Small mammals at risk as world warms

The biodiversity of small mammals in North America may already be close to a "tipping point" causing impacts "up and down the food chain" according to a new study by U.S. scientists. (Left: voile)

Examining fossils excavated from a cave in Northern California, biologists from Stanford University, California uncovered evidence that small mammal populations were severely depleted during the last episode of global warming around 12,000 years ago.

Many species, say researchers, have never recovered their populations leaving them vulnerable to future rises in temperature.

Deposits in Samwell Cave (upper right) in the foothills of the southern Cascades mountain range revealed that populations of gophers and voles during the period (the end of the Pleistocene epoch) were on a par with those of deer mice.

But while the deer mice (lower right) population thrived in the warming period and has become one of the most common small mammals in the U.S. today, gophers, voles and other small species' populations fell away permanently.

The decline in small mammal species during the period contributed to a 30 percent decline in biodiversity, according to the study.

Co-author and professor of biology at Stanford University, Elizabeth Hadly says deer mice are considered a "weedy" species and when they replace other small mammal species, the effects ripple through the ecosystem.

Lead author of the study, Jessica Blois says because they are so common, it's easy to take small mammals for granted. But they play important ecosystem roles "in soil aeration and seed dispersal and as prey for larger animals." (Left: gopher)

Unlike some larger animals -- mammoths, mastodons and dire wolves -- small mammals never became extinct during the Pleistocene epoch.

But despite their resilience, Blois says small animal species face an uncertain future.

"Even though all of the species survived, small mammal communities as a whole lost a substantial amount of diversity, which may make them less resilient to future change," she said in a statement. (Right: endangered pika)

The research, which was recently published in the science journal, Nature, underlines the effects climate change could have on all types of biodiversity, not just the "eye-catching species."

"The temperature change over the next hundred years is expected to be greater than the temperature that most of the mammals that are on the landscape have yet witnessed as a species," Hadly said in a statement. (Left: Dutch rabbit)

"The small-mammal community that we have is really resilient, but it is headed toward a perturbation that is bigger than anything it has seen in the last million years." she added.

The third edition of the U.N.'s Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3) recently stated biodiversity loss is rising at an unprecedented rate and urged governments to take immediate action to avoid "catastrophic tipping points."

A recent U.N. meeting on biodiversity held in Nairobi, Kenya -- which coincided with the publication of GBO-3 -- has laid the foundations for action to be taken when the U.N. Convention on Biodiversity convene for its 10th conference in Nagoya, Japan in October, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
Jane Smart, director of IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group said in a statement: "There's been overwhelming support in Nairobi for 20 strong, ambitious but realistic targets for the next 10 years, designed to prevent the extinction crisis and restore Earth's ecosystems."

Source:
CNN, "Small mammals at risk as world warms", accessed May 25, 2010

From the Inbox: Explore the Ocean with Me

Dear Friend,

I first traveled to the Galapagos Islands in 1983 on a study-abroad trip for college, and I have lived here most of my adult life.

I was drawn to the islands’ stark beauty and unique wildlife—sea lions, marine iguanas and the famous Darwin’s finches, to name just a few. I have stayed here because of the opportunity to make a difference in the conservation of these and myriad other animals and their remarkable habitats.

As the Andes - Eastern Tropical Pacific Regional Marine Program Coordinator, I believe we’ve made a difference—as have local governments, communities and a growing network of other partners—in helping to protect these islands and the ocean that surrounds them, along with the coastal areas of Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama that collectively make up the Seascape.

This Seascape aims to conserve more than 2 million square kilometers and the diverse sea life—including threatened leatherback sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, humpback whales and many commercially important species—within the Seascape. Taken together, this wildlife underpins the local economies and defines the local communities and cultures of millions of coastal-dwelling people who call this area home, just as my family and I do.

The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape is just one of many projects that increasingly offer working examples of Conservation International’s mission to empower societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature for the well-being of humanity.

