September 06, 2008
Polar Bears Move When Climate Changes: A Note from Nichole Hoskin
Thirty years ago polar bear experts were discussing “climatic fluctuations” rather than climate change, and the effect this can have on polar bear distribution in the Arctic. In fact Christian Vibe, the Greenland representative on the Polar Bear Specialist Group, was more focused on how climatic fluctuations affected distribution, than abundance.
The observations of Dr Vibe back then, for example polar bears drowning in scattered drift ice, are similar to what is being observed now, but back then Dr Vibe did not consider such incidences as unusual or causing long term decline in polar bear numbers.
At the 2nd Working Meeting of the Polar Bear Specialist Group, in 1970, he said:
“The ecological conditions of the Arctic have changed as a result of this alteration of the climate. Some high Arctic regions get colder winters and less open water in summer. The productivity of the sea decreases in the Arctic and in regions nearer the Atlantic. The ringed seal moves to the areas of higher productivity, and the polar bear follows the seal.
This is the situation today in Northwest as well as in Northeast and Southeast Greenland. All other animals in Greenland, in the sea as well as on land, are affected by the same climatical fluctuations, which are reflected in a regular shift between Arctic and Atlantic conditions (or Continental and Atlantic) over a period of 56 to 66 years; they are more marked every second time the period culminates. The climatic situation of today, with intense movements in the drift ice in summer, is very similar to that 110-120 years ago. For the polar bear, especially in East Greenland, that means unstable living conditions, more roaming, and probably greater loss of animals by drowning in scattered drift ice off South Greenland.
Under the Atlantic conditions of forty years ago, the drift ice from the Polar Basin kept moving throughout the winter and melted at high latitudes in summer. The situation for the polar bear was quite the opposite to that today. It then had to go ashore early in summer at high latitudes –and fewer got lost.
Alternatively, we could say that the polar bear probably was more numerous 30-40 years ago - as all Arctic animals were - but the Arctic-Continental climate of today has forced it south to regions with unstable drift ice conditions and within the range of man.” (at pp 20-21)
In this extract from Dr Vibe wriiten in 1970, he notes the negative effects of colder Arctic winters and less open water in summer. He explains that polar bears in the late 1960s were moving southwards to unstable sea conditions, with the possibility that more polar bears were dying.
However, Dr Vibe also noted that polar bears adapt to climatic fluctuations in the Arctic by moving to the areas with more of their primary prey, ringed seals, as ringed seals move to more suitable habitats.
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I recently purchased a copy of Christian Vibe’s 1967 monograph ‘Arctic Animals in Relation to Climatic Fluctuation’, Meddelelser om Grønland (1967) 170(5), pp 1-227.
I have started putting direct quotes from this data-rich research on the Environment Wiki that is linked to this blog:
http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/wiki/Effects_of_Climatic_Fluctuations_on_Polar_Bears_in_Greenland
I purchased the book from Abebooks at:
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?tn=Arctic+Animals+Relation+Climatic+Fluctuations
This blog is a gathering place for people with a common interest in politics and the environment. I strive for tolerance and respect. I don’t always agree with what I publish, but I believe in giving people an opportunity to be heard. I take no responsibility for comments and hyperlinks that follow each blog post and some content may be considered offensive by some people.
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August 26, 2008
No Reliable Data on Historical Polar Bear Numbers - A Note from Nichole Hoskin
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have become a symbol of global warming, and their predicted decline a sign of worst to come, but until very recently population estimates were really just educated guesses. Current polar bear numbers are estimated to total between 20,000 and 25,000.
On May 14 2008, when announcing the decision to list polar bears as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Secretary for the U.S. Department of Interior, Dirk Kempthorne stated,
“Although the population of bears has grown from a low of about 12,000 in the late 1960’s to approximately 25,000 today, our scientists advise me that computer modeling projects a significant population decline by the year 2050.”
But there are no published papers or reports to support the claim that there were about 12,000 polar bears forty years ago.
At the 1968 meeting of International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Polar Bear Specialist Group in Alaska, the Canadian Wildlife Service representatives suggested that numbers were as low as 5,000 in the 1950s and 1960s.
Current Chairman of the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist Group, Andrew Derocher, has stressed,
“The early estimates of polar bear abundance are a guess. There is no data at all for the 1950-60s. Nothing but guesses. We are sure the populations were being negatively affected by excess harvest (e.g., aircraft hunting, ship hunting, self-killing guns, traps, and no harvest limits). The harvest levels were huge and growing. The resulting low numbers of bears were due only to excess harvest but, again, it was simply a guess as to the number of bears.”
But how can Dr Derocher be sure that polar bear populations were being negatively affected by harvesting if there is no hard data on population numbers for the same period?
In 1972, at the 3rd Working Meeting of the IUCN Polar Bear Specialist group the Norwegian representative, Thor Larson, suggested there were as many as 20,000 in the late 1960s. Larson said,
“Merely by summarising the various national counts, which still must be considered inaccurate, one reaches the conclusion that the worlds total polar bear population is probably closer to 20,000 animals, than to the lower figures often suggested.”
Just maybe there have always been about 20,000 polar bears in the Arctic?
Nichole Hoskin is a research assistant at the Institute of Public Affairs and is adding to the Environmental Wiki associated with this blog.
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Other blog posts by Nichole Hoskin on polar bears include:
Polar Bears Can Survive where there is no Summer Sea Ice: A Note from Nichole Hoskin, August 20, 2008. http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/003342.html
This blog is a gathering place for people with a common interest in politics and the environment. We strive for tolerance and respect. We don't always agree with what we publish, but we believe in giving people an opportunity to be heard.
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August 20, 2008
Polar Bears Can Survive where there is no Summer Sea Ice: A Note from Nichole Hoskin
There has been a dramatic reduction in the extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic since 1870, Chart 1.
Drawn by Nichole Hoskin using data from Arctic Climate Research at the University of Illinois
Australian television's Four Corners showed a program on August 4, 2008, entitled ‘Tipping Point’ claiming that the disappearance of summer sea ice in the Arctic could have drastic consequence for polar bears.
Interestingly there is no summer sea ice in western Hudson Bay in the Canadian Arctic and there are polar bears.
According to polar bear experts, Douglas Clark and Ian Stirling (1998), “The polar bear population that inhabits western Hudson Bay spends the period from late July through early November on shore because the annual ice melts completely.”
