birminghammail--2019-04-02--Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre overwhelmed by response to fire that killed animals

Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre re-opened on Thursday following a devastating fire which killed a number of animals.  The blaze broke out at the centre in Eccleshall, on March 25, and was caused by a fault in the electrical heating system.  It destroyed three enclosures and volunteers have been working hard to help repair the damage.  Nearly 400 people have donated £6,580 to a GoFundMe page to raise cash. Meanwhile fund raising, such as a Facebook fundraising page, has raised £4,745 and a JustGiving page which was set up by Amy Scholey has also contributed £820 to the funds.  Meaning that over £12,000 has been raised so far for the centre.  Sadly a number of animals died in the blaze - Basil the meerkat died however, his partner Sybil managed to escape and is now searching for a new partner. Other animals that lost their lives in the fire were three giant tortoises and around 15 fruitbats.  The fire left 14 homes nearby without power after power cables were involved in the blaze. A neighbouring Garden Centre was also affected by the loss of power.  Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre posted on their social media, saying: "Those that have offered help, skills or materials. We will be in touch. Clearing is almost finished. Some trees to be cut back next weekend and then we can get going. Please don't think we aren't utterly grateful for your offers.  "If anyone would like any bark chippings for their garden, feel free to come during opening hours. We've tons! A few pennies in the donation pot and your welcome to as much as you like! No need to contact us, just turn up!  "We are open 10.30am to 4.30pm daily except Tuesdays."  Lesley Smith, Trustee Treasurer for the charity said: "We are overwhelmed with the support. Obviously we need money to rebuild, but the physical help to clear up and the donations of tea and biscuits for the workers and fruit for the animals is important too.  "Kind words are also helping us to get through this. The fund raising has been amazing. People have been so generous. From pocket money donated by children to much larger sums donated by those who appreciate the work we do with rescued animals."


drudgereport--2019-06-30--Vultures eating animals alive on Kentucky farms

Vultures eating animals alive on Kentucky farms...

They'll devour slimy newborn calves, full-grown ewes and lambs alive by pecking them to death.  First the eyes, then the tongue, then every last shred of flesh.  And there isn't much defense against black vultures and turkey vultures, both of which are federally protected and cannot be killed without a permit.  The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 covers all migratory birds, their nests and their eggs, which means that the birds can't be harmed without federal permission. Their nests can only be disrupted, as a deterrent, if there are no eggs or young in them.  But as the vultures, which are native to Kentucky, have multiplied in numbers nationally over the last two decades, they have become more of a problem for farmers. Each year, Kentucky farmers lose around $300,000 to $500,000 worth of livestock to these native vultures, according to Joe Cain, commodity division director for the Kentucky Farm Bureau.  It's not just farm animals. Small pets may be at risk too.  Read this: Louisville is the state's 'snakiest city' and all this rain has them slithering out  The birds can be valuable contributors to the ecosystem, disposing cleanly of animal carcasses. But their increased numbers have made them more desperate for food in other forms — even alive.  "With a vulture, it's like someone came in with a skinning knife," said Derek Lawson, the head herdsman for the 1300-acre biodynamic Foxhollow Farm in Oldham County. "It's all clean cuts. Usually, the hide's completely cut off, whereas with a coyote or dogs, it'll be torn and jagged."  People may see the birds more often on the side of the road, pecking at rotting roadkill. They're easy to identify.  Black vultures have gray heads and hold their 5-foot wings in a horizontal position when in flight, according to the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Turkey vultures, on the other hand, are true to their name with bright red heads and a V-shaped in-flight profile.  Black vultures have historically been the most aggressive of the two and are more likely to feed on live animals.  These vultures normally migrate from northern South America, through Texas and along the southeastern section of the U.S. to Pennsylvania.  Warmer winters may have increased the number of vultures in the U.S., said Wayne Long, the Jefferson County extension agent for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Vultures, he said, take advantage of climate change and hang around more in a spot they like.  Kentucky black vulture attacks: How to keep your pets and farm animals safe  Lawson said he's noticed more vultures since 2009, when he thinks they started nesting near Foxhollow Farm. He plans his year around the predatory habits of the vultures, which circle the skies in wait of anything dead or vulnerable.  He remembers one eerie morning when he saw a flock of 60 vultures perched on adjacent gates in one of his fields. He mainly worries about them during calving season, when they like to feast on easy marks.  His 2019 calving season opened with him topping a hill and seeing six vultures pecking a calf to death.  They like to play with the newborns, he said. They'll hop around and get the calf comfortable with them before they peck out their eyes.  "Then they can't see," he said, "so they can take them over."  The whole process, from the playful taunt to the complete skinning, doesn't take long at all, he added. Depending on the size, it may only take minutes. "They're very efficient at what they do."  Lawson said Foxhollow hasn't lost any full grown cows to the vultures, but the birds have taken down full-grown ewes while in labor, when both the mother and her baby are vulnerable.  He remembers finding a ewe once that had been in the process of giving birth when she was attacked. A full-grown ewe weighs between 160 and 180 pounds.  When the vulture got her, he recalled, the skeleton was completely together.  "And the hide was in one big cape coming off the back of the ears," he said. "You could pick the ear up and pick the whole ewe up. But there was no meat left on the bones."  Long, UK's Jefferson County extension agent, said small pets like cats and dogs may be at risk of attack just by nature of being small animals.  Related: How to tell black vultures and turkey vultures apart  Special federal permits, which cost $100 each, are required before a person can kill a vulture, and the permits must be renewed each year.  In 2015, the Kentucky Farm Bureau began buying the permits through a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and offering subpermits for free in limited numbers to eligible applicants.  Luckily for Lawson, the Foxhollow farmers have maintained permits since 2013 that allow them to kill a small number of both black land turkey vultures each year. Now the farm gets its permits through the farm bureau.  Without the permits, they could face a fine up to $15,000 or six months behind bars.  Foxhollow Farm first got a permit after it lost a number of ewes, lambs and calves in 2013, the oldest of which was a 2-week-old calf, to vultures.  The farmers had already tried to run the vultures off, to no avail. "Thirty minutes later, they're back out there," Lawson said. They decided the best course of action was to get federal permission to defend their herds.  Top headlines: You won't need a permit for concealed carry soon. What that means  The terms of the permit require that the permit holder use a waterfowl load: a steel shot shotgun between a No. 2 to No. 4 buckshot — the smaller the number, the bigger the projectiles. There are no specific caliber restrictions, but Lawson always uses a 12-gauge shotgun.  The farm animals aren't in danger of getting hit by the shells, he said. He's usually shooting at the vultures once they're in the air or trees. Besides, "if they're on a calf, the calf is already dead."  The vultures are smart, he added. By the time he sees them attacking an animal, goes to his shop to retrieve the firearm, they're already flying away. That's why during calving season, he keeps his shotgun handy.  "You got to catch them by surprise that first time," he said.  He usually has to kill a few in the beginning of the calving season, which he schedules for April 1 to June 1, and uses those early kills to deter the others.  He hangs the dead vultures upside-down by bright orange haywire on cherry trees for the other birds to see.  It works, he said. The wings spread upside down is creepy, an effective deterrent to the others. The vultures will come in to investigate their dead comrade, but they won't eat it.  For several months, while bugs and weather give the dead, hanging vultures a taste of their own medicine, the live flocks are more wary. They circle high in the sky and wait before swooping in to attack a young ewe or calf or to dig in a compost pile for the last scraps of decaying flesh.  Top headlines: One pool in Louisville will open this summer, lawmaker says  Lawson said his feelings about vultures are a constant balancing act. It's hard to watch his livestock attacked, but he knows the vultures are good for cleanup.  "You gotta have those lines," he said. "They are a necessary part of the ecosystem. Otherwise we'd just have dead stuff just laying around, slowly rotting over time. They kinda speed things up."  But, even with better permit accessibility through Kentucky Farm Bureau, Lawson said it's frustrating to go through paperwork to defend his herds. "It's kind of a hassle," he said.  A 5%-10% mortality rate among the newborn calves is considered "lucky," he said, and he has to account for at least that much loss each season.  He'd like to find the darn birds' nests to disrupt them and send the vultures on their way.  But the vultures stop their hunting about 30 minutes before dusk, making it hard to track them back to their roosts. Lawson will keep trying, though.  For now, he'll keep an eye on the tree lines and on his herds, binoculars always by his side, in case the flying fiends get hungry and come in for a kill.  Also: Thousands of American flags are retired in Kentucky at a solemn ceremony  Reach Sarah Ladd at 502-582-4078 or sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.


