Extinction Continues Long After Deforestation

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

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Forest Networking a Project of forests.org

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10/17/99

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

The biological fabric of the World is unraveling at a spectacular

pace. The immediate losses are impressive; however, pales in

comparison to long term extinction consequences of ecological

destruction and diminishment. Following are two excellent articles

on the matter from Environment News Service. Remember to review

occasionally the terms upon which this news is forwarded to my

friends < http://forests.org/forests/disclaim.html >.

g.b.

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ITEM #1

Title: Studies suggest extinctions continue long after

deforestation

Source: Environment News Service, http://www.ens.lycos.com/

Date: October 12, 1999

Species extinction is likely to occur for up to a century after a

tropical forest has been logged, according to recent studies.

"We should not be lulled into a false sense of security when we see

that many species have survived habitat loss in the short term," says

Guy Cowlishaw of the Zoological Society of London. "Many are not

actually viable in the long term. These might be considered 'living

dead'."

Cowlishaw determined how many primate species are likely to become

extinct in African forests based on the relationship between species

number and habitat size, and the extent of deforestation in African

countries.

His results suggest that the amount of deforestation so far has left

Africa with a sizeable extinction debt. For example, with out losing

any additional forest, six countries (Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Ivory

Coast, Kenya and Nigeria) could lose more than a third of their

primate species within the next few decades. But actual extinction of

species could be much higher due to the fact that forest loss is

expected to proceed at an alarming rate. By the year 2040, scientists

predict West Africa will lose 70 percent of its remaining forest and

in East Africa the loss could be as high as 95 percent.

It's critically important that we protect as much as possible of what

is left of Africa's tropical forests, said Cowlishaw.

In a similar study, Thomas Brooks, a biologist from the University of

Arkansas, studied the extinction of bird species in five fragments of

the Kakamega region, Kenya's only rain forest. His study asks how

long the lag time really is between deforestation and species

extinction.

Brooks and his colleagues looked at how fast birds became extinct as

Kakamega experienced increasing forest fragmentation over the last

centurty. They found that within 50 years of isolation, 2,500-acre

fragments of Kakamega Forest should lose half the bird species likely

to go extinct. "Even a century after a forest has been fragmented, it

may still be suffering from bird extinctions," Brooks said.

"Our results provide both encouragement and warning," Brooks said.

"The good news is we have a brief breathing space. Even after

tropical forests are fragmented, there is still some time to adopt

conservation measures to prevent the extinction of their species. The

flip side of this is bad news, though : There is no room for

complacency."

Brooks suggests reforestation and establishing parks in fragmented

rain forest regions in order to reverse the extinction trend.

Reports on both researchers' studies were published in the October

issue of Conservation Biology.

ITEM #2

Title: World's Birds Fly in the Face of Extinction

Source: Environment News Service, http://www.ens.lycos.com/

Date: October 15, 1999

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, October 15, 1999 (ENS) - For every eight bird

species in the air today, one will likely be extinct by the year

2001, an authoritative international bird conservation group

predicts.

The new report released Thursday by BirdLife International shows that

1,200 bird species - one in eight or 12 percent of the world's birds

- have a real risk of becoming extinct in the next 100 years.

Another 600 to 900 species are close to being added to the threatened

list.

Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, announcing the figures at the

BirdLife International World Conference in Kuala Lumpur, described

the situation as shocking.

Queen Noor, who is honorary president of BirdLife International,

said, "The prospect of one in eight of our birds disappearing forever

is unthinkable. But these figures are the signs of an even greater

tragedy. Environmental degradation is now having a very real effect

on the lives of millions of people, especially the poor and

disadvantaged. Protecting the environment must become a top priority

for governments and industry everywhere, to prevent these birds

disappearing for ever, and even more people suffering from the

destruction of the environment."

BirdLife International is a global alliance of national organizations

dedicated to conserving bird species and their habitats and, through

this, working for global biodiversity and sustainability.

