Environmental pollutant has sex-skewing effect

I was reading this paper “A cohort study of in utero polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures in relation to secondary sex ratio” in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health, and it disturbed me. The article clearly depicts that women exposed to high levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls – a group of banned environmental pollutants) are less likely to have male children. PCBs are persistent organic pollutants identified worldwide as human blood and breast milk contaminants. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, the lead author of the study says "The women most exposed to PCBs were 33% less likely to give birth to male children than the women least exposed". Even though PCBs were banned in the 1970s it is believed that they find their way in developing and underdeveloped countries. Chemicals with a similar structure to PCBs, such as the flame-retardants PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), are still widely used in plastic casings and foam products.People consuming fish from contaminated lakes and those who live near former manufacturing facilities face high risk. The risk is not restricted to human beings alone. Wildlife also face a threat of equal magnitude.
Environmental Health 2008, 7:37 (15 July 2008)
If you want to read the full article click here

BlogCamp Kerala a runaway success

The first ever blog camp held in Kerala on 16th in a house boat cruising along the placid backwaters of Alappuzha, was a smashing success. The attendees got a chance to get to know the fellow bloggers from across the country. The presence of Guillaume Marceau from Quebec, Canada gave the proceedings an international flavor. The lively discussion centered on the future of blogging with the experts chipping in with their dose of distilled wisdom. For the budding bloggers it was a dream come true. The typical Kerala style non vegetarian lunch tickled the palate. The breathtaking scenery added that extra punch to the lunch. Full marks to the organizers of the conference. I eagerly look forward to the second edition of the meet next year.

Red Alert – African elephants facing uncertain future

RED ALERT
According to a new paper by Dr Samuel Wasser and associates, which has appeared in August Issue of Conservation Biology the elephants in Africa are being slaughtered at an unprecedented rate. If things go at this rate Elephants in wild state in Africa will be wiped out by 2020. What a shame!!
The death rate from poaching throughout Africa is about 8 percent a year. This is higher than the 7.4 percent annual death rate that led to the international ivory trade ban nearly 20 years ago. The poaching death rate in the late 1980s was based on a population that numbered more than 1 million. Today’s population is less than 470,000. The ban is not in force today.
Dr Wasser says "The elephants keep habitats open so other species that depend on such ecosystems can use them. Without elephants, there will be major habitat changes, with negative effects on the many species"
The major threat comes from growing markets in China and Japan, where ivory is in demand for carvings and signature stamps called hankos. Surprisingly Unites States is fast emerging as a major consumer of ivory where it is used to make knife handles and gun grips.
According to Dr Wasser public support stopped the illegal ivory trade back in 1989 and we need to do it again to save the species. Guys wake up and do your mite to save the African elephants. Use your blog posts to pressurize US, China and Japan to stop this senseless massacre of the elephants.

US decision on wildlife draws flak from conservationists

Environmentalists world wide hold the view that the Bush administration is not a green administration. Moves like going for oil in Alaska threatening the wildlife of the area have been very severely opposed by conservationists. The administration is now planning a back door method to by pass some of the imbroglios that have been created. Till now all decisions had to be endorsed by independent scientists. The administration has decided to give this practice a short shrift. The environmentalists have condemned the move by Bush administration to do away with the practice of consulting independent scientists before decisions are taken about projects such as highways, dams or mines that might harm endangered animals and plants. Federal agencies have been given full powers to decide for themselves. The administration is not required to consult with Congress before approving the changes. Environmentalists apprehend that political appointees will do irreparable damage to the ecosystem if this practice is not nipped in the bud itself.