Scientists previously thought that these polar bears sustained themselves on stored fat during this ice-free period, however, Derocher et al (1993), found that juvenile males and female polar bears would eat vegetation, such as alpine blueberries, crowberries, grasses and sedge, when marine mammals were unavailable because of the absence of summer sea-ice. This conclusion was based on examination of droppings and observations of signs of feeding on berries, such as berry stained teeth and fur, on polar bears captured in inland areas of western Hudson Bay between 1986 and 1992.
While there is evidence that females and offspring eat berries during the ice-free period, it is unclear whether eating berries significantly contributes to the total energy budget of polar bears. However, Derocher et al argue that eating vegetation “could significantly influence the condition of bears and in turn influence survival, particularly of cubs” and that “the patterns found in western Hudson Bay illustrate the physiological and behavioural plasticity of polar bears.”
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Douglas C. Clark and Ian Stirling, ‘Habitat Preferences of Polar Bears in the Hudson Bay Lowlands during Late Summer and Fall’, (1998) Ursus 10, pp 243-250 at 243 and 248.
Andrew E. Derocher, Dennis Andriashek and Ian Stirling, ‘Terrestrial Foraging by Polar Bears during the Ice-Free Period in Western Hudson Bay’, Arctic (1993) 46(3), pp 251-254 at 251 and 253.
ABC 4 Corner's 'The Tipping Point, broadcast August 4, 2008. Reporter: Marian Wilkinson
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2008/s2323805.htm
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August 13, 2008
Humpback Whales Off Endangered List
"FORTY years ago conservationists feared that humpback whales were being hunted to extinction. Now numbers have returned to such a level that they have been taken off the danger list."
At least that is one of the good news stories in yesterday's The Australian. It continues:
"The latest count stands at 40,000 mature individuals, meaning that, for now at least, the humpback is safe from the threat of extinction.
Several other whales, such as the blue whale, the biggest animal on earth, and the sei and southern right whales, are also growing in number after similar scares."
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August 06, 2008
A Bridled Nailtail Wallaby?
Is this photograph of a Bridled Nailtail Wallaby and should it be in Scotia National Park near Broken Hill in south western New South Wales?
Photograph by Phil Cole, Scotia National Park, June 2008
The Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) is considered endangered under CITES and some claim its range is now limited to central Queensland.
For more information on kangaroos and wallabies and to see another picture from Phil Cole of what we think is a Bridled Nailtail Wallaby visit: http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/wiki/Population_Numbers .
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August 04, 2008
Injured Cassowary
About two months ago, this magnificent adult female cassowary (above) traversed alongside our house with a dreadful limp. At the time, cassowaries had been fighting, so I assumed this one had suffered an injury in such conflict.
However, the big bird was not seen again for about two months and this was remarkable for this well-known inhabitant. She re-emerged late last week with no improvement in her gait, but with a dramatic loss of weight and this has presented an awkward dilemma for the land-manager.
It is pretty obvious that the bird is suffering. Then again, being a declared endangered species under EPBC, different protocols are invoked for response and intervention. She is a dominant female of a population of perhaps fewer than one-hundred birds remaining in the Daintree Cape Tribulation rainforests. She is also a wild animal with really scary feet.
Queensland's EPA has the delegated authority for such matters. For the importance of the bird they are compelled to have the animal assessed by a veterinarian for diagnosis. If it is perceived that the animal is suffering from an infection, strategically placed fruit with antibiotics could be deployed. If the trauma was identified as a dislocation, the animal might be tranquilized or netted for manipulation. On the other hand, if the injury required resetting and immobilization for weeks, say for a broken bone, then the bird would be euthanased.
Trouble is, a vet with cassowary expertise cannot really expect to travel from Cairns or Ingham or wherever, to the Cooper Valley in the Daintree and the expectant arrival of a wild cassowary.
In a stroke of good fortune, a departing client rang through to the office from our entrance courtesy phone, that the injured cassowary was halfway along our driveway. I drove down and managed to get about ten minutes of video of the brid, limping and feeding and hopefully this will allow the vet to make the necessary determination.
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July 15, 2008
Close Encounter of the Cassowary Kind
Breakfast at Cooper Creek Wilderness took a dramatic turn this morning with the unexpected arrival of a distressed cassowary chick. Not more than a month old, its separation from its family unit was cause for great concern. It ran about whistling for its father, but without response.
The image (above) shows the striped pattern providing a degree of concealment amongst the forest ground-cover. The second image shows the young cassowary, standing on our concrete verandah. After taking the shot, the chick then moved into the kitchen, which has no doors and then onwards to explore other aspects of our dwelling.
Perhaps ten minutes after its arrival, the dad made its presence known with another two chicks in tow. Re-united, the family walked quietly off into the wilderness, allowing our own kids to re-focus on readying themselves for the start of school's third term.
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June 20, 2008
Amphibian Chytridiomycosis "Not Driven by Climate Change"
A new study by a team of scientists specializing in zoology and animal health reported, "analyses found no evidence to support the hypothesis that climate change has been driving outbreaks of amphibian chytridiomycosis."
The study was published in the peer-reviewed PLoS Biology, a journal of the Public Library of Science:
Riding the Wave: Reconciling the Roles of Disease and Climate Change in Amphibian Declines
Karen R. Lips1*, Jay Diffendorfer2, Joseph R. Mendelson III3, Michael W. Sears1
1 Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America, 2 Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America, 3 Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
We review the evidence for the role of climate change in triggering disease outbreaks of chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease of amphibians. Both climatic anomalies and disease-related extirpations are recent phenomena, and effects of both are especially noticeable at high elevations in tropical areas, making it difficult to determine whether they are operating separately or synergistically. We compiled reports of amphibian declines from Lower Central America and Andean South America to create maps and statistical models to test our hypothesis of spatiotemporal spread of the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and to update the elevational patterns of decline in frogs belonging to the genus Atelopus. We evaluated claims of climate change influencing the spread of Bd by including error into estimates of the relationship between air temperature and last year observed. Available data support the hypothesis of multiple introductions of this invasive pathogen into South America and subsequent spread along the primary Andean cordilleras. Additional analyses found no evidence to support the hypothesis that climate change has been driving outbreaks of amphibian chytridiomycosis, as has been posited in the climate-linked epidemic hypothesis. Future studies should increase retrospective surveys of museum specimens from throughout the Andes and should study the landscape genetics of Bd to map fine-scale patterns of geographic spread to identify transmission routes and processes.
