Human activities that are indirectly impacting biodiversity

In the past couple of posts, I have discussed how humans have directly affected biodiversity of living organisms in negative ways.  There are,unfortunately, other activities humans perform on earth that can also indirectly affect organisms negatively.  Some of these indirect actions can lead certain species of organisms to become threatened and even endangered.  Once an organism is on the endangered list, they may even become extinct.  Specifically, if an organism has completely vanished from one region, they have become extirpated. This means that they no longer exist in that region but may exist in another region of the world.  One example is the  Elk  (Cervus elaphus) ; it is no longer present in North America but is still found in the northern territories of Canada.

Species like the Elk have become extirpated from North America is because of human activities.  This activity is the removal of forests or deforestation from certain lands to create residential and/or business communities.  Humans have tried to preserve certain areas to native organisms but very little is protected.  These small spaces are not enough for natural organisms to live at.  One example is Central Park in NYC.  This wildlife park is completely surrounded by city.  Before humans came to the island to build massive skyscrapers for business purposes, the whole island of Manhattan was pretty much a forest.  Since that time, the majority of wild forests that were naturally there are now gone.  Even though Central Park seems like a large park, it has lead to a process called habitat fragmentation.    As the definition implies, the habitat that use to exist in Manhattan has now been fragmented into various little natural reserves of parks.  Land species have no way of traveling from one park to another, which means they are very limited on resources.  Even though the Elk is extirpated from North America, it can make a comeback to the region. 

Another major problem is overpopulation of humans.  Since the 19th century, human population  has exponentially increased.  At the Science Council I attended last week in Manhattan, NY, we were informed that we would need approximately six earths right now to accommodate the population we currently hold right now on planet Earth.  So, not only are we abusing the amount of resources on our planet and thus hurting the planet's sustainability, we are also responsible for the high levels of greenhouse gases on the atmosphere.  One, for example, is carbon dioxide.  Too much of this gas has accumulated over the years due to humans releasing it.  Even car, factory and machine emissions have a huge impact on releasing carbon dioxide.  We are pretty much suffocating ourselves to the point with too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen in our atmosphere.  Yes, plants do take in the carbon dioxide that we release and convert it into oxygen, but it cannot keep up with the rate of human activities.  Plus, we are chopping down trees for more room to fit people on our overpopulated planet.  This means even less carbon dioxide is being filtered. 

We, as humans, can calculate how heavy of an affect we have had on our planet when it comes to sustainability.  In a class I took in 2011 at Queens College called Ecology 650.  Professor Chabora, who was my instructor for the class, made us calculate our "footprint" of what we have carved onto our planet.  If you are interested in taking this simple test, click on the following link: Calculate your Footprint.  You will be amazed what a major impact you can have on the environment by reducing simple things to facilitate in maintaining biodiversity on planet Earth.  Every little step helps to replenish our renewable resources and slow down the usage of our nonrenewable resources.  

Living things protecting themselves from natural disasters

Just yesterday, unfortunately, it is sad to announce that there was a major earthquake in China yesterday, killing 157 people and injuring thousands.  This disaster has also destroyed the homes of natural living things in China's southwest region of Sichuan.

I tried finding information to see if there was an odd behaviors exhibited by any species living in the area; I did not have much luck.  However, I did want to discuss a little about other natural disasters that unfortunately affected parts of the world since the opening of the new millennium.  

The first one I would like to discuss is about that major tsunami that hit Southeast Asia in 2004.  Animals were able to sense the coming of the natural disaster before it occurred!  This is because certain species have  sophisticated senses that differ from humans.   For instance, some animals detected the vibrations of the earthquake that hit along the floor of the Indian ocean prior to the tsunami.  From this, it would be really interesting to see if we could use animals to help detect or predict upcoming natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.  

We pay the meterologists thousands of dollars to predict weather.  Maybe I should just listen to my pet!