USA – California Condor reintroduction programme running in to rough weather

The reintroduction of California Condors is one of the most ambitious reintroduction programme attempted in USA. The project is running in to rough weather after initial success. The culprit behind the decline is lead. The birds ingest the lead while feeding on wild pigs and other animals killed by hunters. According to scientists commissioned by American Ornithologists' Union (AOU), removing the poisonous metal from bullets and shotgun pellets is the only way to save the highly endangered California Condor.
Condors are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. Condors belong to the family Cathartidae, and are closely related to Eagles. There are two monotypic c genuses. The Andeann Condor (Vultur gryphus) and California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). The California Condor inhabits only the Grand Canyon area and western coastal mountains of California and northern Baja California. The California Condor is one of the world's rarest bird species. They usually live up to 50 years, and mate for life. California Condors finds a place in many Native American cultures. The condor is a scavenger and eats large amounts of carrion. Condor numbers started declining in the 19th century due to poaching, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction. When the population came down to 22 birds conservation plan was put in place by the United States government that led to the capture of all the remaining wild condors in 1987. These 22 birds were bred at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo. The numbers rose through captive breeding and from 1991 condors, have been reintroduced into the wild. The project is the most expensive species conservation project ever undertaken in the United States. As on May 2008, there were 332 condors known to be living, including 152 in the wild.
The scientific community is working overtime to overcome the setback and put the project on an even keel
For more information on California Condor click here

The power of blogging in Conservation – An African Ranger shows the way

Masai Mara is one Kenya’s best known wildlife reserves. People used to throng the park to have a glimpse of its magnificent wildlife. But continuing violence after the election changed all that. Tourists stopped coming to Masai Mara. Mara Conservancy a not-for-profit organization which manages the North-Western part of the Masai Mara Game Reserve, on behalf of the Trans-Mara County Council was in dire straights. Conservation of the Mara Triangle was completely dependent upon tourism revenue. There was no money to pay the salaries of the protection staff and poaching was taking a heavy toll of the animals. It was at this juncture that Mr Joseph Kimojino, a Ranger in the park hit up on the ides of starting a blog and let the whole world know about what is happening. Till last November he had never used a computer. A determined Kimojino was not willing to be deterred. He learned the ropes of using a computer and grappled with nuances of internet. He started his blog in January with the help of Wildlifedirect, a British-registered charity set up by Richard Leakey, Kenya's leading paleontologist and the former head of the Kenya Wildlife Service. ( http://maratriangle.wildlifedirect.org). It struck an immediate chord of empathy. Surfers who saw the frenetic appeal from Kimojino started chipping in with help. He is receiving 100s of hits a day.
Harnessing the soaring popularity of blogging and social networking sites is indeed a great way to spread the message of conservation. Oxford university researchers Alison Ashlin and Richard Ladle in an article in science magazine says “blogs provide a communication platform of incredible power and they should be used to engage the public, even to the extent of including blogging as part of a researcher's job specification."

Good news about Western lowland Gorillas

A census of critically endangered western lowland gorillas by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has come up with good news for conservationists. The census found 125,000 of the apes in two adjacent areas in the northern part of the Republic of Congo covering 47,000 sq km. A total of 73,000 came from the Ntokou-Pikounda region and another 52,000 from the Ndoki-Likouala area. Even though 1980s census had estimated a population of about 100,000 hunting and the ebola virus was thought to have slashed the population by half. So this is indeed good news. Gorillas build nests each night from leaves and branches for sleeping. Western lowland gorillas are one of four recognized gorilla sub-species. The others are mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, and Cross River gorillas. For more information about western lowland gorillas click here

Orangutans facing uncertain future

The adorable Orangutans (Pongo spp.) are facing an uncertain future. According to new findings published this month by Great Ape Trust of Iowa scientist Dr. Serge Wich and associates in Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation, Orangutan populations have fallen sharply on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The revised estimates put the number of Sumatran orangutans (P. abelii) around 6,600 in 2004. This is lower than previous estimates of 7,501. "It is clear that the Sumatran orangutan is in rapid decline and unless extraordinary efforts are made soon, it could become the first great ape species to go extinct," Wich et al. wrote. The authors blamed logging and the expansion of oil palm plantations for the drop. The 2004 estimate of about 54,000 Bornean orangutans (P. pygmaeus) is probably also higher than the actual number today as there has been a 10 percent orangutan habitat loss in the Indonesian part of Borneo during that period. 75 percent of all orangutans live outside of national parks, which have been severely degraded by illegal logging, mining, and encroachment by palm oil plantations. So the the future conservation efforts will need to be focused beyond the boundaries of protected areas. The authors have made some sweeping recommendations for future conservation initiatives.

