Reducing the world's mercury- Hope in the horizon

Reducing the world's mercury has been a contentious issue so far. Mercury pollution is a problem of global magnitude. On an average, three times more mercury now falls out of the sky than before the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago. Increasing mercury concentrations are now being found in a number of fish-eating wildlife in remote areas. Mercury exposure may lead to population declines in birds and possibly in fish and mammals.

After protracted negotiations United Nations environment ministers meeting in Nairobi has overcome seven years obstacles and have committed to reducing the world's mercury. Formal negotiations will get under way later this year. The treaty will have under its ambit procedures to reduce the supply of mercury and its use in products, such as the thermometers, and processes, like plastics production and paper making. Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, which are responsible for about half of the world's mercury pollution will also be curtailed.

Mercury can travel thousands of kilometers from its original source,. It damages the central nervous system. It is especially dangerous to pregnant women and babies

United states is coming to the forefront of the initiatives. A welcome change under Obama administration.Bush administration had blocked international efforts to limit mercury.

Tropical rainforests: New study reveals tropical rainforests absorb 20% of carbon emissions annually

The latest issue of journal Nature has a nice paper on tropical rainforests and its utility in acting as carbon sink. S.L. Lewis et al reports that undisturbed tropical forests are absorbing nearly a fifth of carbon dioxide released annually by the burning of fossil fuels. According to Lewis this is akin to receiving a free subsidy from nature. The paper is the outcome of analysis of 40 years of data from rainforests in the Central African country of Gabon, data from African rainforests and previously published data from the Americas and Asia.

It has been estimated that tropical forests of Africa alone sequestered more than a billion metric tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide each year during the past four decades.

The calculation is that humans emit 32 billion tons of carbon each year in to the atmosphere. Tropical forests of the world sequester 8.5 billion tons of this carbon every year. 8.5 billion tons is dissolved in oceans. Soils and other types of vegetation absorb the balance. This leaves 15 billion of the 32 billion tons emitted by humans each year in the atmosphere.


The paper highlights the importance of rainforest conservation. This initiative should be a combined venture of the nations around the world. It has been suggested by many scientists that rich polluting countries should transfer a major chunk of resources to countries with tropical forests to reduce their deforestation rates. The deforestation is mainly in pursuance of the avowed policy of development. It is big logging companies that hog the major benefits

The end beneficiary of rainforest conservation is not the country with tropical forests alone. The benefits percolate to entire humanity. Global warming has given an added impetus to the urgent need.

Lewis the principal investigator is an ecologist at the University of Leeds in England.
The paper: S.L. Lewis et al. Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests. NATURE| Vol 457| 19 February 2009

Asian Elephants – Threat from Vietnam

Illegal wildlife trade has always been a threat to wildlife. Here comes some alarming news for Asian elephants. Booming illegal ivory prices in Vietnam is posing a serous threat to elephants across South East Asia, according to a new market analysis report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade-monitoring network. Vietnam is emerging as a conduit and transit point for illegal ivory. Establishments dealing in carved ivory are dime a dozen there. Worked ivory is increasingly being sold directly to buyers through middlemen or on the Internet. TRAFFIC also found evidence of widespread smuggling of live Asian Elephants and their ivory from Myanmar. Most of the products find their way to China and Hong Kong. Not more than 1,000 elephants are believed to survive in Lao PDR, while in Viet Nam, fewer than 150 exists.

Ivory prices are the highest in the world in Vietnam, with tusks selling for up to USD1500/kg. Small, cut pieces are selling for up to USD1863/kg. Trade in ivory was outlawed in Viet Nam in 1992, but a major loophole exists in the legislation, which permits shops to sell ivory in stock dating from the prohibition. This gives an avenue to some shop owners to restock illegally with recently made carved ivory. Smugglers from other Asian countries also might be misusing this proviso with local abetment. Around 4,000 tonnes of illegal wildlife products are estimated to pass through Vietnam every year.

The report recommends that Viet Nam should comply with its obligations under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), This includes reporting of ivory seizures, tightening of national regulations and their enforcement, prosecution of offenders, and seizure of ivory for sale in retail outlets. The report also recommends better training for wildlife law enforcement officers and continued participation in the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN).

The matter requires urgent intervention from other SE Asian countries. It is not a matter to be looked in to by Vietnam alone. ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) needs to be strengthened and given more teeth. Time to act is now. Prevarication would bring in the death knell of elephants across SE Asia.

Australian Bushfires- Threat to wildlife

International media has written volumes about the human suffering following the devastating bushfires of Australia. But the plight of wildlife seems to have been overlooked by many of them. The loss of wildlife and their suffering is staggering and indescribably horrid.

According to my contacts in Australia over a million wild animals have lost their life. To compound the loss many of them happen to highly endangered, found nowhere else in the world. According to wildlife experts of Australia some of the endangered animals are highly specialized, living in a small geographical area. They apprehend that bushfires may have completely destroyed some of these habitats, with the result that some species could have been completely wiped out. Helmeted Honeyeater has been given as an example. Less than 50 individuals were though to be alive. Endangered plant species also have been at the receiving end of the fury of fires.

Sure, human suffering should get first hand treatment, but the suffering of the denizens of the wild also needs to be addressed. Australia alone may not be able to do the needful, given the magnitude of the problem. Organizations like WWF should come forward and mobilize international support for the ailing denizens of the wild.

Fishermen come to the rescue of Dolphins

This happened in Philippines and is sure to warm the cockles of the heart of wildlife enthusiasts. Fishermen have rescued about 200 dolphins, which became stranded in shallow waters near Manila.

Surprisingly this species of dolphins are called melon-headed whales. They travel in large pods of several hundred. Fishermen used their boats to guide the mammals out to deeper waters. The townspeople lend a hand clapping, hooting and splashing to frighten the dolphins away. Three dolphins were found dead. Two of the three dead dolphins had damaged eardrums One of the reasons for the mass beaching could be major underwater earthquake. In such a contingency eardrums are damaged and they become disorientated and float to the surface.

The Melon-headed Whale (Peponocephala electra) also called many-toothed blackfish and electra dolphin), is closely related to the Pygmy Killer Whale and Pilot Whale. It has a body shaped like a torpedo. The Melon-head weighs about 10-15 kilograms. An adult grows up to 3 meters long and weighs in excess of 200 kilograms. Lifespan is 20 to 30 years.

Here is yet another reason to protect the rainforests

Scientists have isolated Isolongifolenone, a natural compound found in the Tauroniro tree (Humiria balsamifera) of South America, which has been found to be an amazingly effective deterrent of mosquitoes and ticks. The product has been found to be as effective or even more than DEET, a potent and widely used synthetic insect repellent that works by blocking the aroma of human sweat. Isolongifolenone can be easily synthesized from inexpensive turpentine oil feedstock. Aijun Zhang of the USDA’s Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory led the research

Tauroniro is found in rainforests in the Guianas, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Brazilian Amazon. This brings in sharp focus the need to protect the rainforests, which is getting a shabby treatment worldwide.

Although rainforests make up only about six percent of the Earth's surface, they account for at least 50 percent of all the species of organisms on our planet. Rainforests are referred to as the Earth's lungs. Our lungs take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide while the plants take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface but now they cover a mere 6% and are fast disappearing at an alarming rate. More than 200,000 acres of rainforest are burned every day. One hectare may contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants. We are losing 137 plants, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. This works out to 50,000 species a year. Estimates of species in the rainforests are only a guestimate. It varies from 2 million to 100 million species. Others put it at somewhere near 10 million. Against this backdrop only 1.4 million of these species have actually been named.
121 prescription drugs sold worldwide are derived from plant sources. You must be familiar with Vincristine, extracted from the rainforest plant, periwinkle. This is one of the world's most powerful anticancer drugs. Scientists have tested less than 1% of the tropical trees and plants for medicinal properties. A goldmine is waiting to be tapped.

The rich bounty includes the wild relatives of, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee, potatoes, rice, guavas, pineapples, mangoes, tomatoes, corn, avocados, and coconuts. This is only a short list.

Rainforest destruction spells doom for the indigenous people also. An estimated ten million Indians lived in the Amazonian Rainforest five centuries ago. Today there are less than 200,000. It is estimated that in Brazil alone, European colonists have destroyed more than 90 indigenous tribes since the 1900's. Rich tradition nurtured over thousand of years has gone down the drain.

The other day Barry my ecologist friend from UK was pointing out to me that a single pond in Brazil can sustain a greater variety of fish than is found in all of Europe's rivers. He also spoke about the recent discovery of 10 new frogs from the Western Ghats of India, one of the 35-biodiversity hotspots of the world. Yes, we are losing forests before we get a chance to study them properly. They hold enormous promise for our future well-being. The possible benefits are mind-boggling. Before signing off I would like to put here a small example. Harvard's Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson over a decade ago put it like this. “Rainforest land converted to cattle operations yields the landowner $60 per acre; if timber is harvested, the land is worth $400 per acre. However, if medicinal plants, fruits, nuts, rubber, chocolate, and other renewable and sustainable resources are harvested, the land will yield the landowner $2,400 per acre”. Let us hope that wiser counsel would prevail over short-term gains advocated by our politicians in their scramble for “development”

Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative intended to drive home the implications of climate change. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities around the globe have been invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach out to 1 billion people in 1,000 cities. The message is this - The only way to truly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to take the pressure off climate change, is through an international treaty on climate pollution and the only way that will happen is if politicians around the world become convinced that climate change is an issue that concerns people, one that will make them change the way they live, spend and vote.

