Sunday 25 October 2015

the sixth great extinction?

So some of you might have heard about the sixth great extinction. Some of you might not have. For the benefit of those who haven't, the sixth great extinction is a global event where many species of animals on the Earth die out, and, well, become extinct. It has happened before (5 times to be precise, that's why this is called the sixth), and each time it happened, the Earth took several million years to recover it's original biodiversity.

Then, some of you might ask: is this really happening?

I don't know for sure. But what I do know is that many species of animals are threatened by extinction right now. The snow leopards, the puffins and the bluefin tuna are some animals that have had their numbers drastically reduced most likely as a result of human activities. Don't forget the animals that have gone extinct either. The passenger pigeon, one of the world's most abundant birds, went extinct by the 1900s due to overhunting and habitat loss. If you think about it, it's rather scary. One of the most abundant bird species in the world, driven to extinction because of humans. Are we going to continue on our destructive path?

I hope not.

What I do hope for, however, is a collective effort to help save the animals (or the biodiversity) of the earth before it is too late, so that future generations have the opportunity to discover the beauty and magnificence of the animal world.

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References:
Drake, N., 2015, 'Will Humans Survive the Sixth Great Extinction?', National Geographic, 23 June, viewed 25 October 2015, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150623-sixth-extinction-kolbert-animals-conservation-science-world/




Sunday 18 October 2015

does livestock benefit or harm snow leopards?

A study by Sharma, R.K., Bhatnagar, Y.V. and Mishra, C. in 2015 determined whether the presence of livestock provides snow leopards alternative prey that helped them survive despite the increasing loss of habitat and of prey. The study made use of camera traps placed in locations where snow leopards were very likely to pass through to obtain data.

The results of the study showed that snow leopards stayed around more in an area with a greater density of wild prey. In areas where there was an increase in livestock populations, there was a subsequent decrease in populations of wild prey. As such, snow leopards tend to stay away from those locations. Snow leopards also tend to stay away from areas where they know that dogs are being used to herd livestock.

After looking through the study, I feel that it is possible for modern humans to co-exist with nature. It is possible to maintain a balance between livestock and wild prey density - one of the results showed that a certain amount of livestock can result in the highest density of wild prey. Perhaps with sustainable consumption in the (near) future, livestock density can be kept at the optimal level for wild prey populations to remain healthy. This can undoubtedly benefit snow leopards, especially if they depend more on wild prey than livestock for food.

Picture of snow leopard taken by Dave Pape, obtained from Wikimedia Commons
It can be said that livestock harm snow leopards, as the farming of livestock decreases the number and size of habitats it has to live in and hunt for prey. On the other hand, livestock can provide a source of food for snow leopards, when dogs are absent and when there is a lack of prey for the snow leopards to hunt in the wild. Hence, whether livestock benefit or harm snow leopards depends on how the farming of livestock has affected the landscape and habitat of the snow leopards.

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Study discussed in the post:
Sharma, R.K., Bhatnagar, Y.V. & Mishra, C., 2015, Do Livestock Benefit or Harm Snow Leopards?, Biological Conservation, vol. 190, pp. 8-13, ScienceDirect database. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.04.026

Monday 12 October 2015

too cute

Animal comic by Simpsons Illustrator Liz Climo, picture taken from BoredPanda.com 

Animal comics can brighten up my day! I love how this comic combines both irony and the element of surprise. Penguins have densely packed feathers that protect them from the cold, yet in this adorable comic, they wear leg warmers for humans to keep themselves warm. 

Animal comics like this, although silly at times, can help to make the public more interested in animals, and sometimes, animal conservation. So don't underestimate the power of a cute and good comic strip! Read something light and humourous to relax and unwind. 

Wednesday 7 October 2015

caw caw crow

One might think that crows are a nuisance and a bad omen. That is not entirely wrong, as crows can become pests and cause many problems in cities. They can rifle through trash, pick on leftover food from outdoor eateries and harass people. The house crows, brought into Singapore to deal with the rat problem, have become pests themselves. The quote 'you are what you eat' couldn't be applied any more accurately here. One amazing thing that has happened as a result of the increase in crow populations is the proliferation of the Asian koel. The Asian koel has a high keening call that sounds like its own name. You probably would have been woken up by one in the morning before.

Picture of a house crow taken by Dhruvaraj S obtained from Wikimedia Commons

Picture of an Asian koel taken by Gladson Machado obtained from Wikimedia Commons
Despite all the problems that crows bring about, they are actually important to the environment. Crows actually eat many insects that farmers consider pests, and can be used to control pest populations.

