My Science School

Located almost on the edge of Bulgaria in Europe, the Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake and wetland, just a couple of km south of the famous Danube River. Spread across more than 600 hectares, the wetland falls on the route of birds migrating from Europe to Africa. It is said to be the breeding ground for nearly 100 species of birds, including some rare and endangered ones. In addition, it is a temporary habitat for over 75 species that migrate. The floating reed islands (called "kochki" locally) and flooded willow woodlands in the Reserve are important areas for birds to breed. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was placed on the danger list in 1992, due to loss of water and pollution in the lake, resulting in the disappearance of many bird species. However, upstream activities such as housing and farming were halted, bringing about positive changes in the region. Eventually, in 2003, the Reserve was removed from the danger list. The region is also protected as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.

Wildlife

The Srebarna Nature Reserve is said to host the only colony of Dalmatian pelicans in the country. It is also believed to be home to the largest breeding populations of four more globally threatened bird species, namely pygmy cormorant, ferruginous duck, white-tailed eagle, and corncrake. Among others birds that can be spotted in the region are night heron, purple heron, glossy ibis, white spoonbill, little bittern, squacco heron, little egret, great white egret, and ruddy shelduck. Three species of terns can also be found here. The globally threatened red-breasted goose winters in the reserve. The wintering populations of whitefronted goose, greylag goose, and fieldfare are considered notable. The lake and the areas around it also support more than 20 species of reptile and amphibian species, and 40 mammal species.

Good conservation status, but...

While globally a lot of natural wildlife habitats face several threats-both natural and human-made, Srebarna is one of those rare spaces that enjoys a good conservation status, "with some concerns", according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to IUCN's 2020 Conservation Outlook, there "is an overall trend of improvement of the conservation status of most of the bird populations". Given that the region is very important for birds, it is heartening that the population of some species has increased since it was removed from the danger list.

However, the place is not without concerns. For instance, the conservation status of species such as squacco heron and black tern has deteriorated. Also, "additional information is needed to make reliable assessments of the conservation state" of a few other species. Other concerns, including hydrological management, may not be a severe threat right now, but it is felt that with issues such as climate change looming large, these could affect Srebarna in the future.

Climate change is likely to decrease the water level of the Danube, resulting in the disruption of seasonal flooding in Srebarna. This has the potential to change the quality and quantity of nutrients, sediments, etc. in the region, and lead to a drastic ecological change, affecting both the flora and fauna there.

Picture Credit : Google

Jointly covering an area of nearly 2,40,000 hectares in South America, the Iguazu National Park in Argentina and its sister park, the Iguacu National Park in Brazil, are regions centred around the spectacular Iguazu Falls. The falls is among the widest in the world, wider than the popular Niagara Falls of North America. The Parks contain remnants of highly endangered rainforests, and were set up in the 1930s to preserve not just the scenic beauty of the falls but also the vegetation and wildlife in and around the region. Huge clouds of spray continuously immerse the several river islands and the riverine forests around. This creates a very humid environment giving rise to fertile and thick vegetation that supports a variety of wildlife. In 1984, the Iguazu National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Iguacu received the recognition two years later.

Wildlife

The region boasts vegetation that is both rich and varied. The subtropical rainforest surrounding the falls is believed to nurture more than 1,000 species of plants from orchids, pine, and bamboo to palm and even moss. This makes it a perfect haven for wildlife, which is said to be as varied as the vegetation itself. In addition to more than 400 species of birds, the area is said to support over 75 mammal species and countless varieties of invertebrates. Among the mammals that can be spotted here are iguanas, tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots (cat species), and jaguars. It's also a spot to see caimans (crocodiles). The birds found in and around the area include swifts, swallows, parrots, herons, toucans, flycatchers, trogons, owls, falcons, kites, nighthawks, thrushes, shrikes, kingfishers, quails, and the near-threatened harpy eagles.

Threats

Changing landscapes due to a variety of reasons such as deforestation and development, tourism, agricultural encroachment, and poaching are among the threats in the region. But dominated as it is by water, the threats on this resource is of particular concern.

Water management: There are dams outside the parks that feed the waterfalls. However, the water flow to the waterfalls is controlled depending on the electricity requirement. For instance, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the water flow during weekends could be lower than ususal due to lower demand for electricity. This fluctuation could affect flora and fauna of the region.

Farmland run-off: On one side of the Iguacu National Park is the beginning of land parcels used for intense agriculture. The practices here involve the use of pollutants such as pesticide. The streams that run through these areas and flowing into the falls carry with them polluted sediments. In the long run, this could affect the plants and animals of the region.

And some good news!

As recently as 2008, only eight jaguars roamed the Brazil's Iguacu National Park.

That's quite a dramatic fall from about 400 in the 1990s near Brazil's border. The cats were pushed to the brink of extinction due to hunting and intense deforestation, resulting in the loss of the animal's habitat. And gradually after 2010, their numbers began increasing, thanks to steps such as setting up of camera traps initiated to tackle poaching. By 2018, the place was home to 28 cats, and the numbers are said to have increased by 2020. But there's a proposal to build a road that will cut the park in two. If this project is implemented, the road will pose a severe threat to the region's biodiversity, and will be a setback to the conservation efforts of the cat.