For Earth Hour 2009 the lights will be turned off for one hour at 8.30pm on 28 March. 377 cities around the globe have already committed. This is double the number of countries that participated in 2008. More countries will follow suit in the days to come. Earth Hour 2009 will also see the lights go out on some of the most recognized landmarks on the planet, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Merlion in Singapore, Sydney Opera House, CN Tower in Toronto, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the world’s tallest constructed building Taipei 101. 2009 is a critical year for action on climate change, with the world’s leaders due to meet at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December to sign a new deal to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.

The organizers are planning to make the event the greatest voluntary action the world has ever witnessed.
India will join in Earth Hour 2009 in the global fight against climate change. As one of the most pressing challenges facing mankind today, climate change is in no way less alarming than the evident threat of terrorism that the nation is currently reeling under. Lights will be dimmed on buildings and pivotal landmarks and monuments throughout the city centres on 28th March 2009 and thousands of people in several cities of India will be coming together to celebrate, in candlelight, the Earth Hour campaign
For more information please contact:

Andrew Sedger
Earth Hour Global
T: +61 2 8202 1224 / M: +61 (0) 438 387 792
E: asedger@wwf.org.au

Billy Gentle
Earth Hour Global
T: +61 2 8202 1243/ M: +61 (0) 410 161 789
E: bgentle@wwf.org.au
Go ahead and join the global initiative.

Posted with inputs from WWF

Address your cows by name and get more milk

Scientists have discovered that if you call your cow by name lovingly she will give you more milk. Dairy farmers who address their cows by name reported 258 litre higher milk yields over those who didn't over a10-month lactation period. This is no fiction material. The details appear in the latest issue of British journal Anthrozzos a journal dedicated to interactions between animals and people.

Study coordinator Catherine Douglas of Newcastle University is all excited about the results. Catherine says that it is pure science and no hocus-pocus. if cows are slightly fearful of humans, they could produce the hormone Cortisol that suppresses milk production. Calling names have a soothing effect on the animals, which in turn could have an effect on milk yield.
So guys go ahead and call your cow by name if you own one. She is bound to give you more milk.

Amazing – Bees can count

Nature throws up amazing things in the process of man’s pursuit of ecological mysteries. It never ceases to surprise me. I am overawed and humbled. Here is another one to tickle you. Scientists have discovered that the honeybee can count up to three. Using dots and other abstract symbols, scientists from the Vision Centre in Australia went about finding whether the honeybees had the ability to count items in their environment. Results were amazing.

Here is how they went about it. Scientists used a Y-shaped bee maze to test their subjects. At the front entrance the bees can see a number of symbols, such as dots. A wee bit further they were presented with two different pathways. One has the same number of symbols as the first while the other shows a different number. If the bees choose the one that matches the entrance they would be rewarded with sugary water. The bees invariably plumbed for the sugary path. Even when the pattern, shape or the color of the dots was changed the bees were bang on target. At the outset the bees spent a lot of time reading the dots, but once they understood the pattern they quickly scanned the number and then zoomed in on the target. According to the scientists this is a process known as 'subitizing' i.e. means responding rapidly to a small number of items. The scientists also believe that this ability to count helps the bees in their travel of several kilometers from a hive in search of food. They are presumed to count landmarks and guide themselves back home.

Dr. Shaowu Zhang, Chief Investigator of The Vision Centre and Australian National University, led the study. The details appear in the latest issue of online journal PLoS ONE

Emperor Penguins facing uncertain future

Mathematical modeling of Antarctic by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) has brought to light the grave danger posed to Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) by climate change. Emperor penguins are to Antarctica what the polar bear is to the Arctic and made famous by Hollywood. The species was immortalized in the 2005 film March of the Penguins.

The modeling was based on projections of sea ice coverage from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) last report. A population dynamics model describing the mating patterns and breeding success of emperor penguins was used in conjunction. The study also used data collected by French scientists working in Terre Adelie, from 1960s onwards. The results suggest that by the year 2100, emperor penguins in the region are likely to experience a reduction in their numbers by 95% or more. Emperor penguins are the only penguins that breed during the harsh Antarctic winters. Warming of sea has other implications. Sea ice plays a critical role in the Antarctic ecosystem. They act as a platform for penguins to breed and feed. It is also a grazing ground for krill, tiny crustaceans that thrive on algae on the underside of the ice. Krill is a food source for fish, seals, whales, and penguins. Net results could be catastrophic.

The study's lead author is Stephanie Jenouvrier. Hal Caswell is the co-author. The study appears in the latest issue of journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

5th world congress on mountain ungulates - 2nd circular

Many people have requested me to put the second circular of the 5th world congress on mountain ungulates here. In deference to their views I am giving below the full text of the second circular.

Second Circular of V World Conference on Mountain Ungulates
The subfamily, Caprinae, consisting of wild sheeps and goats, is a group of mammals of great biological and economical value. From a zoological point of view, the group represents maximum adaptability to mountainous environments and forms part of the mammalian fauna of various ecosystems. In addition, and from an economic point of view, they are an excellent prize for game hunters, subsistence hunters, on photo safaris or for use in medicinal products.
Principally associated with mountainous areas, although they are also found in other habitats, including tropical forests and deserts, alpine tundra or arctic steppes, they are naturally distributed across the Northern hemisphere over 3 continents (America, Asia and Europe) and more than 70 countries from the Arctic to the Equator.
In this extensive area, more than 71% of the goat species are endangered in some way (loss of habitat, overexploitation, competition and transmission of disease [domestic livestock], hybridisation, tourism and genetic isolation). 8% of the population are listed as critically endangered, 23% as endangered, 40% are vulnerable, 28% are threatened, while no information is available about the remaining 1% (IUCN 1997).
There is a determining factor, applicable to all the broadly distributed species, which in part, lies in the lack of information available about the species. In order to pool available knowledge about this species, a number of different international conferences have been held. At the first of these held in 1989 in Camerino (Italy), the groundwork was established for the preparation of the World Action Plan for goats by the IUCN. In 1997, the second conference took place in Italy (Saint Vincent, Aosta), and all the available information regarding this group of mammals was collected together. The third (2002) and fourth conferences (2006), in Zaragoza (Spain) and Munar (India) respectively, focussed on relevant aspects of the biology and ecology of these species, together with proposals for their handling and conservation.
Now, as mentioned in the previous circular, from 10 to 14 November 2009, the 5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates is to take place at the Conference Centre (Palacio de Congresos) of Granada and will discuss the research, conservation and management of the ungulate populations in the world.
The more specific objectives of the conference will include:
·- Knowledge, condition and conservation of the wild mountain ungulate populations.
·- Threatening factors.
·- Genetic isolation.
·- Hybridisation, tourism.
·- Infectious contagious disease.
·- Working methodologies.
·- Management models.
For further information, please visit the Web site www.vworldconferenceungulates.org, or contact the Technical Secretary for the Congress at:
secretary@vworldconferenceungulates.org
The official Congress languages are Spanish and English.
REGISTRATIONS
Registrations may be made from 28 November 2008 to 30 June 2009 (price: €300), and subsequently, from 1 July 2009 to 1 November 2009 (price: €400). Students are charged €150.
Registrations must be made in either of the two formats available on the Congress Web site: on-line or by printing off the registration form in pdf format. The registration should, in all cases, be sent and the fee must be paid.
PAPERS
Work can be presented in the format of Posters or as an Oral Presentation.
Abstracts and Papers for the different scientific participations at the congress should be prepared in line with the following:
Abstracts:
Abstracts should be sent to the following electronic mail address: communications@vworldconferenceungulates.org between 28 November 2008 and 15 June 2009.
The following subject areas and workshops are proposed:
·- Condition and conservation of mountain ungulate populations.
·- Taxonomy and genetics of mountain ungulate populations.
·- Biology and Ecology: reproduction, physiology, etc.
·- Population management: Methods, capture and marking, management experience.
·- Healthcare status: Parasitic and infectious contagious diseases, epidemiology, treatments, epidemiological monitoring, etc.
·- Hunting and Conservation: hunting management and promotion (workshop).
·- Techniques for estimating populations (workshop).
·- Ungulates and Climate Change (workshop).
The title, (in Spanish and English), authors and address should be included.
The text shall have a maximum of 400 words, 5 key words, in one of the two official Congress languages, and the subject area to which it corresponds should be specified.
The text shall be written in Times New Roman 12, with interlineal 1.5 spacing, A4 paging, and with margins not less than 2.5cm, and shall cover no more than one A4 page.
Documents shall be submitted in Word format.
Scientific genus and species names shall be in Italics. Common species names shall be in lower-case and the first time they are used in the text, accompanied by the scientific name. Decimal figures are expressed using a comma, not a full-stop. All units used shall be as listed in the International System.
Papers:
Papers may be of any length, although we recommend a maximum of 25 pages, including tables, pictures and attachments.
The following layout is recommended:
Title, authors (initials followed by surname(s), in small capitals; for example: J.M. PÉREZ and P. FANDOS), authors� address, key words (to a maximum of 5 and in alphabetical order), abstract (between 200 and 300 words), introduction, area of study, material and methods, results, discussion, acknowledgements, bibliography, table and picture footnotes, tables, pictures and attachments.
Should the authors consider it appropriate, some of these sections may be united or subdivided. Section headings should be in small capitals, bold print and centrally aligned. The text should be justified on both sides. Tables should be given on separate pages together with the relevant footnotes. All picture footnotes should be included on the same page; each figure is given on a separate page. Attachments shall use the same format as tables.Tables, pictures and attachments are ordered with Arabic numerals.
The font type is Times New Roman 12, interlineal 1.5 spacing, A4 page size, margins not less than 2.5cm, and pages numbered consecutively (centre bottom of page).
Scientific genus and species names shall be in Italics. Common species names shall be in lower-case and the first time they are used in the text, accompanied by the scientific name. Decimal figures are expressed using a comma, not a full-stop. All units used shall be as listed in the International System.
Pictures shall be submitted in jpg or tiff. format Pictures are only accepted in black and white. Bibliographic references in the text are quoted as follows, for example: Navarro (1991), Pérez y Belmonte (2000), Granados et al. (2001), (Fandos, 1991; Pérez y Cadenas, 2000; Granados et al., 2001). In the bibliography, quotations are given in alphabetic order according to the surname of the first author and date (using a, b, c... where necessary) as shown below:
· - For articles:
FANDOS, P. and VIGAL, C.R. 1988. Body weight and horn length in relation to age of the Spanish wild goat. Acta Theriologica, 33: 239-242.
· - For books:
SCHALLER, G. 1977. Mountain monarchs. Wild sheep and goats of the Himalaya. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 425 pp.
· - For chapters of a book:
FANDOS, P. 1994. Los ungulados de montaña. In: Argali, Cacerías de Alta montaña. Ed. Agualarga, Madrid, 261-314 pp.
· - For doctoral theses:
GRANADOS, J.E. 2001. Distribución y estatus de la cabra montés (Capra pyrenaica, Schinz 1838) en Andalucía. Doctoral Thesis, University of Jaen, 567 pp.

