de peces mayoritario, aunque algunas especies colonizan laTierra del Fuego (América) y el sur de Nueva Zelanda.

No tienen vegija natatoria, por lo si no nadan están pegados al suelo, donde son cazadores bentónicos.

Sobreviven gracias a la presencia de glucoproteínas en sangre que actúan como anticoagulantes. Apenas presentan un 1% de hemoglobina en sangre y toman el oxígeno directamente desde el plasma.

El estudio del esqueleto desmineralizado de estos peces sirve para buscar soluciones para la osteoporosis.