FEATURED
Militarization and mining a dangerous mix in Venezuelan Amazon by Bram Ebus [12/07/2017]
– Venezuela today is gripped by a catastrophic economic crisis, born out of corruption on a vast scale, government mismanagement and a failed petro-economy.
– In 2016, President Nicolás Maduro announced the opening of the Orinoco Mining Arc, a vast region in the southern part of the nation perhaps boasting $100 billion in untapped gold, diamonds and coltan, as well as being one of the most biodiverse parts of the Amazon.
– Maduro also created an “Economic Military Zone” to protect the region. Today, the army has a huge presence there, ostensibly to reduce the influence of organized gangs doing illegal mining.
– In reality, the military is heavily involved in mining itself, often allegedly competing with gangs for resources, with violent conflict a result. Small-scale miners, indigenous and traditional communities, and the environment could be the big losers in this struggle for power and wealth.
Ferrogrão grain railway threatens Amazon indigenous groups, forest by Sue Branford and Maurício Torres [12/04/2017]
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– Michel Temer’s administration is fast tracking the Ferrogrão (Grainrail), a 1,142 kilometer railway to link grain-producing midwest Brazil with the Tapajós River, a major tributary of the Amazon, in order to more economically and efficiently export soy and other commodities to foreign markets.
– The railway is seen as vital to Brazil’s agribusiness-centric economy, especially considering the country’s current economic crisis, but indigenous groups say they’ve not been consulted in project planning as stipulated by International Labour Organization Convention 169.
– The railway will come near several indigenous groups: the Kaiabi in Indigenous Territory of Batelão, the Pankararu in Indigenous Territory of Pankararu, the Kayapó in Indigenous Territory of Kapot-Nhinore, and the Panará in Indigenous Territory of Baú. These groups say they’ve not been properly consulted by the government.
– Ferrogrão will also pass near Jamanxim National Park and cut through Jamanxim National Forest, where the government is seeking diminished protections to benefit elite land thieves. Scientists worry that deforestation brought by the loss of these conserved lands, plus the railway, could significantly reduce the Amazon’s greenhouse gas storage capacity.
Forced out or killed: rare chimps go missing from Cameroon mountain forest by Eugene N. Nforngwa [12/01/2017]
– The Endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) is the least numerous subspecies of chimpanzee, with a total population almost certainly less than 9,000, and probably less than 6,000 individuals.
– The estimated population is far smaller in Cameroon, where just four known populations number some 250 individuals, all located in the Northwest region.
– One of those groups, known as “The Great Apes of Tubah” was until recently found in the unprotected Kejom-Keku Mountain Forest.
– But the chimps haven’t been seen in three years, and conservationists fear they’ve been killed or forced to move on. A new road into the Kejom-Keku area has resulted in the loss of half its forest, as herders, farmers, loggers and poachers move in.
NEWS
Nigeria pledges to restore nearly 10 million acres of degraded land by Mike Gaworecki [12/07/2017]
– The government of Nigeria has announced its plans to restore four million hectares, or nearly 10 million acres, of degraded lands within its borders.
– The West African nation is now one of 26 countries across the continent that have committed to restoring more than 84 million hectares (over 200 million acres) of degraded lands as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), an effort that aims to bring 100 million hectares of land under restoration by 2030.
– The restoration of degraded forests and other landscapes was found to have the most climate mitigation potential of 20 natural climate strategies examined for a recent study.
Forest Code falls short in protecting Amazonian fish by Mongabay.com [12/07/2017]
– A team of scientists reports that Brazil’s Forest Code doesn’t address significant impacts that agriculture can have on fish habitat in the rainforest’s streams and tributaries.
– The study cataloged more than 130 species of fish, some of them new to science, in Brazil’s eastern Amazon.
– The authors argue for protections that encompass entire basins and the complex drainage networks that together form the lifeblood of the Amazon rainforest.
Waning plantain yields in rural Cameroon hurt college attendance by Anna Katrina Hunter [12/07/2017]
– Plantain yields in Cameroon have declined 43 percent in the 20 years since 1991 because of increasing temperatures and dryness.
– Villagers use proceeds from crop sales to pay for higher education, but this income is dwindling.
– As a result, college attendance rates have declined by six months, on average, during this period.
Militarization and mining a dangerous mix in Venezuelan Amazon by Bram Ebus [12/07/2017]
– Venezuela today is gripped by a catastrophic economic crisis, born out of corruption on a vast scale, government mismanagement and a failed petro-economy.