tass--2019-07-04--Researchers ask Russian fishery agency to report sightings of orcas and beluga whales

MOSCOW, July 4. /TASS/. Researchers forming part of the council on the release of orcas and beluga whales held in the Srednyaya Bay in Russia’s Primorsky Region have asked the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery to report all sightings of released marine animals, Deputy Director of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO) Vyacheslav Bizikov stated on Thursday.  "We have sent a request to the Amur Regional Directorate of the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery with the appeal to instruct all coastal fisher teams to report all sightings of orcas and beluga whales, with a corresponding form to fill out. The on-the-spot signals will help us expand our monitoring network near the marine coast and in the areas of fishing. If we receive a report that a group of orcas has been spotted with a specified time and place, we will have the grounds to state that the animal has returned to the wild, which is our goal," he said.


latimes--2019-12-30--Video shows whales, dolphins and sea lions playing off Dana Point

Whale-watchers off Dana Point got the Christmas gift of a lifetime last week when a trio of gray whales was spotted frolicking with scores of dolphins and sea lions.  Capt. Steve Plantz is a lifelong ocean explorer who has led tours with Captain Dave’s Dana Point Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari for the past two years. He said to see the gray whales alone would have been a sight, but to see all the sea creatures floating in unison was a rarity.  Plantz took a group of whale-watchers out to sea on Christmas Eve aboard the Manute’a, a 50-foot catamaran sailboat. The goal was to find marine mammals, including gray whales, who are most often spotted between December and May during their annual migration from north of Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California.  What the 49 passengers witnessed instead was a water ballet among the animals.  “It’s definitely a top-tier kind of sighting,” Plantz said.  In a video published Friday, aerial footage captured by drone pilot Grayden Fanning shows the whales swaying from side to side as Pacific white-sided dolphins jump and spin, cruising the pressure wave created by the massive mammals. Nearby, sea lions splash while a flock of seagulls flies overhead.  Plantz said there were two adults and one juvenile among the whales. He thinks a courtship was brewing, which piqued the curiosity of the dolphins.  The boat includes an underwater viewing area for passengers — whom Plantz described as ecstatic about the water show — to observe the dolphins. It’s not uncommon to see the animals this time of year, he said, when they come in closer to the shore as the waters cool.  The tour lasted longer than the typical 2 1/2 hours as the excursion traveled farther from the harbor, following the whales down the coast toward Camp Pendleton.  Dana Point was recently deemed the whale and dolphin capital of the world. Plantz said seeing both sea creatures swimming alongside each other really drove that message home.


naturalnews--2019-04-29--Convenience for us KILLS them UK study finds ALL of the dolphins whales and seals washed up on

Convenience for us KILLS them: U.K. study finds ALL of the dolphins, whales, and seals washed up on their shores have plastic in their guts

(Natural News) Earth’s once-pristine oceans are now seas of plastic waste. And for marine life, the unending flow of used microplastics and other trash is beyond life-threatening. Scientists recently surveyed 50 dead sea mammals who’d washed up on British shores, and found that every single one had consumed plastic. Ten different species of dolphin, seal and whale were examined, and all had microplastics of some kind in their guts. Toothbrush fibers, food packaging and fragments from plastic bottles are just some of the plastics polluting our oceans and poisoning the creatures who live in them.  As if the problem of plastic waste wasn’t bad enough, scientists say that these remnants can actually harbor bacteria, viruses and other potential hazards — which can also make animals sick. Eating plastic in and of itself is quite harmful to animals, and these extra threats make the scourge of plastic waste even more troublesome.  Researchers from the U.K.’s University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) surveyed the corpses of 50 sea mammals found along the shoreline, all the way from Cornwall to Scotland. Every single animal had traces of microplastics in their guts.  Microplastics are 5mm or less in diameter. As a press release from Science Daily reports, some 84 percent of the plastics found in the animals were synthetic fibers, which can come from fabric, toothbrushes and fishing needs. The remaining 16 percent was made up of plastic fragments, which can come from an array of sources.  Support our mission to keep you informed: Discover the extraordinary benefits of turmeric gummy bears and organic "turmeric gold" liquid extract, both laboratory tested for heavy metals, microbiology and safety. Naturally high in potent curcuminoids. Delicious formulations. All purchases support this website (as well as your good health). See availability here.  On average, the scientists say, they found 5.5 pieces of plastic in the animals’ digestive systems.  Lead author of the study, Sarah Nelms, says this suggests the animals do eventually “pass” the plastic out of their systems.  “We don’t yet know what effects the microplastics, or the chemicals on and in them, might have on marine mammals. More research is needed to better understand the potential impacts on animal health,” she said.  One can only assume that the effects of consuming plastic — and all of the chemicals, pathogens and metabolites that will come along with it — is not going to be good for the health of animals (or humans, for that matter). We already know that exposure to plastic chemicals like BPA is extremely dangerous for humans. It would be irrational to believe that there is any scenario where consuming plastic isn’t harmful to marine life.  Dr Penelope Lindeque, Head of the Marine Plastics research group at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, adds that across many years of research, PML has seen plastics in virtually every species of marine life they’ve observed. From tiny zooplankton and fish larvae to dolphins and whales, no part of the oceanic ecosystem is safe from plastic waste.  “This study provides more evidence that we all need to help reduce the amount of plastic waste released to our seas and maintain clean, healthy and productive oceans for future generations,” Dr. Lindeque added.  Professor Brendan Godley, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall, stated of the research, “Our findings are not good news.”  It is not a secret that plastic waste has created a problem well beyond our ability to deal with. Estimates suggest eight million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean each year. There are mountains of garbage the size of Texas floating across the sea right now. Earth Day reports that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than there are fish (by weight).  Even the Arctic Ocean is overrun with plastic waste. For marine life, there is literally no escape from the problem of plastic.  See more coverage of the latest environmental research at Environ.news.