Wich et al. (2008). Distribution and conservation status of the orangutan (Pongo spp.) on Borneo and Sumatra: How many remain?. Oryx
Click here for more details about orangutans from Wikipedia

Bloggers camp Kerala

The first bloggers camp on a houseboat will be held on 16th August at Alappuzha in Kerala. The brain behind the meet is Kenny Jacob, a software engineer from Trivandrum. Tourism department of Kerala will be the main sponsor of the meet For details click here

Extinction threat for mankind’s closest relatives

50 percent of man’s close relatives (monkeys, apes and other primates) are in danger of extinction according to a report of IUCN issued at the 22nd International Primatological Society Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland. The comprehensive list covers world’s 634 kinds of primates. The report is part of an examination of the state of the world’s mammals to be released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October. In Asia, more than 70 percent of primates are classified on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered. Habitat destruction is the major threat to primates. Other threats include the hunting of primates for food and an illegal wildlife trade.
For a list of the assessments of all primate species and subspecies as they will appear on the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (www.iucnredlist.org) in October, please visit the website of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group (www.primate-sg.org)

5th World Congress on Mounatin Ungulates - 1st announcement full text

The Caprinae are a Subfamily that mainly consist of wild sheep and goats. This group of mammals has a very high economical and biological value. From a zoological point of view they achieve their adaptive peak in mountainous environments and are part of the diverse MAMMAL FAUNA in various ecosystems. From an economical point of view they are considered very appealing in sport hunting, as a resource for medicine and safari wildlife photography.
Mostly found in mountainous areas, they are also present in steppes. Their natural geographic distribution covers the 3 continents of the Northern Hemisphere as well as some tropical forests, deserts, Alpine and Artic tundra of over 70 countries.
Over 71% of the members of this group which are found in the previously mentioned regions are exposed to a variety of risks (loss of habitat, diseases from domestic livestock, genetic isolation and tourism). Considering their whole population, 8% are listed as being critically endangered, 23% as endangered, 40% vulnerable, 28% are of less concern while there is not enough data concerning the remaining 1%.
The main reason for such a wide distribution of the previously mentioned figures lies within the general lack of information there is concerning the members of this group. In order to gather all the available information there is about these species, several international conferences have been organised. The first one was held in Camerino (Italy) in 1989 and it is where the groundwork was set, by the UICN, for developing a World Capreine Action Plan. The second conference was held in 1997, in San Vicente d'Aosta (Italy), and it is when all the information concerning this mammal group was put together. The third and fourth conferences, 2002 in Zaragoza (Spain) and 2006 in Munar (India), both focused on relevant aspects concerning the biology and ecology of these species as well as conservation and management proposals.
The fifth World Conference of Mountain Ungulates will be held in Andalusia during autumn 2009. Andalusia is a Spanish region which accounts for more than 50% of the wild goat species in the world. The Andalusian Government had banked on its conservation and organised the first and second European International Capra Genus Congress in 1992 and 2007 and has implemented ambitious management programmes for the Andalusian Wild Goat populations.
We believe it is a great opportunity in confronting the impact global change has on the Mountain Ungulate population and on ecosystems which are highly sensitive to climate change conditions, all of which are responsibility of man.
The commitment between the Andalusian Environmental Administration and the UICN has been very positive, supporting the organisation of this Fifth World meeting. This Congress aims to encourage participants to share and put in common scientific and technical advances which have been achieved in the conservation and management of Mountain Ungulates. It will allow for an update on all the information concerning taxonomic, demographic and health management programmes and methods (capture, tracking, etc.)
This event will take place in Granada, a cosmopolitan city with a fascinating cultural and artistic heritage. It is a landmark famous for it's Arab, Jewish and Christian legacy.
In order to contribute to the existing knowledge on Mountain Ungulates, Granada will share it's historical legacy contextualising it within the Mountains of Sierra Nevada. Sierra Nevada was declared Natural Park 20 years ago and has also been a National Park for the past 10 years.
This Congress will account for five working sessions, four of which will take place at the "Palacio de Congresos de Granada" and a fifth which will be carried out in Sierra Nevada.
The programme will mainly consist in oral presentations, posters and workshops. Some key topics and subjects to be dealt are: Abundant Estimation Methods, Capture and Tracking Methods, Healthcare situation, Genetics, Reproduction, Phisiology, Conservation.
Working sessions:
•Population management: population estimation, capture methods, tracking, etc.
•Healthcare status: parasites, contagious diseases, epidemiology, treatments, etc.
•Conservation, management and hunting promotion: management experiences, etc.
•Biology and Ecology: Taxonomy, reproduction, physiology, genetics, etc.
Workshops:
•Global change and Caprine Populations
•Density estimations
•Caprines and the CIC
•New Diseases emerging from changes on a global scale
•Caprine Management Strategy in Protected Areas