For articles, the name of the journal should be given in full. If the quoted information is not published, use 'pers. obs.', 'pers. com.', 'in prep.' or 'in press', as appropriate.
SELECTION OF PAPERS
For papers to be accepted, authors must be registered at the Congress and have completed payment of the corresponding fee.
The Scientific Committee will select papers in a minimum of approximately 30 days, from the closing date for submission of work. Authors will be notified of the acceptance or not of the paper and the subject area in which it has been included.
PRELIMINARY SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME
November 10th, 2009
18.00 h. - 22.00 h. Receipt of Documentation and Information. Placement of panels. Granada Conference Centre.

November 11th, 2009
9.30 h. Official Opening.
10.30 h. - 11.30 h. Opening Conference.
11.30 h. - 12.00 h. Coffee Break
12.00 h. - 14.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
14.00 h. - 16.00 h. Lunch
16.00 h. - 18.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
18.00 h. - 18.30 h. Coffee Break
18.30 h. - 20.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.

November 12th, 2009
9.00 h. - 11.30 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
11.30 h. - 12.00 h. Coffee Break
12.00 h. - 14.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
14.00 h. - 16.00 h. Lunch
16.00 h. - 18.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
18.00 h. - 18.30 h. Coffee Break
18.30 h. - 20.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.

November 13th, 2009
9.00 h. - 11.30 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
11.30 h. - 12.00 h. Coffee Break
12.00 h. - 14.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
14.00 h. - 16.00 h. Lunch
16.00 h. - 18.00 h. Workshops. Sala Andalucía and Salón Plenario simultaneously.
18.00 h. - 18.30 h. Coffee Break
18.30 h. Conclusions
19.30 h. Closing Ceremony

PRELIMINARY SOCIAL PROGRAMME
November 11th, 2009
20.00 h. Night-time visit to the Alhambra. Cocktail dinner at the Campo de Los Mártires
November 12th, 2009
20.00 h. Flamenco Show at the Sacromonte
November 13th, 2009
20.00 h. Gala dinner
November 14th, 2009
9.30 h. Visit to the Sierra Nevada Natural Space. Lunch in the country and visit to the Installations at the Mountain Goat Reference Station

Mans’ avarice jeopardizing the behavioral patterns of wildlife

Alarm bells are ringing about the unscientific ways of harvesting wildlife including fish and plants. According to a new study by evolutionary biologist Chris Darimont of the University of Victoria in Canada, and colleagues, the rate at which hunted and harvested species are changing their size and breeding schedules is cause for concern. Rapid changes have been noted in heavily exploited fish and other species since the 1970s. For example Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) have decreased 20% in size over the past 30 years, and females now reproduce a year earlier than they used to. The studies included 29 species, mostly fish but also a few invertebrates, mammals, and plants. The team compared these studies with two databases: one for species such as Galápagos finches that had changed through natural selection and one for nonhunted species exposed to other human influences such as pollution. Exploited species transformed on average three times faster than those in natural systems and 50% faster than species subject to other human interference and were shrinking, breeding earlier, or both.


The practice of taking a large percentage of the prey population and targeting the largest individuals favors small individuals, which in turn breed before reaching exploitable size. Smaller sizes and altered breeding schedules could decrease species' abundance, and severely affect their ability to recover from exploitation. Interactions with predators and competitors also get upset.

Man’s avarice is tipping the apple cart of nature’s food web. Animals and plants are getting affected. Time to put a brake to this senseless carnage and act is now. It is not too late to start the ameliorative process.

Full report can be accessed online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Use of Vicks VapoRub – Be wary

This blog usually confines itself to wildlife and environmental affairs. But I thought this piece of information about Vicks VapoRub passed on to me by Roger my friend from US is worth a mention here.

According to a study appearing in this month’s issue of Chest, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians Vicks VapoRub has some deleterious effects on infants and young children. Vicks VapoRub may stimulate mucus production and airway inflammation, which can have serious negative effects. The ingredients in Vicks can be irritants, causing the body to produce more mucus to protect the airway. Some of the ingredients in Vicks, particulary menthol, trick the brain into thinking that it is easier to breathe by triggering a cold sensation, Dr. Bruce Rubin from the department of pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston Salem, N.C., led the study.

Dr Rubin recommends never putting Vicks in or under the nose of anyone, regardless of age. The best treatments for congestion are saline nasal spray, warm drinks,herbal teas, soups and plenty of rest

Local residents reclaim forest

My Australian contacts have sent me this inspiring story from Tasmania. Tasmania's Upper Florentine Valley saw some dramatic events yesterday. About 400 protesters invaded the Forestry Tasmania working area during their protest against the construction of a logging road. The protesters forced the eight forest contractors currently working on the construction of the new road to cease operations. This was done caring two hoots for prohibitory police orders. The police and forestry officials repeatedly warned the men that they would be prosecuted. This fell on deaf ears. People have realized that there is more value in these forests left standing than bulldozed down.

I was delighted with this piece of information. When the politicians work hand in glove with the greedy contractors this is the only avenue open to local populace. Tahrcountry salutes the brave men.

World’s tropical forests – A look in to what future holds

The recent Smithsonian’s Symposium: “Will the rainforests survive? New Threats and Realities in the Tropical Extinction Crisis” had some interesting observations. It brought together the world's foremost authorities on different aspects of rainforest science.
One of the main arguments put forward was that the extinction crisis might not be as bad as predicted due to the significance of secondary forests and other degraded landscapes, which may allow the preservation of certain species. Robin Chazdon, a professor at the University of Conneticut who has studied secondary forests for twenty-five years, stated that secondary forests and other non-primary growth landscapes has great relevance for biodiversity conservation. According to him these are the areas that needs focused attention in order to conserve most of our biodiversity. A study in Veracruzm Mexico came up with the finding that bird biodiversity was actually greater in shade grown coffee farms than in the forest. In the Western Ghats of India, where cultivation has been practiced for 2,000 years, arecanut agriculture retains 90 percent of the bird biodiversity of the forest. In the largely degraded and devastated Atlantic Forest of Brazil chocolate grown under the canopy provides homes for 70 percent of many species, including birds, bats, butterflies, mammals, ferns, lizards and frogs. In Costa Rica, scientists discovered that a forest less than twenty years old had 90 percent of forest tree species either already growing or as seedlings. On the other hand soybean fields have been found to be devoid of biodiversity. Biodiversity is abysmally poor in palm oil plantations. Palm oil plantations have been shown to retain only 15 percent of species from the lost forest.
Entomologist Nigel Stork from the University of Melbourne argued that the scientists who predicted extinction rates of 50-75 percent did not take into account that certain groups of species, such as birds and mammals, are more prone to extinction than other groups like insects. Large body size, small restricted range, low number of young, top of the food chain, high specificity to another organism, and low physiological adaptation make a species more vulnerable to extinction.
One place where the scientists at the Symposium largely agreed was the threat posed by climate change to the tropics and the inability to know how it would affect biodiversity in the region. All the participants believe that this is a much greater threat to biodiversity in the tropics than habitat destruction. Tropical species are much more sensitive to small increases in temperature than temperate species. Tropical species would have to travel much greater distances than temperate species to find habitat within their normal range of temperatures.
According to Gregory Asner of the Carnegie Institution, deforestation is still the dominant pattern in tropical forests worldwide. To be precise it is on the rise. With the globalization of trade, deforestation mainly occurs for industrialized agriculture, such as soy and palm oil, and for logging to produce wood products meant for export to the West. Consumption by wealthy nations, and not local needs, is largely driving contemporary deforestation.
At the end of the symposium all the speakers foresaw mass extinction in the future of the tropics, unless drastic ameliorative actions are taken on a war footing. While the extinction may not reach 50-75 percent, since insects dominate the world, it would certainly have a devastating effect on the world’s vertebrates. Robin Chazdon argued that in order to ensure enough habitats, secondary forests and agroforestry should be supported. A conservation action plan for such areas is the need of the hour.