Author Summary
Once introduced, diseases may spread quickly through new areas, infecting naive host populations, such as has been documented in Ebola virus in African primates or rabies in North American mammals. What drives the spread of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes chytridiomycosis, is of particular concern because it has contributed to the global decline of amphibians. We modeled the spatiotemporal pattern of the loss of upland amphibian populations in Central and South America as a proxy for the arrival of Bd and found that amphibian declines in Central and South America are best explained by Bd spreading through upland populations; we identified four separate introductions of Bd into South America. Climate change seriously threatens biodiversity and influences endemic host–pathogen systems, but we found no evidence that climate change has been driving outbreaks of chytridiomycosis, as has been posited in the climate-linked epidemic hypothesis. Our findings further strengthen the spreading-pathogen hypothesis proposed for Central America, and identify new evidence for similar patterns of decline in South American amphibians. Our results will inform management and research efforts related to Bd and other invasive species, as effective conservation actions depend on correctly identifying essential threats to biodiversity, and possible synergistic interactions.
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Leseur's Frog
Leseur’s Frogs (Litoria lesueuri) emerge after dark from their diurnal concealment amongst leaf-litter on the dark-brown forest floor, where they elude the predatory appetites of a formidable avian oversight.
Like all members of the genus, Leseur’s have large finger and toe pads and horizontal pupils, however, males out-number females, perhaps as many as fifty-to-one. Adult Females, such as the one pictured, are three to four times the mass of males and much less gregarious and stream-bound (I get the impression that the greater mass of the female provides more liberty from running water).
It has been a tough year for wildlife sightings generally with the longest, coldest patch I have known since starting my nocturnal forays, fifteen years ago. The last couple of nights have been good for the primitive northern leaf-tailed and chameleon geckos, as well as the spectacular moth Lyssa Macleayi.
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June 13, 2008
Shooting Roos to Save Rangelands? by Nichole Hoskin
There are claims that the presence of too many sheep, cattle and kangaroos are damaging Australia’s rangelands and that commercial shooting of kangaroos will reduce overall grazing pressure.
In an article published today at On Line Opinion entitled 'Kangaroo: Designed for our Times' by Executive Officer of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, John Kelly, he writes that commercial harvesting of roos delivers, “a direct environmental benefits in our fragile arid rangelands where kangaroos are harvested” and that “these are extremely fragile areas which can support a limited number of grazing animals” and that “allowing the grazing pressure from all animals to increase is one of the most serious environmental hazards in these rangelands.”
Population numbers of red and grey kangaroos can fluctuate from 15 to 50 million. Under current government policy, 10-15 percent of this population is shot in any one year. So, commercial harvesting can potentially reduce grazing pressure particularly by limiting increases in wet years.
On the other hand, commercial shooting of kangaroos will not relieve grazing pressure if there is a corresponding increase in numbers of other grazing herbivores, such as sheep, cattle and ferals including horses, donkeys, camels, rabbits, buffalo and deer.
Gordon Grigg, an Australian expert on kangaroos, argues that, “Most of the grazing lands, unfortunately, show everywhere abundant signs of the foot and tooth pressure of the introduced hardfooted stock and there is simply no room for doubt that running sheep in the fragile arid inland has done a lot of damage. Graziers will argue that they obey the stocking rates recommended and many of them do, perhaps even most of them do. Maybe even all of them do, but the fact of the matter remains that the damage is everywhere evident.”
It remains unclear what proportion of grazing pressure directly results from kangaroos.
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June 11, 2008
Misbehaving Models and Missing Mammals by Jennifer Marohasy
Following is my review of 'Science and Public Policy: The Virtuous Corruption of Virtual Environmental Science' by Aynsley Kellow (Edward Elgar, 2007, 218 pages) as published in The IPA Review, May 2008 (Vol 59/4):
In 2000 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) claimed a species of Cambodian mountain goat, Pseudonovibos sptraits, was endangered with a fragmented population of 2,500 mature individuals. The species was included in the 2003 and 2006 edition of the IUCN Red List of Threatend Species.
But the Pseudonovibos sptrails never existed.
Cambodian artisans had been fooling collectors for years by removing the sheath from the horns of domestic cattle, soaking them in vinegar, heating them in palm sugar and bamboo leaves before moulding and carving the horns and then selling them as wall mounts. There had been no sightings of the goats, and DNA analysis indicated the skull bones to be those of cattle, but the idea of a rare creature that needed saving captured the imagination of the local Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) program manager and he featured the IUCN listing in his fight against land mines and rainforest destruction.
In a new book Science and Public Policy: The Virtuous Corruption of Virtual Environmental Science Aynsley KeIlow, Professor and Head of the School of Government at the University of Tasmania, uses this and other case studies from conservation biology and climate science as examples of 'noble cause corruption'. The phenomenon is recognised in law enforcement circles where police officers manufacture evidence to ensure a conviction.
The thesis of Kellow's book is that noble cause corruption gives as much cause for concern about the reliability of science as the potential influence of money.
Kellow shows that noble cause corruption is rife in the environmental sciences, and he shows how the corruption is facilitated by the virtual nature of much of the science.
After opening with the somewhat comical example of the bogus listing of the mythical Cambodian mountain goat, Kellow gets into the history of conservation biology. He explains how in the early 1980s ecology lacked a scientifically respectable method for studying life. The ecosystem approach potentially provided scientific respectability by supplying ecologists with mathematical tools developed by physicists beginning with the species-area equation and the theory of island biogeography.
While the theory could explain the number of insect and arthropod species colonising mangrove islands off the coast of Florida as a function of their distance from the mainland, the theory's extrapolation to non-island situations and terrestrial ecology more generally was not justified.
And predicting species loss by extrapolating backwards to suggest, for example, that a reduction in the area of forest will produce the same rate of species reduction as does its growth, has no basis in observational data but is common practice in conservation biology.
It is this approach, in particular the dominance of mathematical models, which makes it possible for groups like Greenpeace to use figures of 50,000-100,000 species becoming extinct every year, with support from the scientific literature, when they would be hard pressed to provide evidence of any actual extinctions.
Furthermore, an ecosystem as Kellow explains is nothing more than a construction: 'Ecologists tried to study ponds as examples of ecosystems, but soon found even they were not closed systems but connected to the watertable, and affected by groundwater flows, spring run-off and migrating waterfowl.'
In Science and Public Policy, Kellow shows how the misguided approach to the complexity of 'ecosystems' facilitated the subsequent development of climate science as 'post-normal' science. Kellow begins by explaining that climate change is an area of science where models inevitably play an important role-there is little scope for laboratory experimentation.
