LATIN AMERICA HAS THE MOST THREATENED BIODIVERSITY ON THE PLANET

LATIN AMERICA HAS THE MOST THREATENED BIODIVERSITY ON THE PLANET
Although new forms of life continue to be discovered, they are all in danger of disappearing.

Our planet is approximately 510.1 million km² in all its extension. However, the distribution of natural wealth in terms of flora and fauna is very uneven.

The United Nations Environment Program confirms it for us: 60% of the world’s biodiversity is found in Latin America, this being the region with the largest number of animals and plants.

Although it seems a bold number, it is not surprising in broad strokes. After all, the region is home to global icons of biodiversity, such as the Amazon, which is home to 10% of all species on the planet.

 

EVERY DAY NEW SPECIES

Even when the numbers above are impressive, this is hardly the known truth about Latin America’s natural wealth. It is common for new species of plants, fish, mammals, birds and insects to emerge in different parts of Latin America. In 2023, the discovery of two vibrantly colored fish in the Amazon region was confirmed tukif.

Poecilocharax rhizophilus, one of them, turned out to be the smallest freshwater cyprinid ever recorded.
In Peru, there were also interesting findings: the National Service for Protected Natural Areas this year found a species of tree in Loreto, which was baptized under the name of Virola parvusligna, a Latin translation of “small tree”.

EVERY DAY NEW SPECIESThe problem is that while new and exciting life forms continue to be discovered on this continent, all of them could be in danger of disappearing at some point. This is due, to a large extent, to the lack of environmental control and care policies in a large part of the countries that make up the continent.

According to Murilo Pastana, who is part of the team that discovered the minnows and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, observing the felling of trees, deforestation, and the conversion of patches of forest to land for ranching generated a sense of urgency to document these species and publish their findings as soon as possible.

 

AN ACCELERATED LOSS

Latin America is the region with the greatest biodiversity in the world, but unfortunately it is also the one that is losing it the fastest. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) “Living Planet 2022” report, species populations in Latin America and the Caribbean fell by 94% between 1970 and 2018, compared to a global reduction of 69%.

Every two seconds, forests the size of a football field are lost in the region and since 1970 a third of wetlands have been lost. The director of WWF in Colombia, Sandra Valenzuela, pointed out that this situation is one of the greatest threats facing humanity today. The COP 15, led this year by China and which began in Montreal, seeks to stop this crisis and environmental organizations and scientists hope that serious and executable commitments will be reached.

AN ACCELERATED LOSSThe United States, the only country that has not ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), claims to be committed to the 30×30 initiative, which seeks to protect 30% of land and water by 2030, but there are doubts about its real commitment .

Environmental organizations stress the need to take urgent action simultaneously to address the extinction crisis and the climate crisis, focusing on justice issues and supporting vulnerable communities and indigenous peoples.

 

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10 DESTINATIONS WITH GREATEST BIODIVERSITY THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

10 DESTINATIONS WITH GREATEST BIODIVERSITY THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
TOURISM AND ADVENTURES IN NATURE

Despite the careless hand of man, we are lucky to live on a huge planet full of biodiversity. This is one of the main tourist attractions of certain countries, which over the years have focused their offer on providing visitors with a travel experience that fully exploits this point.

Are you ready to live an adventure surrounded by the most beautiful natural landscapes? Stay with us until the end and take a look at this list of 10 countries with the greatest biodiversity.

TOURISM AND ADVENTURES IN NATURE

AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA

It may seem confusing to think of Australia when we refer to biodiversity. Certainly its territory is mostly desert, but it has a fauna and flora full of endemic species that few countries in the world can match.

After all, where else but Australia can you enjoy things like kangaroos or kiwi in the same place?

 

U.S

U.S
U.S

Many may only think of Disneyland or LA when talking about tourism in the United States. However, beyond Hollywood and the big cities, the country is home to wonders: mountains, plains, canyons and even glaciers.
Some places that you cannot miss are: Yosemite, Yellowstone and Glacier Bay in Alaska.