Human-made light sources acting as 'Ecological Traps'

Human-made light sources are altering the natural light cycles impacting wildlife. Polarized light has been found to trigger animal behaviors leading to injury and often death. Gabor Horvath, Robertson and colleagues, in the latest issue of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, have unveiled this disturbing information.
Light pollution can cause increased predation, migrating in the wrong direction, choosing bad nest sites or mates, collisions with artificial structures and reduced time available to spend looking for food. To cite an example baby sea turtles use the direction of star and moonlight reflected off the water surface to help them find the ocean when they emerge from their beach nests. Under the influence of light pollution particularly from urban sources, many turtles turn the wrong way and migrate toward the brighter lights of buildings or streetlamps.

Polarized light reflected from asphalt roads, windows and plastic sheets and oil spills often mimics the surface of the water. Dragonflies laying its eggs on a shiny black highway may become paralyzed by attraction to the pavement after laying its eggs. This could cause populations to decline and even extinction. One of the remedies suggested for asphalt is white hatch mark. White hatch marks on roads can prevent insects from mistaking them for bodies of water. The addition of white curtains to shiny black buildings deters insects, bats and birds.

I found this study very interesting and alarming. Robertson signs off saying. "Aquatic insects are the foundation of the food web, and what's harmful to them is harmful to entire ecosystems and the services they provide."

Ecological indicators to forecast environmental disasters- A new study

All of us are familiar with leading indicators used by economists to asses economy. Geologists use seismic indicators to try to predict earthquakes. Taking a cue from this scientists have taken a page from the social science handbook and are trying to use it as leading indicators of the environment to forecast potential collapse of ecosystems.

The interesting study has been published on January 5th in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the new study, Carpenter, Reinette Biggs of Stockholm University and William A. Brock, an economist at UW-Madison, used northern Wisconsin's sport fishery as a laboratory to see if leading indicators of ecological collapse can be detected in advance to avert disaster. The results were positive.

The authors says, “Ecosystems worldwide, lakes, ocean fisheries, coral reefs, forests, wetlands and rangelands, are under constant and escalating pressure from humans and many are on the brink of collapse and it is possible to sense impending ecosystem regime shifts by carefully monitoring the changing variables”.

The authors warn” "We really need to be monitoring and analyzing the data from these ecosystems as a way to keep them healthy. Otherwise, by the time the problem surfaces it is too late."

This is a very good study worth a read. With refinements the study can come in handy as a very useful tool for environmentalists.

A clearinghouse for conservation banking launched

Species banking is a comparatively new initiative meant for species credit trading as an effective tool for the conservation of threatened and endangered species and their habitat. A conservation bank is like a financial bank. Here instead of money the bank protects natural resources. I would like to call it a biological bank account. When a project comes up that impacts wildlife, the pronotors can buy credits in a conservation bank.

Ecosystem Marketplace has launched a clearinghouse for conservation banking aimed at the species credit trading industry. Speciesbanking.com will provide a marketplace for the emerging conservation banking scenario. Initially intended for US markets, the agency plans to develop it in to a resource centere for nations across the world. At species.com you can publicize your credit availability and buyers can look out for solutions to their mitigation needs.

Effectiveness of underpass- A recent US success story

The proof of the pudding lies in eating it. The effectiveness of underpass to help migrating wildlife was proved recently in Wyoming US. The state had erected six deer underpasses this summer along U.S. Highway 30 in Nugget Canyon. This was to facilitate migrating mule deer cross the busy highway and protect motorists from collisions with big game animals.

To monitor animal movement the authorities also installed deer underpass webcams. It was found that about 800 deer, a few antelope and a lone bull elk had used the underpass in the first week itself. The authorities are elated at this result. The highway is in the middle of one of the state's largest big game winter ranges used by about 30,000 mule deer herd.

The proper way to place the underpass is to put them in areas that animals use regularly and where they actually do cross. This means that they don't have to learn a new migration route. Here is another tip. If the deer cannot see open space on the other end, they're not going to use the underpass.

Alarming news from Canada- Canadian forests are now pumping out more climate changing carbon dioxide than they are sequestering.

I was reading this disturbing news in Chicago Tribune about Canadian forests now pumping out more climate-changing carbon dioxide than they are sequestering and thought it would be a good idea to share it with you.

Canadian forests impacted by damage caused by global warming, insect infestations and persistent fires have crossed the Rubicon at least for the present. Scientists do not see any redemption at least till 2020. The shift from being a carbon sink to a carbon source has saddened the environmentalists.

The spread of deadly pest known as the mountain pine beetle, directly attributed to climate change, has devastated pine forests across Canda. Pervasive fires are another source of worry.
Environmentalists feel that logging ought to be sharply curtailed to preserve the remaining trees and make them sequester more carbon. The counter argument is that essential wood products for construction, furniture and other uses would have to be replaced with other man-made materials, such as plastic, steel or concrete, which entails burning of more fossil fuels. Well it is vicious circle.

Moral of the story: Take good care of your forests with a long-term perspective. Otherwise the whole thing will turn topsy-turvy.

Climate change plays havoc with wildlife in UK

The National Trust of UK has come up with a study, which shows the impact of climate change on UK’s wildlife. According to the trust UK wildlife is struggling to cope with erratic and unseasonal weather, which has taken its toll for a second consecutive year. Species under threat include puffins, marsh fritillary butterflies and lesser horseshoe bats.

The unusual seasonal patterns include the following.
•Snowdrops and red admiral butterflies were first spotted in January, earlier than normal.
• Bees were hit hard in April by frost and snow
• Rain in late May caused many birds' nests to fail, including those of the blue and great tits, because of the lack of insect food
• It was a poor summer for migrant insects - butterflies, moths, hoverflies, ladybirds and dragonflies - because of the wet and cold June
• In July, puffin numbers on the Farne Islands were down 35% on what they had been five years earlier
• The common autumn cranefly, usually in best proportions in September, was all but absent.

The trust concludes that climate change is not some future prediction of what might happen, it's happening now.

I feel that this piece of information from UK calls for an immediate study of the impact of climate change on India’s wildlife also. A pointer is the erratic birth of Nilgiri Tahr in Eravikulam National Park, Munnar, Kerala. It used to occur with clockwork precision in the first week of January. This is now getting delayed by more than one month. The distribution pattern of the animal inside park is also showing drastic changes. It is time to act.

Season's greetings

Tahrcountry wishes all its readers a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

Anamigo Pet Photo contest

Are you keen about of pets and their welfare? Then have a look at Anamigo.com a new online community for pet lovers and their pets. You have oodles of info about pets there. Anamigo is sponsoring a contest for pet lovers. Enter the Anamigo Pet Photo contest and you stand to gain up to $300 a week. There's a daily prize of $25 and a weekly prize of $125, totaling $300-a-week for the cutest pet photos (voted by users). Get your camera out and email your friends. Your furry friend could bring you in cash.

Anamigo.com, an online pet community is dedicated to giving our pets their own place online. Relax during a short break from the day-to-day and browse the cutest dog, puppy, kitten and cat pictures from pet people just like you. Create your pet's profile and upload as many photos as you like. Or dig in and participate in their forums, blogs and groups. If you are keen about joining log on to http://anamigo.smnr.us

WWF releases list of threatened species

World Wildlife Fund has released its annual list of some of the most threatened species of the world. The list includes polar bears, tigers, gorillas, pandas, elephants, whales and rhinos, black-footed ferret and vaquita. WWF attributes poaching, habitat loss and climate change-related threats as the primary reasons for the decline of populations.

