Green-space. Fauna. Biocorridor. Sound. Wildlife. Ecological-urbanism. Ecological Restoration. 'Pollination crisis' hitting India's vegetable farmers. 28 September 2010Last updated at 02:46 By Mark Kinver Science and environment reporter, BBC News Falling vegetable yields could have a detrimental impact on people's diets, Indian researchers warn A decline in pollinating insects in India is resulting in reduced vegetable yields and could limit people's access to a nutritional diet, a study warns. Indian researchers said there was a "clear indication" that pollinator abundance was linked to productivity. They added that the loss of the natural service could have a long-term impact on the farming sector, which accounts for almost a fifth of the nation's GDP. Globally, pollination is estimated to be worth £141bn ($224bn) each year. The findings were presented at a recent British Ecological Society meeting, held at the University of Leeds.
Each year, India produces about 7.5 million tonnes of vegetables. Lack of data Instead, his team compared the yields of pollinator-dependent crops with pollinator-independent crops. Troubling times “Start Quote. Coral reefs rebound from damage if protected. Coral reefs the world over have been taking a beating over the past few decades.
Warming water temperatures and decreased pH levels have led to wide-scale bleaching of coral reefs and have decreased the corals' ability to produce the calcium carbonate that forms the structural element of the reef itself. Work published in the open access journal PLoS One on Monday has shown that coral reefs that are protected as marine reserves can bounce back from damage. By placing reefs in marine reserves—areas where dredging and fishing are not permitted—harmful effects from human activity can be mitigated. The study examined ten different reef sites in and around the Bahamas over the course of two and a half years. The reefs had seen damage both from bleaching and from hurricane Frances in the summer of 2004.
At the beginning of the observation period, the reefs had, on average, seven percent coral coverage. The Great Beyond: Biodiversity loss persists. Turenscape. Metropolitan Field Guide. University of Oregon landscape architecture graduate and now Seattle resident Kelly Brenner has an interesting blog called 'The Metropolitan Field Guide' which focuses on design for urban wildlife habitat. As a self-professed generalist which tends to take me on ADHD-addled tours of pretty much everything, I'm a big fan of folks who aim to provide content based on specific elements of the urban landscape. This is a great addition with both practical and creative ideas around the theme. :: image via Metropolitan Field Guide Some recent posts include a riff on habitat and large green roofs, the interesting Cardiff animal wall (seen here on L+U), and the Biornis Aesthetope (seen here on L+U). Another interesting post includes some of the adaptation of urban fauna, similar to a post I remember doing a few months back showing a bird nesting in the housing of a street light. :: image via Metropolitan Field Guide Link to original post Connect: Authored by: Jason King See complete profile.
About Biodiversity. The threats to Biodiversity Habitat loss through changes of land use in particular the conversion of natural ecosystems to cropland, continues to be the biggest direct cause of biodiversity loss. Already, more than half of the Earth’s 14 terrestrial biomes have had between 20% and 50% of their total area converted to cropland.Unsustainable use of ecosystems and over-exploitation of biodiversity continue to be major threats. Many species are used by humans to fulfill basic needs. Many species are in a state of decline because they are being used at unsustainable levels or are being harvested in such a way that threatens the ecosystems on which they depend. When most people think of the dangers besetting the natural world, they think of the threat to other creatures. Biodiversité urbaine: en quatre points. Un Lac à l’Épaule au Lac au Castor... J’avais commencé ce texte avec le titre “Biodiversité urbaine: en trois points”.
Puis je l’ai mis de côté, la tâche me semblait un peu lourde. Résumer et réunir tous mes textes sur ce sujet...comment faire? Suite à un message sur le blogue de Charles l’Heureux sur le Lac au Castor je partis vers le métro Mont-Royal, direction la montagne. Charles se trouvait au métro! C’est le hasard, un heureux hasard...qui nous a mis dans le même autobus! En pièces détachées, en temps réel en bonne partie, j’ai conçu depuis quelques mois, un projet visant la biodiversité urbaine. Faire avec: ployer comme le roseau Le principe de base du programme en quatre points est de travailler avec ce qui est, de faire avec la biodiversité et les habitats déjà présents. Faire des chemins flottants a- naturalisation des parcs Trois espèces spontanées au Lac au Castor c- biocorridor des voies ferrées Laisser se végétaliser en strates les côtés des voies ferrées.
Dé-passer la tondeuse.