– In 2016, President Nicolás Maduro announced the opening of the Orinoco Mining Arc, a vast region in the southern part of the nation perhaps boasting $100 billion in untapped gold, diamonds and coltan, as well as being one of the most biodiverse parts of the Amazon.
– Maduro also created an “Economic Military Zone” to protect the region. Today, the army has a huge presence there, ostensibly to reduce the influence of organized gangs doing illegal mining.
– In reality, the military is heavily involved in mining itself, often allegedly competing with gangs for resources, with violent conflict a result. Small-scale miners, indigenous and traditional communities, and the environment could be the big losers in this struggle for power and wealth.
In rural Indonesia, a village learns to embrace its forest through sustainability by Dedek Hendry [12/06/2017]
– In August, the village of Taba Padang in southwest Sumatra was recognized by the Indonesian government for practicing the best community-based forestry management this year.
– Less than a decade ago, however, many of its residents were being arrested for planting in a nearby forest, deemed off-limits because of its protected status.
– In 2010, newly elected village chief Yoyon embarked on a years-long process to obtain state approval to allow the farmers to manage nearly 10 square kilometers of land in the forest.
– In exchange, the farmers are prohibited from creating plantations, must agree to protect the animals that live there, and must guard the land against fire.
Camera traps reveal surprises in Peru by Alexa Eunoé Vélez Zuazo [12/06/2017]
– Scientists set 72 camera traps and audio recorders to compare biodiversity across certified forested areas and forests that are not certified for sustainable use.
– The first few images reveal the presence of jaguars, pumas, jaguarundis, tapirs, red deer, tufted capuchins and even bush dogs, which are elusive and difficult to find.
Here’s a great way to visualize the huge potential of forest conservation and restoration as ‘natural climate solutions’ by Mike Gaworecki [12/06/2017]
– Recent research found that 20 different “natural climate solutions” have the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 23.8 billion metric tons every year — and that nearly half of that potential, or some 11.3 billion metric tons of emissions, represent what the study’s authors call “cost-effective climate mitigation.”
– The World Resources Institute’s Susan Minnemeyer, a co-author of the study, noted in a blog post that halting deforestation, restoring forests that have already been logged or degraded, and improving forest management could cost-effectively remove seven billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere every year, which is equivalent to the annual emissions generated by 1.5 billion cars.
– This study joins a growing body of research that demonstrates just how crucial forests will be to our efforts to halt global warming.
Portable DNA analysis tool identifies species on site to help combat wildlife crime by Sue Palminteri [12/06/2017]
– Distinguishing legally from illegally traded wildlife products using the size, shape and origin of the sample often fails when samples are of young individuals or wildlife parts, such as a teeth, bones, skins, seeds or powders.
– Rangers, police and port-of-entry officials can now use a portable DNA analysis tool to rapidly identify the species of plant and animal samples found on suspected smugglers.
– The developers hope the new LifeScanner Lab-In-A-Box system will help officials catch smugglers and better understand transit routes for trafficked wildlife and plant products.
Activists seek protection for Indonesia’s karst amid building boom pressure by Tommy Apriando [12/05/2017]
– Activists in Indonesia demand the government to issue a new regulation aimed at better protecting the country’s karsts, the unique rocky landscapes that are home to species found nowhere else on Earth.
– The current regulation governing the management of this limestone topography fails to frame karst preservation in terms of its role as an ecosystem supporting a diverse range of animal and plant life.
– Activists argue that efforts to regulate the protection of the landscape have received opposition from influential powers that depend on the mineral deposits that make up the karst.
Deforestation in Sumatra carves up tiger habitats into ever smaller patches by Basten Gokkon [12/05/2017]
– Twelve years of deforestation in Sumatra have broken the habitats of its native big cat into smaller fragments, a new study says.
– Only two of the remaining tiger forest landscapes in Sumatra are believed to have populations that are viable for the long term, both of which are under threat from planned road projects.
– The researchers are calling for a complete halt to the destruction of tiger-occupied forests in Sumatra and the poaching of the nearly extinct predator.
Raising beef cattle on grass can create a higher carbon footprint than feedlots, new study suggests by Kimberly Hickok [12/05/2017]
– Feedlot cattle have a smaller carbon footprint than pasture-raised cattle because they grow faster and produce higher meat yields, a new study has found
– This is important for countries that must balance the demand for beef with maintaining a fragile environment.
– However, grassland ranchers argue this is a short-sighted approach to take, and that, holistically, grass-fed cattle are better for the environment.