tass--2019-11-22--Scientists say flocks of dolphins in Black Sea shrink, garbage islands grow

"The first results have been summarized of the first stage of a full-scale aerial survey of cetaceans, carried out in September over a larger part of the Black Sea off the Caucasus shores of Russia - from the Kerch Strait to Adler. The number of dolphins in the observed groups reduced considerably from several hundred animals to 37 at the most. In the meantime, the amount of sea litter grew, the Fund said.  MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. An air survey of the Black Sea called Flights with Dolphins - the first one of the past 40 years - has identified a reduction in the number of dolphins in groups and a considerable growth of the amount of garbage, the press-service of the International Ecological Fund Clean Seas told the media on Monday.  The deputy director-general of the international ecological fund Clean Seas, Anna Subbotina, told TASS the migration of sources of food was the main reason. Many schools of fish - the main item on the dolphins’ diet - have migrated to other parts of the Black Sea. Special comprehensive research will be carried out to establish the reasons. Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology has agreed to support the project.  "Russia has for the first time joined an international project being implemented by two European organizations ACCOBAMC and EMBLAS plus. The project will draft a program for monitoring the Black Sea. It will study all of the sea’s populations - different fish varieties and mammals and the condition of the water and seabed. Only after that it will be possible to realize what measures are to be taken," Subbotina said.  The research expedition Flights with Dolphins identified an increase in the amount of garbage, both individual objects (such as ropes, buoys, fishing nets and plastic items), but also some 200 patches of garbage. The worst concentration of garbage is in the area of the central whirlpool and 50-60 kilometers away from the coastline.  "Fortunately, there are no giant garbage islands like the ones that can be found in the Pacific. But nevertheless it’s worth giving thought to this, because removing garbage on the high seas is a costly process. At the moment the simplest way of changing the situation is to stop polluting the planet," the Clean Seas fund’s director-general Vasily Bogoslovsky said.  On September 18-26, the first phase of research flights over the Black Sea was carried out by a team of leading specialists on mammals from the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution. The La-8 amphibious plane was used in the operation. Test pilot Valery Tokarev was the mission’s chief pilot. The Clean Seas foundation acted in the capacity of the project’s operator.  The task of the Flights with Dolphins project was to monitor and count the Black Sea’s sole mammal species the - dolphins. Last time such a survey was carried out in the 1980s. During the six-day mission an area of 48,000 square kilometers was explored. The scientists flew a total of nearly 3,200 kilometers to come across three species of cetaceans - bottlenose dolphins (402 animals), butterflies (about 560), and Azovka dolphins (16).


theguardianuk--2019-11-27--Most dolphins are 'right-handed', say researchers

Dolphins, like humans, have a dominant right-hand side, according to research.  About 90% of humans are right-handed but we are not the only animals that show such preferences: gorillas tend to be right-handed, kangaroos are generally southpaws, and even cats have preferences for a particular side – although which is favoured appears to depend on their sex.  Now researchers have found common bottlenose dolphins appear to have an even stronger right-side bias than humans.  “I didn’t expect to find it in that particular behaviour, and I didn’t expect to find such a strong example,” said Dr Daisy Kaplan, co-author of the study from the Dolphin Communication Project, a non-profit organisation in the US.  Researchers studying common bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas say the preference shows up in crater feeding, whereby dolphins swim close to the ocean floor, echolocating for prey, before shoving their beaks into the sand to snaffle a meal.  Writing in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Kaplan and colleagues say the animals make a sharp and sudden turn before digging in with their beaks.  Crucially, however, they found this turn is almost always to the left, with the same direction taken in more than 99% of the 709 turns recorded between 2012 and 2018.  The researchers say the findings indicate a right-side bias, since a left turn keeps a dolphin’s right eye and right side close to the ocean floor.  The team found only four turns were made to the right and all of these were made by the same dolphin, which had an oddly shaped right pectoral fin. However the Kaplan said it was unlikely this fin was behind the right turns: two other dolphins had an abnormal or missing right fin yet still turned left.  It is not the first time researchers have found evidence of a right-side bias in cetaceans. Grey and humpback whales tend to roll to the right when foraging on the seafloor, while common bottlenose dolphins tend to lie on their right when beaching themselves to chase fish on to muddy river banks. Dusky dolphins, meanwhile, circle their prey with their right side facing their quarry.  The team suggests a number of possible reasons behind the latest findings, including that it might make it easier for the dolphins to swallow prey as their food channel, which splits to pass around their larynx, is wider on the right than the left side.  Research has also suggested dolphins produce echolocating clicks with the phonic lips on the right side of their head, meaning it could be advantageous if this side is kept nearer to the ocean floor.  While Kaplan said further evidence was needed, she pointed to the Ganges river dolphin, which is practically blind and relies heavily on echolocation. “It turns out they almost always swim right-side down when they are echolocating,” she said.  Another possibility is linked to brain processing: as in humans, sensory information picked up by one side of the dolphin body is processed by the opposite side of the brain. The team says if visual and echolocation information is largely processed by the left hemisphere of the dolphin brain, animals might perform better at foraging if information is picked up by the right eye and ear.  Dr James Herbert-Read, a biologist at Cambridge University, said the study added to a growing body of evidence that many species show handedness in particular tasks.  While he added that further work was needed to unpick whether such biases had benefits, for example boosting foraging success, he said the strength of the dolphins’ preference was notable.  “This strength – approximately 99% of turns by individuals were to the left – appears to be stronger than the left-/right-hand preferences in humans,” he said. “It’s rare to see such strong and consistent lateralisation between individuals within a population.”


fortune--2019-02-08--Were Eating the Earths Biggest Animals Into Extinction Report Says

We’re Eating the Earth’s Biggest Animals Into Extinction, Report Says

Human activities like hunting for meat are pushing the world’s largest animals into extinction.  The effects of the over-exploitation and habitat loss of these “megafauna” species face—combined with disease, pollution, and global climate change—”provide mounting evidence that humans are poised to cause a sixth mass extinction event,” says a new study published Wednesday in the journal Conservation Letters.  Human harvesting—including hunting for meat, gathering eggs, and unintended bycatching in fisheries—is the top threat to the nearly 300 species studied, all of which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.  The study’s data includes many recognizable species like the whale shark, leatherback sea turtle, African elephant, Chinese giant salamander, and various gorilla, rhinoceros, tuna, and grouper species. According to the study, 70% of all those studied have declining populations, with and 3 out of 5 threatened by extinction.  “Our results suggest we’re in the process of eating megafauna to extinction,” William Ripple, the study’s lead author and ecology professor at Oregon State University, said in a statement.  These numbers mean bad news for more than just human food sources. Declines in these species will “jeopardize ecosystem services to humans and generate cascading evolutionary and ecological effects on other species and processes,” says the paper.  Megafauna are particularly vulnerable due to the fact they typically produce fewer offspring and reproduce less often than smaller species, but education and global cooperation can promote recovery. Most great whales, for example, have seen improvements since the 1986 ban on commercial whaling.  “We argue that any successful conservation strategy must consider minimizing the direct killing of megafauna as a priority solution,” reads the study, adding that “the impacts of such a strategy on food supply would likely be minimal, but economic values, cultural practices, and social norms might complicate the picture.” Thus, public education and legal measures are essential.  “Preserving the remaining megafauna is going to be difficult and complicated,” said Ripple. “There will be economic arguments against it, as well as cultural and social obstacles. But if we don’t consider, critique and adjust our behaviors, our heightened abilities as hunters may lead us to consume much of the last of the Earth’s megafauna.”


