IGF Big animal extinction 'severed nutrient arteries' 12 August 2013Last updated at 02:01 ET By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News The study is the first to look at how prehistoric megafauna distributed nutrients The demise of big animals in the Amazon region 12,000 years ago cut a key way that nutrients were distributed across the landscape, a study has suggested. Researchers say animals such as huge armadillo-like creatures would have distributed vital nutrients for plants via their dung and bodies. The effects, still visible today, raise questions about the impact of losing large modern species like elephants. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Geoscience. A team of UK and US researchers developed a mathematical model to calculate what impact the sudden loss of megafauna - animals with a body mass of more than 44kg (97lb) - had on the Amazonia's ecosystem. Results showed that the extinctions resulted in a 98% reduction in the dispersal of phosphorus (chemical symbol "P"). Essential for life
Sustainet - Home UNEP-WCMC Scientists identify 2,370 'irreplaceable' places An international team of scientists has made a list of Earth's most "irreplaceable" places, highlighting more than 2,300 unique habitats that are key to the survival of rare wildlife. The goal of their research, published in the journal Science, is to help wildlife managers make existing parks and nature preserves more effective at preventing extinction. "Protected areas can only fulfill their role in reducing biodiversity loss if they are effectively managed," says Simon Stuart, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission, in a press release about the study. "Given limited conservation budgets, that is not always the case, so governments should pay particular attention to the management effectiveness of highly irreplaceable protected areas." The study offers an irreplaceability score for 2,178 protected areas and 192 proposed sites, ranking their importance to rare wildlife in general and to specific biological groups. Western Ghats, India
Convention - Activities Ramsar > Activities Follow us The Convention today Number of » Contracting Parties: 168 Sites designated for the» List of Wetlands ofInternational Importance: 2,181 Total surface area of designated sites (hectares): 208,545,658 Ramsar Secretariat Rue Mauverney 28CH-1196 Gland, SwitzerlandTel.: +41 22 999 0170Fax: +41 22 999 0169E-Mail: ramsar@ramsar.orgMap: click hereRamsar Forum: subscribe The Environmentalist Jatun Sacha Foundation | Jatun Sacha Foundation Ecuador
Unsere Arbeitsweise - Novartis Stiftung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Unsere Arbeitsweise (Flash-Animation, grosse Ansicht) Durch die synergistische Verknüpfung von praktischer Projekt- und Programmarbeit im Gesundheitsbereich, Think-Tank-Aktivitäten (Forschung, Publikationen, Beratung und Informationsarbeit) sowie entwicklungspolitischem Dialog und Networking suchen wir nach neuen Lösungen altbekannter entwicklungs- und gesellschaftspolitischer Probleme. Association pour la sauvegarde de la biodiversité TENDUA a été créée en 2008, après un voyage en Inde où, en dépit de nombreux parcs nationaux, la faune sauvage et ses habitats sont menacés. Le constat est malheureusement planétaire : partout dans le monde, la biodiversité est en danger, sur terre et dans les mers. La 6e extinction majeure de biodiversité est en cours : en 150 ans l’homme a réussi à détruire son environnement comme il ne l’avait jamais fait auparavant. Les précédentes extinctions connues des scientifiques étaient le résultat d’un processus évolutionnaire ; or aujourd’hui, l’équilibre de la planète est menacé par les activités humaines. En août 2013, il a été estimé que l’humanité, par sa consommation effrénée, a dépassé la capacité de régénération de la Terre. Cela étant, nous n’avons plus le temps d’être pessimistes. Une nouvelle relation entre l’homme et la nature TENDUA propose à chacun de réfléchir à un nouveau type de relation entre l’homme et la nature. Adhésions et partenariats Comment adhérer ?
FAO: FAO Home SFE : la Société Française d'Écologie Press Clips: Forget the Fragile Lands: It’s Time to Hit the City! by Harriet Festing A popular guidebook on Sri Lanka describes Colombo (the capital) as an “odorous crush that will either instantly repel or draw you in by its charms.” If you’re only on a short trip to Sri Lanka, the book goes on to say, “you may wish to pass Colombo by.” The message is clear – get out of the city and onto the beaches if you want to enjoy your visit. Here lies the problem of tourism, and ecotourism in particular, in the developing world. Ecotourism has the potential to distort and pollute the very cultures it purports to be concerned about. The truth is that the most sustainable forms of tourism are urban. For Sri Lanka, the false promises in the name of ecotourism has had worrying consequences. But does it have to be that way? New York is one of the most sustainable tourist attractions in the world. In November, Project for Public Spaces (PPS) hosted a high-level delegation of Armenians for a ten-day training course in New York City on Placemaking.
IBAMA : Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renov veis