 

COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA
COLOMBIA

We enter the Latin American continent to highlight one of its countries with the greatest variety of ecosystems. With 324 types of sets of animal and plant species, its biodiversity is considered one of the most interesting on the continent. The problem? Serious situation of deforestation xnxx.

 

MADAGASCAR

MADAGASCAR
MADAGASCAR

We quickly fly to Africa to see our next destination, home to a large number of endemic species. Among them, the lemurs. You will only be able to see them in their natural habitat there.

In addition, it is estimated that its biodiversity hides many species not yet discovered.

 

SOUTH AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA

Can you imagine a tourist destination that gathers 10% of all the species of plants, fish and birds in the world? Welcome to South Africa. Here you will also find 6% of all reptile species.

BRAZIL

GREATEST BIODIVERSITY: brazil
Brazil

Its richness in flora and fauna is impressive, with a large number of freshwater fish and mammals. In addition, it has some 50,000 species of trees, plants and shrubs. However, it is also one of the points in the world where deforestation and burning of land for agricultural and livestock purposes have a very negative impact on biodiversity. These activities threaten to wipe out the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal, two of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. It is important to take steps to protect this natural wealth before it is too late.

 

MEXICO

MEXICO
MEXICO

Long live Mexico! Here you will not only be able to enjoy an excellent and varied gastronomy. But also a huge variety of microclimates that will leave you speechless.

 

PHILIPPINES

PHILIPPINES
PHILIPPINES

In 7,100 islands you can find almost everything that the world’s biodiversity can offer: mountains, coasts, jungles and seas. The only problem? As with Colombia, deforestation has become a serious problem in recent years, and threatens to destroy the natural beauty of this country.

 

ECUADOR

ECUADOR
ECUADOR

No one would imagine that such a small country could offer so much biodiversity. There you will find 18% of all known birds: a total of 1655 species discovered so far. Also, 7% of the world’s mammals.

 

CHINA

CHINA
CHINA

When we think of this country, the third largest in the world, it is not surprising that it is home to a great diversity of biomes. If you visit it, you will be able to find mountains, valleys, plains, coasts and even deserts.

There you can find up to 30,000 plant species and 6,400 animals discovered so far. Despite its high pollution rate, it is a trip that you should not stop doing.

 

 

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ENDANGERED SPECIES IN SPAIN

ENDANGERED SPECIES IN SPAIN

There is no doubt that Spain stands out as a country compared to many others throughout Europe. It has an immense tourist potential, a vast culture and a solid economy. However, just as it stands out for good things, it currently stands out for bad things as well. One of the most alarming: the immense number of animal species in danger of extinction.

According to data collected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the number of species at risk is increasing. And what is worse, the abandonment of biodiversity conservation policies is only aggravating the problem at an alarming rate.

 

THE EUROPEAN RED LIST

If you have ever been involved in the world of environmental activism, this name surely rings a bell. The European Red List is a kind of catalog where all the species in imminent danger of extinction are listed, with their respective degree of threat video porno.

According to its 2019 update, one of the areas with the highest proportion of endangered species is the Mediterranean Region, with Spain in the lead and followed by Portugal and Greece. The difference is immense when compared to the rest of European biodiversity.

More than 40,000 species are currently endangered. If we take it to percentages, this represents 28% of the entire sample studied. Until now, the largest percentage belongs to amphibians (40%), followed by mammals (26%), conifers (34%) and birds (13%).

In more specific categories, sharks and rays reveal alarming figures: 37% of the species in danger of extinction.

 

SOME EXAMPLES

THE EUROPEAN RED LIST

Let’s stop talking about numbers. Many times, in these cases, the numbers make reality look colder and take us away from the true meaning of things. These are some of the numerous species that are in danger of extinction in Spain.

 

IBERIAN LYNX

At sight, it stands out among other wild cats for its particular ears with pointed hair and the sideburns that adorn its cheeks. If you go into the northern hemisphere of the country, you may find it in the wild and sparsely inhabited environments.