Climate models are constructed using historical data and then tested against the same data. Until about 1996 they produced a warming climate even with constant carbon dioxide. It is a vast undertaking and many scientists involved in modelling future climates have to assume the results of others are correct, and so it becomes partly a construct-dealing with enormous complexity and nonlinear processes.
Furthermore, Kellow details how lapses in scientific standards have occurred-involving the misuse of statistics on emissions scenarios and the incorrect reinterpretation of tree-ring data- which have had the effect of conveniently contributing to the political case for action to mitigate climate change.
The second half of the book is very much about politics beginning with a detailed analysis of the campaign by scientists against statistician Bjorn Lomborg and his book The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World and following with a critique of why there seems to be a closer affinity between environmentalism and left-leaning parties in western democracies and greater hostility towards environmental protection from right-leaning parties.
Kellow argues that there are cultural factors associated with the appreciation of nature that align with political ideologies and that these factors become exaggerated by the now virtual nature of many scientific disciplines. This further facilitates the corruption of science and public policy.
Kellow disputes the claim that the rise of environmentalism simply reflects increasing affluence and a progressive agenda, and considers the history of environmentalism and the myth of the balance of nature in the context of a long tradition of Western thought often involving catastrophic decline from some idyllic past- usually as a result of sin.
The idea of the 'balance of nature' persists, even though it is not supported by the observational data, because, if we accept this myth, any change in ecosystems can be attributed to human activity and imparted with a deep social meaning.
Within this paradigm, ecology involves all manner of projections of human values onto observed nature including through the use of terms such as 'invasive species' and 'alien'.
Quoting Robert Kirkman, Kellow suggests that a belief in ecologism provides a moral compass pointing in the direction of holistic harmony, but it is an illusion.
This shift of environmentalism onto a religious plane, coupled with the descent of much of ecology into the virtual world of mathematical modelling has seen the marriage of environmental science to political activism. Classic liberalism, Kellow explains, with its emphasis on separation between the individual and the state, can provide a protection against 'the darker possibilities of environmentalism'.
The book ends with a warning to scientists to not usurp the role of policy-makers. But rather provide those policy-makers with informed choices.
Indeed public policy is almost never resolved by some piece of scientific information. When science is used to arbitrate it eventually loses its independent status and disqualifies itself.
Science and Public Policy is an important book as a philosophical and historical analysis of environmental activism particularly over the last 30 years.
It will be especially appreciated by naturalists and biologists who remember the good old days when tramping about in work boots observing wild goats at close range or, in my case, collecting live lepidopteron, was encouraged-that is, before the advent of environmental science and sitting at desks crunching numbers for computer models.
Jennifer Marohasy is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.
You can buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Science-Public-Policy-Corruption-Environmental/dp/1847204708
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June 09, 2008
Introducing the mystery Stink Bug
Following my earlier post, in which I could tell you the face did not belong to a member of Australia's legislature etcetera, well here is the full body:
Posted by neil at 09:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Do you recognise this face?
On this Queen's Birthday Public Holiday, I thought that I would issue a challenge to our Politics & Environment Weblog community:
To whom or what does this face belong?
I can tell you that it is not a member of Australia's legislature. Neither is it employed in Australia's public service. It is definitely Australian, but it is not a contributor to our discussion on this blog, so it would be vexatious to suggest any of our local identities.
I'll wait to see what our readership comes up with, before revealing the identity.
Posted by neil at 06:15 PM | Comments (29) | TrackBack
June 04, 2008
Humpback off Sydney, Australia
Each year some humpback whales migrate from the Antarctic to north eastern Australian waters travelling a distance of some 10,000 Kilometres. Some pass Sydney and even enter the harbour.
I understand there is lots of food in the Antarctic, but it's a bit cold for birthing with baby whales likely to freeze in Antarctic water.
Humpback off Sydney, June 1, 2008, Photograph by Libby Eyre
Humpback off Sydney, June 1, 2008, Photograph by Libby Eyre
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May 31, 2008
Bumblebee Success
I'm into my second year as a member of The Bumblebee Conservation Trust. I was considering burying a bumble bee nest box in my garden, but the other day I noticed that there is no need - the little critters have already made a nest utilising a pre-existing hole in a flower bed next to our conservatory. Now, I'm no Neil when it comes to wildlife photography, particularly as I don't currently have a sophisticated digital camera, but I've done the best I can by capturing a couple of bees in flight during the frequent trips to and from the nest.
Bumblebees are important pollinators of wild flowers and crops in the UK. Already 3 species are extinct and 9 more are threatened. No, not due to 'global warming,' but habitat loss. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust explains the problem:
"It is thus essential that we take steps to conserve our remaining bumblebee populations, and if possible restore them to something like their past abundance. This cannot be achieved with existing nature reserves. Bumblebee nests are large, containing up to 400 sterile workers, each of which travels more than 1 km from the colony in search of suitable flowers. Each nest needs many hectares of suitable flower-rich habitat, meaning that to support a healthy population which is viable in the long term, large areas of land must be managed sympathetically. UK nature reserves are simply too small. The only way to provide sufficient areas of habitat for bumblebees is if the wider farmed countryside and the vast areas covered by suburban gardens are managed in a suitable way. To do this we need to educate people...
We need to and encourage farmers to adopt wildlife friendly farming methods through uptake of the Entry Level Stewardship scheme (ELS). We need to support the replanting of hedgerows and the recreation of hay meadow and chalk grassland habitats. These activities will not be at the expense of farming, but will actually benefit it, by improving crop yields at the same time as enriching the countryside. Meanwhile, in gardens nationwide we need to use wild flowers and traditional cottage-garden plants."
A worthy cause, not tainted by the global warming bandwagon like the WWF or the RSPB, which is partly why I joined the the BBCT and am an ex-member of the RSPB.
For some professional, close up photos of bumblebees, check out the BBCT gallery.
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May 26, 2008
What is Wilderness? (Part 4)
"Wilderness thus became the domain of the nobility, an environment where they alone could develop and display a number of artistocratic qualities. Friction arose between the peasants - inhabitants of open, unobstructed outdoor spaces - and the noble occupants of the forest, and that friction persisted as long as the peasant felt excluded from a portion of the landscape that he believed was his by right of heritage."
John Brinckerhoff Jackson, 1994
Tasmanian Forest, Photograph taken by Jennifer Marohasy in May 2005
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part 1 http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/000797.html
part 2 http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/003015.html
part 3 http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/blog/archives/003044.html
Posted by jennifer at 06:09 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
May 25, 2008
Wompoo Fruit Doves
Photographing this roosting pair of Wompoo Fruit-Doves Ptilinopus magnificus was simply irresistible. Over the years, I have seen many asleep, but never so low to the ground.