Crows are interesting, in that they are able to recognise faces. Crows respond negatively to faces that they think are dangerous, or bring about death. Upon seeing faces they have linked to danger, a group of crows will collectively harass the individual. On the other hand, crows do not harass people whom they believe will not harm them. Studies have shown that crows can recognise their dead. This ability could be due to the high intelligence of the crow. Another study has shown that crows could have the intelligence of a seven year-old human child. The study tested six crows' ability to solve problem and understand the mechanics of water displacement. The results had shown that the crows knew how water can be displaced, which is a pleasant surprise. 

I'd read many articles that discussed the intelligence of crows, but I had never saw for my own eyes (through a video) how smart crows can actually be. It would be cool if crows can be taught to carry out simple activities, like how dogs can be taught to fetch and do certain tricks. Perhaps then the negative impressions that people have on crows could be changed.

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Information taken from:
'Crows are as intelligent as CHILDREN: Study reveals birds are as clever as a seven-year-old human', DailyMail.com
'The Birds That Fear Death', by Melissa Hogenboom, BBC Earth
Singapore Birds Blog, under the 'Crows' column

Wednesday 30 September 2015

wildlife in southeast asia

So I went to Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) for my ENV1101 field trip on 19 September. It was my second time at the museum, yet the specimens on display are still as interesting as they were on my first visit to the museum. It is a feast for the eyes with the multitude of animal specimens on display.

Panel showcasing insects that undergo complete metamorphosis

The very first thing that greets visitors is a model of the Rafflesia, a foul-smelling parasitic flower that can be found in Southeast Asia. The next plant model along the 'path' in the museum is the titan arum, another foul-smelling parasitic plant that is found in Sumatra. The displays of frogs, birds, insects, marine animals and mammals mostly contain species of animals that come from Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and even Singapore. A particular trend is followed by the specimens on display in LKCNHM: they mostly come from Southeast Asia.

Model of an inflorescence of titan arum at LKCNHM
LKCNHM showcases only a fraction of Southeast Asia's biodiversity. The sheer amount of different species that can be found in Southeast Asia is both amazing and terrifying at the same time. It is amazing for this region to contain so many different species of animals and that these animal species have found a niche and a home here while coexisting with each other. This diversity then makes Southeast Asia as one of the best areas for conducting research as well as eco-tourism. However, it also means that quite a few species of animals could go extinct globally if environmental destruction is not prevented or curbed. As such, it is vital that measures be put in place to protect the wildlife in the region.

Yet, Southeast Asia is facing a high rate of habitat loss due to deforestation (Sodhi et al., 2010). If the rate of habitat loss does not slow down or stop, many species endemic to Southeast Asia could be threatened and can go extinct. If the loss of habitats stops now, it might be possible for the ecosystem to adapt, and fewer species would be under threat. For species that face a threat of dying out, conservations and species recovery efforts can help to bring the population back to a healthy state.

Conservation projects like Operation Groundswell in Southeast Asia can help improve the situation for the local biodiversity. Along with greater enforcement on anti-deforestation policies, and greater cooperation between various parties, the remaining forests in Southeast Asia can hopefully provide a home for many species of animals.


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References:
Sodhi, N.S., Posa, M.R.C., Tien, M.L., Bickford, D., Lian, P.K., Brook, B.W., 2010, 'The state and conservation of Southeast Asian biodiversity', Biodiversity Conservation, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 317-328. Springer database. doi: 10.1007/s10531-009-9607-5


Tuesday 22 September 2015

conservation strategies and action plans

Many conservation policies have been put up by governments and organizations alike in the face of the sixth mass extinction event. One such conservation plan is 'The UK Biodiversity Action Plan', which aims to help endangered species or habitats recover. It was mentioned in a paper, 'Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of conservation: The UK Biodiversity Action Plan' by Laycock, et al. (2009) that more has been spent on helping bird and mammal species to recover, and that the Species Action Plans (SAP) under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan that while the SAPs were generally effective, almost one out of ten of these plans did not manage to meet the target objectives set out.

Reading that more attention was focused on bird and mammal species recovery efforts struck a chord with me. Birds and mammals are what many people can see and interact with every day, and so, they naturally focus their attention on these animals. Zoos often showcase eye-catching and popular animals like tigers, elephants and rhinos. Few insect species are exhibited, and thus, visitors aren't exposed to the variety of insects, amphibians and marine species. Unless one decides to find out information about these lesser known animals by himself or herself, or visit a museum, there are very few campaigns aimed to protect and conserve these species. As a result, other classes of animals are given less attention, even though they could be just as important to the ecosystem.