Here is WWF’s “9 to Watch in 2009” list:
1. Javan Rhinoceros
Population: Less than 60. Location: Indonesia and Vietnam.
This is probably the rarest of the large mammal species in the world and is critically endangered. Poaching and pressure from a growing human population pose greatest risk to the two protected areas where they live. WWF teams actively monitor these rhinos and protect them from poachers.
2. Vaquita
Population: 150. Location: Upper Gulf of California, Mexico.
The world’s smallest and most endangered cetacean, this tiny porpoise is often killed in gillnets and could soon be extinct. WWF is working with local fishermen, local and international non-profits, and private sector and government officials on an unprecedented effort to save the vaquita. This includes establishing a vaquita refuge, buying out gillnet fisheries and developing vaquita-friendly fishing gear and other economic alternatives for the fishermen and their families.
3. Cross River Gorilla
Population: 300. Location: Nigeria and Cameroon.
The few remaining forest patches of southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon are home to the recently discovered Cross River gorilla, a subspecies of the western gorilla. But as timber companies open up its forests, hunters move in. Conservation measures are urgently needed for this beleaguered animal, which is probably the world’s rarest great ape. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, a WWF Affiliate, is working with communities in the Cross River National Park to help save the Cross River gorilla.
4. Sumatran Tiger
Population: 400-500. Location: Sumatra, Indonesia.
Accelerating deforestation and rampant poaching could push the Sumatran tiger to the same fate as its now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives in other parts of Indonesia. Tigers are poached for their body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine, while skins are also highly prized. WWF is researching the Sumatran tiger population with camera traps, supports anti-poaching patrols and works to reduce human-tiger conflict as the cats’ habitat shrinks. Through the efforts of WWF and its partners, the Indonesian government in 2008 doubled the size of Tesso Nilo National Park, a critical tiger habitat.
5. North Pacific Right Whale
Population: Unknown, but less than 500. Location: Northern Pacific, U.S., Russia and Japan.
The North Pacific right whale is one of the world’s rarest cetaceans, almost hunted to extinction until the 1960s. It is rarely sighted and has a poor prognosis for survival due to collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing nets and the prospect of offshore oil and gas development in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. WWF is working to improve shipping safety to avoid collisions and trying to prevent oil and gas development in Bristol Bay, the whale’s primary summer feeding ground.
6. Black-Footed Ferret
Population: 500 breeding adults. Location: Northern Great Plains, U.S. and Canada.
Found only in the Great Plains, it is one of the most endangered mammals in North America because its primary prey, the prairie dog, has been nearly exterminated by ranchers who consider it a nuisance. Few species have edged so close to extinction as the black-footed ferret and recovered, but through captive breeding and reintroduction, there are signs the species is slowly recovering. WWF has been working to save the black-footed ferret and the prairie dog population upon which the ferrets depend.
7. Borneo Pygmy Elephant
Population: Perhaps fewer than 1,000. Location: Borneo, Malaysia.
These smallest of all elephants must compete with logging and agriculture for space in the lowland forests of Borneo. WWF is working to ensure protection of the “Heart of Borneo” and tracks the elephants through the use of satellite collars to learn more about these little-understood elephants.
8. Giant Panda
Population: 1,600. Location: China.
An international symbol of conservation since WWF’s founding in 1961, the giant panda faces an uncertain future. Its forest habitat in the mountainous areas of southwest China has become fragmented, creating small and isolated populations. WWF has been active in giant panda conservation for nearly three decades, conducting field studies, working to protect habitats and, most recently, by providing assistance to the Chinese government in establishing a program to protect the panda and its habitat through the creation of reserves.
9. Polar Bear
Population: 20,000-25,000. Location: Arctic.
The greatest risk to their survival today is climate change. Designated a threatened species by the U.S., if warming trends in the Arctic continue at the current pace, polar bears will be vulnerable to extinction within the next century. WWF is supporting field research to understand how climate change will affect polar bears and to develop adaptation strategies. WWF also works to protect critical polar bear habitat by working with government and industry to reduce threats from shipping and oil and gas development in the region.

Posted with inputs from WWF

A new font that saves on ink

The prints that we use regularly use paper and lots of ink. Sprang creative communications, (Utrecht, The Netherlands) has developed a new font that is good for the environment. The new font reduce the amount of printer ink used by up to 20%. The idea came when Colin Willems thought of how much of a letter can be removed and made into white space while maintaining readability? After lot of trials with different kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. This resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink.The font is pretty good for your personal needs. Here is what the company says, "After the Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well."

Ecofont is an open source font based on Vera Sans. Even though Ecofont will help you reduce your ink consumption and paper remember that the best way to save printer ink and paper is not to print things you don’t need. If you are keen about this font and wish to download it click here.

Sweden cleanest, S. Arabia dirtiest

According to a report published on Wednesday by watchdogs at the UN climate change talks, the NGOs Germanwatch and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Sweden does the most for tackling of greenhouse gas emissions, while Saudi Arabia does the least. The annual "Climate Change Performance Index" placed Sweden only fourth on its list. No positions were allotted for the top three places. The Climate Change Performance Index compares 57 states that together emit more than 90 percent of the world's annual output of carbon dioxide. Sweden's fourth place was followed by Germany, France, India, Brazil, Britain and Denmark. The bottom 10 in descending order are Greece, Malaysia, Cyprus, Russia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, the United States, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Last year’s index rating allotted first three places to Sweden, Germany and Iceland and the bottom three to Australia, the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Are we overestimating wildlife habitat?

Changwan Seo of the University of Seoul, South Korea, and his colleagues think that we are overestimating the wildlife habitat. They attribute the reasons for this overestimation to the present models that we are using. Present models divide the world into 50-kilometre grid squares, which gives a very coarse resolution. Changwan Seo and colleagues tested four models at a variety of spatial scales. The team found that larger the grid size, the more the chances of overestimating the amount of habitat available to a species. This could be in the range of two or three times the actual range available. The solution is to run models with smaller grid sizes, even though this costs more. Full details of the study can be accessed at (Biology Letters,DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0476).

Guide to low-carbon lifestyle

WWF has come out with an excellent guide that will help you to reduce your carbon footprint, The WWF Pocket Guide to a One Planet Lifestyle. Essential tips on how to be more environment friendly at home, the workplace and when planning a holiday is lucidly explained. The report is a sequel to recent launch by WWF of their “Living Planet Report” which warned that humanity was heading towards an “ecological credit crunch”. We currently use 30 per cent more resources than the planet’s ecosystems can naturally replenish. Americans have a “five planet lifestyle” and the Europeans a “three planet lifestyle”. With the aid of this eBook you can easily calculate your personal footprint, measure the positive effects of your lifestyle changes, find low-carbon alternatives to travel, and get help on how to find energy-efficient appliances or a green electricity supplier. The report is primarily available as an online e-book, The printed version is produced digitally on-demand on FSC certified paper and bound by screw rivets which enables the readers to easily unbind the book and insert updates, Paper wastage is virtually zero, and non-hazardous inks has been used. If you want to access the guide click here

Showing off your research through dance

Dancing your PhD may sound a wee bit zany and bonkers. This happened recently in a contest sponsored by the magazine science. Science challenge to researchers was to interpret their Ph.D. research in dance form, film the dance, and share it with the world on YouTube. 36 entries came up for the competition. The panel of judges consisted of the three winners of the first "Dance Your Ph.D." contest, three scientists from Harvard University, and three artistic directors of the dance company Pilobolus. On 20 November Science announced the winners of the 2009 AAAS Science Dance Contest in four categories: Graduate Students, Postdocs, Professors, and Popular choice.

The winners were

Graduate students: Sue Lynn Lau, Garvan Institute of Medical Research / University of Sydney, Australia.
Sue Lynn Lau chose classical ballet and highly kinetic party dancing as the way to interpret her Ph.D. thesis, "The role of vitamin D in beta-cell function."

Post doc: Miriam Sach, University of Duesseldorf, Germany
The research of Miriam Sach was to find out whether different types of verbs are processed by different regions of the brain. Sach, embodied this difference by dancing in the various styles of processing: awkward and hunched for the irregular verbs and graceful and limber for the regular verbs.

Professors: Vince LiCata, Johns Hopkins University
Vince LiCata and three associates danced a slow and graceful double pas de deux, representing the interaction of pairs of hemoglobin molecules from his 1990 Johns Hopkins University Ph.D. thesis, "Resolving Pathways of Functional Coupling in Human Hemoglobin Using Quantitative Low Temperature Isoelectric Focusing of Asymmetric Mutant Hybrids."

Popular Choice: Markita Landry, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
The winner of the Popular Choice category was determined by the number of views accumulated by each YouTube video between the time it went online and the contest deadline. Landry was the winner with 14,138 views. Landry used a tango to convey her thesis, "Single Molecule Measurements of Protelomerase TelK-DNA Complexes."

Each winner will be paired with a professional choreographer, and together they will attempt to translate a scientific paper the researcher has authored into a proper dance. Then the four choreographers will create a single four-part performance based on the papers. In February 2009, the winning scientists will be guests of honor at the AAAS Annual meeting in Chicago. They will have front-row seats to the world debut of THIS IS SCIENCE, a professional dance interpretation of their published research.

Mosques to the Support Sea Turtle Conservation in Malaysia

Would you believe this? Mosques coming to the rescue of Turtle Conservation? Yes, it is happening. This week 482 mosques in the Malaysian state of Terengganu on the north-eastern side of Peninsular Malaysia will give sermons on turtle conservation. Four species of endangered marine turtles nest on the beaches of Terengganu. This includes the critically endangered Hawksbill and Leatherback turtles.

