Obama’s use of the Antiquities Act

Zimmerman J. 2016. California Desert: President Obama designates 3 new national monuments. The Press Enterprise Available from: http://www.pe.com/articles/national-794107-mojave-act.html

In February of this year, Barack Obama created three new national monuments under the Antiquities Act to protect the California desert. This includes the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains and covers a total area of nearly 1.8 million acres (Zimmerman 2016).

The Antiquities act was an act passed by the US congress and signed into law by president Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. This act gives the president of the US the authority to create national monuments from public lands to protect significant natural, cultural or scientific features without going through congress, such as the process of creating National parks (National Parks Service 2016).

The California desert is a unique area, which includes high alpine mountains, prehistoric lava flows, steep canyons, grasslands, forests, wetlands, and sand dunes. These areas are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species including 2450 species of plants, and many animals including: bighorn sheep, tortoises, fringe-toed lizards and more than 250 bird species (Hass 2014; WWF 2016)

Figure 1. Map of the newly protected areas of the California Desert

Castle Mountain is a 20,000-acre area that was the missing piece of the most northern part of the Mojave National Reserve up to the Nevada border. This area encompasses native desert grasslands that were once inhabited by pronghorn antelope as well as Joshua tree, Pinyon Pine and Juniper forests and is considered a hotspot for desert plant diversity (Zimmerman 2016). Note: Castle Mountain shown by the black area in top right corner of figure 1.

The Mojave Trails will preserve 1.6 million acres and serves as an important connection between the existing Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave National Preserve (Zimmerman 2016).

Figure 2. Mojave Desert.  Image source: Next trip tourism

 

Sand to Snow includes Mount San Gorgonio, Southern California’s tallest peak and will act as a protected corridor between the San Bernardino Mountains to Joshua Tree National Park. This area includes alpine peaks, conifer forest, pinyon forests, Joshua tree woodland, the headwaters of the Whitewater River, wetlands, and desert landscapes (Zimmerman 2016).

Figure 3. Joshua tree forest. Image source: James Kaiser

The new designation of these areas has caused some controversy with some individuals complaining about the lack of public input and some saying it is a misuse of economically valuable land (Eilperin  2016; Zimmerman 2016). However, the area provides protection of an incredibly specious region with a unique variety of landscapes. It also provides an increased connectivity between protected areas and thereby reducing habitat fragmentation and hopefully increasing gene flow. It may even be possible to reintroduce pronghorn antelope into their native habitat. Overall this is a huge success towards conservation in the area. I would love to go here one day, and am happy that it will remain undeveloped and protected.

 

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References:

Eilperin J. 2016. With 3 new monuments Obama creates wolr’s second-largest desert preserve. The Washington Post. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/02/12/with-3-new-monuments-obama-creates-worlds-second-largest-desert-preserve/

Hass B. editor. 2014. Fremontia. Journal of the California Native Plant Society. 42:1. Available from: https://www.cnps.org/cnps/publications/fremontia/FremontiaV42.1.pdf

National Parks Service. 2016. American Antiquities Act of 1906. Available from: https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/anti1906.htm

WWF. 2016. Deserts and Xeric Shurblands: Mojave Desert. Available from: http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na1308

Zimmerman J. 2016. California Desert: President Obama designates 3 new national monuments. The Press Enterprise Available from: http://www.pe.com/articles/national-794107-mojave-act.html

Image source:

https://ecopostblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/california-series-3-deserts/

The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup [Internet] 2016. Available from: http://www.theoceancleanup.com

There are so many people in the world, most of us included, that know there are problems, know there are solutions, care, and want to help, but don’t. No one is to blame for his or her lack of major action; maybe you make small daily contributions and that’s great, because everything counts. However, every once in a while you hear about someone that does something truly extraordinary and actually follows through.

Throughout the ocean it is estimated that here are 5 trillion particles of plastic circulating (Eriksen et al. 2014) and each year an additional 8 million tons of plastic enters the ocean (Jambeck et al. 2015). This plastic accumulates in 5 major gyres where the oceans currents converge (Eriksen et al. 2014). This plastic is a massive environmental issue, as it directly affects seas birds, marine mammals, turtles, and fish through ingestion, and entanglement.