nationalreview--2019-11-23--Killing Animals to Save Them? Hunting as Conservation

Sportsmen have incentives to do the hard work of protecting endangered species and their habitats.  Environmentalists, mainly of the weekend-hiker variety, assume that the only way to save declining species is to “protect” them: ban hunting, put them on endangered-species lists, and otherwise restrict contact between the animal world and the human. Sportsmen have long believed that the best way to save declining species is to kill them: Allowing wild animals to be harvested for food and sport imparts clear value to the species and incentivizes sportsmen to do the hard work of protecting them and their habitat.  The connection between hunting and conservation in the United States goes back at least to the early 20th century. The American Fisheries Society, for example, notes that sportsmen’s organizations such as the Izaak Walton League were instrumental in saving a declining black-bass population after a 1925 report warned that the species would vanish if no action were taken. Anglers partnered with legislators to impose federal restrictions on transporting bass across state lines (they used to be fished for food, believe it or not), and state wildlife agencies worked to conserve and stock the popular game species at the behest of sportsmen. Today, bass fisheries churn out millions of smallmouth, largemouth, and other types of bass each year.  This conservation model has a time-tested track record, but a new study published in Science offers significant evidence that game species stand a much better chance of survival than their non-game counterparts. The top-line results of the study don’t look promising: According to researchers at Cornell University, since the 1970s the North American bird population has declined by 3 billion birds, or 30 percent. Media reports (rightly) have focused on the “staggering” losses, as the study’s first author, Ken Rosenberg, described them in Science.  There is a silver lining, however. Even as species such as sparrows, blackbirds, larks, and finches have sharply declined, the populations of game species including turkeys, grouse, ducks, and geese have grown over the same time period. Conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited know that waterfowl populations are healthy. That’s not news. But the fact that these populations have remained stable while other species have taken catastrophic losses testifies to the work of hunters and hunting-related conservation organizations in the United States.  Rosenberg agrees. “Waterfowl are without question the biggest success story, and we highlight that in the paper, and I do in all my talks,” he tells me. “It was the hunters who noticed the declines in waterfowl population in the mid 20th century and did something about it. Policies were put in place and billions of dollars raised by Ducks Unlimited. There was a very targeted effort to manage and protect wetlands, restore wetlands, and restore waterfowl populations to have healthy populations for hunting.”  Mike Brasher, a waterfowl specialist for Ducks Unlimited, explained that the success of game species can be attributed, in part, to their vocal, persistent constituency. “Certainly, the fact that those species are hunted gives them a very involved constituency that has a strong connection to that resource,” he tells me. “When the waterfowl migration is less than the hunters would like to see, they ring the phone off the hook of their biologists and their legislators.”  The numbers testify to the effectiveness of such (nearly literal) grassroots lobbying. According to Rosenberg’s study, while sparrows, blackbirds, and finches have declined by between 30 and 50 percent, the turkey and grouse population is up over 20 percent and the ducks and geese have risen by over 50 percent.  ‘Never That Simple’   As with anything in the natural world, the full truth is complicated. All the biologists and other scientists I spoke with riffed on this theme, and it’s important to note that myriad actors contribute to a species’ success.  “It’s never one factor that’s driving a decline or a rebound,” Brasher says. He points out, for example, that geese adapt readily to urban and agricultural environments, as anyone can testify who’s been chased off his neighborhood pond by a patrol of Canada geese. Much of the increase in the goose population has been driven by a few specific subspecies that thrive in corn and rice fields, according to Brasher.  Mark Hatfield, director of conservation services for the National Wild Turkey Federation, also noted that game species tend to be adaptive by definition — humans hunt the kinds of animals that exist reliably in large numbers. “Game species are typically fairly adaptive. They have a wide geographic range, and they thrive with disturbance and management of habitat,” Hatfield tells me. “One could argue that the reason they are game species is that they are very adaptable. So, we find those species, make them into game, and then figure out how to manage them.”  Still, it’s clear that the efforts of hunters have contributed directly to the health of many game species, and waterfowl are the foremost among them. “The populations of the most abundant species of waterfowl have remained very healthy despite the wetland drainage that continues to occur along with the conversion of native grasses,” Brasher says. “That’s where we start to see the value of all the conservation action through the sustained effort of conservation organizations and conservation supporters — and at the core of those supporters are hunters across the U.S. and Canada.”  Scientists often point to the northern bobwhite as an exception to hunters’ conservation success, but, in this case, it’s an exception that proves the rule. Commonly hunted in the eastern United States, the northern-bobwhite population experienced a massive, 85 percent decline between 1966 and 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. The efforts of hunters haven’t been enough to slow the decline, and in many places there are no longer enough northern bobwhites to hunt.  Despite this failure, the northern-bobwhite decline counters the idea that game species are inherently adaptable. Without sufficient intervention from constituencies that love and respect the species, game animals can fall prey to the habitat loss that has decimated most of the bird species that Rosenberg and his colleagues studied.  A Recipe for Success   Rosenberg names several factors, including pesticides, that may have contributed to the overall decline in the North American bird population. Habitat loss is likely the biggest culprit. He notes that while bird loss is occurring on many different landscapes, those associated with agriculture appear to have been the hardest hit.  “It wasn’t too long ago that there were lots of grassy margins and hedgerows and messiness out there,” he says. “Agricultural areas were full of birds. In the last two decades that’s really changed with the horizon-to-horizon corn and other crops. This clean, intense agriculture has no room for wildlife.”  And hunters shouldn’t assume their favorite species are exempt. Hatfield identifies lack of habitat management in an increasingly urban society as the greatest threat to the wild-turkey populations in the U.S. “As we have become more urban, we have lost the connection to rural lands and a land ethic,” he says. “That lack of management will influence wild-turkey populations across the country.” Prescribed burning, for example, is an effective way to manage timber on large properties, but landowners are often reluctant to utilize it for fear of angering their suburban neighbors, more of whom are now much closer than in generations past.  Historically, this is where Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and a host of similar organizations have proven their worth. Working with state and federal wildlife agencies, these conservation groups use the millions of dollars they raise each year to preserve, manage, and reclaim habitat for wildlife populations from coast to coast.  When I asked for specific examples from Ducks Unlimited, organization reps sent dozens of email attachments highlighting individual projects. Last year, for example, the group partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to transform a 60-acre ditched and drained agricultural field into a “high-functioning habitat for birds.” The field is in Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which provides 28,000 acres of critical habitat for migrating birds. Ducks Unlimited stepped in because, like many coastal wetlands, the refuge is at risk of being lost to rising sea levels.  Same story at the National Wild Turkey Federation. Through partnerships with hunters, as well as with state and national agencies, the NWTF has organized individual conservation projects to increase the turkey population from 1.3 million in the 1970s to 4.5 million in 2014. The NWTF has conserved 20 million acres of land for turkey habitat since tracking began in 1984. (Ducks Unlimited has conserved 14 million acres since 1937.)  None of the scientists I spoke with suggested that the solution to the dwindling non-game bird population is to declare open season on sparrows and blackbirds. Still, Rosenberg expressed interest in replicating the strategies of hunting-related organizations to help preserve non-game species.  That starts with the grassroots: individuals on the ground working to spend time and money to preserve and maintain habitat. Rosenberg’s team at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology published an article detailing seven simple actions people can take to help preserve the bird population, including making windows safer, keeping cats indoors, and buying coffee from bird-friendly farms.  “It seems trivial, but it’s not. If we can increase the market for these products, we can make a difference,” Rosenberg says.  On a policy level, Rosenberg hopes bird enthusiasts can follow the lead of hunters and encourage lawmakers to impose robust protections on the wildlife they love. “Just the same way the hunters fought for policies like the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, we need equivalent policies that can provide the resources for agencies to manage land,” he says.  While game species will suffer from the same habitat threats that are impacting the larger bird population, the winning recipe for hunters is simple: keep doing what you’re doing. Both Brasher and Hatfield agree that in the conservation eco-system, hunters are the primary producers. Between duck stamps, excise taxes on hunting equipment, private donations, and grassroots advocacy, hunters have fueled our nation’s most successful conservation efforts for nearly 100 years.  “Hunters are the base of the food chain, the most important part of what we do,” Brasher concludes. “They’re the fuel that runs the engine.”


