Data Point To Some Improvements In China's Environment Nov 3, 2009
The study, by Haigen Xu of the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences and nine colleagues, examined an array of indicators of biodiversity in China as part of an effort to assess China's progress toward the goals of the Convention of Biological Diversity. Parties to the convention agreed in 2002 to reduce biodiversity loss significantly by 2010 ... China is a megadiverse country that has been undergoing rapid development, so the finding of growing forest stocks is surprising, although some... (Science Daily)
Letters for Monday, November 2, 2009 Nov 2, 2009
Besides biodiversity, ecological health, soil condition, sustainability, carbon-footprint and run-off, ownership should include responsibility for. Reasonable access to traditionally sacred places on private property. (Lihue Garden Island, HA)
Wolves, moose and biodiversity: An unexpected connection Nov 2, 2009
What difference does this classic predator-prey interaction make to biodiversity. A large and unexpected one, say wildlife biologists from Michigan Technological University. (EurekAlert!)
Investing in planet protection Nov 2, 2009
Ecological economist Pavan Sukhdev, the head of the Cambridge University-based group The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) presented the startling new figures at the Diversitas conference in South Africa ... " Putting a price on nature Apart from a moral obligation to look after our environment, Sukdev believes that even in simple cost benefit terms conservation is good sense and investing $45 billion could secure "nature-based services" worth $4.5 trillion to $5.2 trillion... (CNN -- International)
West Africa: Coastal Lifeline Under Siege Nov 1, 2009
The scheme, which is still in a pilot phase, having been rolled out only in Guinea-Bissau so far, aims to protect the region's biodiversity and to enhance the abilities of local communities to adapt to the erosion. "From my own experience, I don't think people generally are aware of climate change per se," but they have witnessed changes in coastal areas, said Isabelle Niang, Regional Coordinator of the Adaptation to Climate Change in Coastal Zones of West Africa (ACCC) programme. (allAfrica.com)
Destinations Nov 1, 2009
Rainforests are the rock stars of Earths ecosystems, generating nearly a third of the planets oxygen turnover and hosting mind-boggling biodiversity. Multimedia. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Feds probe amphibian's well-being Nov 1, 2009
A coalition of eight conservation groups -- including the Center for Native Ecosystems and the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance -- submitted a petition to the UWFWS in 2006 seeking to protect the amphibian throughout its historic range west of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes. USFWS officials completed an initial review of the petition in May, which concluded that western populations of the frog may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Lions for Karoo Park Oct 31, 2009
Like the Karoo National Park, all national parks lie at the centre of our South African character," said Jonas. "They reflect and strengthen our sense of place; they protect and support our unmatched biodiversity and increasingly, they anchor growth, job creation and hope through tourism for our communities. . (iAfrica.com)
South Africa: Critics Welcome Rejection of Genetically Altered Potato [interview] Oct 31, 2009
The recent rejection of a permit application for the general release in South Africa of a potato that has been genetically altered has received a standing ovation from the African Centre of Biodiversity (ACB). The SpuntaG2, which is designed and developed by South Africa's Agricultural Research Council, contains an introduced protein that kills the caterpillar of the Potato Tuber Moth (PTM), a pest believed to be responsible for losses of up to R40 million (U.S. $5. (allAfrica.com)
South Africa: New Potatoes - Blessing Or Curse? Oct 31, 2009
" One of the organizations that applauds the permit rejection is the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). This Johannesburg-based organization has been monitoring the introduction of GM crops in South Africa for the past decade, and is working closely with small-scale farmers and civil society. "We worry about the safety of these potatoes in the long run - for both humans and the environment. The science is simply too young to guarantee the world the safety of crops that have been tampered... (allAfrica.com)
Conservation District gets $5,000 grant to build native plant greenhouse Oct 31, 2009
As land gets developed and invasive species dominate a landscape, native plants are being lost and biodiversity is decreasing. Many wildlife species, especially insects, rely on certain native plants for food or some part of their lifecycle. (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