BirdLife has partner organizations or representatives in 88 countries

around the world, with its headquarters in Cambridge, UK and regional

offices in Ecuador, Belgium and Indonesia.

BirdLife International is responsible for compiling the bird section

of the internationally recognised IUCN Red List of Threatened

Species, the official list of plants and animals at risk of

extinction. In November 2000, BirdLife will publish "Threatened Birds

of the World," the most comprehensive and detailed publication ever

on threatened birds.

With 111 species at risk of extinction, Brazil is the country most

dangerous for birds today reports Birdlife International. Indonesia

is second with 94 species at risk, and China is the third riskiest

place for birds, with 81 species in peril.

Peru lists 79 species at risk; India, 70 and the Philippines 69.

Ecuador, New Zealand and the United States all list 65 species at

risk of extinction.

Mexico has 49 species in trouble, Australia lists 46 species;

Argentina and Thailand each 42; Myanmar, 41; Vietnam, 38; Russian

Federation, 35; Japan, 34; Papua New Guinea, 32; Madagascar and

Tanzania both list 30 at risk of extinction within 100 years.

The highest densities of threatened bird species in the world occur

in the island nation of the Philippines, reports Birdlife

International.

As canaries served to warn miners of deadly coal gas underground,

birds are barometers of our environment.

Dr. Jerry Bertrand, chair of BirdLife International warned, "Birds

are major indicators of the state of our environment as they are

highly sensitive to change, so they give us early warning signs of

future environmental crises. Importantly, our findings are showing up

a wider problem beyond birds, because places that are rich in birds

are generally also rich for other forms of biodiversity."

At least 74 species, including the Passenger pigeon, have become

extinct since 1800. Although extinction is a natural process, the

fossil record shows that on average only one bird species dies out

every 100 years. Birdlife reports that during the last 200 years the

rate of extinction has been at least 40 times greater than this.

This recent rapid loss of species can be attributed directly to

people's destructive and non-sustainable impact on the world.

Habitat destruction is the greatest problem. Although threatened

birds occur in many different habitats, nearly 900 species - 75

percent of all threatened bird species - live in forests.

Many species traditionally viewed as common are also showing dramatic

falls in their numbers. Dr. Marco Lambertini, director of BirdLife

programmes said, "Declines in common species indicate the widespread

deterioration of our environment. For example in Europe and North

America the relentless intensification of agricultural practices is a

major factor. Populations of common countryside birds such as

swallows and skylarks in Europe have declined up to 50 percent in the

last thirty years. The birds are telling us that our current

practices on agriculture, forestry, fishery, water management are not

sustainable for the environment and biodiversity. We need a dramatic

change in outlook and policy to reverse this dramatic change in our

countryside."

In the USA, grassland and shrubland birds are showing alarming

declines throughout their ranges. Some Neotropical migrants are

experiencing strong declines, including species like Cerulean

Warbler, apparently linked to the deforestation of their wintering

habitat in Central and South America as well as to habitat loss in

their breeding grounds.

In Europe, 195 species - 38 percent of all birds species in Europe -

are considered to be of conservation concern, including 101 species

which have shown a serious decline in numbers in the last 20 years.

The ambitious BirdLife 2000 plan of action includes an attempt to

rescue from extinction all globally threatened species by identifying

and protecting critical areas of bird habitat.

The organization aims to "keep common birds common" and protect the

wider environment. Members will try to prevent future crisis by

influencing policies and practices affecting the wider environment.

They will work with governments, producers and consumers to improve

the way humans exploit vital natural resources - crops, timber, fish,

water.

Ultimately, the group believes, it must demonstrate the benefits to

peoples' quality of life through birds.

Poverty alleviation and environmental care are strictly connected,

the organization says. "BirdLife 2000 places a strong emphasis on the

human dimension, recognising that birds and biodiversity conservation

will be achieved only through involving people."

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