While it is stated that birds and mammals generally have more important roles in the ecosystem than other animals, I feel that in an effort to conserve biodiversity, more could be done for the other species. Each species has their own value to the environment and failing to help their populations remain at a healthy level could be detrimental as the more important species may be dependent on them for food. In a way, conserving more well-known species can have a ripple effect on populations on their prey, which could include the lesser known species of animals. However, it is also important to raise awareness on the other species so that the public can have a greater understanding of the different roles of different organisms in the environment. This understanding can then drive conservation efforts, making future conservation action plans more effective. The effectiveness of conservation plans also depends on the resources put into realising the plan. If too many resources are allocated for the plan, and the species recovery or conservation results aren't on target, then the resources put into the plan would have been wasted. To prevent wastage of resources, proper analysis have to be made, and conservationists have to ensure that they have sufficient information on the species before they proceed with the physical recovery actions.

All in all, conservation of biodiversity have become more well known as the plight of animals in areas where environment degradation is taking place have been made known to the public. Hopefully, many of the world's animals can continue to live on, and this will not be what the future generations understand of nature.


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Scientific paper mentioned:
Laycock, H., Moran, D., Smart, J., Raffaelli, D. & White, P., 2009, 'Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of conservation: The UK Biodiversity Action Plan', Biological Conservation, vol. 142, no. 12, pp. 3120-3127, sciencedirect database. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2009.08.010

Tuesday 15 September 2015

Does Singapore protect her wildlife?

So I was thinking about how Singapore has more wildlife than one would expect for a small, urbanised island one day, and this question (up there, the title of this post) popped into my mind. I went on to research and find more information about the conservation efforts in Singapore, and the conservation plans and projects we have far exceeded my expectations.

For starters, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was launched by National Parks Board (NParks) in 2009. The plan, managed by National Biodiversity Centre (NBC), provides a guideline as to how conservation activities could be carried out in Singapore as well as to promote conservation of plant and animal wildlife on the island. Another action plan - the Nature Conservation Masterplan (NCMP), lay out what Singapore is going to do for biodiversity conservation in the next half of the decade. The NCMP includes biodiversity and wildlife research, community outreach and education, conservation programmes and the development of green areas in Singapore.Under these national policies, plans for recovery of critically endangered species that are native to Singapore have been put in place.

The Singapore Ginger, Zingiber Singapurense, one of the native plants of Singapore
Image by Jana Leong-Škorničková via My Green Space, NParks 

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) have managed and funded many conservation projects in Singapore. Some projects conducted by WRS are studies on Singapore's pangolins, leopard cats and the Banded Leaf Monkey. Awareness programmes informing the public about the illegal wildlife trade and the harm it is doing to the environment are also carried out by WRS.

A Pangolin
Image via Wikimedia Commons

These environmental policies and programmes, while great, may not be heard or seen by many Singaporeans. Those who have read about these policies can be considered the 'minority', as many Singaporeans are unaware of the wildlife that has made Singapore their home. While this is slowly changing with outreach efforts like guided walks conducted by Naked Hermit Crabs, Herpetological Society of Singapore and even Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) Drongos in nature parks, the people signing up to these events often are caught up in Singapore's nature scene.

Perhaps as more environmental agencies spring up, environmental issues will become better known to the public and better understood. With better understanding, the public is likely to see the significance of biodiversity and of the ecosystem, and hence the importance of conservation even in an area as small as Singapore.


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References obtained from:
NParks, "Our National Plan for Conservation", https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/our-national-plan-for-conservation
NParks, "Nature Conservation Masterplan consolidates Singapore's biodiversity conservation efforts", 27 Jun 2015, https://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/2015/6/nature-conservation-masterplan-consolidates-singapores-biodiversity-conservation-efforts
NParks, "Nature Conservation Masterplan", 27 Jun 2015, https://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/2015/6/nature-conservation-masterplan
The Straits Times, "September school holidays: sign up for 'green' environmental events this week", Audrey Tan, published 7 Sep 2015, http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/break-out-in-green-this-holiday-week
Wildlife Reserves Singapore, "Conservation Projects", http://www.wrscf.org.sg/Content.aspx?menuid=75

Monday 7 September 2015

sharks are fascinating

"Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you're lucky to see lots of them, that means that you're in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and you don't see sharks." - Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about a shark? 'Fearsome', 'predator', 'sharp teeth', 'strong sense of smell' and 'killer' are most likely to be what's commonly listed. I'd say they are beautiful. Maybe not so much when their mouths are open and their teeth exposed, but there's a certain draw that sharks have. It is quite a pity that sharks are misunderstood by many and seen as vicious human-hunters that should be terminated at first sight.

