A stark future awaits if we fail to act on climate change. (Credit: Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license)

Why is a video infographic helpful?

It can be hard to visualize global temperature changes. For example, a simple line graph shows a single number changing over time. It doesn’t show the complex data comprising changes in the range of temperatures across the planet over time.

Who can use this video infographic of global warming?

Scientists, educators, teachers and students can benefit from a better way to communicate global temperature change. This video infographic accomplishes that. It shows temperature anomalies arranged by country from 1900 to 2016. The visualization based on GISTEMP data, maintained by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The video is available for download free-of-charge on Flickr (see below for download link).

How can I use this video infographic?

The video infographic is ideal to illustrate the increasing urgency of climate change. You can clearly see that over time, temperature anomaly frequency is increasing. No special data interpretation skills are needed. Since it is available as a download, it can be used offline. Therefore, presenters could include this in a digital slide presentation, for example. An educator could show the video to students and use it as a way to engage students in a discussion about global warming. It’s also a good opportunity to talk to students about the importance of data visualization. Edward Tufte’s book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, is an excellent primer on this topic.

A picture is worth a thousand words, it is said. Well, good data visualization can convey complex ideas more readily than words. With that in mind, I encourage you to make use of this resource and share widely with colleagues and fellow Biodiversity Professionals.

CREDIT AND DOWNLOAD LINK
Antti Lipponen: Temperature anomalies arranged by country 1900 – 2016.
DOWNLOAD (13.1 MB MP4 file)

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(Image credit: BAM Construction and CIRIA)

With construction and development essential for continued economic growth, it is crucial that the current upward trend does not come at the expense of the natural environment. Further awareness of the relationship between natural systems and a strong economy has led to organisations developing plans and strategies that integrate both economic and environmental targets.

An essential part of an organisation meeting environmental targets is to ensure that biodiversity becomes an integrated part of construction planning and projects. At present there is still some uncertainty surrounding incorporating biodiversity into projects with many viewing it as a topic only suited to technical experts.

This is where the BIG Biodiversity Challenge plays a unique role, allowing organisations to reach environmental targets whilst raising awareness and training members of staff. The challenge has a simple message of ‘do one thing’ for biodiversity which demonstrates that enhancements can be simple, affordable and achievable. These biodiversity enhancements can range from installing bat boxes and bug hotels through to detailed action plans and management strategies.

Now in its third year the challenge has continued to grow with new award categories launched to reflect the dynamic nature of the industry and focusing on the core areas of infrastructure, urban development and mineral extraction.

The 2016 award categories include:

• Client Award
• Community Engagement Award
• Large Scale Permanent Award
• Medium Scale Permanent Award
• Small Scale Permanent Award
• Maintenance & Management Award
• Pollinator Award
• Temporary Award

The BIG Biodiversity Challenge is free to enter and the deadline is August 8, with the 2016 awards ceremony taking place on September 15 in a central London venue. There are also fantastic sponsorship opportunities for organisations wanting to be involved in this year’s Awards ceremony. For further information on how to enter, and to be inspired by last year’s entries, please click to visit www.bigchallenge.info

Michael Small, Project Manager, CIRIA

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Up to now, conservationists (and their donors) have assumed that conserving the maximum biodiversity also stores the most carbon. It’s supposedly a win-win. But two new studies turn this assumption its head.

In a July 2015 paper in Nature, the authors report that only a few “hyperdominant” species are responsible for most of the carbon stored in biomass, based on research in the Amazon rainforest. (Mongabay’s article on the Amazon carbon sequestration study provides a good synopsis of the paper.)

This work is consistent with another study on REDD and biodiversity published in Conservation Biology. This research highlights how meeting REDD+ targets will not substantially support biodiversity conservation. (The study is summarized in a blog article on the CIFOR website.)

The conclusion? Preserving the most species by leaving rainforest intact, or attempting to restore original biodiversity to degraded areas, is not the most efficient way to store carbon. That carbon would otherwise enter the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

The findings present conservation organizations with a conundrum, especially those that emphasize carbon storage as a benefit of biodiversity conservation. Do they carry on business as usual, hoping that their donors and the public won’t care about the science? That would be disingenuous, if not dishonest. A better approach would be to switch focus and emphasize the importance of biodiversity conservation in its own right.

I’ve never been a big fan of tying biodiversity conservation to carbon storage because conflating the two amounts to a compromise that neither benefits conservation in the long run, nor significantly reduces carbon emissions. Indeed, paying a conservation organization to “offset” our personal carbon emissions simply assuages our guilt. Directly minimizing our personal carbon footprint by driving less and reducing power consumption is much more effective and empowering.