Road salt contaminates many urban streams, study shows Oct 31, 2009
Either they're killed outright or it affects their reproduction, reducing biodiversity among less tolerant species, which can have consequences farther up the food chain. Besides road salt, other sources of chloride include wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, water softeners, farms and more salt leaching from landfills, as well as natural sources. (Anchorage Daily News)
Sunday TV: Wuthering Heights Oct 30, 2009
The biodiversity of this meeting point between the sub-tropical and temperate zones of eastern Australia is something to behold. Brush turkeys fighting off carpet pythons sniffing too close to precious eggs, the lurid mating display of the Albert's lyrebird and the ancient beauty of the forest itself make a solid foundation for yet another plea for the conservation of these priceless places. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Demography and the environment: Falling fertility Oct 30, 2009
That s not going to happen unless governments both use carbon pricing and other policies to encourage investment in those technologies and constrain the damage that economic development does to biodiversity. Falling fertility may be making poor people s lives better, but it cannot save the Earth. (The Economist)
Documentary on Pollan's 'The Botany of Desire' Oct 29, 2009
"It's a parable about the importance of biodiversity, and it's a parable we forget at our peril.". For hard-core Pollan fans, "The Botany of Desire" will be a reminder that Pollan's first best-seller contains the seeds of the ideas he developed in subsequent work. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Fishery Impact Test Developed Oct 29, 2009
29, 2009) Aspects of the 'ecological risk assessment' (ERA) method have been adopted in the US, Canada, Ecuador, and the Western and Central Pacific, and by the international eco-labelling organisation the Marine Stewardship Council. The method was developed in research led by Dr Tony Smith and Dr Alistair Hobday from CSIRO's Wealth from Oceans Flagship in association with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA). (Science Daily)
The plight of the bluefin Oct 29, 2009
As a Master Scuba Diver Trainer I have seen the sharp decline in Biodiversity in the World Oceans. This is at a critical stage now and requires drastic action one of which needs to be. (BBC News -- Science)
What Are Coral Reef Services Worth? $130,000 To $1.2 Million Per Hectare, Per Year Oct 29, 2009
28, 2009) Experts concluding the global DIVERSITAS biodiversity conference in Cape Town described preliminary research revealing jaw-dropping dollar values of the "ecosystem services" of biomes like forests and coral reefs -- including food, pollution treatment and climate regulation ... The work provides insights into the worth of ecosystems in human economic terms, says economist Pavan Sukhdev of UNEP, head of a Cambridge, England-based project called The Economics of Ecosystems and... (Science Daily)
850 New Species of Invertebrates Di... Oct 29, 2009
"Discovery of this 'new' biodiversity, although exciting scientifically, also poses a number of challenges for conservation, in that many of these species are found in areas that are potentially impacted by mining and pastoral activities," he said. Mining particularly poses a threat to the microfauna s survival. (Suite101.com)
Web site of the week Oct 29, 2009
For example, elementary and middle school children can experience an Electronic Field Trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Tuesday, Nov. 3 when schools in more than 40 states, totaling 3 million students, log on to interactively visit and learn about the biodiversity of the park. Educators wishing to participate in the program, which is free for participating schools and includes interactive lessons and games prior to the online visit, can sign up at. (Montana Standard, MT)
Bolivia's Freed Circus Animals Need Homes Oct 28, 2009
"We simply don't have the resources to cover relocation," says David Kopp of Bolivia's Vice Ministry for Biodiversity. Despite the challenges of implementing the law, animal-rights advocates want Bolivia to serve as an example for the rest of the world. (Time.com)
Green.view: Freaking out Oct 28, 2009
Nor is it merely that temperature mitigation of this sort does nothing to deal with rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide that would also lead to acidification of the oceans and loss of biodiversity. It is not even that there are good reasons to believe that sulphur dioxide dispersed in the stratosphere could drastically disrupt rainfall patterns in ways that could no better be modelled with existing knowledge than next month s cloud cover. (The Economist)
Nepal expands critical tiger habitat Oct 28, 2009