Picture Credit : Google

Situated in China's southeast region of Sichuan, the panda sanctuaries comprise Wolong Nature Reserve, Mount Siguniang, and liajin Mountains. Spanning more than 9,000 sq km., the area holds within itself seven nature reserves. The sanctuaries make up the largest remaining contiguous habitat of the giant panda. In fact, the region is also a very important place for the captive breeding of this mammal, listed as "vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Since the panda's habitat is fragmented, the area is protected and has green corridors that not only help in the safe movement of these mammals within established boundaries but also play a role in avoiding in-breeding. The area is botanically very signicant too for the rich diversity it exhibits- a whopping 5,000 species at least - from magnolias and bamboos to rhododendrons and orchids! This very diversity is what makes it valuable in welcoming several species of mammals, reptiles, and birds to the region. In 2006, the property was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, at least two pandas at the Wolong Panda Centre within the reserve lost their lives. The Reserve, situated as it was near the epicentre of the quake, was severely damaged. However, despite fears, several pregnant pandas (including one that was injured during the quake) at the Centre went on to deliver healthy cubs.

Wildlife

Though the focal species of the sanctuaries is the giant panda, the place also houses endangered animals such as the red panda, the snow leopard, and the clouded leopard. It nurtures more than a 100 mammal species and 300 bird species, many of which are said to breed locally. The animals also include deer, golden monkey, and gnu. Among the bird species that can be spotted here are partridges, snipes, monals, thrushes, finches, rubythroats, pheasants, cuckoos, accentors, robins, tragopans, vultures, sparrowhawks, griffons, buzzards, tits, leaf warblers, fulvettas, yuhinas, nuthatches, and pipits.

Threats

The region holds about a third of the world's total panda population. and so is very crucial for the species. But it is faced with several kinds of threats. In addition to the grave threat of climate change, direct human actions are a cause of concern.

Habitat loss and fragmentation: A large portion of panda's natural habitats has been lost to agriculture and infrastructure development. When their living area shrinks, the animals face the risk of infection and in-breeding too.

Loss of bamboo: Roads and railway lines cutting through forests not just alienate sections of the panda population, but also result in bamboo die-offs. Bamboo is an integral part of panda diet, and sustained and large-scale loss of bamboo could lead to severe food deficit for the pandas.

Logging: Logging in the sanctuaries was banned as early as 1998. However, a two-year investigation by a non-government environmental organisation a few years ago revealed that logging continued in the region illegally, using loopholes in the country's regulations. The investigation also revealed that more than 3,000 acres of natural forests within the sanctuaries were wiped off.

Harvesting: Herbs are an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, and so people harvesting such herbs in the sanctuaries degrade the forests during the process. In addition, people harvest bamboo, and also gather firewood, leaving the region more vulnerable to degradation.

Picture Credit : Google

Believed to be named after a mangrove species called sundari, the Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest. It marks the area where land meets sea and freshwater meets seawater. Covering a vast area that spans more than 10,000 sq. km., the Sundarbans straddles the two countries of India (West Bengal) and its neighbour Bangladesh. While around 60 % of the total area falls in Bangladesh, the rest is in India. One of the last preserves of the endangered Bengal tiger, the region is said to be the only mangrove habitat of this big cat. The area is also part of the world's largest delta, showing an incredible level of biodiversity both in flora and fauna. It is said to support more than 300 species each of plants, animals, and birds. This includes many threatened and endangered animals too. Marked by a chain of tidal waterways, mudflats, and tiny islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, it is an impressive representation of continuing ecological processes. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the latter half of the 20th Century.

Wildlife

Though the Bengal tiger is the most noted species here, several other animals, amphibians, and reptiles can be spotted in the area. They include estuarine crocodiles, fishing cats, common otters, water monitor lizards, Gangetic dolphins, snubfin dolphins, river terrapins, turtles such as olive ridley turtles, green sea turtles, hawksbill turtles, a few species of sharks and rays, wild boars, spotted deer, porcupines, rhesus macaques, king cobras, common cobras, banded kraits, Russell's vipers, pythons, checkered keelbacks, and green whip snakes. Herons, egrets, kingfishers, woodpeckers, storks, owls, terns, flycatchers, sunbirds, flowerpeckers, cormorants, storks, orioles, bitterns, babblers, pigeons, sandpipers, spoonbills, darters, eagles, seagulls, teals, partridges, wild geese, and ducks are some of the local and migratory birds that can be found in the region.

Threats

• Located as it is in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans has always been threatened by cyclones and tidal waves. This has only increased with global warming and climate change. These factors have led to increasing temperatures and sea-level rise. A recent study found that when more and more (salinated) seawater enters land, coupled with hotter temperatures, they affect the vegetation of the region. If they gradually begin to disappear, the spotted deer in the region would too. Since the spotted deer is the Bengal tigers top prey, the big cat will be affected too.
• Not just that. The study added that without adequate prey, the chances of tigers venturing into human territory could go up, resulting in increased incidence of human-animal conflict.
• As it is, the tiger population has been a cause of concern, with only a few thousands left in the wild today. Along with the results of the study, other aspects such as encroachment and development too are reasons for concern.