Figure 1. 5 main ocean gyres. Image source: Plastinography.org

 

Boyan Slat, a Dutch entrepreneur born in 1994, was 16 when he was diving in Greece and noticed that he came across more plastics than fish in the ocean. So he decided to come up with a way to clean up the oceans. In 2013 he founded The Ocean Cleanup and started work on developing an economically feasible way to use the ocean’s currents to passively direct plastic into an area that could then be removed. In 2014 a proof of concept barrier was deployed, and feasibility studies were published. Since then, with 25+ staff members and 100+ volunteers, extensive studies and model testing have been done and a design has been produced. This year The Ocean Cleanup plans to deploy their first open water test of the barrier in the North Sea with plans to employ a large-scale system in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2020.

The system words as a V-shaped floating barrier attached to the ocean bottom with a submerged screen. If placed in the correct locations, the oceans currents should direct the floating plastics into the funnel where they become trapped and concentrated and therefore much easier to remove, while the current and neutrally buoyant sea life flows under the screen to prevent by-catch.

Figure 2. Diagram of the floating barrier concept. Image source: The Ocean Cleanup webpage

Although this project still has a long way to go, they have received an overwhelming amount of support, and they are well on their way to making a huge difference in ocean cleanup.

Click here to check out their website, read about Boyan Slat, and explore the project in more detail… they even have career and volunteer opportunities!

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References:

The Ocean Cleanup [Internet] 2016. Available from: http://www.theoceancleanup.com

Eriksen M, Lebreton LCM, Carson HS, Thiel M, Moore CJ, Borerro JC, Galgani F, Ryan PG, Reisser J. 2014. Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea. PLoS ONE 9:e111913.

Jambeck J R, Geyer R, Wilcox C, Siegler T R, Perryman M, Andrady A, Narayan R, Law K L. 2015. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science. 347:768-771

Feature image source: http://www.citylab.com/weather/2014/12/there-are-at-least-525-trillion-pieces-of-plastic-in-the-ocean/383600/

Irrawaddy Dolphins

Ryan, G.E. 2014. The Don Sahong Dam and the Mekong Dolphin. An updated review of the potential impacts of the Don Sahong Hydropower Proposal on the Mekong River’s Critically Endangered Irrawaddy dolphins Orcaella brevirostris.  A Science Brief from WWF Cambodia.

Available from: http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/donsahong_dolphin_lr_feb2014.pdf

 

Two years and three months ago, I was sitting in a wooden boat on the Mekong river near the Cambodia-Laos border staring at the murky water hoping to see a little grey head pop up.  Although they were shy and would avoid coming too close to the boat, it was still one of the coolest experiences I have had, and I feel privileged to be one of the few people who has had the opportunity to see an Irrawaddy dolphin.

Irrawaddy dolphins are small small greyish-blue, snub-nosed dolphins that live in both marine, brackish and freshwater environments of South east Asia. They typically inhabit rivers or shallow, near-shore waters, estuaries, and semi-enclosed water bodies near mangrove forests [WWF 2016]. One of the few remaining freshwater populations live in the Mekong River in a 190 km stretch between Cambodia and Laos in an area called Si phan don or 4000 islands. 

Dolphin-watching tour on the Mekong

This population was estimated at 69 individuals and was listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN red list in 2004. It is estimated that the current population is even lower but due to the murky waters and the elusive nature of the species population counts are difficult.

Irrawaddy Dolphin

The protection of the Irrawaddy dolphin is crucial for the overall health of the Mekong River ecosystem, which is home to an estimated 1,100 species of fish. The Irrawaddy dolphin is also regarded as a sacred animal by both Khmer and Lao people, and is an important source of income and jobs for communities involved in dolphin-watching ecotourism [WWF 2016].