In the following article mentions about how certain animals behaved differently in the recent event of a natural disaster:  Animal Behaviors.  Some of the ones I found most interesting were the following:

• Catfish in the area started to jump out of the water in massive packs and moved violently through the water
• Chickens stop laying their eggs due to environmental stress 
• Bees leaving their hives in response to sensing 
• Herds of elephants begin to run inland and higher north away from India's waters 

These are just some of the few examples of animals exhibiting these behaviors in response to upcoming natural disasters.  Now, all the animals mentioned above are typically not pets and are not found in the home.  So, are they domesticated animals that could detect or sense the coming of an earthquake?  The answer is YES! Dogs and cats also exhibit behaviors that can let their owners know something is not right. 

Something anecdotal I would like to share goes back to the year 2002.  It was around 7:30 AM when all of a sudden, Lady, my Jack Russell Terrier started to bark ferociously.  She ran towards the back of the house to bark for a good 5 minutes.  I had never seen this type of behavior from her before.  I then got to school a little later hearing that NYC had just experience some after shock activity that morning. It was not until the evening that I made the connection and wondered why Lady had been acting so weird that morning.

This is a picture of Lady back in 2003 at three years old.  That was the year she detected the after shock New York experienced.  

    Ten years later, at 13 years old now, Lady is still alive and well.  However, her senses may not be as acute at her older age.  

Jack Russell terriers are very territorial animals and have an amazing sense for smell and hearing.  When the after shock occurred in 2003, it was not that impacting but I would have had no idea it occurred with Lady.  Now in the year 2013, would she have sensed the same things as she did in 2003? That I am unsure about but it definitely proves that dogs can definitely sense or detect the upcoming of unfortunate natural disaster that transpire all around planet Earth.  This is just another reason it is crucial to maintain stability of biodiversity on this planet; animals can help to and have that "sixth sense".      

  

The Eastern Oyster in NYC

Just this past weekend, I attended the Science Council of New York City (SCONYC) at Stuyvesant High School.  There were some very useful workshops/lectures given throughout the day based on various sciences taught at the secondary level.

One lecture I found most insightful was one given by a college professor named Thomas Greene from Kingsborough Community College.  His lecture was centered around a Marine Biology course that he currently teaches at the undergraduate level.  He specifically got into studies about certain mollusks such as the Eastern Oyster (Cassostrea virginica).  The Eastern Oyster thrives off phytoplankton and are filter feeders.  Since they do eat plants, we would considers these filter feeders primary consumers.  They rapidly reproduce and are mainly hermaphroditic.  To learn more about this oyster, click on the following link: Eastern Oysters

Mr. Greene's class goes out on certain semesters to their oyster garden located behind the school's campus in Sheepshead Bay, NY.  Students are required to do various types of water quality tests such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity etc.  He, unfortunately, informed us that due to Hurricane Sandy this past October (2012), 9 of 15 current gardens located in NYC were wiped out.  Luckily, his class was able to save their garden by relocating them to a more suitable place on campus in the water.  Mr. Greene claimed that anyone in NYC can form an oyster garden in the area; there are few restrictions, however. Click here if you are interested on forming your own oyster garden! 

                                          Picture taken by author : Jamaica Bay 

The Eastern oyster's population in NYC is actually high, but they are not sold to consumers in the area due to the high amounts of pollution in New York's waters.   This occurred in the early 1900s when tons of raw sewage was thrown into Jamaica Bay (picture above), causing the surrounding waters in the area to become very polluted.  Any of the Eastern Oysters served at restaurants, Thomas Greene claimed, is caught from Long Island waters (Nassau and Suffolk county areas).  The waters surrounding the islanders of Manhattan, Long Island and Staten Island have become cleaner.  However, it is still not safe to consume these oysters until the water has recovered enough for it to be considered not polluted. 

SCONYC was a very interesting council and I am glad to have gone.  That's all for now.