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal also stated that the government would establish a National Tiger Conservation Authority as well as a Wildlife Crime Control Committee saying, "The solutions will be area specific, but the future of conservation will depend upon how we act now and how we make tiger conservation and overall biodiversity much more valuable to the livelihoods of local communities.". "This is indeed a great conservation initiative, which will certainly help in curbing illegal... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Coalmine canaries face extinction in fatal trap Oct 27, 2009
The Government is reviewing the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which many experts said should be strengthened to take sea level rise into account. Join the conversation. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Native title deal for historic WA island Oct 27, 2009
"By conserving the island's Aboriginal heritage, biodiversity and historical values we are ensuring all West Australians can enjoy its extraordinary beauty," she said. The Malgana group has negotiated the co-operative management of terrestrial reserves in the Shark Bay World Heritage area. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
* FEATURE: Environmental vacations grow in popularity Oct 27, 2009
Last summer, the association collaborated with the Taiwan Marine Environmental Education Association and Academia Sinicas Biodiversity Research Center to protect a new habitat: coral reefs ... The area boasts unusually shaped reef rock formations and much biodiversity, but is often polluted by trash swept onto the beach by high tides. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Norton Runs NYC Marathon for Biodiversity Oct 27, 2009
Norton is lending his celebrity support to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, an attempt to preserve the biodiversity within tribal lands in Kenya and Tanzania through conservation, education and health services to indigenous people. The goal is to raise money by running through the streets of New York, but it's also to raise awareness of one of the world's last truly dynamic ecosystems. (CBS News -- Entertainment)
Modified crops reveal hidden cost of resistance Oct 27, 2009
"That could impact the biodiversity of plant communities where wild squash are native.". Stephenson and his colleagues James A. Winsor, professor of biology; Matthew J. Ferrari, research associate; and Miruna A. Sasu, doctoral student, all at Penn State; and Daolin Du, visiting professor, Jiangsu University, China, crossed the genetically modified squash into wild squash native to the southwestern United States and examined the resulting flower and fruit production. (EurekAlert!)
'Freezer plan' bid to save coral Oct 26, 2009
It's the last ditch effort to save biodiversity from the reefs which are extremely diverse systems ... Well it's the last ditch effort to save biodiversity from the reefs which are extremely diverse systems," said Simon Harding from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). "It would take other work to try and reconstruct the reef so that you can start the process of building up a reef again," he said. "That is something that needs to be looked at in detail, but we can definitely store the species... (BBC News -- Europe)
Frog die-off alarms University researchers Oct 26, 2009
Biodiversity loss has many implications, some of which are aestheticits simply sad that were losing huge proportions of the species that used to be present, and the loss seems to be something that humans have caused, Chase said ... It shows that if extinctions occur non-randomly, if theyre selective, if theres a pattern to the way the extinctions are happening, you can end up losing a lot more biodiversity than if it were just random extinction going on, Smith said. (Washington University Student Life, MO)
Beyond the barbed wire of the DMZ Oct 26, 2009
Groups want to use DMZ as symbol of peace a well as conserve biodiversity ... Established in 1997 to promote peace and conserve the DMZ's biodiversity, last year it embarked on a project to encourage North Korean farmers of the Anbyon plain to preserve the area so red-crowned cranes can return. (CNN -- International)
Environmental film festival held in Madison Oct 26, 2009
Festival director Gregg Mitman says he hopes to make it a national model, using film to inspire community action on issues like food, health, energy, climate and biodiversity. Mitman is also interim director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Finding The ASX200 For Marine Ecosystems Oct 26, 2009
"Indicators are an important topic in environmental circles right now as they help us make better decisions about managing the environment," Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) Marine Biodiversity Hub director Professor Nic Bax says ... The work will be presented at the Nationally Relevant Environmental Monitoring workshop in Canberra October 20 and 21, which is hosted by CSIRO and the Marine Biodiversity Hub ... The Marine Biodiversity Hub is funded through the CERF program, an... (Science Daily)
