News Bin - August 28, 2017
Bringing you the latest news, information, and resources from around the web. In the August 28th edition, read more about the following:
- New study: Bird species blossom in stable climates
- Business owners in top Belize destination want increased mangrove protections
- Huge iceberg breaks free from the Antarctica Larsen C ice shelf
- Maya Forest Communities Show off Their Green Thumbs
- Breathtaking ‘Sky Islands’ Showcase Evolution in Action
New study: Bird species blossom in stable climates
Roland Jansson of Umea University in Sweden and his colleagues took a look at how local climates over the past several million years, as well as other variables such as topography, affected the rates that new species of birds appeared, the author wrote. This is a step into more research on how species interact with their environment and how crucial a role climate change has in the lives of our wildlife.
Business owners in top Belize destination want increased mangrove protections
Mangroves are essential to protecting the wildlife and tourism in Belize. In this question and answer article, the author uncovers what it is like for the tourism industry who wants to protect and help grow the mangroves that have helped them throughout the years. As quoted in the article, “The mayor (of San Pedro) has said that everyone wants that white sandy beach, with nothing in the way of the view, but what we should be selling is the diversity of the mangroves. Trim them! Make them look pretty! But let them also bring the birds and the fish in.”
Huge iceberg breaks free from the Antarctica Larsen C ice shelf
“The situation with the Larsen [C] ice shelf is a combination of fascinating and troubling, a tangible piece of a larger slow-motion disaster unfolding in front of our eyes,” said Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. “We are seeing a microcosm of the future… a future that may already be inevitable..." This evaluation comes off the heels of an iceberg the size of Delaware breaking from the Antarctic ice shelf.
Maya Forest Communities Show off Their Green Thumbs
The author writes, "The Maya Forest is a tri-national jewel spanning parts of Guatemala, Mexico and Belize, and it is the New World's largest remaining block of tropical rainforest outside of the Amazon basin." In order to preserve the Maya Forest and all that it provides, The Nature Conservancy and local partner Defensores de la Naturaleza have been working together with Mayan and non-indigenous communities. Some of their efforts include, increasing the productivity of these agricultural activities and a sustainable community-based food production.
Breathtaking ‘Sky Islands’ Showcase Evolution in Action
"Understanding the evolutionary past of these sky islands also helps us to better prioritize areas that we should conserve for the future," says Uma Ramakrishnan, a molecular ecologist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore. Take a glimpse of photos the capture the beauty of the world around us and learn about the many ways evolution is changing the wildlife around us.
main photo by Sanford M. Sorkin