Mammal diversity may increase carbon storage in rainforests by Jennifer Leman [12/05/2017]
– Having a diverse mix of mammals may play a more pivotal role than expected in the carbon cycle of tropical forests, by feeding microbes that lock the carbon from food scraps in the soil.
– Hundreds of indigenous research technicians collected data for this study across an area roughly the size of Costa Rica.
– Conserving mammal species will become increasingly important in efforts to protect the health of rainforest ecosystems, researchers suggest.
Huge new ocean reserves announced in Mexico, Arctic by Mike Gaworecki [12/05/2017]
– The past couple weeks have brought major news about two important marine protected area projects.
– On November 24, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed a decree creating the Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park, protecting nearly 150,000 square kilometers (close to 58,000 square miles) from all fishing and extractive activities. It is said to be the largest ocean reserve ever created by Mexico.
– Less than a week later, on the night of November 30, countries including Canada, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States, among others, announced that they had reached an agreement to protect 2.8 million square kilometers (more than 1 million square miles) of the central Arctic Ocean from commercial fishing.
Entanglements hamper reproduction as right whale population slides by John C. Cannon [12/05/2017]
– Just 451 North Atlantic right whales remain, down from 458 in 2016 and 483 in 2010.
– Entanglements in fishing gear and ship strikes remain the two most important threats to right whale survival.
– A study published in November in the journal Ecology and Evolution finds that fewer females are surviving than males and the interval between calving is growing longer.
Orangutans process plants into medicine, study finds by Morgan Erickson-Davis [12/04/2017]
– Scientists have observed Bornean orangutans chewing on the leaves of the Dracaena cantleyi plant, producing a soapy lather they then spread onto their skin.
– A new study finds D. cantleyi has anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting the orangutans are using it to self-medicate.
– Indigenous communities also use D. cantleyi as a pain reliever.
– The researchers say their study provides the first scientific evidence of deliberate, external self-medication in great apes.
Kenyan farmers reap economic, environmental gains from ABCDs of agroforestry by Sophie Mbugua [12/04/2017]
– In Kenya’s Rift Valley, rural communities are implementing agroforestry to respond to new challenges brought by climate change.
– The Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) program trains farmers in agroforestry techniques that increase their resilience and food security in the face of hotter, drier growing conditions.
– ABCD improves the economic prospects of those who implement it through diverse, year-long harvests and new markets for edible produce and wood products.
– Agroforestry is also a main facet of Kenya’s goal to reduce carbon emissions under the Paris Climate Treaty, since it sequesters a large amount of carbon in woody plants both above and below ground.
Ferrogrão grain railway threatens Amazon indigenous groups, forest by Sue Branford and Maurício Torres [12/04/2017]
– Michel Temer’s administration is fast tracking the Ferrogrão (Grainrail), a 1,142 kilometer railway to link grain-producing midwest Brazil with the Tapajós River, a major tributary of the Amazon, in order to more economically and efficiently export soy and other commodities to foreign markets.
– The railway is seen as vital to Brazil’s agribusiness-centric economy, especially considering the country’s current economic crisis, but indigenous groups say they’ve not been consulted in project planning as stipulated by International Labour Organization Convention 169.
– The railway will come near several indigenous groups: the Kaiabi in Indigenous Territory of Batelão, the Pankararu in Indigenous Territory of Pankararu, the Kayapó in Indigenous Territory of Kapot-Nhinore, and the Panará in Indigenous Territory of Baú. These groups say they’ve not been properly consulted by the government.
– Ferrogrão will also pass near Jamanxim National Park and cut through Jamanxim National Forest, where the government is seeking diminished protections to benefit elite land thieves. Scientists worry that deforestation brought by the loss of these conserved lands, plus the railway, could significantly reduce the Amazon’s greenhouse gas storage capacity.
Extreme seasonal changes in Amazon river levels threaten forest conservation by indigenous people by Jeremy Rehm [12/04/2017]
– The Amazon has experienced intense floods and droughts for the past 10 years, a likely effect of climate change.
– Surveys taken of animals between 2009 and 2015 showed terrestrial mammal populations dropped by 95 percent during intense floods, whereas aquatic animals suffered dramatic declines during an extreme drought.
– Scientists fear these seasonal extremes will drive the Cocama people of Peru out of the forest, depriving it of its primary conservationists.
The curious case of the phantom hippo teeth by Laura G. Shields [12/04/2017]
– Hippo ivory is an affordable alternative to elephant ivory, whose international trade is prohibited by many countries.