CI and our partners are striving to expand this work and establish four more Seascapes in Brazil, the Central Pacific, Hawaii and the Western Indian Ocean.

Over the next few weeks, our marine team will take you to the front lines of our work – the coasts, the mangrove forests, the open oceans and the coral reefs.

We will visit the spectacular animals that call the oceans home, explore the important benefits that oceans provide to humanity and examine win-win solutions we’re putting into practice to protect those benefits for generations to come.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Scott Henderson
Andes - Eastern Tropical Pacific Regional Marine Program Coordinator

Environmentalists Roll Out National Ad Targeting Mountaintop Coal Mining

When most of us flip on the lights (or type into our computers, for that matter), we aren’t thinking about how those simple acts might affect those living in coal country. Yet nearly half of the country’s electricity is generated by coal, and increasingly that coal is being extracted not by removing the coal from the earth, but by removing the earth from the coal.

In Appalachia, that means blowing the tops off mountains to get at the coal seams inside — a process that cuts company costs, but also ravages neighboring communities, poisoning wells and waterways, contaminating air, killing off wildlife and flooding nearby homes. Leading scientists say the effects are irreversible.

This week, a coalition of Appalachian environmentalists launched a campaign they hope will mitigate the disconnect between the electricity Americans use and the devastating processes that keep it so cheap, unveiling a national TV ad that could bring mountaintop removal into living rooms nationwide. The idea is simple: If consumers knew they were contributing to the destruction of the country’s oldest mountains, perhaps they would demand an end to the practice.

For effect, the ad borrows from one of the most famous commercials in the history of television: Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 “Daisy Girl” spot, in which a young girl plucking flower petals looks up to see a nuclear explosion in the distance. In the MTR version, of course, the nuclear blast is replaced by the elimination of an Appalachian peak.

“These are the stakes,” the narrator says. “We can allow the land, water and people of Appalachia to be sacrificed. Or end mountaintop removal coal mining.”

If the explosions aren’t enough to captivate interest, the coalition has brought on Ashley Judd, a longtime MTR critic, as the narrator.

Source:
Washington Independent, "Environmentalists Roll Out National Ad Targeting Mountaintop Coal Mining", accessed May 26, 2010

From the Inbox: Its time to pause Arctic Drilling

TAKE ACTION: Time to Pause Arctic Oil Drilling!
	Plans are already in place to drill in the pristine waters of America's Arctic Ocean starting in July. Tell Pres. Obama to pause offshore oil drilling in America's Arctic Ocean!
Dear Friend, BP's oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the worst environmental disasters in decades. The response by federal regulators and the companies responsible for this catastrophe is inadequate, and much more needs to be done. Adding insult to injury, we learn more each day about how the Minerals Management Service (MMS) went out of its way to serve the oil industry's desires rather than apply the laws and rules meant to oversee it. But while the oil begins to reach shores, killing birds and other wildlife and destroying miles of coastal wetlands, plans are already in place to drill in the pristine waters of America's Arctic Ocean starting in July. We need your help to keep this from happening. An oil spill in these waters would mean a catastrophic loss of whales, seals, birds, fish and polar bears, and would have devastating impact on the Native communities that rely on the bounty of the Arctic Ocean. The Coast Guard went on record, saying that there are limited resources and capabilities to respond to a large oil spill in the remote Arctic Ocean, where sea-ice and storms significantly limit the ability to clean up spilled oil. But, just like its treatment of Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf, MMS did not even analyze or disclose the effects of a large oil spill before approving Shell's Arctic drilling plans, because the agency claimed a large spill was "too remote and speculative an occurrence" to warrant analysis. In light of the Gulf spill, the Secretary of the Interior must reexamine his decision to approve the plans without analyzing the effects of a large oil spill. National and regional environmental groups are pushing the Obama administration to reconsider its Arctic drilling approvals with ads in the New York Times and Washington Post. This week, we're running a television ad on CNN nationwide and on other networks right in Washington, D.C. to send a strong message to decision makers that we need a time out on Arctic drilling. Our message is being heard, but we need your help to push for a strong, clear commitment that takes a cautious, science-based approach to Arctic oil drilling. Obama's Department of Interior can suspend new exploratory drilling in the Arctic, and should do so immediately until a full and independent review of the regulatory and industry failures in the Gulf of Mexico spill is completed. Time is running out as Shell could begin drilling as soon as July 4th. Please tell President Obama to pause offshore oil drilling in America's Arctic Ocean: http://action.earthjustice.org/campaign/arcticshell_0510/i37iwdu4z75ji56e? We have a responsibility to protect, not exploit, these pristine waters. — Earthjustice Because the earth needs a good lawyer