New Strait Times reports that the state religious administrators of Terengganu have prepared a khutbah focused specifically on turtle conservation. The sermon would include threats to the environment and the importance of preserving it in line with Islamic teachings. WWF Terengganu Turtle Programme team leader Rahayu Zulkifli said many Muslims were not aware that Islam preaches conservation of natural resources and hoped it would remind people on the matter. If Mosques around the world take the same passion for conservation the wildlife is sure to benefit. Tahrcountry congratulates the people behind this magnificent venture in Malaysia.

Renewable energy product that helps wildlife – Award for Cheetah conservationist

Simple solutions can sometimes cascade in to big benefits. This is exactly what happened with a small innovative thinking from Dr. Laurie Marker, Founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) based in Nambia. Dr Marker has been awarded $50,000 by the Tech Museum of Innovation for her Bushblok program. Tech Awards are given for applying technology to benefit humanity and spark global change.

Bushblok programme uses a high-pressure extrusion process to convert invasive, habitat-destroying bush into a clean-burning fuel. This helps cut down use of firewood, coal, lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes which are costly and result in environmental problems.

Clearing invasive bush helps restore millions of acres of Namibian savannah to revert back to its original state and improve the habitat of both the cheetah and its prey. Namibia has last of the largest remaining wild cheetah population. The global population of cheetah remaining in the wild is around 10,000.
Here is a shining example of innovative thinking coming to the rescue of wildlife. We need more such level headed thinking to solve some of our festering wildlife related problems.

As a spin off of Dr Marker’s Bushblok program Namibia is considering the use of Bushblok as biomass to power electric plants.

Environmental depredations of palm oil industry: The way out

It is a known fact that palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia are destroying rainforests and threatening the very existence of endangered wildlife there. Millions of tons of oil is produced yearly which has a great bearing on the economy of these two countries. Is there a way to balance the needs of economy and conservation? There is. The option is to go in for palm oil produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way certified as compliant with the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Principles and Criteria,

RSPO was formally established under Article 60 of the Swiss Civil Code. The initiative was taken by WWF. The association is based in Zurich, Switzerland, while the secretariat is based in Kuala Lumpur.

The RSPO brings together oil palm growers, oil processors, food companies, retailers, NGOs and investors. The target is to ensure that no rainforest areas are sacrificed for new palm oil plantations. Plantations have to minimize their environmental impacts and the basic rights of local peoples and plantation workers have to be respected.

The first shipment of 100% certified palm oil has recently gone to Europe. If buyers worldwide decide to buy only certified palm oil it will be a big boost for the conservation. Creation of awareness worldwide is the need of the hour. You can write to the importers of your country requesting them to buy only certified palm oil. Your small action is bound to have an impact. The beneficiary will be the rainforests and denizens of the wild like tigers and orangutans.

Songbirds and 'hymn sheet'

The mysteries of nature are myriad. Some makes you wonder with its complexities and nuances. A bird song might seem ordinary at first glance. Look at it from a scientist’s perspective and there is more in it than meets the eye.

Researchers studying bird songs have arrived at fascinating conclusions. Professor Richard Hahnloser and his team of researchers from the University of Zurich after extensive studies on Zebra Finch have come up with the conclusion that Songbirds learn to sing from a hymn sheet in their head. They believe that the birds have an internal recording that helps the birds to perfect singing. A separate region seems to enable the birds to identify mistakes in their songs. To arrive at the conclusions the researchers monitored the electrical activity of cells in the zebra finches brains. While some neurons were constantly active, other cells became active only when the birds made mistakes. It is these cells that enable the birds to learn from their errors. The researchers believe that their research could unravel the complexities of how humans learn to speak.

The details of research appears in the journal Science

Greenpeace indicts Indonesia as a big greenhouse gas emitter

Indonesia stands as the world's third biggest greenhouse gas emitter behind the United States and China. How come this happens when Indonesia is not industrialised like United States and China. The answer is conversion of forests and peatlands for palm oil and pulp plantations. This is bothering the environmentalists in Indonesia and they have sought the help from environmentalists worldwide as the implications of forest destruction are not exclusive to Indonesia. It has worldwide ramifications. Greenpeace is in the forefront of spearheading the campaign against this rampant destruction. On Monday Greenpeace stopped several palm oil shipments meant for Europe from leaving Indonesia’s main oil export port Dumai. The activists painted the words 'Forest crime' and 'Climate Crime' on the hull of three palm oil tankers and a barge full of rainforest timber, A Greenpeace activist also chained himself onto the anchor of a ship as a token protest. Papua region is seeing heavy stripping of tropical forests. Peatland forests of Riau are another recent casualty.

So next time you partake palm oil, remember everything is not hunky-dory. Think of the rainforests that are being hacked down to feed the demands of oil palm industry. The existence Orang-utans is also threatened by this massive destruction of rainforest of Indonesia and Malaysia. The palm oil lobby is very powerful in Indonesia and Malaysia. Action from concerned people all over the world is required.

The need to listen to local wisdom

The innovative ways in which local populace comes up with ways to solve some of their problems never ceases to amaze me. Here is yet another example from Thai villagers who have come up with cost effective ways to solve the problem of crop raiding by elephants.

Stringing up unwanted CDs is helping to keep elephants away from farmers' crops. CDs act as light reflectors to deter the elephants. CDs twisted and shone, mimicking a person with a torch and Works best during full moon. A very innovative and practical solution from the local people. The scientists working in the area were intrigued. Impressed scientists from The Elephant Conservation Network (ECN), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), are propagating the idea in Thailand.

Elephants are intelligent animals and it remains to be seen whether it will work on a long term basis, but for the time being it seems to work

Obama and nature conservation

The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States has been hailed by environmentalists worldwide. He has always been concerned about environment. As a student at Columbia University, Obama worked for three months as an environmental activist to promote recycling in Harlem. He cosponsored a bill which requires that 10% of electricity in the state come from renewable sources by 2012. He has introduced multiple pieces of legislation to reduce mercury and lead poisoning. Obama fought efforts to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and voted to prohibit the use of funds to construct new roads in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. He led a spirited campaign to remove asbestos. He wants Detroit to design and build more fuel efficient cars.

In election speeches Obama had promised progressive environmental policies if elected. Policies with accent on reducing greenhouse emission and dealing with the perils of climate change. Obama had said “if we create a new energy economy, we can create five million new jobs, easily”. He had emphasized the need for being good stewards of the land and said we've got to be less wasteful both as a society and in our own individual lives. Obama's Environmental Protection Agency will strictly regulate pollution and believes in the credo the polluter pays. His words "Environmentalism is not an upper-income issue, it's not a black issue, it's not a South or a North or an East or a West issue, it's an issue that all of us have a stake in." has been widely welcomed.

Yes, environmentalists’ world wide has something to cheer about. We wish him Godspeed.

International Agreement to protect migratory birds

Migratory birds flying across nations are facing increasing threats worldwide. The war in Afghanistan is a grim reminder. Siberian Crane which flies in to India from Siberia is a victim. Bird like Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) and Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris) are doomed in the East Asian - Australasian Flyway. Against this background the latest agreement to protect migratory birds is most welcome.
The countries which have signed up to Ramsar Convention on Wetlands have agreed on a resolution to protect migratory birds on their long journeys across the world. The resolution was passed on 3rd November 2008 in South Korea at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 2,000 people from 165 nations attended the meeting. The new agreement has been named “The Ramsar Resolution on Flyways”. The theme of the International conference was ‘Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People’.

No country can act alone to protect migratory waterbirds. The need of the hour is international cooperation. If you want to read the resolutions click here

In praise of a “Green” Prince

Prince Charles has always been a green man practicing what he preaches. He has been promoting environmental ideas for most of his adult life. The prince has replaced carbon-heavy private jets and helicopters with scheduled flights and train services. His Jaguar is adapted to run on biodiesel fuel. Residences such as Highgrove in Gloucestershire have switched to green electricity.

A few years back when he said he talks to plants at his country house, Highgrove, to stimulate their growth he was branded a crank. But the prince was not bothered about this criticism from unenlightened quarters.

The activism of the prince is not restricted to England alone. Wherever he travels he espouses the cause of conservation. The latest initiative has come during his tour of Indonesia.

He has now appealed to rich countries to pay an annual "utility bill" for the benefits accrued to the world from rainforests, benefits like the forests acting as air conditioner, storing of fresh water and providing work. Rainforest also play a great role in carbon sequestration. It was the developed nations that trigger rain forest destruction through a demand for products like beef, palm oil, soya and logs. So they have to start paying for it, just as we do for water, gas and electricity, the prince feels. The prince was speaking to the Indonesian President, Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and his cabinet in Jakarta. Earlier he had visited the Harapan Rainforest conservation project on the island of Sumatra.

The prince suggested that initially the funding could be provided by the private sector by subscribing to long-term bonds issued by an international agency.
This is a suggestion worth serious consideration by the international community. We salute you Prince Charles for your sagacity.