Shark History
Sharks have existed for hundreds of millions of years, much longer than us humans. From Elegestolepis, one of the world's earliest sharks, to Megalodon to the modern Great White, sharks have been the top predator in the ocean since they appeared. Back then, those ancient sharks had a range of anatomical oddities: Echinochimaera had a snout like that of a rabbit's and had spikes on its back while Scapanorhynchus had a snout that protruded from the top of its head. The Scapanorhynchus bears great similarities to the goblin shark in its appearance. Come to think of it, the modern goblin sharks are a teaser of what prehistoric marine life probably looks like.

Goblin shark image by Dianne Bray / Museum Victoria via Fishes of Australia

Sharks today
There are over 400 species of sharks in the world today. While Megalodon isn't around to terrorise the sea and provide vicious-shark-behaviour fodder to the media, modern sharks are just as dangerous - only to fishes and the occasional human though. Today, sharks can be said to have lost their top position in the marine food chain. Humans are hunting millions of sharks each year to cater to the demand for shark's fin, which is used as a key ingredient in shark's fin soup. The soup, a thick flavourful broth, is considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine and often served in restaurants and banquets.

Shark's fin soup, mmm or hmm?
While it may seem that shark's fin adds flavours to the soup, it is actually the various other ingredients and condiments used that gives the soup its rich flavour. Perhaps with sustainable shark farming and hunting practices, the world can continue to enjoy this delicacy (without guilt). Meanwhile, I shall live off shark's fin-less soup a.k.a. thick seafood broth.

Some Brief Shark Physiology
Some of you might be thinking now, 'shark physiology? It's so boring. Can we skip to the interesting parts?' Well, I'll pick out the interesting facts about sharks. Besides, they have intriguing body systems - more so than many other animals on Earth, and it's going to be tough to choose and pick out the facts.

For one, many species of sharks have to keep swimming in order to obtain oxygen from the water. You know how fishes can stay stationary for a period of time and still appear to be happy and survive? Most sharks can't do that, as when they swim, the forward movement pushes water through their gills, providing them with oxygen. This process is called ram ventilation. While some shark species can pump water through their gills using their cheeks (buccal breathing), most sharks aren't able to do that. So if you are planning to get a shark aquarium, do remember to buy a big tank for them to swim around in.

Because sharks have to swim constantly to obtain oxygen, it is likely that sharks don't fall asleep. Experts have theorized that sharks 'sleep' or rest in areas with strong currents, while remaining conscious of their surroundings. Sharks that are able to pump water through the gills using their cheeks don't need currents - they can literally rest wherever they want to.

Sharks have great immune systems - they rarely get diseases. This could be due to absence of bone marrows, reducing the time needed for the shark's antibodies to fight off the disease and nip the problem in the bud. And if this isn't enough to make others jealous of their disease-fighting capabilities, sharks have lower rates of cancer than people and animals. One theory is that compounds in shark cartilage can stop angiogenesis by the cancer tumour. Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels which, when formed, brings nutrients to the cancer cells in the tumour, allowing the cancer cells to divide and grow. Whatever the cancer-killer is, sharks have it pretty good, in my opinion.

Read more about shark physiology here.

Threats to Sharks and the Need for Conservation
The over-hunting of sharks for their fins have led to a drop in shark populations worldwide. Often, the sharks caught are finned and thrown back into the sea while they are still alive. So, what's the problem of this practice?

To understand the severity of this, we have to know which fins are being cut off. In shark finning, all the shark's fins except the upper caudal fin, which is the upper part of the shark's tail, are cut by the fishermen. This leaves the finned sharks unable to swim. Since sharks need constant movement to breathe, and being unable to swim, a finned shark drowns, starve to death, or gets eaten by other fishes. Kind of ironic for a fish and top predator, don't you think?

Finned sharks that have been discarded. Image by Sebastian Losada, taken from Wikimedia Commons

Other times when sharks are not being finned, they are getting caught in fishing nets that were meant for other species of fishes. The sharks caught by the nets are often finned instead of being let go unharmed. The value of shark's fin give fishermen little incentives to release shark bycatch, and to change their fishing nets to reduce bycatch.

With the decreasing shark population, it is important that conservation efforts are pushed out aggressively. Sharks are at the top of the food chain, and as such often provide a top-down control on the populations of smaller fish in the ecosystem. If the population of sharks drop significantly, the ecosystem's balance would be tipped and fish populations would change - fishermen could be adversely affected by this. In addition, the threat of extinction looms large on sharks, and the extinction of another species of animal on Earth is not something that anybody wants.