Provisional Timetable

First week of July'08 1st Circular and website publication: information on conference objective, call for symposium proposal, information about price, date, place, etc.
First week of November ‘08 2nd Circular: Draft program, opening period to registration, communications, symposium proposal, workshop or communications and posters. Rest of the information.
30/03/09 Ending of symposium and workshop proposals
30/06/09 Communication and posters presentations and Registration for the Scientific Committee’s analysis
30/08/09 Ending of communications and posters approval deadline.
11/09/09 Program's ultimate publication
10 -14 November 2009 V World Conference of Mountain Ungulates

Big time boozer tree shrew

The latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences features interesting things about Malaysia's pen-tailed tree-shrew’s (Ptilocercus lowii) heavy drinking. The researchers are Frank Wiens, and his colleagues from the University of Bayreuth in Germany.The tree shrew feeds on fermented nectar from the Bertam Palm (Eugeissona tristis) daily at nightfall. The nectar is fermented by yeast community into a frothy beer-like beverage. The animals' high alcohol consumption was verified by analysing their hair. Surprisingly they do not seem to get drunk.This suggests its body must have an effective mechanism for breaking down alcohol.The researchers’ hypothesise that the humans may even preserve a relic of the shrews' love of alcohol through millions of years of evolution and that moderate to high alcohol intake was present early on in the evolution of these closely related lineages. The scientists hope to get insights into how humans' alcohol tolerance first evolved.

“Chronic intake of fermented floral nectar by wild treeshrews” by Frank Wiens, Annette Zitzmann, Marc-André Lachance, Michel Yegles, Fritz Pragst, Friedrich M. Wurst, Dietrich von Holst, Saw Leng Guan, and Rainer Spanagel (see pages 10426–10431)

UK scientists’ call to put plants in the garden that are of beneficial to bees

Weird things are happening to the bumblebees of UK. Scientists have apprehensions that a lack of suitable flowers may be forcing bumblebees to seek out aphids in search of their sugary secretions. The secretions offer a substitute for nectar, but do not contain the protein the insects need. The assumption is that that there are fewer of the right sorts of flowers in gardens and countryside. As bees are important pollinators of flowers and crops the scientists have urged the people to put more plants in the garden that are beneficial to bees. According to the scientists flowers from the pea and mint families seem to be particularly beneficial. The relationship between ants and aphids is well known. Ants protect the aphids from other predators such as ladybirds and in return they take the honey secreted by the aphids. The fine balance of nature seems to have been put in disarray by humanity.

Reuse of water bottles- Venice shows the way

A used plastic water bottle thrown away carelessly is a big headache in tourist centres. I came across this new scheme launched in Italy recently. It impressed me with its simplicity and inherent great potential. If implemented properly it is going to be blessing.
Italy has the largest consumption of bottled water in the world. For tourist centers like Venice discarded water bottles is a big bother. Venice has come out with this innovative scheme called 100%public whereby tourists are given an empty water bottle and a map showing 122 fountains that have been installed in the city. The authorities hope that this will solve a major problem for them
Tahrcountry congratulates the civic authorities of Venice for this innovative scheme.