African ivory sale – The imponderables bother conservationists

The recent sale of 108 tonnes of African ivory is still bothering the conservationists worldwide even though the sale was done under proper mandate. They say the façade of using the money for conservation is just a ruse. This was Succumbing to the massive Chinese demand for ivory carvings and trinkets. United States was not far behind in this charade.
Allan Thornton of the Environment Investigations Agency says, "In a country of 1.3 billion people, demand for ivory from just a fraction of one per cent of the population is colossal. If these new legal imports go ahead, they will provide a gigantic cover for illegal ivory to be sucked in."
Here is what Dr Easa the noted elephants conservationist say “Though the sale of ivory with the permission of CITES was expected, this will definitely have a long term effect on the conservation ofelephants the world over. The impact will be not just on the African elephant, it will have impact on Asian elephant also. This is especially true in the wake of absence or dormancy of all the monitoring systems as planned by CITES earlier. There should be a long term elephant conservation friendly plan on the fate of all the ivory stock the world over. It is not good to go for short term resolutions, which are also being taken in every meeting favouring the sale”.
The majority of conservationists feel that this was no way to find money for conservation. The protagonists could have easily tapped some corporate giants.

Pesticides, fertilizers, the villain behind the frog Decline

A field survey led by Jason Rohr of the University of South Florida has come up with the finding that chemical Atrazine in fertilizers is the villain behind the decline of frogs in US. Atrazine harms the amphibians' immune defenses against infection. The effects of this chemical is boosted in the wild by phosphate fertilizers. Runoff from fertilizers into ponds encourages the proliferation of snails which acts as a natural host to the flatworm parasite. The flatworms, called trematodes, cause limb malformations, kidney damage and sometimes death in several species of frog. Atrazine is manufactured by a Swiss-based company, Syngenta

Wildlife photographer of the year

Photo credits:BBC

A picture of elusive snow leopard((Uncia uncia) on a night prowl taken by photographer Steve Winter has won this years prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 award. The competition is run by BBC Wildlife magazine and London's Natural History Museum. The work involved incredible patience, working in temperatures below -40C and use of 14 remote cameras in 45 locations in the Ladakh region of India for 13 months.
It was tough task for the jury to select the winner. They had to sift through 32,350 entries.

This is the specifications used by Steve Winter
Canon EOS Rebel XT + 10-22mm lens at 16mm; 1/200 sec at f16; ISO 100; waterproof camera box + Plexiglass tubes for flashes; Trailmaster 1550-PS remote trigger

World facing ecological "credit crunch"

The Living Planet Report produced by WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network warns that the world is headed for an ecological "credit crunch”. We are living beyond what the earth can sustain, making us "ecological debtors". Up to $4.5 trillion worth of resources are destroyed forever each year. World’s future prosperity, is in danger with clear cut impacts on costs for food, water and energy. United States and China leaves the biggest impact. They account for nearly some 40% of the global footprint. Per person United Arab Emirates have the largest ecological footprint, While Malawi and Afghanistan have the smallest. According to WWF International if our demands on the planet continue to increase at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we would need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles. It is high time we gave serious thought to our profligate ways. Right now we are embroiled in economic meltdown and in the process tend to forget the grave danger posed by ecological "credit crunch". The report is a timely reminder.

Deutsche Bank says climate change and economic slump has portents of green opportunities

I was reading the latest report from Deutsche Bank entitled 'Investing in Climate Change 2009 – Necessity and Opportunity in Turbulent Times'. I found it very interesting. The report says economic slump need not be a complete damper. It has portents of green opportunities which have to be tapped. Mark Fulton, head of climate change investment research at Deutsche Bank opines that "The current economic downturn presents governments with an historic opportunity to 'climate proof' their economies as they upgrade infrastructure as a core response to the economic downturn," He goes on to add “climate change is shifting away from costs and risk towards the question of how to capitalize on exciting opportunities," Climate change industries present a vast new field for creation of new technologies and jobs. In the energy sector alone 45 trillion dollars would be required between now and 2050 to develop clean technologies. According to Deutsche Bank this presents a low carbon industrial revolution scenario. For investors the regulated market holds promise of enormous secular growth. Projects supported by Government policies are more trustworthy according to Deutsche Bank.

The report provides a compendium of analytical framework that investors can utilize to get a grasp of climate change opportunity. Log on to Deutsche Bank site if you want to read the full report. For an executive summary click here.

Indonesia reneges on promises to international community

Indonesia had assured the recently concluded World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, its commitment to protect the natural forests and ecosystems of Sumatra in deference to the wishes of the international conservation community. But the words ring hollow now. Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has built a 45-kilometre, logging highway through prime Sumatran tiger habitat. The road passes protected areas, proposed protected areas and deep peat areas. Draining or disturbance of the deep peat soils under forests results in massive emissions which has global significance. The clearing in the past has disturbed wildlife and resulted in increased human – wildlife conflicts.
If Indonesia waits for some more time there is a golden opportunity coming up. The financial mechanisms for avoided deforestation which is on the anvil could result in countries like Indonesia getting more from investors for forest preservation than forest destruction. Indonesian environmentalists have appealed to current and future buyers and investors of APP not to have any business with APP. Staples Inc of United States, Ricoh and Fuji Xerox Groups of Japan, Metro Group of Germany and Woolworths of Australia have already heeded to their call.

EBay ban on ivory trade

EBay announcement of worldwide ban on the sale of ivory has been welcomed by conservationists worldwide. The new policy will be effective from December, and will be enforced from January with diligence. The EBay announcement came just hours after the release of the report "Killing with Keystrokes“by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). IFAW had found over 49000 elephant ivory listings on the auction site. Over 70 percent of all endangered species products listed for sale on the Internet occur in the United States. The volume of trade in endangered species products in the U.S. is around 10 times the trade from U.K. and China, the next two leading countries. Interpol page on wildlife crime indicates that illegal wildlife products are worth billions of dollars every year worldwide. Even though elephants are protected under the International Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), death rate of elephants from poaching is on the rise. More than 20,000 elephants are mercilessly slaughtered every year in Africa and Asia.
I was talking to prominent elephant conservationist Dr Easa the other day. According to him this is positive step, but much more needs to be done. Those who are determined to sell and buy will try and find ways to bypass the ban. So a close watch has to be continuously maintained.

Electric eels study inspires invention of new biomedical devices.

Here is yet another example of how study of wildlife can benefit man. Benefits from study of wildlife are a cornucopia waiting to be tapped in future. Scientists who have studied electric eels feel that the cells electric eels use to shock predators and prey can be mimicked and engineered to power implanted biomedical equipments. The researchers are from Yale University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Electric eels channel the output of thousands of specialized cells called electrocytes to generate electricity. The scientists have deciphered the mechanism of how natural electric eel cells work. Electric eel produces electric charges powerful enough to stun a person or kill small fish.The artificial cells deliver better performance than the real ones and can generate electric potentials of up to 600 volts.
You would be surprised to know that an electric eel is not an eel at all. It belongs to a family of bony fish known as knifefish. The scientific name is Electrophorus electricus. It is the only member of the family Electrophoridae.

Madagascar community leader gets Paul Getty conservation award

Here is something that is sure to fire your enthusiasm about nature conservation. You need not have degrees in conservation to espouse the cause of nature conservation. Ordinary folks can very well do it. What is needed is will and commitment. The prestigious Paul Getty award for 2008 has gone to dedicated Madagascar community leader Roger Samba, with no formal training in conservation. The award honours outstanding contributions to international conservation and carries a $200,000 prize. The award recognizes today's leaders in conservation and also helps develop conservation leadership for tomorrow by establishing graduate fellowships in the name of the winner and J. Paul Getty. Samba was responsible for organizing the world's first community run no-take zone for octopus, a local species of critical economic importance to the community.
For generations, the indigenous semi-nomadic Vezo people of Andavadoaka, Madagascar (Samba's hometown) have depended on artisanal fishing activities for their livelihoods. Their culture and tradition was intimately interwoven with it. In recent years unsustainable tourism and an increase in international fishing vessels and burgeoning population was creating a resource crunch.
Samba created a plan for empowering local communities to take up management of coral reefs and the region's fragile marine biodiversity. Alternative livelihood and environmental education initiatives were simultaneously launched. The project was so successful that eight neighbouring villages formed their own protected areas for octopus in order to reap similar benefits. Here is a shining example of how economic development can inspire and benefit from the conservation of natural resources.
Samba will use his award to establish fellowships for students pursuing masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral degrees in conservation-related fields at a university of his choice in Madagascar.
Well done Samba. You are indeed a shining example for the whole world.

Sound pollution affecting wildlife

I was disturbed to read some of the latest findings on how sound pollution is threatening the existence of wildlife.
Have you tried to hail someone amidst the cacophony of blaring sounds? It is pretty tough on your vocal cord. Exactly the same thing is happening to birds calling out for its mates. Biologist Henrik Brumm of the Free University of Berlin has found that male territorial nightingales in Berlin had to sing five times as loud in an area of heavy traffic. Henrik is sure that this could be affecting their vocal musculature and he wonders what is going to happen in future if the noise levels keep going up.
Bernie Krause, a bioacoustics expert has collected over 3,500 hours of sound recordings from the wild. Bernie calls it Soundscapes. In the early recordings each animal had its own niche, its own acoustic territory, akin to an orchestra. Noise from airplanes, automobiles and other blaring sounds produced by man has affected this perfect scenario. At least 40 percent of those natural symphonies have become radically altered.
Extraneous sounds can mask some of the quieter yet important sounds of nature like footfalls and breathing. It is these sounds that that predators latch on to, to catch prey. The prey uses it to escape predators.
So the whole equation of nature is undergoing changes due to man’s inexorable drive for progress. We have the danger signals. It is time to do something about it at least in areas near wildlife reserves.