But there's good news!

According to the census conducted during the first half of 2020, the number of tigers in Sundarbans increased by eight to reach 96. Since 2016, the big cats number has been increasing, and this is said to be the highest since then. This news is particularly heartening because of the numerous threats the species faces.

Picture Credit : Google

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, the tropical rainforest regions in Indonesia's Sumatra Island comprise three national parks, namely Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park, and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. Spread across more than 25,000 sq.km. a portion of the area falls within Sumatra's Leuser ecosystem that's often described as "the last place on Earth where tigers, rhinos, orangutans and elephants still live together".

The Parks, which are located on the spine of Bukit Barisan Mountains of Sumatra, show amazing uniqueness in biodiveristy, and are home to 10,000 species of plants. The regions also show a stunning variety in ecosystem from lowland rainforest to montane forest and subalpine low forest to scrub and shrub vegetation. The Gunung Leuser National Park is the place to see both the world's largest flower (Rafflesia arnoldi) and the tallest flower (Amorphophallus titanum).

Wildlife

The area is said to nurture more than 500 species of birds. Ducks, geese, partridges, scrubfowls, pheasants, grebes, pigeons, doves, quails, cuckoos, coucals, malkohas, koels, frogmouths, nightjars, swifts, swiftlets, needletails, rails, waterhens, crakes, thickknees, stilts, plovers, lapwings, snipes, jacanas, sandpipers, pratincoles, gulls, terns, petrels, shearwaters, storks, frigatebirds, tropicbirds, boobies, darters, cormorants, pelicans, herons, bitterns, egrets, ibises, kites, buzzards, eagles, owls, harriers, trogons, hornbills, kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, woodpeckers, barbets, kestrels, falcons, parakeets, broadbills, pittas, ioras, minivets, shrikes, orioles, drongos, fantails, flycatchers, magpies, swallows, bulbuls, warblers, tailorbirds, white eyes, babblers, thrushes, mynas, starlings, leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds, spiderhunters, wagtails, weavers, munias, and finches are among the birds that can be spotted in the region. The place also supports more than 200 mammal species, including several that are endemic and endangered. The mammals include the endemic Sumatran orangutan, the Sumatran tiger, dlouded leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and the Malayan sun bear.

Threats

• Given the expansive wealth of natural resources in the region, Sumatra has attracted heavy international financing zeroing in on extractive industries, "from precious hardwoods and minerals to palm oil, rubber, and coal". As a result, the precious wildlife in the area is losing their habitats and faces a very bleak future.
• Road development in the rainforests is of great concern because they not just destroy the natural landscape and displace wildlife, but also provide access to people for illegal logging, encroachment, and poaching.
• Agriculture is another cause of worry. As rainforests are wiped off to give way for agriculture, it becomes difficult to reclaim the lost forest area. In fact, a study less than a decade ago had said that the rainforests of Sumatra are likely to disappear in 20 years. So, right now, we have perhaps about 10 years to save the rainforests. This would also mean the eventual, permanent disappearance of some of the rarest wildlife species on the planet.
• In 2011, the UNSECO placed the region under its List of World Heritage in Danger. Mining, encroachment, development activities, and, to a certain extent, invasive species are among the several threats to the rainforests in Sumatra listed by it.

Picture Credit : Google

Covering an area of 3,700 sq.km., the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia span the States of Queensland and New South Wales. Australia split from Antarctica during the breakup of Gondwana (an ancient supercontinent) several million years ago. And today, the rainforests continue to live on as windows offering insights into what happened all those years ago. These rainforests are signicant not only in terms of evolutionary history and geology, but also for their startling biological diversity. A variety of flora and fauna lineages, with origins that can be traced all the way back to Gondwana, exists today within these areas. Which is to say that many plants and animals have remained relatively unchanged from their ancestors whose fossils have been recorded. In fact, some of them are said to be found only in these rainforests. Apart from these, the region is a primary habitat for several threatened species of plants and animals. Many species continue to be discovered or rediscovered within these forests. For instance, the Hastings river mouse and parma wallaby, previously thought to be extinct, were rediscovered. The sheer diversity in the number of rare and threatened rainforest species in the region are of great global importance for both science and conservation. Though much from the original rainforests has been replaced by other vegetation types, due to several reasons such as climate change, the region continues to reveal secrets and mysteries of a time when humankind did not exist.

Wildlife

Among the mammals that can be found in the region are deer, rats, mice, bats, and flying foxes, echidnas, bandicoots, and platypuses, and marsupials such as wallabies, wallaroos, kangaroos, possums, quolls, and gliders. Pipits, wagtails, sparrows, finches, mynas, starlings, thrushes, swallows, martins, warblers, robins, wagtails, flycatchers, cuckooshrikes, babblers, honeyeaters, wrens, treecreepers, bee-eaters, kookaburras, kingfishers, owls, cuckoos, parrots, lorikeets, cockatoos, buttonquails, lapwings, kestrels, falcons, eagles, kites, buzzards, spoonbills, ibises, herons, egrets, cormorants, frogmouths, nightjars, grebes, ducks, and plenty of other birds can be spotted in these rainforests. Snakes, pythons, skinks, lizards, monitors, geckos, turtles, and frogs are some of the reptiles of the area. These are in addition to several species of fish and insects that call the place their home.

