Environmista’s Post

Genome Of The Last Living Wild Horse Species Has Now Been Mapped

🆘 Really concerning news about the native land snails of Aotearoa. The Department of Conservation (DoC) has sounded the alarm, revealing that 48 species of carnivorous land snails are facing a catastrophic decline. Climate change and increased predators are pushing these unique creatures to the brink. 🌏 New Zealand boasts some of the world's most spectacular land snails, with incredible diversity and many species found exclusively in specific geographic locations. However, a shocking 95% decline in the population of carnivorous land snails is looming unless urgent measures are taken. 📢 Dr. Kath Walker, a DoC science advisor, warns that 43 types of carnivorous land snails are now classified as Nationally Critical – the last status before extinction. The latest report evaluated 109 species, revealing that 48 have declined while only six have improved. 🛑 Exotic browsers, predators, and climate change are identified as major threats. The report's panel emphasizes the "urgent need for action if many of our giant land snails are to survive." Predator control and stopping runaway climate change will both be essential if these species are to survive 🌍💙 https://lnkd.in/g6DSX_3n #EndangeredSpeciesNZ #ProtectNativeSpecies #ConservationAlert #SaveOurSnails

Genome Of The Last Living Wild Horse Species Has Now Been Mapped https://lnkd.in/gHESXfGe

🦅 The White Tailed Eagle 🦅 ⏳ The White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) was once a common site in the UK until the 20th Century. They were completely wiped out following an intense period of persecution, in the 1970s efforts to #restore this magnificent bird began. 💪 By the early 2000s, Scotland had over 50 breeding pairs and the species was declared officially re-established. ✅ The last known breeding pair in Wales was lost in the 1830s. There is hope from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust that a viable breeding population can be returned to Wales where they have a great historical significance in Welsh mythology. ❗ Key Facts: 1️⃣ Their name comes from their white tails, they are known as sea eagles or 'Eryr y môr' in Welsh. 2️⃣ They are the UK's largest bird, with a wingspan of up to 2.5m, they are sometimes described as the 'flying barn door' 3️⃣ Some pairs kill many Fulmars, which are thought to be the source of DDT and PCBs recorded in eagle eggs. 4️⃣ Their main habitats are: upland, marine and intertidal, farmland and wetland 5️⃣ Driven to extinction in the UK by 1916, white-tailed eagles are now found in Scotland, Ireland and southern England thanks to #reintroduction projects. 🦅 Wouldn't it be great to see their numbers restored and taking to our skies once more? #Conservation #Biodiveristy #RestoringLostSpecies #Rewilding To find out more: https://lnkd.in/eWpHZgr5  

The figures in this article make for grim reading, can the export of such numbers of endemic species, many of which are endangered, be justified. There is the argument that zoos provide a unique opportunity for many people to learn about and understand the wide and varied sphere of creatures from across the globe but should it ever be for the purposes of peoples pleasure or entertainment or should that concept be consigned to history. Always an emotive topic.

A new article on Therthangal Bird Sanctuary's avifaunal diversity was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The study offers a comprehensive avifaunal diversity assessment within the Therthangal Bird Sanctuary (TBS) in the Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu, India which was carried out from January 2021 to March 2023 consisting of two breeding seasons. We recorded 96 bird species of 18 orders and 44 families. Four globally ‘Near Threatened’ species (IUCN Red List) were reported: Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Asian Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, and Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis. Of conservation significance is the finding that 23 of 40 waterbird species recorded in TBS were breeding on-site. Maximum numbers of birds and nests were recorded in year 2, presumed to be due to better rainfall and water availability. The findings underscore the importance of TBS in providing bird habitat, and emphasise the need for its conservation, particularly in safeguarding breeding waterbirds habitat. This study provides baseline data essential for the management plan for the forest department of long-term conservation strategies.  Read the article @https://lnkd.in/gfYbp8ze

A groundbreaking project is aiming to revive oyster reefs along the East Yorkshire coast, introducing 500,000 native European flat oysters to the Humber estuary over the next five years. Through an innovative method, oyster larvae are attached to scallop shells in tanks and then transferred to nurseries at Spurn Point, where they grow before being released into the estuary. The Wilder Humber initiative, a collaboration between Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trusts and offshore wind company Ørsted, seeks to restore the area’s marine ecosystem and address pollution, as each adult oyster can filter up to 44 gallons of water per day. The Humber estuary, once home to a massive oyster reef, saw its population decline due to overfishing, disease, and water pollution. Reintroducing the oysters is expected to enhance the area's biodiversity, creating a habitat for other marine life and improving water quality. Dr. Nik Sachlikidis, CEO of The Oyster Restoration Company, which is providing the larvae, describes the effort as "the first of its kind in the UK" and a major step toward scalable oyster restoration. "The positive impact of native oysters on marine ecology is profound, and together, we are paving the way for further native oyster restoration projects, ensuring a healthier and more resilient environment for the future," he said. The project’s broader goal is to restore the ecological balance of the estuary, while also serving as a blueprint for future restoration efforts across the UK and beyond. Credits: Article by Stuart Harratt, photos by Finn Varney. Summary produced with help from ChatGPT. https://lnkd.in/gjyrJF2M

#poaching #extinction #trafficking #birds #rewilding #habitaloss #commoditization #anthropocentrism #life #love #reverenceforlife #loveofJesus The Situation: "These two great-billed seed finches are part of a decades-long conservation project that aims to reintroduce one of Brazil’s most endangered species into a part of the Cerrado grassland that used to be its home before poaching for trade wiped out the birds." The Cause: "While habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from agricultural conversion are believed to have impacted the great-billed seed finch, its greatest threat comes from its popularity as a caged bird. Traffickers employ networks of poachers to locate and trap males in the wild in Brazil and, increasingly, in neighboring Bolivia, then sell them illegally in rural towns and cities across the country." The Fix: "To achieve this aim [rewilding] , a captive-breeding center has been established within the park, expediting breeding and releases. Every month, an average of three breeding pairs are reintroduced into the reserve after a period spent in an enclosure to adapt them to the sights and sounds of their natural habitat." The Problem: Until the poaching and trafficking are eliminated, these efforts, while well intentioned, cannot stem the tide of extinction currently faced by this species. Trafficking and poaching cannot be eradicated by law enforcement; they can only be eliminated by a conscious human choice, a choice to permit these creatures to exist as God and nature intended, not as humans might wish. Only when humanity adopts a reverence or life as our ethos, the ethos that places upon us the solemn duty to act as stewards of God's creation, not its usurpers and perverters, will articles such as this one become a memory of what we were, rather than a depiction of who we are.

Cascading Effects of Invasive Ants on African Savanna Food Webs A study reveals the significant impact of a small mutual relationship disruption in the African savanna, affecting food webs up to lions. When invasive big-headed ants eliminate native acacia ants, elephants destroy thorn trees for lack of deterrents, altering the landscape. This change forces lions to adapt from hunting zebras to buffalo due to increased visibility and reduced cover, illustrating indirect but profound ecological consequences of invasive species. #invasivespecies #mutualismdisruption #Africansavanna #foodwebimpact #acaciaants #elephantbehavior #liondietadjustment https://lnkd.in/duGgAwmK