Indigenous people demand say in conservation schemes.

Gone are the days when you could ride roughshod over the indigenous people. They are slowly becoming vociferous.
Indigenous rights groups are meeting in Oslo this week to voice their demands. They say discussions on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is doomed for failure unless they are based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities. In places where indigenous land rights have not been clearly defined, the whole process could be used to evict forest people from lands upon which they have been living for generations. The apprehension is that this would open floodgates of land grabs and evictions by parties seeking to capitalize on carbon payments. Indigenous peoples are concerned about how these new investments could affect their access to the forests, but here is an opportunity to create sustainable livelihoods for forest people and safeguarding biodiversity if the whole process is handled with sang-froid.
The meeting in Oslo will come up with ideas of how the rights of indigenous people can be respected under "forest carbon" schemes. The choice of Oslo for the meeting is deliberate. Norwegian government has pledged to spend up to 3 billion Norwegian kroner ($500 million) annually to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in tropical countries. Participants of Oslo conference have proposed the formation of independent bodies to advise and monitor the UN Convention on Climate Change to ensure that the rights forest people are put in place. They demand that Indigenous peoples must be accepted as full and fair participants in all parleys.

Internet use good for the brain of the elderly

This blog usually concentrates on matters relating to wildlife and environment affairs. Here is something of great interest that goes beyond my usual realm. I thought this piece of news about the good effects of use of internet on elderly persons is a germane bit of information. It is sure to bring cheer to senior citizens.

A University of California team led by Professor Gary Small has found that searching the web stimulated centres in the brain that controlled decision-making and complex reasoning. Professor Gary Small says that browsing the internet may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults improving brain function. This also enhances brain circuitry in older adults. The study was based on volunteers aged between 55 and 76. The study appears in the latest issue of American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Happy surfing senior citizens.

Sumatran Muntjac rediscovered

When a lost species is rediscovered it sends waves of joy to the conservationists. Here is a piece of news from Indonesia that will warm the cockles of your heart. Sumatran muntjac (Muntiacus montanus) a species thought to have been extinct and not seen in the wild since 1930 has been rediscovered. A team working for Fauna & Flora International and the Kerinci-Seblat National Park Tiger Protection rescued it from a hunter's snare on an anti-poaching patrol in Sumatra's Kerinci-Seblat National Park.The team also managed to take photographic proof of the rescued deer; the first ever photographs of a live specimen. The species was first discovered in 1914. IUCN has listed the species in its Red List as "data deficient".

Mammal species are at risk of extinction

World’s denizens of the wild are disappearing at a faster rate than previously calculated. Nearly a quarter of the world's land mammal species are at risk of extinction according to an extensive survey of global wildlife, conducted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 1,700 experts in 130 countries took part in this massive exercise. At least 1,141 of the 5,487 known species of mammal are threatened. 188 have been listed in the "critically endangered" category. Among the critically endangered species is the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), with only 84 to 143 adults remaining. One in three marine mammals is also threatened. The survey, has been published by the journal Science

Critical health risks from plastic

Latest research is throwing fresh light on Critical health risks from plastic. A special section in the October 2008 issue of Environmental Research, "A Plastic World" provides startling new information. Plastic has "endocrine disrupting chemicals" that can block the production of the male sex hormone testosterone (The villain is phthalates used in PVC plastic), mimic the action of the sex hormone estrogen (Here the villain is bisphenol A or BPA used in polycarbonate plastic), and interfere with thyroid hormone (The villain brominated flame retardants or PBDEs used in many types of plastic). The chemicals are also contaminating the oceans and causing considerable harm to aquatic wildlife. It is now imperative that new products with less impact on environment and human health have to be developed. The dangers signals have been broadcast.

Brazilian Air force comes to the rescue of penguins

I was fascinated to hear the news about Brazilian Air force coming to the rescue of stranded penguins.
Every year penguins fly towards north from the colder waters near Patagonia in search of food. This year they have traversed distances hitherto unreported. The birds are thought to have made a journey of more than 3,000km. Hundreds of birds have been washed up on the coast of Brazil. This has puzzled the scientists. Penguin migration is closely linked to their need for food, and the altered pattern of journey suggests that something has gone awry with their normal fish supply. There has also been evidence that they are eating fish that are not part of their usual diet. Reasons could be changes in water temperatures and ocean currents or man-made pollution. Scientists are raking their brains to find out the exact cause.
Hundreds of birds were completely exhausted by their long journey. It is here that the air force came to the rescue. They were flown this week in a Hercules plane down to the southern tip of Brazil, where they are being released into the ocean

All is not lost for Amphibians

All recent reports about amphibians worldwide had projected a bleak future for them. One in three amphibians worldwide are threatened with extinction.200 species have already been lost since the 1980s.Last week Zoological Society of London stated that 50 percent of Europe’s amphibians will go extinct by 2050. Against this backdrop discovery of three new frog species and the rediscovery of one thought to be extinct provide a whiff of respite. Conservationists worldwide are elated.
The new species were discovered in the Upper Pastaza Watershed in Ecuador. The region harbours 28 orchids and 190 plant species that are found no-where else. Other rare inhabitants include mountain tapir, the red-brocket deer, and the spectacled bear.

Suicidal defense by Ants

The mysterious ways in which nature operates leaves me spellbound at times. New researches makes me realize that we have only touched the tip of the ice-berg. Here is another piece of news that makes you wonder. Ants are well-known for their willingness to die for their colonies. This usually occurs when enemies are present. New research by Adam Tofilski of the Agricultural University of Krakow, Poland, et al shows that the Brazilian ant Forelius pusillus goes for self-sacrifice to defend the colony. This is the first known example of a suicidal defense that is preemptive rather than a response to danger posed. At sunset the ants seal off entrances with sand, and a few ants remain outside to complete the job. These ants that remain outside are unable to reenter the colony. They die by the next morning. A short report appears in the latest issue of science magazine and the full paper appears in the in the November issue of the journal American Naturalist.

Prehistoric ant discovered in Amazon rainforest

An ancient ancestor of ants has been discovered living in the Amazon rainforest. The discovery was made by evolutionary biologist Christian Rabeling of the University of Texas at Austin, USA. The new ant is named Martialis heureka, which translates in to "ant from Mars," .This is to highlight the ant’s characteristics never before recorded. Ants evolved 120m years ago from wasp-like ancestors and quickly adapted to living in soil, trees and leaf litter. This is the first time that a new subfamily of ants with living species has been discovered since 1923. The discovery will help biologists better understand the biodiversity and evolution of ants. Tabeling says "This discovery hints at a wealth of species, possibly of great evolutionary importance, still hidden in the soils of the remaining rainforests,” The study appears in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Live and let live - Predator species help each other while competing for a single prey

All of us are familiar with apportionment and rationing when there is a resource crunch. Nature resorting to this ploy might sound a wee bit farfetched. But this is exactly what scientists from Sweden and Netherlands have found out in their pursuit of intricacies of predator prey relationships. I was fascinated to read the paper “Stage-specific predator species help each other to persist while competing for a single prey” by A. M. De Roos et al. It gave me insights in to the myriad and mysterious ways in which nature works. In the wild state prey are usually shared by many predator species. One of the fundamental questions in ecology is how predators coexist while competing for the same prey. De Roos and associates with their research show that competing predator species may not only coexist on a single prey but even help each other to persist if they specialize on different life history stages of the prey. The research comes up with the finding that a predator may not be able to persist at all unless its competitor is also present. Net result is asymmetric increases in the rate of prey maturation and reproduction when predation relaxes competition among prey. This interdependence suggests that the network of feeding interactions in a community is, in fact, an emergent property of the system, which to a large extent arises through self-organization. Part and parcel of this self-organized character of the food web is an inherent fragility whereby the loss of a facilitating predator species may lead to subsequent extinction of some of its guild members, making the community collapse like a house of cards.

Stage-specific predator species help each other to persist while competing for a single prey
A. M. De Roos,T. Schellekens, T. Van Kooten and L. Persson
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94084, 1090 GB Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden

DNA bar-coding hitches

The ambitious project to DNA barcode all species (International Barcode of Life) has run in to a bit of rough weather. Scientists use a portion of the gene found in an organism's mitochondria for bar-coding. A new study by Brigham Young University has shown that the current techniques can mistakenly record the "broken" copy of the gene found in the nucleus of the organism's cells. This lapse will make present bar-coding technique to call it another unique species by mistake. This could lead to overestimating the number of species. To overcome this hitch, Brigham Young University has recommended specific quality control procedures to ensure that correct genes are captured. The day is not far off when a handheld device like a supermarket scanner is used to identify species. All that needs to be done is to compare the DNA marker from an organism with the known encyclopedia of life and immediately come out the species' name. 400,000 species have already been bar-coded to date. Exciting times are ahead for field biology scientists.