             

The Mediterranean Sea; more like the empty sea

Currently, there are over 40 fish species endangered in the Mediterranean Sea.  If you are interested to see a list, click on the link below:

List of Endangered Fish

So, what's the big deal? We live on land; who cares about fish! Well, in small countries like Malta, it actually hurts tourism.   The reason why fish populations are declining is mainly due to over fishing from European countries that face the Mediterranean waters.  Since there are less fish, jellyfish populations have been growing rapidly.  Jellyfish, with the universally accepted name,  Cotylorhiza tuberculata, dwell in various parts of the Mediterranean sea.  Their natural predator are fish such as tuna and bass that also live in the Mediterranean.

Now why is the tourism on little paradise islands, like Malta, being hurt? This is because these jellyfish have taken over the most beautiful beaches on the island.  I, myself, was a victim of a jellyfish stinging back in  the summer of 2006.  Below is a video to show you how they swim through the water.  They move quite quick!

The sting from that jellyfish is quite painful.  They release their toxic chemicals right onto the skin; it feels like a hot iron pressing onto the human skin.  I was lucky enough because someone else on the beach was able to treat it right away; no not with expensive medications.  He came over with this transparent fluid, which at first stung even worse in the area when he applied to the area.  However, within 30 seconds or so, the pain was really subdued.  I asked the guy what he used; in the Maltese language, told me, "white vinegar"! 

Yes, I was shocked to hear that this household food product can be used to treat stings from this type of jellyfish.  I now think about it and still wonder why people are over fishing in these areas. Not only are fish on the low, but even various exotic turtle species.  Only 1% of the Mediterranean sea is naturally protected by environmentalists.  Is there regulations/fines for illegal fishing? Absolutely, but we know poachers still want to make the pretty penny.  Well, that is all for today.   

Current status of monarch butterflies

The Monarch Butterfly

I wanted to discuss about a unique species called the monarch butterfly.  Our group and I in our science educational graduate class will be presenting a podcast based on this popular milkweed species at the end of the semester.  I thought it would be a nice idea to share some insight about this insect.

The monarch butterfly, or Danaus plexippus , is quite famous not only for its beautiful coloring, but also for its migration cycles from one part of the world to another.  Monarchs are residents of Western Europe, but are more prominent in North America.  They will complete a migration from Canada all the south to Mexico in just 3 or 4 generations; their life span is approximately 2-3 months, however.   They are even known for migrating across the Atlantic ocean!

Their migration begins in August of a the given year.  They hibernate along the way.  Their mortality rate is exceedingly high due to natural predators, such as birds, that they have to face.  Not only due they have to deal with environmental stresses of finding food, mates, and shelter, but currently, their population is at an all time low from the past 20 years.  Below is a link explaining possible reasons why this is so:

Monarch Butterfly Survey Indicates Lowest Number in 20 years

 The major reason ecologists hypothesize why their numbers are decreasing is due to decrease in the population of their natural food source; the milkweed plant.  This,again, ties in with a loss of biodiversity.  Private owners and government leaders who own acres of lands across North America are removing forests to build homes and/or buildings for thriving businesses.  The decline of the milkweed plant may not only cause that plant to become endangered but can cause a domino effect due to its recent fall.  Monarch butterflies may become endangered as well since their primary food source is now scarce. 

Monarchs will either have to adapt to other food sources or compete for minimal milkweed plants in certain areas.  This will drive out monarchs that are least fit for survival as our science friend, Charles Darwin, would say.  Just another story about how biodiversity is being adversely affected.

In our podcast, which is catered to 7th-8th grade science students, will discuss topics such as hibernation, migration, latitude/longitude and reproductive cycles of monarch butterflies.  It should be a good one.