They are large doves, reaching almost half-a-metre and are richly coloured, with white head, purple breast, green wings with a conspicuous yellow stripe and bright yellow undergarments.
Their call is deep and resonant, with human-like attributes; "wollack-woo". They feed on a variety of rainforest fruits, which may be quite large in size and are eaten whole.
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May 21, 2008
Cyclosa Spiders and Stabilimenta
When I first spotted this messy web, I could barely make out the spider. In its own right, it was tiny; a mere 3-4 mm long, but in the circumstances of its concealment, it was marvellously blended into the broader clutter of debris, at the centre of the stabilimentum (conspicuous feature of silk).
Under higher magnification, an enlarged, multi-coloured abdomen, together with a strategic positioning of legs, concealed the bulk of the spider’s cephalothorax. Upon closer scrutiny, its eyes were just distinguishable between its legs.
It turned out to be a species of Cyclosa, renowned for adding prey remains and other debris to their orb-webs. The function of silk decorations is generally associated with defensive strategies, but there is also a notion that it may increase attractiveness to prey.
In my research of Cyclosa, I read that, under threat, the spiders may vibrate the web, bringing motion to the detritus and in so doing, give an impression of a more expansive population.
I also read the abstracts of two independent studies, which seemed to contradict the findings of each other. One showed no significant tendency in attraction to webs with a stabilimentum, whilst the other revealed 150% more insects trapped than for undecorated webs. Both studies agreed that without detritus columns and silk decorations, spiders were attacked at a higher frequency.
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May 18, 2008
Greenpeace Steals Whale Meat?
On Thursday the ABC ran a story from Greenpeace entitled Greenpeace says whalers stealing meat
by North Asia correspondent Shane McLeod:
In Japan, environmental group Greenpeace says it has uncovered evidence of widespread theft of whale meat from the country's scientific whaling program.
Greenpeace has intercepted a box of whale meat it says was illegally taken off the the whaling ship the Nisshin Maru by a member of its crew.
Spokesman Junichi Sato says the meat could be worth thousands of dollars on the black market.
"This is the valuable part of the whale," he said.
"It's made into whale meat bacon, which has a high value."
The whalers responded with a media release 'NISSHIN MARU CREW GIVEN WHALEMEAT FOR FAMILIES':
Nisshin Maru crew members are given a certain amount of whalemeat to take home to their families, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha in Tokyo, Japan, said today in response to Greenpeace Japan claims.
"The gifting of whalemeat to Nisshin Maru crew members is a time-honoured tradition in recognition of the hard work these men do spending many months a year away from their children and wives," the President of Kyodo Senpaku, Mr Kazuo Yamamura, said today.
"Our sailors spend four months of the year away from their families and are attacked by environmental terrorists while working, so providing a gift of whalemeat for them on their return home is just a little extra we can do for these men.
"It is a sad day when Greenpeace denigrates our crew for being given a few kilos of whalemeat," Mr Yamamura said.
Then the ABC reported in an article entitled Company accuses Greenpeace of whale meat theft on May 17, 2008, that it might have been Greenpeace who actually did the stealing:
A Japanese trucking company has told police that Greenpeace Japan has stolen whale meat, a day after the conservation group accused whalers of embezzlement.
Seino says a box of cargo was taken by Greenpeace from its branch office in the city of Aomori in north-east Japan.
Posted by jennifer at 10:33 AM | Comments (32) | TrackBack
May 16, 2008
World Wildlife Populations 'Plummeting'
Between a quarter and a third of the world's wildlife has been lost since 1970, according to data compiled by the Zoological Society of London.
Populations of land-based species fell by 25%, marine by 28% and freshwater by 29%, it says.
Humans are wiping out about 1% of all other species every year, and one of the "great extinction episodes" in the Earth's history is under way, it says.
Pollution, farming and urban expansion, over-fishing and hunting are blamed.
BBC News Website: Wildlife populations 'plummeting'
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May 15, 2008
U.S. Lists Polar Bears as 'Threatened'
WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today expressed disappointment with the U.S. Department of Interior's final decision to list the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
“Unfortunately, the decision to list the polar bear as ‘threatened’ appears to be based more on politics than science,” Senator Inhofe said. “With the number of polar bears substantially up over the past forty years, the decision announced today appears to be based entirely on unproven computer models. The decision, therefore, is simply a case of reality versus unproven computer models, the methodology of which has been challenged by many scientists and forecasting experts. If the models are invalid, then the decision based on them is not justified. It’s disappointing that Secretary Kempthorne failed to stand up to liberal special interest groups who advocated this listing.
“Lost in the debate is the fact that polar bear numbers have dramatically increased over the past forty years – a fact even liberal environmental activists are forced to concede. According to Canadian scientists, 11 of the 13 bear populations are stable, with some increasing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now estimates that there are currently 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears. These numbers are substantially up from lows estimates in the range of 5,000-10,000 in the 1950s and 1960s. Credit should be given to protection already provided the polar bear by way of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the several international conservation treaties including the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears and the U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Conservation and Management Act of 2006, as well as conservation, education, and outreach agreement with native peoples.
“Today’s decision will have far reaching consequences. Liberal special interests have employed hundreds of lawyers to try and convert current environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act into climate laws. Yet the ESA is simply not equipped to regulate economy-wide greenhouse gases, nor does the Fish and Wildlife Service have the expertise to be a pollution control agency. The regulatory tools of the ESA function best when at-risk species are faced with local, tangible threats. Greenhouse gas emissions are not local. The implications of today’s decision, therefore, will undoubtedly lead to a drastic increase in litigation and eager lawyers ready to use this listing to do exactly what they have intended to do all along – shut down energy production.”
Press Release: Inhofe Says Listing of Polar Bear Based on Politics, Not Science
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May 11, 2008
Best Bear Papers - A Note from Bob Ferguson
Two of the best papers that go directly to the heart of the issues on the polar bear listing as endangered by the US government are:
Demographic and Ecological Perspectives on the Status of Polar Bears, by Dr Mitchell Taylor and Dr Martha Dowsley, March 2008,
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/demographic_and_ecological_polar_bear_perspectives.html
Taylor and Dowsley are world class.
Polar Bear Population Forecasts: A Public-Policy Forecasting Audit (Working Paper Version 75), by
J. Scott Armstrong, Kesten C. Green, and Willie Soon, April 2008,
http://www.forecastingprinciples.com/Public_Policy/polarbear.html
Armstrong literally wrote the book on forecasting principles.
