Global Change Biogeography: BBC Wild Europe

Conservation News

Ocean Acidification
It is a well known fact that increased acidity of oceans prevents coral growth, but new studies suggest that it also jeopardise fish reproduction. Science news reports on two studies, which showed that survival of young fish and hantching success of newly fertilized eggs decreased dramatically with higher acidity. In one study, CO2 levels as high as 1000ppm, which may be reached by 2100, decreased silverside egg survival from around 50% (at current CO2 elvels) to only 10%. The other study looked juvenillye cod growth in acidic water, and found that despite cods grew faster, they matured later and suffered higher mortality. If these findings hold true for other fishs species as well, it could mean that fish populations, both with commercial and conservation importance are doomed by increasing CO2 emissions.

Starving Polar Bears Cannibalise Cubs
Due to melting sea ice, polar bears are trapped on shore and are exposed to extended period of starvation. Lacking other alternative, they sometimes cannibalise juveniles. Such incidents become more and more frequent, and now for the first time one has been photographed. The issue of starving polar bears is also covered in the final episode of the Frozen Planet series (see blogpost).

Black Rhinos Declared Extinct
Remainig unrecorded for the past six years, black rhino (Diceros bicornis) was declared extinct by IUCN. It's highly valued horn in chinese medicine, slow life history, and a generally poor law enforcement throughout it's range in West Africa are thought to be the main drivers of it's decline and extinction. R.I.P.

White Nose Syndrome
Earlyer this year, Science news reported on the 'worst wildlife disease of recorded history', an alien fungus caused epidemic that kills tens of thousands of bats in North America. Interestingly, while Geomyces destructans leaves european bats unaffected, it causes 'white-nose syndrome' in the USA and Canada, and have devastating effect. Recent findings suggest that despite the process is long, recovery may be possible.

Global Change Biogeography

Thursday, 29 December 2011

BBC Wild Europe - Invasive species video

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