https://nordictimes.com/environment/invasive-species-threaten-svalbards-flora/

Environment

Invasive species threaten Svalbard’s flora

Biodiversity

Published 31 August 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: David Stanley/CC BY 2.0

Scientists are concerned about the lack of biosecurity procedures in Svalbard.

New invasive species could overtake existing plants in Svalbard, a study shows. The researchers stress that environmental authorities must act quickly to prevent further spread.

The study, published in NeoBiota, is part of the Biodiversa project ASICS (Asssessing and mitigating the effects of climate change and biological invasions on the spatial redistribution of biodiversity in cold environments), which investigates how climate change and biological invasions affect the distribution of species in cold environments, such as polar and alpine regions, in order to anticipate and mitigate negative impacts on biodiversity.

Invasive species are spreading to the Arctic, including Svalbard, and can overtake native plants. So far, there has been little impact on biodiversity, according to the researchers, but they now warn that this could change rapidly. The research has developed models to map 27 invasive species in Svalbard and their potential to find new habitats.

– In relation to the current climate, we have identified three species that have particularly high potential to find new habitats in Svalbard. If they manage to spread to these areas, they could pose a threat, says James Speed, professor at the Department of Natural History at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, according to Phys.org.

Could spread further

The three species are tufted hairgrass (deschampsia cespitosa), a type of buttercup (Ranunculus subborealis subsp. villosus), and mountain ash (Saussurea alpina). The researchers believe that almost all areas of Svalbard, both inhabited and uninhabited, can develop a suitable climate for the invasive plants to spread further. Today, however, only the invasive species are found in inhabited areas.

– Many of the species that do not belong in Svalbard may be able to spread over a much wider area than they are currently able to do, says Kristine Bakke Westergaard, Associate Professor at NTNU University.

Human activity is the main cause of the spread of new alien species to new areas. In Svalbard, visitors are not checked to see if they have brought any biological components with them. This can include checking for contaminated shoes or whether imported soil contains seeds. On the other side of the globe, in Antarctica, there are much stricter requirements and controls to prevent this type of unwanted introduction.

The lack of biosecurity practices in Svalbard is worrying scientists, who now believe that environmental authorities should act quickly to both contain and prevent the spread of the species. At the same time, authorities should work to prevent other new invasive species from entering the Arctic ecosystem

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/environment/wwf-on-stalled-plastic-pollution-treaty-major-failure/

Environment

WWF on stalled plastic pollution treaty: “Major failure”

Biodiversity

Published 4 December 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: Mbala mbala merlin/iStock

The long-term negative impacts of plastic litter on our oceans are not fully understood.

During the UN meeting in South Korea last week, there were high hopes for a new global agreement to reduce the world’s plastic pollution. However, this never materialized and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) considers the outcome as “deplorable” and “a major failure”.

“The world missed a historic opportunity to stop the growing plastic pollution that threatens animals, ecosystems and human health. WWF considers it a major failure that countries at the UN meeting could not agree on a globally binding plastics agreement”, it writes in a press release.

It points out that a large majority of UN member states wanted to see far-reaching measures “that science has shown can stop plastic pollution” – but that a few countries opposed this and stopped the plans.

– It is regrettable that the negotiations did not result in a binding agreement, which is needed to save our planet from drowning in plastic, said Inger Näslund, senior ocean expert at WWF.

The organization points out that it has been over 1000 days since UN countries agreed to establish a legally binding treaty to stop plastic pollution in oceans and on land, and that 800 million tonnes of plastic have been produced since then alone, with over 30 million tonnes leaking into the oceans, harming animals and poisoning ecosystems.

“No intention of finding a solution”

WWF has previously urged countries to vote instead of settling for a watered-down agreement if a consensus could not be reached, but this was not the case, and major oil producer Saudi Arabia was one of several countries that opposed calls to reduce plastic production.

– For too long, a small minority of states have held the negotiation process hostage. It is abundantly clear that these countries have no intention of finding a meaningful solution to this crisis and yet they continue to prevent the large majority of states who do, said Eirik Lindebjerg of WWF International, who followed the negotiations on the ground in Busan.

– In 2025, we want to see countries come to the negotiating table again, but then ready to take the necessary decisions to end plastic pollution, emphasizes Inger Näslund.

Trillions of pieces of plastic debris

Although it is well documented that large parts of the world’s waterways are currently littered with plastic waste, it is still difficult to get a clear picture of the extent of the problem.

According to National Geographic’s estimate, there are around 5.3 trillion pieces of plastic debris floating in the world’s oceans – and in addition to what is on the surface, around four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea, threatening a large number of species.

The big problem with plastic waste is not just that it takes a long time to break down. Instead, once it disappears “in plain sight”, it leaves behind tiny microplastic particles that remain in nature and in the oceans for hundreds of years – and are taken up by the species that live there, including fish species that are then consumed by humans.

Editorial Staff
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https://nordictimes.com/environment/devastating-developments-for-africas-elephants/

Environment

Devastating developments for Africa’s elephants

Biodiversity

Published 24 November 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: Bernard DUPONT/CC BY-SA 2.0

If this trend is not reversed, wild elephants may become a thing of the past.

Human activity has had a devastating impact on Africa’s elephants in recent decades, a new study from the US and South Africa shows. According to the researchers, 77% of the continent’s elephants have disappeared since the 1960s.