In September 2015, The Government of Laos approved the Malaysian developer, Mega First Corporation Behard, to construct a hydroelectric dam on Khone Falls, an iconic waterfall on the Cambodia-Laos border [Turton 2015]. This waterfall is a valuable structure due to its large attraction to tourists but also because it is the only passage for fish migration during the dry season, and the pool directly below the falls acts as habitat for a population of 6 dolphins and is utilized for many fish species during the dry season [Ryan 2014]. Although the dam’s proponents claim that there will be no significant impact on the dolphins , it seems inevitable that the dam will affect the dolphins both directly through construction and operation as well as indirectly through changes in water and sediment flow, and interruption of migratory fish [Ryan 2014]. Furthermore, the loss of the dolphins in the pool directly below the falls would equate to approximately 34% decline in the Mekong river dolphin population and the only population known to live in Laos [Ryan 2014].

Khone Water fall, Siphandon, Laos

Although the government of Laos seems to have been a strong advocate in favour of the dam, not building the dam would not have stopped Laos from producing electricity, as there is already one large hydroelectric dam on the Mekong and several other proposed, however it will almost certainly contribute to the further decline of Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River [Ryan 2014]. So, yeah that sucks.

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References:

Turton S. 2015. Don Sahong dam gets official approval. The Phnom Pehn Post. [Internet] Available from: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/don-sahong-dam-gets-official-approval

Irrawaddy dolphin. 2016 [Internet]. World Wildlife Foundation. Available from: http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/cetaceans/about/irrawaddy_dolphin/

Smith, B.D. & Beasley, I. 2004. Orcaella brevirostris (Mekong River subpopulation). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004. Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/44555/0

 

 

 

 

The Disappearing Frogs

Stuart, S. N. 2004. Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide. Science 306:1783–1786.

Available from: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/306/5702/1783

 

Amphibians are a class of terrestrial tetrapod that contains 6200 species and includes frogs, salamanders, and caecilians. Since the 1980s amphibian populations have been suspected to be declining, however in a large-scale study conducted in 2004, it was found that amphibians are under a lot more stress than originally thought. At least 43% of the populations of amphibian species are declining, with only 27 % remaining stable and a mere 0.5% of populations increasing [Stuart 2004]. In addition to this another 29% of the species are too poorly known to discern a trend, and could very well be suffering as well [Stuart 2004]. Because classifying a species to be extinct is difficult, as you must know  unequivocally  that there are no individuals left, only 9 species have been classified as extinct since 1980, but another 113 species can “no longer be found” [Stuart 2004]. As classified by the IUCN 489 species are “critically endangered” [IUCN 2008]. Well that’s depressing! And it gets worse!

 

 

IUCN Red List assessment for all amphibian species.

Amphibians are threated by a variety of factors including habitat loss, over-exploitation, climate change, introduced species, diseases, and pollution [Stuart 2004]. Although habitat loss and exploitation can be easily recognized, the other factors are more difficult. Climate change is recognized, however due to the complex interactions and subtle mechanisms, it is difficult to identify exactly what the problem is, and even if it were possible to find out the root cause, stopping climate change isn’t exactly a simple thing. Furthermore, in many areas, since there is not good evidence and records of native species composition, it is difficult to know who was native, who was introduced, or what is actually causing the issues. Finally, due to the permeability of amphibian skin to water, gases, and electrolytes, they are extremely vulnerable to pollutions and chemicals in their environment. The use of pesticides on agriculture is particularly harmful to amphibians, both through direct contact as well as leaching of chemicals into water bodies where developing eggs and larvae reside. Unfortunately, even though there is quite a bit of evidence that pesticides do affect amphibians, the banning of pesticides isn’t something that can “just happen”.

 

Now for a bit of a positivity! In 2013, the Disappearing Frog Project was created by artist Terry Trilion. The idea of the project was to bring synergy between artists and scientists and to educate to the public about the issues at hand. The project has been successful and continues to gain momentum and support. In 2015 the DFP partnered with Amphibian Survival Alliance to raise awareness and inspire people to take action. To date the project has had $1,421,986.05 invested into conservation, research and education globally, with continued research and efforts towards conservation. This seems like a step in the right direction, and will hopefully have a positive benefit in the coming years, but it may be a difficult task they have taken on.