Threats

As mentioned earlier, climate change is a huge threat to these rainforests. But that isn't the region's only problem. Here are a few other concerns:

Wildfires: A UNESCO World Heritage site, these rainforests face the fury of wildfires too. With the intensity and frequency of the wildfires increasing in the region, there are concerns that if timely action is not taken, these ancient wonders could be lost forever. These fears are not unfounded because during the 2019-2020 wildfire season, it is believed that at least 50% of these rainforests were affected. There have been calls to the government for implementing and adhering to policies that protect these areas.

Tourism: While tourism is integral to the development and upkeep of any crucial region, it can have an adverse impact on the very region it seeks to protect. And this is the exact problem that the Gondwana rainforests faces. Every year, it welcomes a few million visitors, who not only enjoy the natural beauty of the place, but, in the process, unwittingly, damage the vegetation. This also leads to soil erosion in the area. In addition, the rubbish that these visitors leave behind could harm the plants and the animals inhabiting the region.

Invasive species: Among others, weeds such as lantana, take over the region, stifling the growth of native plants. In the long run, they could cause large-scale devastation to the native vegetation that has existed for millions of years. This is true of some of the animals too. Invasive speices or pests such as pigs, foxes, cats, goats, deer, and wild dogs could either damage and consume native vegetation or feed on native animals, severely impacting the native wildlife population.

Picture Credit : Google

The Rocky Mountains or the Rockies are North America's largest mountain range that runs through the western part of the continent. Spanning the countries of Canada and the U.S., the Rockies stretch for more than 4,500 km from British Columbia (in Canada) to New Mexico (in the U.S.). Some of the highest peaks of the continent lie within this mountain range. National parks and forest land protect most part of the region. Considering that the mountain range actually stretches to nearly 5,000 km spanning two large countries, there's a lot of variation in the landforms, soil types, and even rocks within the areas. However, the mountains also have much in common in terms of high elevations, spectacular scenery, climate patterns, and most importantly, biogeography - the distribution of animals and plants in this expansive region. The Rockies are also significant because it is a "continental divide" - a natural boundary that separates various river systems within North America.

Wildlife

Depending on the elevation and location, the Rocky Mountains offer a spectacular variety of vegetation from aspen, pine, and fir to willows and low-flowering plants, all, in turn, supporting different kinds of wildlife. The mountain lion, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, brown and grizzly bear, in addition to caribou, elk, moose, white-tailed deer, and in some parts, bison can all be spotted here. Smaller animals include beavers, otters, squirrels, chipmunks, ferrets, and marmots, while amphibians comprise frogs, toads, salamanders, and similar species indigenous to the region. The Rocky Mountains are believed to nurture nearly 300 species of birds, including varieties of geese, swans, quails, pheasants, grouse, grebes, pelicans. cormorants, bitterns, herons, ibises, vultures, eagles, hawks, kites, falcons, coots, cranes, plovers, stilts, avocets, sandpipers, gulls, terns, pigeons, doves, cuckoos, owls, swifts, hummingbirds, kingfishers, woodpeckers, flycatchers, nuthatches, magpies, larks, swallows, wrens, thrushes, mockingbirds, starlings, pipits, warblers, sparrows, finches, and many more.

Threats

• Expectedly, climate change is impacting the region. However, there are three telling ways in which it affects the region, especially places such as the Rocky Mountain National Park that falls within the mountain range. One, climate change has increased the incidence of wildfires in the region. Just a few years ago, one such fire burned for months and over snow. Over the years, the fires have been lasting longer than usual, which means, they are also destroying more area then earlier.
• Two, cheatgrass, an invasive species, thrives in increasing temperatures. Increasing temperatures a result of climate change- is only helping the spurt in the growth of cheatgrass. Earlier found in lower elevations, it is said that this non-native species has moved up over 2,000 feet in a matter of just 10 years. Invasive species dominate native species, and can even lead to the extinction of the latter.
• Third, bark beetle outbreaks. Drier, hotter conditions increase the severity of bark beetle infestations. Trees on millions of acres in the region are killed by the beetles and they fall to the ground. Increasing infestations mean that even iconic, endemic and rare varieties of trees are under great threat. And all these three are inter-related problems - cheatgrass and trees killed by bark beetle increase the chance and spread of wildfires
• Not just climate change, there are other factors of worry too for the mountain range. Several aspects such as excessive tourism, timber harvesting, grazing, oil exploration, and mining have resulted in a general degradation of the region and a shrinking habitat for its renowned wildlife.

Picture Credit : Google

Located on the border between the African countries of Kenya and Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania's Serengeti plain spans an area of nearly 15,000 sq.km. The grassland and woodland savannah of the region, interspersed with rivers, is home to several species of animals such as cheetah, wildebeest, and zebra, and the threatened black rhinoceros. Set up in 1951, the Park attracts tourists from across the globe throughout the year for not just its diverse wildlife but also for hosting one of the most significant land animal migrations. It is one of the largest and the most diverse places in the world to witness the coming together of a large number of predator and prey. The Serengeti National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site of "outstanding universal value in 1981.