Since the 1960s, hundreds of elephant surveys have been conducted in Africa using different methods. These varying methods, along with other factors, have made it difficult to track changes over time, according to the researchers.

In a study published in the scientific journal PNAS, researchers from the University of Washington in the US and Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, among others, used these surveys to create a computer model that estimates the extent of elephant population declines in many parts of Africa.

There are two species of elephant living in Africa, the African savanna elephant which is the largest, and the African forest elephant which is slightly smaller in size. Savanna elephants are mainly found in grasslands and savannas, while forest elephants prefer forested areas.

The study shows that the savanna elephant population has declined by 70% since the 1960s, while forest elephants have declined by 90% over the same period.

Human impact

According to the study, human activity is the main threat to both species. Savannah elephants are mainly threatened by the illegal ivory trade, while forest elephants are most affected by deforestation in rainforest areas.

Despite the gloomy figures, researchers highlight some bright spots: in several countries, particularly in southern Africa, elephant populations have increased thanks to effective conservation measures.

The exact number of elephants in Africa today is uncertain, but the WWF estimates there are approximately 415,000 African elephants in total, with about a quarter being forest elephants.

Editorial Staff
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https://nordictimes.com/environment/new-un-body-to-protect-the-interests-of-indigenous-peoples/

Environment

New UN body to protect the interests of indigenous peoples

Biodiversity

Published 4 November 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: Agência Brasil/CC BY 3.0

Indigenous people from Brazil

The UN meeting on biodiversity, COP16, was not the success that many participants may have hoped for and when the meeting ended yesterday, decisions had still not been taken on several of the issues on the table.

One agreement that was reached was to establish a permanent body tasked with representing the interests of the world’s Indigenous populations, which will be consulted before the UN makes decisions on nature conservation matters.

The new advisory body is being hailed as a breakthrough in recognizing the role that indigenous peoples play in conserving natural areas around the world – including some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, such as the Amazon.

The UN body, which will also include representatives from various indigenous peoples, is also said to help incorporate more traditional knowledge into conservation efforts.

Focus on Africans

The assembly also adopted a proposal recognizing the role claimed to be played by people of specifically African descent in caring for nature, which, according to Colombia, the host country of COP16, would give these groups easier access to resources to fund their biodiversity projects and participate in global environmental discussions.

– Our territories, which cover much of the natural wealth of the planet, have also been home to people of African descent and Indigenous peoples whose sustainable practices are needed to face the environmental challenges that we all share today, said Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, saying the position was particularly important for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Representatives of some 200 countries gathered in Cali, Colombia, for COP16 – and in 2026, the next major meeting will be hosted by Armenia.

Editorial Staff
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https://nordictimes.com/environment/swedish-energy-giants-wind-project-threatens-scotlands-endangered-wildcat/

Environment

Swedish energy giant’s wind project threatens Scotland’s endangered wildcat

Biodiversity

Published 24 October 2024

– By Editorial Staff

Photo: Peter Trimming/CC BY 2.0

Vattenfall claims to take the wildcat into account when harvesting forests.

Swedish energy giant Vattenfall is facing fierce criticism over its investment in wind turbines in a Scottish forest.

Conservationists say the logging will affect the habitat of the European wildcat.

The European wildcat, also known as the Scottish wildcat, is the last wild cat in the British Isles. The exact number of wildcats remaining in Scotland is unclear, but the species is considered ‘functionally extinct’ – meaning it is so rare that it no longer plays an important ecological role in its ecosystem.

The Clashindarroch Forest in eastern Scotland, covering 59 square kilometres, is one of the few areas where the wildcat still lives. In 2015, Vattenfall was granted permission to build an 18-turbine wind farm in the forest, and in 2020 the company applied to build a further 14 turbines. The application was met with strong opposition, particularly from the Wildcat Haven organisation, which works to protect wildcats.

The forest is described as a very dense spruce forest with few tracks, but it also contains older broadleaved trees. The forest also has high biodiversity with other threatened species such as otters, hawks, red squirrels and a number of bat species.

“It’s absurd”

Wildcats need large forests of mature trees with cavities where they can den and protect their young. According to Wildcat Haven, Vattenfall’s planned logging would seriously harm the wildcat, and the increased human presence would also affect the wildcat, which is extremely shy by nature. They also accuse the company of so-called “greenwashing”.

– They claim that it is okay to log Clashindarroch because they are planting trees elsewhere. So what are the wildcats supposed to do. Wait 20 years for the trees to grow and then move? It’s absurd and it’s just greenwashing, founder Paul O’Donoghue told Natursidan.

– In short, Vattenfall is threatening the future existence of the Scottish wildcat, which is the world’s rarest feline, O’Donoghue continues.

Vattenfall claims to have done enough research on the wildcat and says it will take the species into account when harvesting forests.

Despite the protests, the Scottish government approved Vattenfall’s application, prompting Wildcat Haven to take legal action to stop the project. Their first attempt was rejected in court, but in March this year the decision was appealed and the case is now expected to be retried.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris)

The Scottish wildcat is not currently classified as a separate species, but is 'lumped' with the European wildcat, which is a subspecies of wildcat (Felis silvestris).

The Scottish wildcat is often called the tiger of the Highlands and is an extremely shy species. It usually lives in deciduous or mixed forests where it hunts small rodents.

Polaris of Enlightenment

Polaris of Enlightenment