For more information on this project visit Amphibians.org.

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References:

Stuart, S. N. 2004. Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide. Science 306:1783–1786.

IUCN [Internet] 2008. Red List Status: Amphibians. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015-4. Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/initiatives/amphibians/analysis/red-list-status

Amphibian Specialist Group and Amphibian Survival Alliance. [Internet]. 2014. Available from: http://www.amphibians.org

Killer Whales and Dolphins may be in trouble…

Jepson, P. D. et al. 2016. PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters. Scientific Reports 6:18573.

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep18573

Killer Whales and dolphins are among the many spectacular marine and terrestrial species that are at risk of population declines from exposure to toxic chemicals. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are manmade compounds that were widely used in electrical equipment, adhesives, and paints as well as many other products since the 1920’s [WHO 2000]. These, as well as other organochlorine (OC) pesticides were commonly used until the 70’s and 80’s when they were banned due to their severe effects on the environment. PCBs persist in the environment because they are resistant to breakdown by acid, bases, or heat [WHO 2000]. They are also fat soluble, meaning they can build up in animal fat storage leading to bioaccumulation through the food chain. This occurs as small animals ingest or absorb these substances, larger animals eat those, which are then subsequently eaten by even larger animals leading to amplification within the apex predators. Refer to figure 1.  In the ocean, these apex predators include Orca’s and dolphins. PCB’s and OC pesticides have a range of species specific and dose dependent toxic effects such as immunosuppression and reproductive impairment [Jepson et al. 2015].

Figure 1. Diagram explaining how amplification of substances occurs within the food chain.

Image from: http://www.glogster.com/glog/6kctsuggsevdn5k8flq866n.html

 

In a large scale study across Europe, Paul D. Jepson and an extensive team of researchers looked at how PCBs were affecting Orcas, Harbour Porpoises, Striped Dolphins, and Bottle nose Dolphins. To do this they took samples of 929 beached animals, and biopsies from 152 live animals. They then compared the mean PCB concentrations in the four species to a variety of previously established PCB toxicity thresholds for marine mammals [Jepson et al. 2015]. Toxicity thresholds are level of toxin present before physiological effects are observed. Overall the study showed that blubber PCB’s concentrations in Killer whales, Striped Dolphins, and Bottle nose Dolphins were significantly elevated and were significantly exceeding the toxicity threshold of marine mammals [Jebson et al. 2015]. As previously stated, the use of PCB’s in commercial products was banned in the 80’s, however by the late 90’s it was estimated that only 1% of all commercially manufactured PCB’s were in the sea water [reviewed by Aguilar et al. 2002], and as of 2005 there were still 1.1 million tons of PCB contaminated material that still require disposal by members of the EU [Jepson et al. 2015].

Image from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/auhome/index.html

Although the PCB concentrations may have stabilized for the time being, it is likely that exposures will continue long term. These long term exposure are associated with population declines and subsequent range contractions due to a very low reproductive rate and death by lowered immune systems, particularly in Bottle nose dolphins and Killer whales [Jepson et al. 2015]. The authors argued that without significant conservation efforts, PCB’s will continue to reduce reproductive output resulting in dramatic population declines that may go beyond just Killer Whales and Dolphins in Europe .

Unfortunately there is little that can be done to stop the effects of PCBs that are already circulating in the waters and food chain, measures to reduce the input of more pollutants into the marine ecosystems is needed. Further research towards safer disposal of PCB contaminated waste, as well as stricter controls and improved management of harbours and disposal systems should be put in place.

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References:

Aguilar, A., A. Borrell, and P. J. . Reijnders. 2002. Geographical and temporal variation in levels of organochlorine contaminants in marine mammals. Marine Environmental Research 53:425–452.

Jepson, P. D. et al. 2016. PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters. Scientific Reports 6:18573.

World Hearth Organization. 2000. Chapter 5.10.  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Available from: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/123064/AQG2ndEd_5_10PCBs.PDF

Climb the mountains

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.

– John Muir