The fate of the sharks lie in our hands, and whether we are able to stop our craving for shark's fin - something which studies have shown to contain no nutrition value. Conservation of sharks happen not just because people are doing so for the sake of it, but because there is genuine cause for concern in what's happening in the world today. Swap out your bowl of shark's fin soup for something else, save some sharks today.

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Information obtained from:
Prehistoric Sharks, Shark Week in Discovery Channel
Sharkopedia, Discovery Website
Sharks, World Wildlife Fund

Saturday 29 August 2015

eco-tourism at its worst

and irony at its best

Green Humour Comic Strip by Rohan Chakravarty, January 20, 2015 on GoComics.com

Tiger reserves are set up to protect the tigers and wildlife within the area, but with the rise of nature tourism, the need to cater to the many tourists that come for glimpses of tigers increases. Resorts and lodges are built within or near the parks itself, taking away space for wildlife to roam. Of course, some may argue that the resorts take up a small portion of the land compared to the hundreds of squre kilometres the park occupies, but with the problem of shrinking habitats and forest destruction, what undisturbed land left is precious.

Tuesday 25 August 2015

a blue whale's heart

So I was browsing through the news today during my free time, and I saw this article titled "See the world's biggest heart" in BBC Earth. 

In short, a group of experts from the Royal Ontario Museum jumped at the opportunity to dissect a 23.3m long blue whale that had washed up on the shores of Newfoundland. It was found that the heart was the size of a small golf cart, and had weighed 180kg. The aorta (blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood from the heart), though not able to fit a human in it, was most likely able to fit a human head within. Picture of the heart:

Image by Jacqueline Miller via BBC Earth
Blue whales can grow from 25 to 32 metres long - that's longer than the length of one SMRT train car! Weighing up to a whopping 181,437 kg, it's no wonder that they are the largest mammals on Earth at present. Yet they are the gentle giants of the sea (if you don't provoke them) and feed on krill, which looks similar to shrimp. 

Despite their gentle nature, blue whales are loud - their calls are measured at a 188 decibels, compared to a jet which reaches just 140 decibels. Blue whales prefer cold, temperate waters, and swim hundreds of kilometres to warm waters to mate and breed during mating season. But don't expect to see a calf born to a mother whale every year! The gestation period of the blue whale is 10-11 months, and a calf is only born every few years.

Blue whales are actually listed as endangered under the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List. What's really sad is that with climate change and global warming, these blue whales could become even more threatened. As global warming affects temperatures of the oceans, blue whales would be hard pressed to find cooler waters to feed in. 

While their numbers have increased after being protected, they are stilled threatened by environmental change and collisions with large ships. They sometimes become entangled in fishing nets as well which brings them harm.

Help spread the word about the blue whale - the giant with a big heart.



Information gathered from:

Saturday 22 August 2015

hills are beautiful

but so are the wildlife living in, on or around them. 

I used to think that Singapore didn't have much wildlife, that the birds we see on the streets and the occasional monkey were all that we have. Now, I know better. According to the NParks website, Singapore is home to approximately:

364 species of birds
107 species of reptiles
58 species of mammals
28 species of amphibians
290 species of butterflies and 
68 species of freshwater fishes.

This is amazing, especially since much of Singapore's forests have been felled due to urbanisation.

On another note, it was revealed back in 2003 that Singapore has lost up to 73 percent of its plant and animal species in the last 200 years. While the data might not be as relevant now, it reminds us that loss of biodiversity and extinction of species is a major problem. The Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel used to be abundant in Singapore, but is now feared to be extinct locally. This squirrel can grow up to 1 metre long and weigh up to 1 kg. Imagine that! The cute little guy below is the squirrel I'm talking about. 

Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel, photo taken at Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum during my visit there

Coming back to the topic at hand, analysis in 2002-2003 have shown that 4,866 species of plants, 627 species of butterflies, 234 species of fish, 111 species of reptiles and 91 species of mammals have died out locally over the last 200 years (the last 210 years now). Using Singapore as an example, scientists then predicted that Southeast Asia (SEA) will face the extinction of many species like Singapore, in the future. 

With the recent news on the local extinction of Sumatran Rhinoceros in Malaysia and the spate of illegal hunting activities in SEA forests, the possibility of turning this crisis around looks slim.


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To learn about the many species of animals in Singapore, head to: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/wildlife-in-singapore/species-list
To read the article about the extinction of Singapore's plant and animal species referred to in the post, head to "Singapore Extinction Spells Doom For Asia?" written by John Pickrell in England, July 23, 2003