Federal scientists estimate that the Arctic region contains up to 15 billion barrels of oil. Burning this, however, could release an additional 15.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – the equivalent to all US transportation emissions over a nine year period.
A new multinational study, the first global review of Arctic marine mammals, has assessed the status of all circumpolar species and subpopulations, and highlights the precarious state these animals are in.
large carnivores are very important for the habitat they live in and the other species they live with, exerting top-down control of the environment. Therefore, carnivore populations and their habitats must be preserved.
The global population was down to just 15 tortoises by the 1960s. Now there are some 1,000 tortoises breeding on their own. The population is secure. It’s a rare example of how biologists and managers can collaborate to recover a species from the brink of extinction.
The findings of our study are both good news and bad news. The good news is that veterinary use of diclofenac in India has decreased significantly; the bad news is that it has not stopped completely.
The report states that wildlife populations today are 52% less than they were in 1970. In other words, in less than two generations, these populations have declined by more than half.
All domestic and international ivory markets should be closed, according to the study, and government stockpiles of ivory that are located all over the world must be destroyed, as they are a significant source of ivory appearing in the illegal trade.
This group of animals has been somewhat overlooked both by conservation organisations and the public.
The great whales, like blue, sperm, grey and right whales, are slowly making a comeback. There are now more than a million sperm whales and tens of thousands of grey whales.
It is hoped that Bio-Boundaries could be used for other large predators and territorial species that are under threat from conflict with our ever-increasing human population.