From the Inbox: Join Robert Redford in calling on Obama to lead us to a clean energy future

Donate Join NRDC and help protect the planet's wildlife and wild places Explore Subscribe to NRDC Online, our weekly newsletter, for news you can use Plug In Connect to Switchboard, the NRDC blog Reach Out Send messages in style with our beautiful nature postcards Update Use your Action Center Profile to manage your subscriptions and personal info May 27, 2010 Join Robert Redford in calling on President Obama to lead us to a clean energy future The ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is a painful reminder that the nation's energy system is broken. In response, long-time NRDC trustee Robert Redford has created a powerful new public service announcement calling on the Obama administration to help get America off oil and jumpstart a clean energy future. The only way to guarantee that we can avoid future disasters like the one in the gulf is to minimize our reliance on oil. Comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation would reduce demand for oil, promote innovative new technologies and create an incentive to get the oil we do need from existing onshore wells. Instead of sending billions of taxpayer dollars overseas to hostile governments, our leaders should be investing that money here at home in American technology. We need President Obama to lead America to a clean energy future by working with the Senate to develop and pass strong comprehensive energy and climate legislation. What to do Join Robert Redford in calling on President Obama to help jumpstart a clean energy revolution. Watch the PSA, and then send a message urging President Obama to lead America to a clean energy future by working with the Senate to develop and pass strong legislation that cuts our dependence on oil, puts a limit on global warming pollution and ensures another oil spill disaster doesn't happen again. First U.S. offshore wind farm approved Last month we asked you to urge the Obama administration to give final approval to Cape Wind, which would be America's first offshore wind project, located in federal waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. You sent more than 12,000 comments to the administration and we're thrilled to report that on April 28th (after a review process that had gone on for almost nine years), Interior Secretary Salazar announced the facility's approval. Not only will this help America begin developing offshore wind energy while protecting our ocean resources, it also paves the way for other facilities nationwide. Thanks to everyone who helped achieve this remarkable victory for clean energy!

From the Inbox: Shut down the largest MTR mine in West Virginia

	Tell the EPA to stop Spruce Mine Photo by Matt Wasson Dear Friend, This Spring, the Obama administration said it would take "unprecedented steps" to reduce the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining (MTR). One of the first tests of their new approach to protecting Appalachia is the battle over the Spruce Mine permit. Arch Coal wants to make the Spruce No. 1 Mine the largest mountaintop removal site in West Virginia. Since the 1990's, Arch has proposed a mine site that would blow apart the mountain, bury more than seven miles of headwater streams, damage 2,278 acres of forest and severely pollute the water supply adjacent to the mine. Simply put, this is immoral and illegal. Please take action today and submit a public comment to the EPA in support of their veto of the Spruce Mine. The EPA has stated their intention to veto the Spruce No. 1 Mine permit. But before they will issue their final decision, they are seeking comments from the public. That means all of us! The coal industry is spending big money on this and lobbying hard, so we need your help to tell the EPA to listen to science, not corporate money. Support the EPA's veto of Spruce No. 1 Mine by submitting your public comment today. Thank you for taking action to protect our mountains. For the mountains, Amanda Starbuck Global Finance Campaign