Robert Ferguson
President, Science and Public Policy Institute
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May 08, 2008
Mammal, Reptile, or Bird? Platypus DNA Unravelled
The genetic blueprint of the Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) has been deciphered by an international team that includes Australian scientists, and published in the journal Nature.
More explanation here on the BBC News website: Platypus genetic code unravelled
Nature: Genome analysis of the platypus reveals unique signatures of evolution
The Abstract states:
We present a draft genome sequence of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. This monotreme exhibits a fascinating combination of reptilian and mammalian characters. For example, platypuses have a coat of fur adapted to an aquatic lifestyle; platypus females lactate, yet lay eggs; and males are equipped with venom similar to that of reptiles. Analysis of the first monotreme genome aligned these features with genetic innovations. We find that reptile and platypus venom proteins have been co-opted independently from the same gene families; milk protein genes are conserved despite platypuses laying eggs; and immune gene family expansions are directly related to platypus biology. Expansions of protein, non-protein-coding RNA and microRNA families, as well as repeat elements, are identified. Sequencing of this genome now provides a valuable resource for deep mammalian comparative analyses, as well as for monotreme biology and conservation.
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May 07, 2008
Mealybugs and Jumping Plant Lice
I must confess that I really can't remember when I first came to believe that Green Tree Ants, presented in the previous entry, farmed aphids concealed under frass. However, I am always willing to learn, so thank you Jennifer for the correction.
Under higher magnification a cotton-like covering becomes more apparent, which reminded me of another image I captured several nights ago of what looks like the Psyllids or jumping plant lice that tamborineman mentioned in the previous thread.
Posted by neil at 05:58 PM | TrackBack
Green Tree Ants
Green tree ants Oecophylla smaragdina farm aphids for their honeydew. They are occasionally referred to as weaver ants because they form large leafy nests bound with silk. Through amazing co-operative strength, they form strings of hundreds of ants anchored at each end only, to forcibly move small branches into position. Other ants glue the leaves together with silk produced by squeezing their larvae.
They aggressively protect their nests and livestock, willingly biting any intruder and projecting streams of ascorbic acid to excite the sensitivity of wounds established with their choppers. If bitten, humans can retaliate in-kind and enjoy the health benefits of an abundant source of vitamin C.
Posted by neil at 07:56 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
May 04, 2008
Biomimetics
Mimicking the Bumps on Humpback-whale Fins Could Lead to More Efficient Wind Turbines. Biomimetics is the abstraction of good design from nature.
Continue reading the ABC (US) news story: Whale-Inspired Windmills
Thanks to Ann Novek of Sweden for this story.
Posted by Paul at 11:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Hercules Moth
In matters of antennae, I imagine that surface area correlates with sensitivity. The male Hercules Moth Coscinocera Hercules must find his mate within a very short timeframe.
Adult females emerge from the chrysalis without mouth-parts, her 4-5 day life does not include feeding. After she emerges and her wings unfold and dry, she emits pheromones to attract a male. After mating, she will fly away, lay her eggs on the underside of the leaves of a food plant and die shortly after.
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May 03, 2008
Changing Habitat Part 2 - A Note from Gavin
All good things must come to an end. Yesterday the tree surgeons moved in with their trucks, cherry picker and mobile chipper but the birds had moved back. A hasty roadside conference followed phone calls to base and several door knockings. The high drama was supervised all morning from above by currawongs, suburban pests by my reckoning.
Frogmouths resisting “arrest” had to be witnessed. Despite a very noisy and finally violent intrusion my owls demonstrated a distinct preference for our late street tree with its dead canopy hiding their daytime roost, a rough barked E. nicholii. Other mature trees in the street are the local white barked E. mannifera and smooth barked E. melliodora.
With a chainsaw running downstairs, common sense prevailed. After tapping their perch with a long stick from the aerial platform failed, the tree was shaken from the top down. The birds reluctantly hopped to higher branches then perched again, just out of reach.
With time patience running out on both sides an extra violent movement or two eventually dislodged them both. They flew off independently to neighbouring trees but were now split up on either side of the street. The dead tree was immediately felled in large pieces, completely mulched and the road side all swept up before smoko.
It seems urban safety programs and taxpayer’s funds are well protected. Note how the frogmouth displays a “stiff upper lip” next door as their temporary home disappears.
Gavin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currawong
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp7/eucalyptus-mannifera.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_of_the_Australian_Capital_Territory
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May 02, 2008
Greenpeace Attempts Polar Bears Listing to Prevent Alaskan Oil Drilling
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to decide within 16 days whether polar bears should be listed as a threatened species because of global warming.
The ruling is a victory for conservation groups that claim the Bush administration has delayed a polar bear decision to avoid addressing global warming and to avoid roadblocks to development such as the transfer of offshore petroleum leases in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska's northwest coast to oil company bidders.
"We hope that this decision marks the end of the Bush administration's delays and denial so that immediate action may be taken to protect polar bears from extinction," Greenpeace representative Melanie Duchin said in a statement.
The Seattle Times: Judge orders federal government to decide polar bear listing
Polar bears in Canada are at risk from climate change but not threatened with extinction, a panel of experts has advised the Canadian government.
The government should develop a plan to protect the country's estimated 15,000 polar bears, the panel said.
The animals face loss of habitat on two fronts, the panel said - hunting, and melting ice in the Arctic, which is widely blamed on climate change.
BBC News: Polar bears 'at risk' in Canada
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April 30, 2008
Changing Habitat - A Note from Gavin
A former resident of Canberra complained today on talkback radio about how the city had become “tatty” during her brief absence. Apparently her family now lives somewhere up the north coast and have green lawns. The difference I reckoned was that the ACT region has missed out again in late autumn with our miserable share of La Nina.
Out on the western fringe of suburbia a few local residents have been watching two strange visitors for a week or so. Opposite my place is another dead tree, a large Eucalyptus nicholii that was planted as a street tree back in the early 1970’s. A few bird droppings on parked cars was the first clue. My neighbor pointed up to some high branches and eventually I recognized the shapes, a pair (?) of tawny frogmouths perched motionless in the higher branches.
This messy old tree would normally have been condemned as a neighborhood hazard and removed on schedule with many others, however overnight it became “habitat” for what I believe after glimpsing another big wary gray bird on the outer limb late yesterday, two young owls left day by day by their parents.
Despite prying eyes, noisy cars, trucks and machinery underneath these beautifully camouflaged individuals remained seemingly motionless for days. Unfortunately I think a gang of currawongs has finally driven them off.