It is even ironic because, currently in Spain, you can find 4 species of lynx. Three of them have good numbers and are in good health. However, when we talk about the Iberian lynx, everything changes. Not only is it among the most endangered in Spain. But also the whole world.

According to recent calculations, it is believed that there are only 404 species of this feline left. Their survival is affected by two key factors: the deterioration of their habitat and their food base (wild rabbits).

 

GRIZZLY

We know them. We have seen them in hundreds of movies. However, this beautiful creature is slowly and steadily approaching extinction. It is estimated that, in all of Spain, there are only approximately 332 brown bears left.

They are mostly found in Western Europe, in areas where there is less human presence. More precisely, in the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees.

Being currently its population so small, its recovery is almost impossible, due to the little genetic variety. Illegal hunting and the violation of their natural habitat has a lot to do with this matter.

 

EUROPEAN MINK

A little less common than the other two, but just as important, is this beautiful marine mammal. It lives in very small populations far from civilization between Spain and the Ural Mountains.

It is registered as one of the “Critically Endangered” species in all of Europe, as there are only 500 living specimens left on the entire continent. The reason? Its fur is the object of desire of many hunters.

 

 

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What is System Ecology

Systems ecology is not a hypermathematical, abstract study for specialists only. It does not require precise, well-quantified observations any more than any other scientific pursuit. In fact, systems ecology does quite well with qualitative data alone. One of the aims of systems ecology is to incorporate in a logical structure, as much of a scientist´s intuition and ´feel´ for an ecosystem as possible. Systems ecology is an attempt to merge the mathematical rigor and predictive power of general systems theory, and its associated tools from operations research and engineering, with the knowledge base of natural history and ecology.

General systems theory is a science that studies the abstract properties of systems. It attempts to find the commonality in things as diverse as atomic particles, ecosystems, and political parties. The basic ideas were proposed in the 1940´s and 50´s by Ashby (1961), von Bertalanffy (1969), and others. They felt that the same techniques of interdisciplinary teamwork and mathematical analysis that had worked so well during World War II to produce weapons of destruction, could help solve problems of health, starvation and social unrest as well (Miser 1980). Their idea was that whenever objects interact, they must do so in certain well-defined ways. Study of new systems of objects should involve a determining which pattern of interaction the new system uses. It was hoped that patterns of interaction would be fairly limited so that they could be cataloged and studied as such. Except in certain narrowly defined fields (for example, queuing theory), this has not come to pass, although attempts have been made to produce such catalogs (Miller 1978). General Systems Theory, while not yet succeeding in its ultimate goal, does offer a great deal to ecologists and natural resource managers:

  • a structured world-view;
  • a structured approach to problem solving;
  • a theory of conceivable system behaviors; and
  • a set of powerful techniques for analyzing system behaviors.

Ecology is only a little older than General Systems Theory, starting at the end of the nineteenth century. Tansley (1935) introduced the term ´ecosystem,´ but the concept is much older. Möbius (1877) wrote about an oyster reef as a ´biocoenosis,´ and Forbes (1887) wrote about a lake as a ´microcosm.´ Ecology is the science of the interactions between organisms and their environment (Odum 1971, Miller 1979).

Despite over half a century of trying, it has not developed much beyond the stage of description. Many of the ´principles´ laid down by Odum and others in the early fifties are now being questioned. The strength of ecology still comes from its roots in Natural History, which goes back much further than 100 years. Ecology offers:

  • a wealth of descriptive natural history data,
  • extremely complex interactions,
  • a conceptual framework (ecosystem – community – population – individual).

The synthesis of these two sciences is called systems ecology. A systems ecologist is interested in interactions, and in whole system behavior. Mathematics often is involved, but the approach and attitude are more important than the tools. Science, including ecology, has tended to concentrate on small well-defined problems. Reductionism has been the rule. But General Systems Theory and systems ecology attempt to study systems as such, for example, organisms within their environment. Systems ecology involves:

  • constructing conceptual models of ecosystems;
  • statistical manipulation of data;
  • building dynamic models of ecosystems;
  • computer simulation;
  • applying systems analysis techniques to ecosystem models;
  • using all of the above to formulate new hypotheses and tests for hypotheses in the field.