theguardianuk--2019-10-01--Most people avoid ugly animals Im obsessed with them Sami Bayly

Most people avoid ugly animals. I'm obsessed with them | Sami Bayly

The surinam toad __ is an unusual creature to behold: it has an extremely flat, splat-like body, with a posterior packed with large pores full of babies. It’s as though somewhere during evolution, it took a wrong turn – and then got run over.  But of course, the adaptation has an intelligent purpose. By carrying her eggs on her back, the mother is able to lay flat against her surroundings, protecting her spawn from predators until they are ready for the world.  If you suffer from trypophobia (the fear of small, tightly packed holes), look away now.  The surinam toad, as drawn by Sami Bayly. Illustration: Hachette  The surinam toad is a perfect example of one of my obsessions: ugly animals. What may be a distressingly hideous feature to humans often belies evolutionary genius, which fascinates me so much that I wrote and illustrated a whole children’s book full of them.  Most people spend their lives avoiding being associated with anything regarded as “ugly”; I find myself being drawn towards them. And drawing them.  I’m 23 now but I grew up in my family’s home just outside of Port Macquarie in Australia, in the rural suburb of Sancrox. From an early age I found so much joy in the weird and wonderful creatures around me, from the frequent visits of _Antechinus_ marsupials to the bandy-bandy snakes, goannas in the garden, and possums in the trees. We had a vast range of pets too – miniature ponies and donkeys, among them.  Our home was always decorated with paintings by Mum, and my sister and I were fortunate enough to inherit her artistic skill. I wasn’t sure what to do with it after studying art in high school – until Mum came across a unique course: I could get a bachelor’s degree in natural history illustration.  During my honours year I researched the connections between conservation and aesthetics, to discover the impact of an animal’s appearance on how willing humans were to assist with its survival.  The naked mole rat in The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals. Illustration: Hachette  Large and impressive animals found in safari parks or reservations, including tigers, lions and elephants, are considered “charismatic megafauna” owing to their popularity with the public. As a result, they tend to receive more press, better benefits and more donations – while less popular or “ugly” animals are left behind.  In his 2011 article, The New Noah’s Ark, the Canadian veterinary research scientist Ernie Small compared the $2m Coca-Cola had committed to save polar bears – and the [$125m commitment to the whooping crane](https://nationalpost.com/news/too-cute-to-die-experts-say-were-too- selective-about-species-we-choose-to-protect) made by a joint Canada-US recovery plan – with money promised to help endangered frogs and toads, who receive nowhere near that much.  “Aesthetic and commercial standards have become the primary determinants of which species in the natural world deserve conservation,” he wrote. “Accordingly, the world’s biodiversity is being beautified by selective conservation of attractive species, while the plight of the overwhelming majority of species is receiving limited attention.”  According to superstition, if an aye-aye points at you with its ‘scrawny single finger’, you are doomed to die. Illustration: Hachette  Species that possess human tendencies, infant-like features, vibrant colours, symmetry and impressive proportion – or offer something we can use, such as food, medicine or clothing – are almost always going to appeal more to us. But an animal like the endangered aye-aye suffers in comparison.  To draw the aye-aye, one must take into consideration their coarse fur, bulging eyes, scrawny single finger and over-all rat-like appearance, while keeping the superstition that surrounds it in the back of one’s mind: if an aye-aye points at you with its long finger, the legend goes, you’ve been cursed with an imminent death.  It sounds ridiculous, but myths like these have a direct impact on their population. We need to understand this incredible species, not be afraid of it; we need to educate others on why the creature has evolved like this. It is one of only a few species to use a technique called “percussive foraging”: their large ears help them hear insects inside the trees; their sharp teeth gnaw holes in the wood; and their eerily long index finger and claw helps them spear grubs found in the holes they’ve made, for a tasty meal.  The helmeted hornbill is another one: critically endangered owing to land clearing for palm oil plantations, and poaching for its magnificent red ivory casque. In West Kalimantan, 6,000 birds were killed for trade purposes in 2013 alone, to create carved ornaments and jewellery from their horns.  The helmeted hornbill is wonderful to illustrate, with its enormous size, outrageous beak and textured neck. I used a range of painting techniques to capturethis weird yet wonderful bird.  I hope my book will introduce others to a broader range of species – and help us care about them, regardless of how they look.  _• [The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals](https://www.hachette.com.au /sami-bayly/the-illustrated-encyclopaedia-of-ugly-animals) by Sami Bayly is out now through Lothian/Hachette   _


theindependent--2019-07-23--Risk of mass extinctions as climate changes faster than animals adapt study finds

Risk of mass extinctions as climate changes faster than animals adapt, study finds

Animals are not adapting fast enough to keep up with rapid climate change and even populations of common birds such as great tits, blue tits and guillemot could be at risk of extinctions, according to a new study.  “These are species that adapt but even they are not adapting fast enough,” Dr Alexandre Courtiol from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research told The Independent.  Scientists looked at 13 species in detail and found all but four of them were at risk. The species looked at were common, meaning this research paints an incredibly bleak picture for species that are already rare.  “It’s likely that species even less accustomed to human environments may be struggling even more. I don’t think this picture is going to get much better for birds or mammals,” said Dr Courtiol.  A team of 64 researchers led by the Leibniz Institute evaluated more than 10,000 scientific studies, according to the paper published in Nature Communications.  Out of the 10,000 publications they found only 58 of them contained enough information to be included in the study. On average, the animals they looked at – which turned out mostly to be birds – had been studied in detail for 29 years.  Lead author Viktoriia Radchuk said “Our research focused on birds because complete data on other groups were scarce. We demonstrate that in temperate regions, the rising temperatures are associated with the shift of the timing of biological events to earlier dates.”  In nature, animals respond to a changing climate by altering the timing of biological events, such as when they hibernate, reproduce or migrate. Change in body size and mass is also another response to climate change.  Researchers looked at scientific literature to work out whether changes in these traits were associated with a higher survival rate or increased number of offspring.  They found that species could stay in their warming habitat if they evolved fast enough; however most were unable to change in time.  Dr Stephanie Kramer-Schadt said: “Adaptive responses among rare or endangered species remain to be analysed. We fear that the forecasts of population persistence for such species of conservation concern will be even more pessimistic.”  Researchers hope their analysis will stimulate new work on the resilience of animal populations in the face of global change. This could also help conservations work out the best way to manage vulnerable populations.  The most up to date research suggests one million species currently face extinction.


thesun--2019-01-16--Which animals are at risk of extinction and what are the causes

Which animals are at risk of extinction and what are the causes?