Wildlife

In addition to carnivores such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, and crocodiles, and herbivores such as wildebeest, gazelles and zebras, one can spot wild dogs, topis, warthogs, antelopes, elephants, giraffes, African buffaloes, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and baboons within the periphery of the Park. The Park also nurtures a few hundred species of both resident and visiting birds. They include ostriches, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, darters, bitterns, herons, egrets, storks, ibises, spoonbills, flamingoes, teals, ducks, geese, shovelers, pochards, vultures, harriers, eagles, hawks, kites, kestrels, falcons, quails, francolins, crakes, coots, moorhens, bustards, jacanas, snipes, sandpipers, plovers, terns, gulls, sandgrouses, doves, turacos, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes, hornbills, barbets, woodpeckers, larks, swallows, martins, orioles, babblers, shrikes, robins, wheatears, warblers, flycatchers, pipits, weavers, starlings, and sunbirds.

Did you know?

• Every year, more than 10 lakh wildebeest, along with thousands of other herbivores and ungulates such as zebra and gazelle, go on a 1,000-km circuitous journey between the Park in Tanzania and Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. The migration sees the animals moving to greener pastures in Kenya during the dry season in Serengeti. Throughout the migration, several adults and newborns perish to predators such as crocodiles, lions, and cheetah, but much more survive to keep the world's most astounding spectacle alive.
• The Park faces threats due to natural causes such as wildfires, and human-related issues such as excessive tourism, water management, poaching, etc. For instance, a recent study that had studied the region over a long period of time found that due to increasing human activity on the boundary, animals congregate increasingly in the core of the protected area. And this is not good news because such a concentration could lead to depletion of natural resources such as plant and water, and even lead to extreme drought.
• While the large numbers of animals migrating to the region is fantastic news, monitoring something of this magnitude requires a lot of time and labour. Recently, a “research team testing the capacity of both citizen scientists and machine learning algorithms to help survey the annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania found that both methods could produce accurate animal counts, a boon for park managers”.
• African wild dogs disappeared from the Park around 1991-1992, and several reasons-from rabies and canine distemper diseases to encroachment of farming activity into their habitats have been attributed to the disappearance. Around 2012, a few packs were re-introduced to the region, and some of them even gave birth to young ones.

Picture Credit : Google

Situated in the central part of the Indonesian archipelago, the Komodo National Park spans an area of 2,00,000 hectares. A UNESCO World Heritage Site of Outstanding Universal Value, it is home to about 5000 Komodo dragons. As the only place in the world today with these lizards, the area has been of particular interest to both the scientific community and curious tourists. Once found in Australia too, these lizards are said to have thrived in their current home for millions of years now.

Wildlife

Though most noted for Komodo dragons, the park nurtures other wildlife too. Among the more than 70 species of birds spotted in the area are cockatoos, jungle fowl, kestrels, herons, thick-knees, doves, sunbirds, finches, drongos, Orioles, scrub fowl, and friarbirds. The waters around the boundary of the Park nurture several species of whales such as sperm whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and the endangered dugong also known as sea cow.

The “Jurassic Park” problem

Last October while several parts of the world were still grappling with COVID-19 and the destruction it left in its wake, a photo from the park went viral. What did it show? A Komodo dragon facing a truck. What was a truck doing in such an eco-sensitive region? This needs a bit of a history. In 2019, a controversial decision to close the Park was dropped after collective outrage. Soon after that came another piece of news. That the government would end mass tourism by imposing a heavily priced membership scheme to enter the park. “But around the same time they also unveiled plans for a mass tourist development on neighbouring Rinca Island, which is home to the second-largest population of Komodo dragons.” And this project has been dubbed “Jurassic park“, which is where Komodo dragon had an unexpected encounter with that truck. Concerned conservationists have raised questions over the need for such a project, worried that this move will ruin the natural habitat of the world’s largest lizard. A damaged natural environment will eventually affect its habitants too, meaning the Komodo dragons could be in peril if the project is completed. Though it has been said that the project has been stopped, media reports suggest that the project may not have been dropped but only paused for now.

Did you know?

• The world’s largest and heaviest lizards, these reptiles can grow up to 10 feet, weigh more than £300 and live up to 30 years in the wild.
• Going by their diet, they are hearty eaters –it is said that in one go, these giants can consume nearly 80% of their body weight. The carnivore’s diet includes everything from deer and pigs to water buffaloes and sometimes even smaller comes from its own species!
• Poaching and human encroachment are only two of the reasons that could lead to a decline in the population of these lizards.
• As with the most habitats the world over, climate change is unlikely to spare this region either. While resultant intense wildfires can directly alter the habitat of the Komodo dragon, storms threaten to cause extensive damage to corals and the reefs in the waters surrounding the archipelago.

Picture Credit : Google

Stretching over 2,000 km in the Pacific Ocean along the coast of Queensland in Australia, it’s small wonder that the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth and home to the world’s largest coral reef. Visible even from Space, it comprises nearly 3,000 individual reefs in different shapes and sizes, in addition to several hundred islands nurturing a starting variety of plants and animals. In 1981, the region was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List for its “outstanding natural universal values”.