8 parks fully connected in western Singapore Oct 25, 2009
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Humans vs natural capital Oct 25, 2009
Pavan Sukhdev, leader of the United Nations Environment Programme's Green Economy Initiative, was addressing journalists on the final day of the Diversitas biodiversity conference in Cape Town ... We are not eating off its interest," he said. He said a project he headed on the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity was seeking to show that there was an economic case for the conservation of biodiversity, and investment in it now would save significant losses in future. "The underlying problem... (iAfrica.com)
Green Thumbs: The fleeting colors of autumn Oct 24, 2009
This vigorous, adaptable shrub has spread throughout our region, often crowding out native species in the wild and reducing biodiversity, resulting in its being listed as an invasive plant species, which now prohibits its sale in our local nursery trade. While burning bushes provide dramatic fall color, there are many other handsome native shrubs that provide multi-season interest. (Hanover Mariner, MA)
U.Va. Professor's Film Focuses On Green, Sustainable Cities Oct 24, 2009
San Diego's Balboa Park is the site of a 24-hour inventory of biodiversity called a "BioBlitz." Groups of all ages scour the park to help identify the area's diverse wildlife, including spiders, ants and water creatures. The effort highlights the importance of preserving these spaces. (W-USA News, DC)
Hollywood A-Listers Rally Around Prince Albert II of Monaco and His Foundation for the Environment Oct 24, 2009
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of Hollywood's hottest names gathered in Beverly Hills last night to salute Prince Albert II of Monaco -- the only son of Academy Award winner Grace Kelly -- and learn about his personal environmental crusade and how his foundation is helping to combat climate change, the loss of biodiversity and provide access to water ... "Today this Foundation which bears my name has chapters around the world. In just three years we've invested some $23 million in 127... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Fungus pushing frogs towards extinction Oct 23, 2009
A paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2008 found that more than 6,300 families of amphibians are at risk globally and reported the fungus had been implicated in serious declines and extinctions of more than 200 amphibian species, "posing the greatest threat to biodiversity of any known disease.". While other trends contribute to frogs' extinction, including habitat loss, new predators and water pollution, "the thing that is really imperiling them is this strange... (USA Today -- Tech)
Population growth 'damaging' Oct 23, 2009
Stressing that they were his private views, not those of the Treasury, Dr Henry said yesterday he was pessimistic that the population could continue to grow at its projected rate without major damage to biodiversity and exhausting water resources. In the last decade, permits have been issued to allow the commercial slaughter of 49. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Smokies to host electronic field trip for millions Oct 23, 2009
The show will be based in and around the park's Twin Creeks Science and Education Center and is a natural complement to the education programs long offered by the nation's most-visited park and its much-emulated All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project to identify all living creatures within its 520,000 acres ... The Smokies project focuses on the park's renowned biodiversity what it is, what is threatening it and how to preserve it. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Fujitsu Formulates Biodiversity Action Principles; Contributing to Biodiversity Conservation through Business Activities and the Application of IT Oct 23, 2009
Tokyo, Oct 23, 2009 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced the establishment of "Fujitsu Group Biodiversity Action Principles," which focus on applying IT solutions to biodiversity conservation, promoting biodiversity throughout society, and actively undertaking these initiatives on a global scale. At the same time Fujitsu strives to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources in its own business activities, the company will also strive to contribute... (JCN Network, Japan)
Free Trade Agreement marks new milestone in Malaysia-NZ ties Oct 23, 2009
The ECA is mainly to establish a constructive framework for dialogue and cooperation on environmental issues of mutual interest in four areas - climate change, forestry, sustainable forest management and renewable energy and biodiversity. The LCA is aimed at establishing a constructive framework for dialogue and cooperation on labour related policies such as the workforce, work place health and safety, welfare and worker training. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