A BRITISH wildlife charity has predicted that tigers will be extinct within a decade.  Born Free says the species has seen a 96 per cent reduction in the last century.  The tiger has been hunted for its uniquely patterned pelt.  Of the nine tiger subspecies, three are already extinct whilst many are endangered.  But it is the South China Tiger and the Sumatran Tiger that currently face the biggest threat to their survival.  The South China Tiger is actually believed to be extinct in the wild as it has not been spotted since the 70s.  The Cross River Gorillas and Mountain Gorillas are both classified as Critically Endangered and Endangered - that's two out of five gorilla subspecies.  There are currently only 200-300 Cross River Gorillas left in the wild, and 900 Mountain Gorillas.  In the past 100 years, the Hawksbill Turtle has lost 90 per cent of its population, 80 per cent of which has been lost in the last decade.  The Leatherback turtle is listed by the IUCN as Vulnerable, yet many subpopulations are facing extinction.  The Sumatran Orangutan is a Critically Endangered species with approximately 80 per cent of the population lost in the past 75 years.  This is mainly as a result of mass deforestation.  This awful trend continues to put pressure on the remaining population of 6,600 Sumatran Orangutans that are estimated to remain on this earth.  In the past 25 years, the Sumatran Elephant has lost an astounding 70 per cent of its habitat to deforestation for palm oil plantations, agriculture and human settlements.  Less than 2000 are estimated to exist and in 2011, the Sumatran Elephant was classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.  The Black Rhino, the Javan Rhino and the Sumatran Rhino are among the most endangered species in the world.  The Javan Rhino is the most threatened with extinction with the total population of only 60 surviving in one National Park in Java, Indonesia.  The Sumatran Rhino is Critically Endangered. It has been estimated that less than 100 exist today in the wild.  The Black Rhino is classified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered with three subspecies declared extinct in 2011.  Several conditions cause animals to become extinct or risk becoming endangered.  These can include new diseases which certain animals do not have immunity against and new predators which pose a threat.  New and more successful competitors can also threaten a species, such as the grey North American squirrel which arrived in Britain and almost wiped out the indigenous red squirrel.  A change to an animal's environment such as climate change can also pose trouble.  Also a single event, such as a volcano or earthquake, can cause a species to become extinct.  The last and most avoidable of these risks is poaching in which an animal's fur, horns or meat is targeted.


thesun--2019-03-31--The worlds most endangered animals from cute sea turtles to the rarest ape and what humans are d

The world’s most endangered animals, from cute sea turtles to the rarest ape – and what humans are doing to help them

ANIMALS we know and love, from the rhino to the tiger, are now critically endangered.  The International Union for Conservation of Nature has a 'Red List' where it notes down all the animals that could disappear in our life time and says 27,000 of these creatures will go extinct if action isn't taken.  The following are six of the most endangered animals in the world and the measures humans are taking to help save them.  Less than 60 Javan rhinos are alive in the world today.  The horned creatures all live in one National Park in Java, Indonesia  The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia are working together to protect this species and expand its habitat.  Five Rhino Protection Units, each consisting of a four person anti-poaching team, watch over the rhinos whilst deactivating traps and arresting poachers.  There are less than 300 Cross River gorillas left in existence due to deforestation and poaching.  It is the rarest species of ape in the world and was previously thought to have gone extinct in the 1960s as a result of the Nigerian civil war.  Efforts to save these animals mainly focus on securing the forest around them.  WWF and partners have worked with the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria to create a protected area for the gorillas that spans the border of the two countries.    Siberian tigers nearly went extinct in the 1940sSiberian tigers are the world's largest cats but less than 550 remain.  Hunting in the 1940s nearly drove the species to extinction with only 40 of them managing to survive the cull.  The tigers were saved when Russia became the first country in the world to grant the large cats full protection.  Continued conservation and anti-poaching efforts help to keep the small population fairly stable.  This cute porpoise is the rarest marine mammal in the worldThis dolphin-like creature is considered to be the most rare marine mammal.  Less than 30 vaquitas are known to exist as the population has dropped drastically in the last few years.  An organisation called VivaVaquita.org was set up in 2009 with the hope of raising awareness about the porpoise's plight and saving the small creature.  A lot of hawksbill sea turtles are now tracked by GPSThese turtles are critically endangered and their coloured shells make them highly valuable to illegal traders.  They represent a group of reptiles that have lived on Earth for over 100 million years.  Despite their protected status, hawksbill eggs are eaten across the globe and they are often accidentally killed by fisherman.  Conservationists are now tracking some of the turtles by satellite to save them from poachers, hunters and traders.  These big cats are fast runners and high leapersThere are less than 90 of these solitary big cats left.  It has been reported that male Amur leopards stay with the females to help them raise their young and that they can leap more than 19 feet in the air.  The number of these leopards has increased fairly recently due to conservation efforts like anti-poaching brigades and educational programmes for humans who live near to the leopard habitat.  ‘Worst disease ever recorded’ is flesh eating fungus responsible for ‘frog apocalypse’, scientists find.  Some insects could be extinct ‘within a century’ as scientists warn of ‘catastrophic consequences for survival of mankind’.  ‘Astronomically small’ micro-frogs the size of STAPLES found in Madagascar – and they terrorise ants and termites.  What's your favourite animal? Let us know in the comments...  We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-04-17--The leaping lesbian lizard and other endangered animals facing extinction after death of the final Y

The leaping lesbian lizard and other endangered animals facing extinction after death of the final Yangtze giant softshell turtle