Marine life

The Great Barrier Reef hosts over 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, 5,000 types of molluscs, and 200 species of birds. Thanks to the extraordinary diversity in terms of habitats and species, the reef is one of the most complex natural ecosystems in the world. It is home to a staggering number of marine creatures. As if a fittibg underwater competitor to Africa’s Big Five, it houses the Great Eight – clown fish, sharks, manta rays, Maori wrasse, potato cod, giant clams, turtles, and whales. The reef is considered one of the best places to spot sea turtle species of the world are found here. The region holds scientific significance for being the habitat of the much threatened dugong (sea cow).

Did you know?

• Over the last few decades, global warming has resulted in coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef. An aerial survey revealed that back-to-back unprecedented coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017 affected nearly two-thirds of the corals, giving the damaged ones little chance to recover. In 2020, the region experienced what was reported as the “third mass coral bleaching event in five years”. However, some good news came in later.
• A survey was carried out in several parts of the region in 2020. Though most of the places were subject to various levels of bleaching, the overall bleaching was ascertained to be mild. The best news was that “many species were in recovery and mortality was extremely low”. The survey also conducted that “if conditions become more favouarble quickly there is a strong chance they will recover.
• There’s still a lot we do not know about the Great Barrier Reef, and it continues to awe and surprise us regularly. It did just that last year too. Explorers of the region discovered a giant pinnacle of coral taller than the Empire State Building in New York, the U.S. Considered the first such discovery in more than a century, the coral stood at 500 mt. For scale and comparison, the Empire State Building – one of the tallest buildings of the world – is not even 450 mt.

Picture Credit : Google

Spanning 8,000 sq.km., the Galapagos Islands is an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated about 1,000 km from mainland Ecuador, the country it is part of. It comprises more than 100 islands, including a few that are inhabited. As much as 97% of the total area of the archipelago has been declared a National Park (human occupation in the region occurs in the rest of the 3%). The areas surrounding the region have been declared a marine reserve, and are one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. The region nurtures hundreds of plant species, a dozen native land mammal species, over 35 reptile species and nearly 3,000 marine species. It is home to unusual wildlife such as marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and flightless cormorants. The region today faces several threats, including unsustainable and illegal fishing practices. Such practices endanger both native and migratory species. So, to protect the islands, scientists, conservationists, and NGOS have been calling for the expansion of the current Galapagos Marine Reserve to protect an additional 4,00,000-odd sq.km.

Wildlife

Ducks, teals, pintails, shovelers, junglefowl, grebes, flamingoes, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, boobies, cormorants, pelicans, herons, egrets, ospreys, crakes, hawks, gallinules, coots, stilts, oystercatchers, plovers, godwits, sandpipers, phalaropes, skuas, gulls, terns, pigeons, doves, cuckoos, owls, swifts, kingfishers, flycatchers, swallows, martins, mocking birds, warblers, and finches are among the several species of birds found in the Galapagos Islands. The mammals seen in the region include several species of whales, including killer whales, sperm whales, blue whales, and humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals, rodents, and bats. The reptiles include tortoises, sea turtles, marine iguanas, land iguanas, geckos, lava lizards, and sea snakes.

Did you know?

• It was the birds and animals in the Galapagos Islands that helped Charles Darwin come up with the ground, breaking Theory of Evolution", dramatically altering the way humankind had perceived its own history till then.
• According to a 2019 study, the waters off the Galapagos Islands have about 10 times more alien marine invertebrates than previously recorded. It recorded as many as 53 non-native marine invertebrates off two islands in the archipelago. The number of such species known earlier was just five! Researchers are convinced there are certainly more such creatures in the region waiting to be discovered.
• While the Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the most popular for coral reefs, the Galapagos hosts its own share of such reefs too. However, the El Nino event in 1982-83 is said to have wiped out about 90 % of shallow-water corals in the islands. To add to the problem, there were El Nino events in 1997-98, and 2015 too. However, towards the end of December 2017, a reef project carried a study in the region, and made a delightful discovery that corals were thriving in some of the remotest islands of the Galapagos.
• In a study involving sperm whales and spanning nearly three decades, researchers discovered that "two clans dominated the waters near the Galapagos decades ago, but whales from across the Pacific basin". For the discovery, the team studied distinctive communication clicks among sperm whales to track several cultural clans in the Pacific Ocean".
• In 2016, scientists discovered that two subspecies of the songbird vermilion flycatcher-found only on the Galapagos Islands-were actually two species, and gave them two different names too. While one of them Pyrocephalus nanus is commonly found in the region, the other Pyrocephalus dubius was last seen in 1987, and is, sadly, perhaps, extinct. The study used "molecular data from samples of museum specimens."

Picture Credit : Google

Located on the westernmost point of Australia, the Shark Bay spans about 10,000 sq. km., and includes a few islands and the land around these areas. The Bay is said to have been named thus by buccaneer explorer William Dampier in the 17th Century, due to the presence of numerous sharks. The place was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 for its ecological significance and “exceptional natural features”. The region has the largest known area of seagrass (underwater flowering plants with long, grass-like leaves) covering a few thousand sq. km. In fact, the Wooramel Seagrass Bank within the region is said to be one of the largest seagrass meadows with a variety of seagrass species. As a result, not surprisingly, this place also has a good population of one specific mammal that feeds on the seagrass – the dugong. Another fascinating aspect of Shark Bay is the presence alagal colonies said to be several centuries old. They are considered to be among the oldest forms of life in the planet.