– The reported export and import numbers of legal wildlife trade in the CITES database are dramatically mismatched for some species, including the numbers for hippo teeth.
– An updated population estimate for hippos could indicate how much illegal poaching for their ivory is threatening them.
Pulp and paper giant challenges Indonesian government over peat protection obligation by Hans Nicholas Jong [12/03/2017]
– A company owned by the billionaire Tanoto family of Indonesia is seeking to overturn a government decision to invalidate its plans to operate on peatlands.
– The parties are clashing over new rules issued by the Indonesian government in the wake of the 2015 fire and haze crisis.
– The government recently rezoned some areas within the company’s concession for conservation, but the company argues it should be allowed to keep operating on them for now.
Citizen journalist jailed 7 years for reporting environmental disaster in Vietnam by Michael Tatarski [12/01/2017]
– Nguyen Van Hoa is the second high-profile case in Vietnam in recent months of an independent reporter and blogger being jailed.
– Both bloggers were jailed over reporting and writing about the infamous Formosa chemical spill along Vietnam’s coast in 2016.
– The spill is regarded as one of Vietnam’s worst environmental disasters.
‘They want to occupy and take our land’: Land conflicts increase in Brazil by Morgan Erickson-Davis [12/01/2017]
– Rondônia is one of the most-deforested states in the Brazilian Amazon, with vast tracts cleared for agriculture.
– An investigation reveals that as deforestation of protected areas has risen in the state, so have allegations of attacks against the Indigenous communities.
– As budget cuts deplete resources aimed at protecting these communities, many are worried this violence stands to worsen in the months and years to come.
Catch-all fisheries are squeezing Asia’s seahorses by Sean Mowbray [12/01/2017]
– Tens of millions of seahorses are traded each year as pets, trinkets and for use in traditional medicine.
– But the greater threat comes from incidental bycatch by indiscriminate fishing gear, according to researchers.
– Seahorse researchers argue that improving fishing practices would protect seahorses, as well as many other species and their habitats.
Forced out or killed: rare chimps go missing from Cameroon mountain forest by Eugene N. Nforngwa [12/01/2017]
– The Endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) is the least numerous subspecies of chimpanzee, with a total population almost certainly less than 9,000, and probably less than 6,000 individuals.
– The estimated population is far smaller in Cameroon, where just four known populations number some 250 individuals, all located in the Northwest region.
– One of those groups, known as “The Great Apes of Tubah” was until recently found in the unprotected Kejom-Keku Mountain Forest.
– But the chimps haven’t been seen in three years, and conservationists fear they’ve been killed or forced to move on. A new road into the Kejom-Keku area has resulted in the loss of half its forest, as herders, farmers, loggers and poachers move in.
Harnessing the power of camera trap bycatch data to monitor threatened species (commentary) by Lorraine Scotson [12/01/2017]
– Historically, due to a lack of data, estimates of sun bear population trends have been little more than educated guesses made by experts. A major obstacle to monitoring population trends is that there are only a handful of sun bear-focused studies that collect data on population dynamics.
– Satellite imagery of tree cover change through time is available globally, as are bycatch camera trap data. There are many camera trap studies going on within the sun bear’s range that collect huge volumes of bycatch data, which are data on species that are not the primary focus of the study.
– With these tools at our disposal, it seemed that a more objective, data-driven measure of sun bear population trends was possible, and we believe that the innovate approach we ended up using has broad potential.
– This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
From rescue to research: training detection dogs for conservation by Sue Palminteri [12/01/2017]
– Conservation and research teams have used detection dogs to locate illegal wildlife products, weapons, invasive species, and, particularly, wildlife scat–a non-invasive way to collect dietary, hormonal, and genetic information contained in fecal material.
– Training detection dogs builds on their obsessive drive to play by associating a target substance with the play reward.
– Handlers are instrumental in interpreting a dog’s behavior and ensuring it searches efficiently and effectively for its targets.
– Detection dogs are a cost-effective way to collect wildlife data, though the costs of international transport may limit their use by smaller conservation groups.
Petition for Indonesian government to save Sumatran rhino garners global support by Mongabay.com [12/01/2017]
– More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to do more to save the critically endangered Sumatran rhino from extinction.
– The petition was launched several days after a Mongabay series looked into the current state of the species, which may number as few as 30 individuals in the wild.
– The series also identified the Indonesian government as hampering much-needed efforts to stave off the disappearance of the Sumatran rhino from poaching and habitat loss.
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