TAKE a good, long look at the incredible creatures on this page – if things don’t change, they might soon all be as dead as a dodo.  On Tuesday, The Sun told how the Yangtze giant softshell turtle crawled a step closer to extinction after the death in captivity of the last known female, aged 90.  There are now only THREE of these turtles left in the world – a captive male at the same Chinese zoo, where an artificial insemination programme to save the breed failed, and two whose genders are unknown which are living wild in Vietnam.  NICK PRITCHARD and GRANT ROLLINGS round up some of the world’s other endangered species.  FACT: The largest land mammal creates one tonne of poo per week.  DECLINE: Due to ivory poachers seeking their tusks an African elephant population that once stood at 26million is now just 144,000.  FACT: It looks like a common shrew, but these rare mammals are far more deadly, injecting venom in prey via their specially modified teeth.  DECLINE: It was thought these mammals had gone the way of the dodo until scientists found a few still alive in 2003.  WHERE: Central and Southern Africa, India, China, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia and Malaysia  FACT: This anteater is the only mammal to be covered from head to toe in keratin scales, the same fibre found in human fingernails.  DECLINE: The pangolin is the world’s most illegally traded mammal due a huge market for its scales, with 2.7million killed annually.  FACT: Also known as the Asian Unicorn because they have two parallel horns with sharp ends, which can be 20in long.  DECLINE: The species was only discovered in 1992. These rarely spotted ox-type creatures only live in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos.  FACT: The world’s rarest marine mammal was only discovered in 1958, yet is already on the brink of extinction.  DECLINE: This type of porpoise often drown in illegal gillnets (vertical walls of netting). Now only 30 can be counted.  FACT: Elephant-like sea mammal, a cousin of the manatee, can grow to 11ft in length.  DECLINE: Numbers down by 20 per cent in 90 years, disappearing from the waters off Hong Kong, Mauritius and Taiwan.  FACT: These primates are considered to be sun worshippers because they need to warm their bellies where their fur is much thinner.  DECLINE: Since the turn of this century the population has dropped by 95 per cent to 2,000, due to loss of habitat and hunting.  WHERE: Himalayas and Karakoram mountain range in Asia  FACT: This big cat’s metre-long (3ft) tail helps with balance, which is important when you live 16,000ft up the mountains.  DECLINE: Hunted for fur, herbal medicine and as trophies, the snow leopard has been reduced to just 4,000 in the wild.  WHERE: Central and Southern Africa, South Asia, Sumatra and Borneo.  FACT: At full pelt these beasts can run at 34mph.  DECLINE: Despite a ban on the sale of ivory, hunters have driven the African Rhino to the point of extinction. The Java Rhino and Sumatran Rhino are critically endangered with 67 and less than 80, respectively, left in the wild.  FACT: History’s most famous biologist Charles Darwin called them “monstrous” due to their long legs which can span up to a metre (3ft).  DECLINE: These crabs can take 60 years to grow to full size. Over-harvesting of them for their meat means they are no longer found on mainland Fiji.  WHERE: Mesoamerican Reef, Coastal East Africa, Gulf of California, The Galapagos, Coral Triangle  FACT: Leathery-looking shell is actually made up of tough, rubbery skin strengthened by thousands of tiny bone plates.  DECLINE: Turtles have been known to die from accidentally swallowing plastic bags and being caught in huge drift nets as they migrate across the ocean. The number of adult females is down to 2,300.  FACT: There are more tigers in captivity in the US than the total in the wild globally.  DECLINE: Poached for their skins while their parts – such as bones, eyes, whiskers and teeth – are used in traditional Chinese medicines.  Numbers have fallen from 100,000 in 1900 to just 3,890 in the wild now.  FACT: The name orang-utan means “man of the forest” in the Malay language.  DECLINE: Numbers have declined by more than half in the past 60 years, according to the WWF – largely due to hunting and logging.  FACT: World’s smallest mammal weighs 2g and its body is about the size of a large bumblebee.  DECLINE: Tourism and religious visits to the 35 caves in which they dwell, plus limestone mining, have seen their numbers drop to 6,600.  WHERE: Arizona and New Mexico, USA  FACT: Got their name because of an ability for an all-female population to reproduce. Also known as the New Mexico Whiptail Lizard.  DECLINE: Found in only two places in the world.  WHERE: Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda  FACT: We share around 98 per cent of our DNA with the mountain gorilla.  DECLINE: Destruction of forests and a rise in poaching has seen numbers decline.  In 1981 there were just 254 mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park in Congo, but after stepping up security and increasing protection there are now 880. These animals are still hunted for their fur.


thetelegraph--2019-11-11--Drought-hit Zimbabwe plans mass elephant rescue to save animals at risk of starvation

Zimbabwe is planning an enforced mass migration of wildlife away from a park in the country's south, where thousands of animals are at risk of death due to drought-induced starvation.  At least 200 elephants have already died at two other parks due to lack of food and water, along with scores of buffalo and antelope, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) said on Monday.  "They will continue (to die) until the rains come. The biggest threat to our animals right now is loss of habitat," Zimparks spokesman Tinashe Farawo told Reuters.  The El Nino-induced drought has also taken its toll on crops, leaving more than half of the population in need of food aid.  Ms Farawo said Zimparks and private partners planned to move 600 elephants - as well as giraffe, lions, buffalo, antelope and spotted wild dogs - from Save Valley Conservancy in southern Zimbabwe to three other national parks.  "This is the biggest translocation of animals in the history of wildlife movement here because we are talking of distances of more than 1,000 kilometres," said Ms Farawo.  It will start once the summer rains come. Those are expected to start this week, which would offer major relief for the stricken animals and for farmers who are preparing for the 2019/20 planting season.


naturalnews--2019-01-29--Conserving biodiversity in active pastures The ecosystem can be preserved with scattered trees acc

Conserving biodiversity in active pastures: The ecosystem can be preserved with scattered trees, according to research

(Natural News) A recent study published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment revealed how scattered trees in active pastures promote biodiversity of the ecosystems around the area and help support forest recovery.  Forests provide habitats and resources to a wide range of species, but as large areas of forests have been cleared and modified for growing crops and producing livestock, many of these areas are transformed into pastures with scattered trees.  Studies have explored the importance of scattered trees in preserving species biodiversity within agricultural systems. One such study, titled How scattered trees matter for biodiversity conservation in active pastures, was conducted by a team from the Federal University of Lavras.  The researchers investigated an area of 618.59 hectares in southeastern Brazil composed of active pastures of signal grass(Urochloa decumbens), with scattered trees and forest patches. The researchers surveyed all the scattered trees in the active pastures and in 60 plots measuring 200 square meters within eight forest patches.  The team then assessed regeneration, distance of propagules (bud or spore) source, grass cover, microclimate, seed rain, and soil compaction under scattered tree crowns and in samples in the pastures without scattered trees.  The findings revealed that scattered tree communities are highly diverse. The researchers associated this with the landowners’ preference for large tree species over small ones during the clearing process for pasture, selecting the trees based on their shading capability, which maintains a highly diverse community of trees. The team found this to be the major difference between forest patches and scattered tree communities.  In addition, the researchers found that the scattered trees strongly affect seed rain and sapling regeneration. Only a few tree species are able to regenerate under the scattered trees, although many more are dispersed in the sites. The scattered trees were also found to reduce soil compaction and improve microclimate. The team noted that the positive effects of the scattered trees on these variables depend on the distance from forest remnants.  The findings suggested that areas with scattered trees may help support the preservation of ecosystems by providing habitats and resources around the fragmented agricultural landscapes, which could promote forest recovery.  A similar study conducted in Costa Rican pastures surveyed the density and species composition of scattered trees occurring in pastures of 24 dairy farms near Monteverde, Costa Rica. The research team interviewed farmers to determine why they leave trees in pastures and how they manage them.  The researchers retrieved some common reasons cited by the farmers, such as shade for cattle, timber, fruits for birds and fence posts. Most farmers expressed interest in increasing tree cover within their pastures for the economic and ecological benefits that these trees could provide.  Another study took this whole premise on a global scale, with a meta-analysis on the role of scattered trees in conserving biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems. The research team looked into a total of 62 studies that contained suitable data for the quantitative analyses and found that the local abundance of animal species such as arthropods and vertebrates, as well as woody plants was 60 percent to 430 percent greater and overall species density was 50 percent to 100 percent higher in areas with scattered trees than in nearby open areas.  The researchers posited that areas with scattered trees can be regarded as keystone structures for animal species and terrestrial plants in landscapes worldwide, promoting greater levels of biodiversity than open areas.  For more stories on biodiversity and conservation efforts, visit Ecology.news.