Wildlife

Shark Bay nurtures several marine and reptile species such as fish, dolphins, and turtles, with some that require special mention. It is considered one of the most secure places to conserve the dugong, whose numbers here are encouraging, with more than 10,000. The Bay also sees the presence of a significant number of bottlenose dolphins. It also nurtures for globally threatened mammals – burrowing bettong (a marsupial), rufous hare wallaby, banded hare wallaby, the shark bay mouse, and the western barred bandicoot. In addition to the dugong, the seagrass beds also support endangered species such as green and loggerhead turtles. Befitting its name, a large number of sharks can be seen in the region, as also rays, including the globally threatened manta ray. Whale species such as humpbacks use this place for a short break during their oceanic migration.

Threats

While the Great Barrier Reef of Australia gets wide international attention, the Shark Bay of the same country does not get as much attention, though the region is under great threat too. For instance, in 2011, Shark Bay was hit by a catastrophic marine heatwave that destroyed 900 se. km. of seagrass, which was more than a third of the total coverage. It also means, the damage affected creatures dependant on it, including sea turtles. It is said this life many portions of the region changed, and several have not yet recovered completely.

Climate change is a great threat to the region. In 2018, Shark Bay received the “highest rating of vulnerability” using the Climate Change Vulnerability Index. The index was “created to provide a method for assessing climate change impacts across all World Heritage Sites”. It was assessed that extreme marine heat events were likely to have catastrophic consequences in the region, but it would also have very low capacity to adapt to such events in the coming decades.

The increasing flooding of the Woomarel river leading into Shark Bay has an unexpected consequence – the destruction of stromatolites. These algal colonies have thrived in a specific area in the bay where the waters twice as saline as usual seawater. But when the freshwater keeps mixing with the seawater in the region, it gradually reduces the salinity. Which means, in the long run, it could affect those colonies that have thrived for several centuries. Unfortunately, given the continuing impact of climate change, more frequent, intense flooding associated with tropical storms, have been predicted for Shark Bay.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Located in Hawaii, a state in the US, the Hawaii Volcano National Park is an active volcanic area. Set up in 1961, it spreads across more than 1200 km². The region hosts two of the most active volcanoes in the world – Mauna Loa and Kilauea. While Mauna Loa is a great test volcanic mass on earth, Kilauea is considered the planet‘s most active volcano. The Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The isolation of the Hawaiian archipelago, and the diversity in age, texture, and the composition of the lava flow within the region have given rise to an impressive variety of habitats which, in turn, have immensely influence the development and adaptation of the flora and fauna in the park.

Wildlife

Among the endemic, migratory, introduced, and indigenous birds in the region are francolins, pheasants, plovers, doves, babblers, thrushes, mynas, finches, canaries, sparrows, several species of honeycreepers, munias, endangered geese and hawks, and sea birds such as black noddy. The area’s native species include crickets, caterpillars, dragonflies, and sea turtles. Toads, geckos, and skinks too can be found in the area. Mammals such as mongooses, pigs, and wild goats have been introduced in the region. However, there is only one native mammal – a bat species.

Threats

Considered one of the most vulnerable in the U.S., the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park faces many threats. Among the most threatening is the problem of invasive species. It is said that the place has hosted several wildlife for centuries without any trouble. However, all that changed over 200 years ago when humans unwittingly introduced several non-native species, both plants and animals. Among the creatures causing problems to the native plants and animals are feral pigs, goats, mouflon sheep, feral cats and rats, mongoose, ants, wasps, and mosquitoes. Not just animals, even invasive plants have been a cause of great concern.

It may be hard to believe but some of the most destructive plant species of grass varieties. Grasses such as the African and South American varieties were introduced to help with grazing cattle and sheep. The seeds of these grasses are invariably spread by wind, making them easier and faster to spread but difficult to contain. These varieties are inherently strong, are resistant tofire, which are fine characteristics to have, especially since they feed cattle. But on the flip side, they smother the native grasses in their path, ultimately proving to be harmful to the native vegetation in the region.

Did you know?

Due to volcanic eruptions, the landscape of the Park is constantly changing. The flowing lava is rich in nutrients, and has the power to enrich the environment and even restore habitats that have faced degradation. But that may not be the case always, especially when the volcanic eruption is severe and continuous, without giving a habitat enough time or a chance to recover. In fact, news reports suggest that the eruption of Kilauea in 2018 could have dramatically and permanently altered the landscape of the region. It remains to be seen how (and how much) this has or could have affected the wildlife in the region.

 

Picture Credit : Google

City of Britain’s important wildlife habitats, the Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland in England. In 1951, they became one of the first designated sites of special scientific interest. And 42 years later, they were declared a national Nature reserve. A seabird and seal sanctuary, these islands have been preserved by the National Trust, a conservation organization. The Trust, which has been managing the islands for over 90 years now, constantly strives to find a sensitive balance between respecting the boundaries of nesting avian parents and welcoming curious yet discerning tourists whose arrival keeps the Trust going.