Hurricane sandy misplaces many cats; sad, but yet bad

When the major hurricane last year hit the northeastern coast, many domesticated animals were displaced from their homes.  There are various shelters that have taken in lost pets that were found in states like New York and New Jersey; it's a sad thing.  According to Russia Today, over 14 million cats were involved in hurricane sandy.  The amount of cats actually lost currently is not available.  However, this loss, even if it is small, will have substantial effects on the environment.  Below is a link to pictures of some lost pets that were found by rescue teams:

Lost Animals from Sandy 

The domestic cat, which has the universally accepted name, Felis catus, descends from a wild cat in Africa and Asia called Felis silvestris libyca.  Cats are a part of the feline family as their genus (or first name) shows. They are actually a nonnative species actually introduced to Europe initially about 2000 years ago and have made there way here from European trade starting in the early 19th century. Below is a picture of my cat, Paprika, who is now 7 years of age and got through hurricane sandy.  She is a spayed outdoor cat and survived hurricane sandy.

                                          Paprika is a wonderful pet, but this species is hurting
                                          the biodiversity level on this continent.

Since the time of introduction, their population has grown tremendously; US populations estimate anywhere from 60 to 100 million.  This number includes not just pet cats, but also stray cats that live across the states.  There are more stray then pet cats on this in the US.  Now, you are probably wondering; how do they do so well?

The fact is, Felis catus is considered an invasive species in the US.  Invasive species cause not only environmental harm but also economic harm.  Domesticated cats make wonderful pets but have a negative effect on the environment and when it comes to biodiversity. Below is a just a small list of negative effects:

1) They do very well in our ecosystems because they eat anything from canned food to litter.  The average cat could live to approximately 12 years.  Since they do live well, female cats produce countless litters of kittens.  This increases their population tremendously; the gestation period of cat is only less than 6 weeks!

2) They also are responsible for killing millions of birds every year; they are aggressive predators.  This can lead to the endangerment or extinction of native bird species to the US; thus a loss of biodiversity.      

3) Since they do very well, they compete with native US species for food, shelter and mates and occupy the niches of many native species. This can also drive native species to extinction due to the environmental stresses of cats; yet another decreased in biodiversity.

Now, if you think about all the cats misplaced from hurricane sandy, each domesticated or strayed cat have the ability to carry out these bad affects.  So, yes, sad but bad for the loss of cats due to hurricane sandy.  If you see lost cats or any misplaced pet, report them to agencies such as Animal Rescue or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA).  That goes a long to way to curb the negative effect of cats have on maintaining biodiversity.

Awareness of biodiversity loss on Earth. High or low?

                                         Picture taken by author:                 Quintana Roo, Mexico


     We, as humans, are only aware of things that sometimes only affect us personally.  Imagine being aware of the impact of biodivserity loss as to the awareness to where your wallet is right now.  Just to fill some of us in, biodiversity refers to the varying degree of life forms on our planet Earth.  Biodiversity is constantly changing with the birth of new species and the extinction of others.  However, it has decreased in the past century and is currently decreasing at an exponential matter.
     There are obviously natural causes to why biodiversity is on the decline; one example is the recent natural disaster, Hurricane Sandy.  Yes, it is sad and unfortunate that many were affected by this.  We do not, however, think about the effects it left on certain species that live in the Northeast.  Some may have to totally relocate to different ecosystems because they may have been completely destroyed.
     We are not in control of natural disasters, even though there are conspiracies about some of the recent ones.  However, we are in control of human action that has impacted biodiversity tremendously; most of these actions results in lowering biodiversity on Earth. 

Below is a link that talks about how money talks when it comes to maintaining biodiversty:  

Introduction to Biodiversity and its Decline

I know we do not have millions but we can take simple actions to curb this problem.  Simple actions by many can create a big wave of progress for environments all around the world.  Otherwise, places that are home to such diverse species such as in Quintana Roo, Mexico will no longer exist.  And, there is no reverting back.  Organisms can not become "unextinct."  Once you have hard boiled the egg, it stays a hard boilded egg. So the goal of this blog is the following:

a) To inform you about some aspects to biodiversity and important scientific terms that pertain to the subject
b) To make you more aware of the impact on the current biodiversity status