Note the clear blue sky in my latest photo.
Gavin
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April 28, 2008
Oh, what a golden web she weaves (part III)
Funny, the things that you see in nature, like this humanoid face on the cephalothorax of a golden orb-weaver, Nephila pilipes.
I have previously described aspects of this spectacular species of spider, here and here. With this instalment, the adult female in the image below descended from her web on the 19th April to build her egg-sac on the ceramic-tiled floor of our living room.
At the outset, her abdomen was rotund, perhaps twice the diameter of the largest aspect within the image captured at the conclusion of the construction.
On a foundation bed of the same orange silk that can be seen, a white disk was established and then encased in more of the orange material. Five weeks later, the orange casing had lifted. The white disc had been abandoned, but its character was surprisingly hard; rather like coral in its chalky-porousness. I can only imagine that it was produced in much the same way as a mantid’s ootheca - soft upon release but hardened under external exposure.
It had been my understanding that egg-laying was the final phase in the three-month life-cycle of this species, but this individual struggled back to the ceiling and over a succession of days manged to rebuild a small web. Aided by the sympathies of my children, a number of march flies allowed for a fuller recovery and the re-establishment of a master-web. She lived another month and then presumably underwent a second and final reproductive cycle.
Posted by neil at 09:35 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
April 27, 2008
Whale Birds - A Note from Ann Novek
Whale birds are a group of birds called this because,
1) They used to follow whaling ships and feed on the blubber and floating oil. (Any of several species of large Antarctic petrels).
2) Prions are a small group of Petrels which once were known as whale birds, because they feed on the same plankton baleen whale feed and were thus likely to be good indicators where the whales may be.
3) The Sooty tern (see photo) is as well called a whale bird.
Photo courtesy BirdLife International/Simon Stirrup
“ We frequently observe humpback whales and birds feeding on the same patches , so it’s not surprising that occasionally birds might be engulfed by feeding humpback whales “.
“We observed three partially digested birds coated with whale feces floating in the water near adult whales”.
RESULTS OF HUMPBACK WHALE POPULATION MONITORING IN GLACIER BAY AND ADJACENT WATERS: 2005
Cheers,
Ann
Sweden
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April 24, 2008
Wildlife Accidents Part 2 - A Note From Ann Novek
1) In Sweden there’s an old pagan custom with big bonfires on April 30, called the Walpurgis Night.
Unfortunately, many hedgehogs have been hiding out in the stacks /piles of old trees and branches that will be lit during the night and many fatal accidents happen with hedgehogs.
Here’s a picture of a hedgehog that was badly burnt, but saved by a person from the fire. Wounds healed well, but new spikes didn’t grow up. The animal was released into a protected enclosure as it now didn’t have a complete defence from badgers and dogs.
2) Picture number 2, the balloon hedgehog. No reasons have been found for this condition but possibly damage to the respiratory system has allowed inspired air to escape and fill the subcutaneous cavity. Relief is provided by using a needle and syringe to release air and using antibiotics.
This is a quite common disease among hedgehogs. The animal in the picture was rehabilitated successfully and released.
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April 17, 2008
To Cull Kangaroos, or Not: Nichole Hoskin
An Australian Department of Defence proposal to cull 400 Eastern grey kangaroos in Belconnen has generated a diverse range of responses on ABC News Online comments.
A contributor, Annabelle, said,
“The killing of kangaroos for convenience is disgusting. Killing kangaroos is just like killing whales-not necessary. It is a hang over from the ‘we must conquer the bush’ mentality of the past.”
It would be easier for the Department of Defence to take no action, which is problematic from an animal welfare perspective because no culling has the potential negative effects on this Eastern grey kangaroo population to lead to insufficient food and shade for the kangaroos. In addition, in this case, expert opinion suggests the Department of Defence needs to cull some of the kangaroos to protect endangered grasslands and amphibian species.
It is also questionable that the killing of kangaroos is not necessary, as asserted by Annabelle, considering that it appears there is overpopulation of Eastern grey kangaroos on this site.
According Michael Linke, the CEO of the ACT branch of RSPCA Australia, there are approximately 600 kangaroos on a site with room for about 100 kangaroos.
The CEO of the New South Wales branch of RSPCA Australia told Kerri-Anne Kennelly that in the past 10 months, there is an additional 80 kangaroos on the site.
Since it appears that Eastern grey kangaroos are overpopulating the site and are continuing to increase in numbers, it is arguably necessary to cull to reduce the numbers of kangaroos on the site. The cull in this case is clearly to reduce numbers of kangaroos on this site since the proposal is for the culling of 400 kangaroos, rather than killing all the kangaroos on the site.
In addition to overpopulation of Eastern grey kangaroos on the Belconnen site, according to ACT Chief Minister, Mr Stanhope, experts argue that overpopulation of kangaroos on the site is causing damage to endangered native grasslands and lizards . Considering that overpopulation is causing damage to endangered grasslands and species, it is arguably necessary to cull some of the kangaroos on this site to protect the environment and biodiversity on the site.
In contrast to Annabelle’s view, a contributor at ABC Online using the name ‘wildlife rescuer’ said,
“I work as a volunteer animal rescuer. Let me explain some things for you: 1. All kangaroos have home ranges (area which they know intimately) which means if relocated they become lost, confused and more often die from stress; 2. To sedate and move 400 adult kangaroos (each weighing up to 90kgs) is going to take a lot of manpower and drugs regardless, you also need people at the relocation site to ensure sedation doesn't have nasty side effects; 3. Due to the drought we are getting more calls to kangaroos in suburbia where they have gotten lost in looking for food which just isn't around, in travelling on concrete and asphalt these animals destroy the pads on their feet and need to be euthanized anyway. So although I am an animal lover, rescuer and activist even I have to admit that the best thing for these animals is to put them down in this instance because to move them is to kill them slowly and cruelly and with no food available nature is doing the same thing. Why make them suffer when the solution can be painless for them?”
While wildlife rescuers contribution is an opinion, it is arguably an opinion informed by practical experience and training. This opinion is interesting because it suggests that the decision to cull kangaroos in this case is in the best interests of the kangaroos in question, rather than being a choice between the best interests of the kangaroos and the best interests of humans. It is also interesting to note that the view of ‘wildlife rescuer’ is consistent with the expert advice to the ACT Government, which recommended a cull as the most humane option.