From the Inbox: Eyewitness Account of Wildlife in Need

Dear Friend, As National Wildlife Federation’s senior scientist, I’m here on the ground in coastal Louisiana, witnessing firsthand what amounts to a slow-moving train wreck for wildlife. Wetlands suffocating under thick coats of oil … dead oil-soaked birds silent on the beach … an oil slick nearly 100 miles long. I can’t believe what I’m seeing — how can this devastation be real? We need your help to combat this continuing wildlife emergency! Already more than 150 threatened or endangered sea turtles are dead. And 316 sea birds, mostly brown pelicans and northern gannets, have been found dead along the Gulf Coast. It’s such a tragedy! Today I visited a small mangrove island, full of brown pelicans and American egrets incubating their eggs. There was an oil band circling the island that looked like a bathtub ring, despite the booms put out to try to keep the oil away. Only time will tell how this nesting colony will endure the onslaught of oil. And incredibly, the oil continues to flow virtually unabated, over a month later. Toxic oil is on shore, polluting sensitive habitats. Untold thousands of barrels of oil a day are still gushing into the water and oozing further onto important nesting islands and into the coastal wetlands. When will this nightmare end? Sadly, when the train wreck finally comes to a stop, it will only be the beginning of the uphill battle facing the region’s wildlife. The effects of this crisis will be felt and dealt with for years, if not decades to come. That’s why I hope you’ll donate today, to help save the treasured species fighting against the thick coat of oil that’s threatening their survival. Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Doug Inkley Senior Scientist National Wildlife Federation Help NWF’s on-the-ground work saving wildlife Support NWF's Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund Your donation will go directly to support our immediate and long term work to save animals and their habitat impacted by the BP Oil Spill. Volunteer Forward to a Friend Follow the news:

Madagascan bird declared extinct

The Alaotra Grebe, a small diving bird native to Madagascar has been officially classified extinct, according to a leading bird conservation organization. There have been no observations of the bird since 12 were seen in 1982 at Lake Alaotra and two were seen in September 1985.

BirdLife International reported that the species, once found on Lake Alaotra (right), the largest lake in Madagascar, declined rapidly due to carnivorous fish being introduced to the lake and the use of nylon gill nets by local fishermen.

"No hope now remains for this species. It is another example of how human actions can have unforeseen consequences," Dr Leon Bennun, BirdLife International's director of science, policy and information said in a statement.

Invasive alien species are causing extinctions around the globe, Bennun says, and are one of the major threats not just to birds but to other wildlife.

BirdLife International's report is the latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species for birds and highlights additional cases of the negative impact of invasive species on bird life.

The status of Zapata Rail -- a blue/brown bird native to Southwest Cuba -- was upgraded to "critically endangered" due to the introduction of mongoose and exotic catfish to its marshland habitat.

In Asia and Australia, pollution of coastal wetlands is contributing to the falling populations of wading birds like the Great Knot and the Far Eastern Curlew (right) .

The destruction of inter-tidal mudflats in Saemangeum, South Korea, an important migratory stop-over site, has seen numbers of the Great Knot fall by 20 percent, according to BirdLife.

But the news isn't all bad. Conservation projects are having a positive impact on the survival of bird species.

In particular, the Azores Bullfinch has been downgraded from "critically endangered" to "endangered" thanks to conservation work to restore its natural vegetation on its Atlantic island home.

And in Colombia, the numbers of Yellow-eared Parrot have been rising as its nesting sites are preserved and local communities take part in educational programs to learn about conservation.

Martin Fowlie, communications officer at BirdLife International told CNN: "The overall state of the world's birds is getting worse year on year. But these are two very good examples in the list this year that show conservation works.

"We have the skill and the expertise, so these things can be prevented. But we need commitments from governments to provide money to help birds and animals to survive."

Source:
CNN,"Madagascan bird declared extinct", accessed May 25, 2010