City to top 7m people Oct 23, 2009
He hit out at Australia's poor record in preserving biodiversity, singling out the commercial slaughter of kangaroos, saying almost 50 million had been killed in a decade, mostly to be added to pet food. He also warned that for people occupying ''the driest inhabited continent on earth'', adapting to climate change and tackling its consequences could produce ''the largest structural adjustment in our economic history. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Nitrogen Mysteries In Urban Grasslands Oct 22, 2009
Researchers have now identified the mechanisms that lead to loss of biodiversity through fertilization. The new results show that. (Science Daily)
Boutique resort: Oct 22, 2009
The rest of the land is being turned over to biodiversity and wildlife ... The foxes, feral cats and dogs being hunted out by staff mean the indigenous, featherweight stars of biodiversity, such as the quoll and potoroo, can be reintroduced to the valley alongside the wombats and roos ... Professor Tim Flannery reckons Australia's biodiversity will be in crisis if small mammals aren't actively looked after. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Africa: Ghana to Spearhead Continent's Position at Climate Talks Oct 22, 2009
According to him, such a deal must come with substantial financial mechanism to benefit poor and vulnerable countries, to enable them respond to climate change in the areas of water resources, agriculture, health, infrastructure, biodiversity and ecosystems, forest, urban management, tourism, food and energy security and management of coastal and marine resources. Meanwhile, studies undertaken by the country's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that "climate change appears abstract,... (allAfrica.com)
Agency cancels ferret release Oct 21, 2009
The petition, filed Sept. 8 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the groups WildEarth Guardians, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and Center for Native Ecosystems, says the 500 or so wild ferrets currently living in southeast Wyoming's Shirley Basin are at risk because of widespread shooting and poisoning of prairie dogs, the ferrets' only prey ... But Duane Short of the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance said landowners should have no fears that introducing black-footed ferrets onto... (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Carbon-offsetting And Conservation Can Both Be Winners In Rainforest Oct 21, 2009
Dr Edwards is calling for the inclusion of biodiversity-friendly strategies in carbon trading schemes to ensure that carbon off-setting projects support, rather than undermine, rainforest conservation. Currently, large plantations of one type of tree, such as Eucalpytus, are popular as carbon off-setting or sequestration projects in the tropics because they also provide commercial benefits, but they do not support tropical biodiversity ... But Dr Edwards has shown that managed restoration of... (Science Daily)
Green.view: Letting a thousand flowers wither Oct 21, 2009
The world will not halt the rate of reduction of biodiversity by 2010. SEEKING to alleviate poverty, reduce world hunger and protect biodiversity sounds, to your correspondent s ears, like something a Miss World hopeful might have pledged in the 1980s ... was to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity. (The Economist)
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"Its range is restricted and all known localities lie within two endangered biodiversity hotspots: Maputaland and Madagascar," said Dr Coddington. Dr Kuntner named the species in honour of his best friend and fellow scientist Andrej Komac, who recently died in an accident. (BBC News)
Prairie dog plan draws ire Oct 21, 2009
The Biodiversity Conservation Alliance based in Laramie is one of three groups that last month petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the reintroduced ferret populations in Arizona, South Dakota and Wyoming as endangered ... The Forest Service itself has listed the black-tailed prairie dog as a sensitive species, pointed out Duane Short, wild species program director for the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
Scientists Discover Largest Orb-weaving Spider Oct 21, 2009
"Our data suggest that the species is not abundant, its range is restricted and all known localities lie within two endangered biodiversity hotspots: Maputaland and Madagascar.". Adapted from materials provided by , via , a service of AAAS. Email or share this story. (Science Daily)
Last Chance To Save Rare Asian Animal From Extinction? Oct 20, 2009
A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. The meeting's theme was From Plans to Action, in recognition that increased collaborative action is needed to save the species from extinction. (Science Daily)
Water wise: Students learn about the impact of water issues at Fishing Lake Oct 20, 2009