Despite expert evidence that culling of 400 kangaroos on the Belconnen site is necessary to effectively reduce environmental damage to the site caused by overpopulation by the kangaroos, activists argue for the relocation of the kangaroos to New South Wales. It is questionable whether re-locating the 400 kangaroos to New South Wales is a viable option, considering that veterinarians and animal welfare experts argue, in a report to the ACT Government, that relocation is traumatic to the kangaroos and is an inhumane option in this case . It is questionable whether relocation is a viable alternative in this case because New South Wales law utilises the commercial harvesting and culls of abundant kangaroo species in order to resolve the problems associated with overpopulation. Given that New South Wales utilises commercial harvesting and culls to address overpopulation by some kangaroo species, it is arguable that relocating the 400 kangaroos will avoid the killing of these kangaroos. It is interesting to note that it is unclear whether the New South Wales Government would allow the relocation of the 400 kangaroos to New South Wales .
Then on ABC Radio National ‘World News Today’ on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, the Department of Defence announced that the planned cull of 400 Eastern grey kangaroos on its Belconnen site would no longer take place because the Department of Defence is researching relocating the kangaroos. The Department of Defence spokesperson claimed that the Department of Defence had always wanted to relocate the 400 Eastern grey kangaroos but the ACT Government only granted a permit to allow for the culling of the kangaroos.
For the CEO of the ACT branch of RSPCA Australia, Michael Linke, this decision is questionable because the expert evidence, in this case, is that a cull was the most humane option. In this case, a cull was the most humane option because experts on animal welfare view relocation as traumatic and inhumane to the kangaroos.
It is unclear how the kangaroos would adapt to changes in location.
It is also questionable whether the Department of Defence decision to research relocating kangaroos is a positive considering that this is research on relocating an abundant species. It is arguable that there is a greater need to research relocating endangered species to improve their chances of survival. The relocation of the kangaroos to New South Wales is also questionable considering that New South Wales law enables the commercial harvesting and culls of abundant kangaroo species, including the Eastern grey kangaroo.
It is interesting to note that the Department of Defence decision to research relocation comes after two weeks of activists protesting at the Belconnen site with media coverage of the issue. It is curious that the Department of Defence is now a vocal supporter of a relocation plan, considering that representatives of various animal welfare/wildlife activist groups argued that relocation is an alternative to the cull.
Considering that veterinarians and RSPCA surgeons agree that relocation is traumatic and inhumane, it is questionable whether wildlife/animal welfare activists were protesting for the best interests of the kangaroos because they support the inhumane option rejected by experts. However, by researching the relocation of the 400 kangaroos from the Belconnen site, the Department of Defence is effectively acting against expert advice on the best interests of the kangaroos, by ‘researching’ a inhumane alternative, to appease activists who appear to have no idea about why the cull is necessary and the effect of relocation on kangaroos.
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Nichole has posted a lot of information on kangaroos at the environment wiki linked to this blog: http://www.jennifermarohasy.com/wiki/Australian_Kangaroos
Posted by jennifer at 07:59 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack
April 13, 2008
A Catalogue of Animals to Shoot From
Most safari outfitters offer a menu of game that clients can choose from. It's like shopping from a catalogue.
Looking down these lists is slightly surreal. Everything is on offer, including porcupine ($250 - is it possible people really hunt these?), warthog ($300), on through a multitude of indistinguishable deer-like species, up to the big ticket items: $8,000 for a hippo, $14,000 for a buffalo, between $25,000 and $35,000 for a male lion, and between $50,000 and $100,000 for a rhino.
It was all quite weird, but I became intrigued by the element of pretence in what was being offered - the outfitters were selling an old-fashioned idea of man-against-nature while secretly working the scenery in the wings. There was a whiff of theme park about the whole thing.
Read more on safari hunting in South Africa here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7329425.stm
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April 04, 2008
Lyssa macleayi (II)
I always enjoy presenting these spectacular moths on night-walks across the course of the year, but manage to locate only three or four per annum.
I found this individual yesterday evening, beginning the long haul towards recovering my fourteen-year-old photographic collection, recently lost in a tragic hard-drive collapse.
Posted by neil at 09:17 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
April 01, 2008
Can Cedric Save his fellow Tasmanian Devils?
Australian experts say a Tasmanian Devil called Cedric could hold the key to the survival of the embattled species.
The world's largest marsupial carnivore is facing extinction from a mystery facial cancer.
But scientists say Cedric appears to be naturally resistant to the contagious tumours which have killed half the devil population in Tasmania.
BBC website: 'Hope over Tasmanian Devil cancer'
SEE ALSO:
International bid to save Devils
22 Oct 07 | Asia-Pacific
Experts tackle the devil's tumour
20 Feb 07 | Asia-Pacific
Bites spread fatal 'devil' cancer
02 Feb 06 | Science/Nature
Posted by Paul at 10:26 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
March 23, 2008
Unknown Organisms and New Species Found in Antarctic
Scientists have found that Antarctic waters harbour sea-creatures of startling proportions, with giant-sized specimens surprising researchers during a major survey of New Zealand's Antarctic seas that ended this week.
Huge sea snails, jellyfish with tentacles up to 4 metres long and starfish the size of large dinner plates were some of the species found during research vessel Tangaroa's 50-day, 2,000-mile voyage in the Ross Sea, New Zealand marine scientist Don Robertson said.
"I would say there will be hundreds" of previously unknown organisms and "a lot of new species" among the 30,000 specimens collected, Robertson said.
Excerpt from the Telegraph article: 'Giant sea creatures found in Antarctic'
Posted by Paul at 03:33 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
March 18, 2008
Rehabilitation of Herring Gulls ( Larus canus) - A Note from Ann Novek
If an animal is maintained in long - term care accomodation, the animal must be given access to a pool.
Careful monitoring is required when first given access to a pool to ensure that the bird is not becoming waterlogged and drowned.
Pools should provide an easy exit from the water, e.g. long sheets of rubber malling draped into the pool and a ramp.
These young orphaned gulls on the photograph were succesfully released. However, one was found 1 year later dead on an air port in southern Sweden ( collision with a plane) 300 - 400 km away from us.
Cheers,
Ann Novek
Sweden
Posted by Paul at 08:54 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
March 07, 2008
Whales, Dolphins and Sonar - A Note from Ann Novek
Mid-frequency sonar signals linked to new pathologic entity in cetaceans.
An ongoing battle has been fought between environmental NGOs , mainly NRDC , and the US Navy for more than a decade.
The first rumours re the harmful impact of LFA ( Low –frequency Active) sonar on marine mammals, began already in 1994 , when