The point here is that carbon is essentially an economic and political problem, not a conservation problem. There are many ways to reduce emissions before we ever need conservation to be part of the solution. So should conservation organizations completely disentangle themselves from the carbon offset business? It may well be time to do so.

References
Sophie Fauset, S. et al. (2015) Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling. Nature Communications 6: 6857 doi:10.1038/ncomms7857
Murray, J. P. et al. (2015) Spatial patterns of carbon, biodiversity, deforestation threat, and REDD+ projects in Indonesia. Conservation Biology DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12500

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Deforestation of peat swamp forest for oil palm plantation in Indragiri Hulu, Riau Province, Sumatra. (Image and caption courtesy of Wikipedia.)

While the study was conducted in Indonesia (which has suffered among the fastest rates of deforestation in recent decades), its findings have broad implications for other regions.

Perhaps the main take home of this work is that just as the causes of deforestation are complex, so are the solutions. Simply fencing off an area and limiting human access is not enough. Protection of forested areas must be supported by other approaches. Community engagement is crucial, in particular, education and buy-in of local people on the benefits of intact forest. Enforcement of existing laws, likewise needs to complement conservation efforts. And again, these must support other conservation strategies, such as restoration of degraded land adjacent to protected areas. (Conservation organization SavingSpecies is an example of this approach being implemented.)

There is no one solution to deforestation. It is a complex and ever-changing mix of different approaches. Only by understanding this, and developing the necessary tools and models, can we hope to ever conserve Earth’s fast-dwindling biodiversity.

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Seedlings of tropical trees growing in a nursery in Brazil, South America. (© Luiz Claudio Marigo / naturepl.com)

Cost analysis supports restoration strategies

Could this approach have a significant impact? I believe it could, because scientists are struggling to find workable solutions to resolve the biodiversity crisis. The eminent biologist, E. O. Wilson has called for setting aside 50% of Earth for conservation, but this may be unrealistic (Bawden 2014). A more practical approach has been suggested by David Attenborough, who proposes simply using every available patch of land for conservation (Vidal 2014). In this paradigm, restoration strategy makes perfect sense. Rather than trying to fence off half the land, we can use a scientific approach to determine which habitats to focus on and how much of them are needed to conserve the maximum biodiversity. According to Stokstad’s report, “The most important message is that restoration can be targeted in a way that minimizes costs and has a greater likelihood of delivering lasting environmental benefits.”

Implementing restoration strategies

However, obstacles to using the restoration strategy extensively may be more a function of corporate culture than of implementing sound science. Large conservation organizations are heavily invested in an existing fundraising model, which is based on purchase and protection of pristine habitat. The stark reality is that such habitat is becoming increasingly scarce. We need new conservation organizations to step up to the plate and implement restoration measures.

One example of such an organization is SavingSpecies, established in 2009 by Duke University professor Stuart Pimm. Pimm has recently made the headlines through a paper published in Science which highlights a current extinction rate one thousand times the natural background rate (Pimm, et al. 2014). In that paper Pimm mentions SavingSpecies as an example of how new ways of evaluating biodiversity can be used to prioritize biodiversity conservation. In his approach, Pimm emphasizes how SavingSpecies uses restoration as a primary element of its conservation strategy.

SavingSpecies is small and has yet to make a major difference to the current extinction trajectory. But if we are to do that, we need fresh thinking, new technology, better business models and a more informed public (hence conscientious politicians). When all these pieces are in place we will have the new conservation paradigm that is so badly needed. Can it happen? Time will tell.

(Disclosure: Author Roger Harris is a board member of SavingSpecies.)

References
Stokstad, E (2014) An affordable price tag for saving Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest. ScienceInsider, 29 August 2014.
http://news.sciencemag.org/environment/2014/08/affordable-price-tag-saving-brazils-atlantic-rainforest
Bawden, T (2014) Pulitzer-winning scientist warns wildlife face a ‘biological holocaust’ The Independent, 25 August 2014.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/pulitzerwinning-scientist-warns-wildlife-face-a-biological-holocaust-9689902.html
Vidal, J (2014) Reserves and parks not enough to protect nature – David Attenborough, 3 September 2014.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/03/david-attenborough-nature-conservation-wildlife
Pimm, SL, CN Jenkins, R Abell, TM Brooks, JL Gittleman, L Joppa, PH Raven, CM Roberts, JO Sexton (2014) The biodiversity of species and their rates of extinction, distribution, and protection. Science 344:6187 doi/10.1126/science.1246752 (PDF)

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The dodo is perhaps the most famous victim of human-caused extinction. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia.)