Natural resource analyst Lindsay Patterson, right, discusses freshwater biodiversity Friday with seventh-grade Sage Valley students from left, Chyanne Fifer, Dustin Gray and Matthew Mills. A western painted turtle takes its first steps toward its home in the waters of Fishing Lake after being released by Mike Wachtendonk on Friday. (Gillette News-Record, WY)
Document CSR Performance With GRI G... Oct 20, 2009
Environmental Indicators Emissions, Energy and Biodiversity ... details of the biodiversity of the land owned by the company ... biodiversity protection strategies; and. (Suite101.com)
Copenhagen: A new global deal for sustainable development? Oct 20, 2009
The boundaries are, in other words, tightly coupled; transgressing the boundaries for nitrogen, land, water, oceans, ozone, and biodiversity will all threaten the ability to stay within the safe space of the climate system. An example of this is that fresh water determines the amount of biomass growth, i.e., the amount of carbon captured from the atmosphere in trees and plants, which in turn determines the amount of organic matter, i.e., carbon, in the world's soils. (Christian Science Monitor)
Now, GPS tags to track fish! Oct 19, 2009
"The tags could be used for other species, too, such as tuna, swordfish and sharks. This might make it possible to discover biodiversity hotspots in the open ocean and monitor fish stocks," Sims said. The findings have been published in the latest edition of the 'PLoS One' journal. (India Times)
Tribe teams with Google to make stand in Amazon Oct 19, 2009
With it goes incalculable biodiversity, cultural diversity, and one of the most effective counterweights to climate change. Google Earth's high-quality satellite images make it easier to monitor and defend the land from loggers and miners. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Twist on nature: he grows seashells by the sea shore Oct 17, 2009
Previous research by the team has shown that little cavities built into new sea walls as they are constructed can act as rockpools too, and boost biodiversity. The flower pots appear to be a cheap and effective way to improve the amounts of biodiversity living on existing walls, said Dr Browne, who reported his findings at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting held at the University of Hertfordshire last month. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Impacts of Global Biofuel Boom Remain Murky Oct 17, 2009
The United Nations Environment Programme finds research into biofuels impacts on dead zones, biodiversity and a range of other environmental issues lacking. By. (Scientific American)
Bank on seeds - the world's buffer Oct 17, 2009
But in a time of ever-increasing environmental challenges, including massive loss of biodiversity and climate change, the role of botanic gardens is much wider. Collectively, we have the knowledge and expertise to make a very real and positive difference to biodiversity conservation around the world ... As the UN-backed study The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) begins to put a value on natural capital - the forests, deserts, oceans, rivers, animals and plants that we rely on in a... (BBC News -- Science)
Lake Chad could dry up, U.N. agency says Oct 17, 2009
The Lake Chad basin is "one of the most important agriculture heritage sites in the world -- the biodiversity, the migratory birds, not to mention more than 20 million people living out of Lake Chad -- fisherpeople, farmers." ... "In addition to an approximately 60 percent decline in fish production, there has been degradation of pasturelands, leading to a shortage of animal feed estimated at 45 percent in certain places in 2006, reduction in livestock and biodiversity," the agency said. (CNN -- International)
Mozambique: Anti-Poverty Campaign Targets Candidates Oct 17, 2009
"We do our own reports on poverty reduction. It is what we call a 'shadow report', in which we collect perceptions and oral testimonies from ordinary citizens. Unlike government reports which rely on statistics and are mere quantitative, our reports are qualitative," says Erasmo Mabunda from Organic Agriculture, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, an NGO advocating the progress on millennium development goals in Mozambique. Official reports suggest that Mozambique has achieved significant... (allAfrica.com)
What are coral reef services worth? $130,000 to $1.2 million / ht / yr: Experts Oct 16, 2009
Experts concluding the global DIVERSITAS biodiversity conference today in Cape Town described preliminary research revealing jaw-dropping dollar values of the ecosystem services of biomes like forests and coral reefs including food, pollution treatment and climate regulation ... The work provides insights into the worth of ecosystems in human economic terms, says economist Pavan Sukhdev of UNEP, head of a Cambridge, England-based project called The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity... (EurekAlert!)