World Bank criticized for environmental goofs

Environmental campaigners had always criticized the way World Bank doled out aid to developing countries. They have been consistently arguing that it has led to deforestation in the tropics. Here is proof that they were right in voicing their concern. World banks bank’s Independent Evaluation Group has criticized the bank for failures to grasp fully the environmental impacts of its programmes in poor countries. The 181-page report is a severe indictment. The group examined some of the $400 billion in investments spanning 7,000 projects from 1990 to 2007. The report says when dollars were turned into dams, pipelines, and palm plantations it led to deforestation in the tropics and environmental sustainability took a back seat. Environmentalists are hoping that this report will put some sense in the thinking of the higher ups in the world Bank

New Population of critically endangered Greater Bamboo Lemurs discovered in Madagascar

A team of researchers led by Edward Louis of Henry Doorly Zoo, have discovered a new Population of critically endangered greater bamboo lemurs (Prolemur simus), in Torotorofotsy wetlands of east central Madagascar, an area more than 400 kilometers away from its only known habitat in Ranomafana. Scientists have estimated a population of 30-40 in the area. Greater bamboo lemur is considered to be the most endangered primate genus in the world. The greater bamboo lemur is one of three species of bamboo lemur in Madagascar the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) and the gentle bamboo lemur (Hapalemur griseus) are the others. All the three species feeds mainly on bamboos.

Restoring lost mangroves – Lessons from Philippines

One of the world's most intensive efforts to restore coastal mangrove forests was in Philippines where extensive tracts of mangroves were converted to fish farms. The restoration efforts are failing in many places. Biologists Maricar Samson and Rene Rollon of the University of the Philippines in Quezon City have come out with a paper titled “Growth Performance of Planted Mangroves in the Philippines: Revisiting Forest Management Strategies” in the latest issue of journal Ambio, outlining the reasons for this failure. It has relevance for other areas also. According to the researchers there was a widespread tendency to plant mangroves in areas that are not the natural habitat of mangroves, converting mudflats, sandflats, and seagrass meadows into often monospecific Rhizophora mangrove forests. Of the few that survived, the young Rhizophora individuals planted in these nonmangroves and often in low intertidal zones had dismally stunted growth relative to the corresponding growth performance of individuals thriving at the high intertidal position and natural mangrove sites. Unsound practices in some areas disturbed or damaged otherwise healthy habitats. The researchers argue that a more rational focus of the restoration effort should be the replanting of mangroves in the brackish-water aquaculture pond environments, the original habitat of mangroves preferably in gently sloping hill bottoms that are above mean sea level and flooded by the tides less than one-third of the time. The paper underscores the need for understanding the ecological needs and biology of the mangrove trees before plunging in to extensive planting activities.

New Primate Species Discovered in Madagascar

A previously unknown species of mouse lemur has been discovered on the island of Madagascar. It was a joint effort of Senior Lecturer Dr. Ute Radespiel from the Institute of Zoology of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (TiHo), and Malagasy scientists and students of the GERP organisation (Groupe d`Étude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar). The discovery was made in the tropical rainforests of Makira, a newly protected area in Northwestern Madagascar. The lemur has been named Microcebus macarthurii, after the MacArthur Foundation, which provided funding for the research. The new species not only differs genetically but also in its body size from the sister species, the Mittermeier`s mouse lemur. Madagascar is home to more than 100 types of lemurs, all of which are endemic to the island. Madagascar lost its largest lemur species when humans arrived some 1500 years ago. The results of the study have been published on the internet page of the American Journal of Primatology. (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/ajp).

6 of 7 hornbill species wiped out in Malaysia's Lambir Hills National Park

Conversion of forests for oil palm, Logging, and hunting has spelled doom for 6 of 7 species of hornbills in Malaysia's Lambir Hills National Park. 11 mammal species and 23 bird species have been lost from Lambir so far. The main reason is the ecological impacts of tree felling affecting the reproductive capacities of trees dependent on animal dispersal of their seeds, particularly figs. The disclosure came from Dr Rhett Harrison, a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) associate researcher and Secretary for the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) speaking at the 53rd Annual Scientific meeting held at the Torarica Hotel, Paramaribo, Suriname.

5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates

The world congress on Mountain Ungulates is an event eagerly awaited by Caprinae wildlife biologists and wildlife mangers. Here is good news. The 1st announcement regarding the 5th conference is out. It will be held in Andalucia, Spain, from November 10th to 13th 2009, with a full-day excursion on the 14th.Details will be posted on CSG website soon.