Wildlife

Several thousand seabirds such as puffins, Arctic terns, guillemots, razorbills, and shags visit the Farne Islands for the breeding season every year and make it their home. Over different times of the year, several other species of birds can be found here. They include ducks, geese, fulmars, terns, gulls, godwits, sandpipers, cormorants, skuas, falcons, warblers, flycatchers, buntings, and finches. The Farne Islands are also home to thousands of grey seals, and each year the place witnesses the arrival of hundreds of pups.

Did you know?

• Every year, thousands of puffins congregate at the Farne Islands. Though often known as a sea parrot, locally in Northumberland, the bird is known as a “Tommy noddy”.
• The islands welcome several other species of birds too, including the Arctic tern, and it is believed that in all, they are home to around 1,50,000 birds. Arctic terns have the longest migration for any animal/bird in the world. These birds fly from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back, covering about 71,000 km every year. They will staunchly defend their eggs and chicks from perceived attack, and this could include a peck on a visitor’s head!
• The Farne Islands are home to thousands of grey seals (also known as Atlantic seals), and every autumn the place welcomes hundreds of newborn pups. A tiny number of common seals (also known as harbour seals) too are found in the region.

The threats

• Climate change seems to be having a bearing on the habitat as is evident from a survey that showed a decline in puffin numbers in certain areas of these islands. Their numbers have fallen sharply, and there are even fears the bird could be heading towards extinction within the next 100 years.
• While several places around the world face drought, in 2019, heavy rain was the bad news for birds in the Farne Islands. In just one day in June that year, the place received 12 cm of rain. Young ones of Arctic terns, puffins, and guillemots perished in the rain. This included at least 300 young puffins – called pufflings. All these species are ground-nesting birds which is what led to the catastrophe.
• The number of people landing on Inner Farne Islands has long been limited, keeping in mind the risk to the wildlife there. However, certain never changes – such as advance booking to visit the region – seem to be affecting the long-held balance between “visitor access” and “wildlife conservation.”

 

Picture Credit : Google

Spanning 8,000 sq.km., the Galapagos Islands is an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated about 1,000 km from mainland Ecuador, the country it is part of. It comprises more than 100 islands, including a few that are inhabited. As much as 97% of the total area of the archipelago has been declared a National Park (human occupation in the region occurs in the rest of the 3%). The areas surrounding the region have been declared a marine reserve, and are one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. The region nurtures hundreds of plant species, a dozen native land mammal species, over 35 reptile species and nearly 3,000 marine species. It is home to unusual wildlife such as marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and flightless cormorants. The region today faces several threats, including unsustainable and illegal fishing practices. Such practices endanger both native and migratory species. So, to protect the islands, scientists, conservationists, and NGOS have been calling for the expansion of the current Galapagos Marine Reserve to protect an additional 4,00,000-odd sq.km.

Wildlife

Ducks, teals, pintails, shovelers, junglefowl, grebes, flamingoes, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, boobies, cormorants, pelicans, herons, egrets, ospreys, crakes, hawks, gallinules, coots, stilts, oystercatchers, plovers, godwits, sandpipers, phalaropes, skuas, gulls, terns, pigeons, doves, cuckoos, owls, swifts, kingfishers, flycatchers, swallows, martins, mocking birds, warblers, and finches are among the several species of birds found in the Galapagos Islands. The mammals seen in the region include several species of whales, including killer whales, sperm whales, blue whales, and humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals, rodents, and bats. The reptiles include tortoises, sea turtles, marine iguanas, land iguanas, geckos, lava lizards, and sea snakes.

Did you know?

• It was the birds and animals in the Galapagos Islands that helped Charles Darwin come up with the ground, breaking Theory of Evolution", dramatically altering the way humankind had perceived its own history till then.


• According to a 2019 study, the waters off the Galapagos Islands have about 10 times more alien marine invertebrates than previously recorded. It recorded as many as 53 non-native marine invertebrates off two islands in the archipelago. The number of such species known earlier was just five! Researchers are convinced there are certainly more such creatures in the region waiting to be discovered.


• While the Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the most popular for coral reefs, the Galapagos hosts its own share of such reefs too. However, the El Nino event in 1982-83 is said to have wiped out about 90 % of shallow-water corals in the islands. To add to the problem, there were El Nino events in 1997-98, and 2015 too. However, towards the end of December 2017, a reef project carried a study in the region, and made a delightful discovery that corals were thriving in some of the remotest islands of the Galapagos.


• In a study involving sperm whales and spanning nearly three decades, researchers discovered that "two clans dominated the waters near the Galapagos decades ago, but whales from across the Pacific basin". For the discovery, the team studied distinctive communication clicks among sperm whales to track several cultural clans in the Pacific Ocean".


• In 2016, scientists discovered that two subspecies of the songbird vermilion flycatcher-found only on the Galapagos Islands-were actually two species, and gave them two different names too. While one of them Pyrocephalus nanus is commonly found in the region, the other Pyrocephalus dubius was last seen in 1987, and is, sadly, perhaps, extinct. The study used "molecular data from samples of museum specimens."

 

Picture Credit : Google