1.1 Sects in Systems Ecology

A large number of approaches have already developed within ´systems ecology.´ Unfortunately, these various schools or sects are often on unfriendly terms, or at best seldom communicate with one another. The development of these sects was probably inevitable due to the diverse backgrounds of the scientists in the field, and due to the lack of firm laws in ecology. However, it should become apparent that all of these approaches have good points, and one should not scorn any of them. Ecosystems are too diverse, and ecologists are too small in number and too ignorant for any one group to have videos pornos gratis all the truth.

1.1.1 Population-evolution approach

This sect uses Lotka-Volterra equations applied to communities. Important concepts include K- and r-selection, island biogeography, and competition or predation as organizing features of biological communities. Key practitioners include Robert MacArthur, Richard Levins, G. Evelyn Hutchinson, Eric Pianka, etc. (Cody and Diamond 1975, Hutchinson 1978). Most likely to be published in American Naturalist.

1.1.2 Theoretical/Biomathematical Approach

This group uses simple equations to get mathematically tractable results and intuitive insights. Often optimization or optimal control is involved. Practitioners include John Maynard-Smith and Robert May. Mathematical Biosciences and American Naturalist are typical journals.

1.1.3 Big Biology – Simulation Approach

Make big, complicated differential (or difference) equation models of big, complicated systems. The model forms the focal point of a large interdisciplinary team of researchers. The International Biological Program (IBP) spawned a number of these efforts, some of which are continuing today. Practitioners include Scott Overton, George VanDyne, George Innis and the Oak Ridge group.

1.1.4 Statistical-Manipulation-of-Data Approach

Take big data sets, such as those generated by the IBP, and apply factor analysis, principal components analysis, multivariate regression, etc. to gain insight into ecosystems, or to answer specific questions. Practitioners include K. E. F. Watt, and T. F. H. Allen.

1.1.5 Systems Dynamics Approach

Based on modeling work of Forrester and Meadows of MIT. This group produced the first world model (Meadows et al. 1972), developed the DYNAMO computer simulation language, and a unique method of diagramming conceptual models (Forrester diagrams). They publish books through the Wright-Allen Press (Forrester 1961, 1969, 1971), and publish in engineering journals primarily. Key practitioners in the ecology arena are Dennis Meadows (now at Dartmouth), and ? Fey (at Georgia Tech).

1.1.6 Linear Modeling and Systems Analysis

Attempt to use the mathematical power of linear systems theory and systems analysis techniques to model the major processes of ecosystems. Major practitioners include B. C. Patten, the Oak Ridge group, Patten´s students (including me), and R. Mulholland. Publish in Ecological Modelling.

1.1.7 Energy Flow Analysis

This is a group of ecologists who believe that energy is the common currency of all systems. By analyzing energy flow in both natural and man-made systems, they hope to discern much of the behavior of these systems (Odum 1983). H. T. Odum and his students are the principal members of this group.

1.1.8 Management Modelers

This is a diverse group of people who use whatever technique they can to solve a problem presented to them in management of wildlife populations, parks, conservation preserves, etc. The driving principles here are to produce results that will improve management decisions. Practicioners include Mangel, Clark, Starfield, Bleloch, and others.

1.2 What is a Model?

Models come in many different forms, many of which we do not usually think of as models. Language itself is a model, allowing us to associate abstract concepts with labels (words), a set of rules for stringing words together (grammar), and allowing us to build models of reality. Some languages lack the tools necessary to express certain realities that we might want to express. Some languages allow complex expression of the status quo, but do not provide for dynamics. Because of the range of models, it is difficult to come up with a definition that fits them all. However, the following definition will suffice: A model is a simplification of reality that retains enough aspects of the original system to make it useful to the modeler.Models may take many forms.