Estimating the current rate of extinction

Part of the problem is that biodiversity, and therefore the current rate of extinction, is so poorly understood. Estimates of the total number of species range from 5±3 million to 11 million animal species worldwide. Given this uncertainty, the authors grapple with quantifying the natural, or background, rate of extinction. This number gives a baseline against which to evaluate the increased rate of extinction due to human activities. Using a metric of extinctions per million species-years (E/MSY), data from various sources indicate that present extinction rates are at least ~100 E/MSY, or a thousand times higher than the background rate of 0.1 E/MSY, estimated from fossil evidence.

Using technology to prioritize conservation

The good news is that scientists know more than ever before about areas where at-risk species are located, and that new technologies are helping scientists to discover new species and monitor populations, and therefore focus conservation actions more efficiently.

Combining data from bird species with small ranges and significant threats shows scientists where to prioritize conservation efforts. (Click for full size image. Courtesy of Dr. Clinton Jenkins, www.biodiversitymapping.org)

The Science article will appear online Thursday May 29, with an official publication date of Friday, May 30.

CITATION: “The Biodiversity of Species and Their Rates of Extinction, Distribution, and Protection,” by Stuart L. Pimm, Clinton N. Jenkins, Robin Abell, Tom M. Brooks, John. L. Gittleman, Lucas N. Joppa, Peter. H. Raven, Callum. M. Roberts, and Joe O. Sexton. Published May 30, 2014, in Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1246752

References
Explanation of extinctions per million species-years
Where the threatened wild things are (New Scientist maps)

Update
June 20, 2014 — A link to a free PDF of the original Science paper is available on Clinton Jenkins’ website. Click here for the PDF.

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Screenshot of our online Biodiversity News

https://paper.li/biodivprofs/1400513317

This feed creates an online newspaper using Twitter. The newsfeed provides you with news you want without you needing to be on Twitter! (BTW if you are on Twitter, be sure to follow Biodiversity Professionals!)

The newspaper is automatically updated every 24 hours. On the newspaper page, you can subscribe with your email address to receive automatic notifications when the paper is updated.

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The video covers a range of issues relevant to biodiversity issues, beginning with global biodiversity challenges such as climate change and biofuels. In particular, Kathy Willis considers knowledge gaps for mapping biodiversity in the context of ecosystem services given the reality of resource extraction.

The presenters discuss how Earth’s biodiversity is undergoing dramatic change, with species disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Various factors are causing habitat destruction as demand for biofuels and other resources is fueled by growing populations and increasing prosperity.

The video covers how new technologies are allowing researchers to map and monitor ecologically important habitat. In particular the video shows how data from satellites and other technology is helping organizations and corporations to minimize impacts of industrial activities. Researchers also aim to use social technologies such as smartphone apps and crowd sourcing to encourage public participation in biodiversity conservation.

The video was live-streamed February 20, 2014. Speakers include:

• Professor Kathy Willis, Co-Director, Oxford Martin Programme on Resource Stewardship and Director of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew
• Dr Peter Long, James Martin Fellow, Biodiversity Institute, Oxford Martin School (Biodiversity Professionals Member)
• Dr Timos Papadopoulos, James Martin Fellow, Biodiversity Institute, Oxford Martin School

The post Using technology to identify and map biodiversity [VIDEO] appeared first on Biodiversity Professionals.

Map of animal species richness worldwide. This kind of map may help conservationists prioritize conservation efforts. (Click image for full size.)

Biodiversity Professionals group member Dr. Clinton Jenkins has created a website Biodiversity Mapping dedicated to mapping Earth’s biodiversity.

Renowned for his beautiful maps depicting species diversity of various vertebrate groups, Dr. Jenkins announced the website today. According to the email announcement:
“The site was created to provide easy access to maps and GIS data that summarize patterns of species diversity. Current maps cover three vertebrate groups, the birds, mammals, and amphibians. For each taxa, there are maps of various subdivisions of the species (e.g., threatened, small-ranged, major Orders, etc.). More will be added in the future as time and data become available.

Content on the site is available free for educational and scientific use (i.e., non-commercial). For those interested in using the data in their research, details for an appropriate scientific citation are on the website.

Please do share widely, and feel free to offer suggestions on how to expand and improve the site.”

Please contact Dr. Jenkins through the new website if you have any questions or feedback.

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