theirishtimes--2019-02-11--Insect extinction threatens catastrophic collapse of ecosystems

Insect extinction threatens ‘catastrophic collapse’ of ecosystems

Human activity is causing dramatic declines in insects which could see 40 per cent of species become extinct in a few decades, a scientific study has warned.  The global review of declines in insects warned that the world was witnessing the “largest extinction event on Earth” for millions of years, in the face of habitat loss, pesticides, disease and invasive species and climate change.  Because of the importance of insects to natural systems and other wildlife, “such events cannot be ignored and should prompt decisive action to avert a catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, the scientists warned.  The review, published in the journal Biological Conservation, looked at 73 historical reports on insects from around the world, including studies in the UK, and found insects ranging from butterflies and bees to dung beetles were among the most affected.  Declines were not just hitting specialist species, for example those which rely on a particular host plant or only live in specific habitats, but also much more “generalist” species.  The researchers warned that the intensification of agriculture over the past six decades was “the root cause of the problem” and that the relentless and widespread use of pesticides was having a major impact.  The biggest driver in insect declines is the loss of habitat and conversion of land to intensive farming and urban areas, followed by pollution, mainly by chemical pesticides and fertilisers.  Insects are also being hit by biological factors, such as pathogens and introduced species, and by climate change, where rising temperatures could affect the range of places where they can live.  Insects are key to functioning natural systems, from providing a food source for other wildlife such as birds, mammals and amphibians, to pollinating plants and recycling nutrients.  The researchers, Francisco Sanchez-Bayo and Kris Wyckhuys, said: “The conclusion is clear: unless we change our ways of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades.  “The repercussions this will have for the planet’s ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least, as insects are at the structural and functional base of many of the world’s ecosystems since their rise at the end of the Devonian period, almost 400 million years ago.”  They called for habitat restoration, a dramatic reduction in pesticides and changes to agriculture to help insects, such as flower-rich strips planted along the margins of fields, or rotating crops with clover to benefit bumblebees.  Matt Shardlow, chief executive of wildlife charity Buglife, said: “It is gravely sobering to see this collation of evidence that demonstrates the pitiful state of the world’s insect populations.  “It’s not just about bees, or even about pollination and feeding ourselves, the declines also include dung beetles that recycle waste and insects like dragonflies that start life in rivers and ponds.  “It is becoming increasingly obvious our planet’s ecology is breaking and there is a need for an intense and global effort to halt and reverse these dreadful trends — allowing the slow eradication of insect life to continue is not a rational option.”  He said insects made up more than half the species on Earth, but the research showed they were disappearing much faster than birds and mammals.  “There is not a single cause, but the evidence is clear, to halt this crisis we must urgently reverse habitat fragmentation, prevent and mitigate climate change, clean up polluted waters and replace pesticide dependency with more sustainable, ecologically-sensitive farming,” he urged.–PA


anonnews--2019-03-22--Rare Scorpion Flies Are Some Of The Most Interesting Insects On Earth

Have you ever seen a Scorpion Fly? Have you ever heard of one?  These strange creatures exist, and they look exactly like their name implies, a small scorpion with wings. However, despite its looks, this strange creature does not behave like a scorpion or a fly. These are one of the most creepy and disturbing insects on the planet, but they are pretty much harmless to humans.  The more technical classification for this strange insect is the family Panorpidae within the order Mecoptera. The name of the order is derived from the Greek meco meaning long and pteron meaning wing, referring to the shape of both the front and hind wings in most species.  Oddly enough, what appears to be a stinger in these strange flies, is actually the enlarged reproductive organs of the male fly. Luckily, the “stingers” are not actually operational and don’t have the ability to sting or hurt people. It is important to note that the females actually look far less like scorpions than the male specimens, since those stingers are actually just the male reproductive organs, which of course are not present on the females.  There are roughly 550 species of Mecoptera worldwide, and the species dates back to over 250 million years ago. It is also speculated by many researchers that these insects are the ancestors of both butterflies and flies.  While these incents are rare to spot out in the wild, they can actually be found all over the world, but they are more common in rural areas and have a greater species diversity in Africa.  The European scorpionfly was named Panorpa communis by Linnaeus in 1758, then the Mecoptera were named by Alpheus Hyatt and Jennie Maria Arms in 1891.  According to Wikipedia, Mecopterans mostly inhabit moist environments although a few species are found in semi-desert habitats. Scorpionflies, family Panorpidae, generally live in broad-leaf woodlands with plentiful damp leaf litter. Snow scorpionflies, family Boreidae, appear in winter and are to be seen on snowfields and on moss; the larvae being able to jump like fleas. Hangingflies, family Bittacidae, occur in forests, grassland and caves with high moisture levels. They mostly breed among mosses, in leaf litter and other moist places, but their reproductive habits have been little studied, and at least one species, Nannochorista philpotti, has aquatic larvae.  The video below shows the male Scorpion Fly in action.  One of the most creepy things about Scorpion Flies is that although they are no real danger to humans, they do have a habit of feeding on human cadavers. Forensic investigators actually look for Scorpion Flies and examine them to determine how long a body has cold. Scorpion Flies have a taste for living humans too, but just their sweat. Scorpion Flies have been known to be attracted to human sweat, probably because sweat contains sugar, and so does fruit.  Adult mecopterans are mostly scavengers, feeding on decaying vegetation and the soft bodies of dead invertebrates, while some species hunt spiders by raiding their webs, which allows them to steal and collect the spider’s prey, as well as the spider itself. Some groups consume pollen, nectar, midge larvae, carrion and moss fragments.  According to research conducted at the University of Kentucky:  Adult scorpionflies of most species are believed to feed on dead insects, nectar, rotting fruits, and other organic matter. Some scorpionflies may be predatory on live prey, especially wounded or slow-moving insects. Scorpionflies are found in meadows, especially near the forest-edge. As with the adults, the habits of larval scorpionflies are not well-known. Many species are believed to be scavengers and opportunists, feeding on dead insects and decaying organic material.  Hangingflies are predators that feed on caterpillars, mosquitoes, flies, moths, and other flying insects. As their name suggests, hangingflies hang and wait in ambush for prey. They use their long, clawed legs to capture insects that get too close. Hangingflies hunt in grassy areas, meadows, and along sheltered cliff-lines. Larval hangingflies are believed to be predators.  As abundant as these creatures are, they are still extremely elusive, and researchers have a difficult time finding them. Scientists believe that they are excellent at hiding from humans and do a far better job of staying off the radar than other animals and insects.


eveningstandard--2019-02-28--How to encourage insects into your garden and do your bit for the bugs

This is insectarmageddon! Bugs face catastrophic collapse! So declared the headlines above reports of a worrying decline in the number of insects worldwide.  Researchers predict that if this decline, recorded over 30 years, is allowed to continue, insects will be extinct in 100 years. Pesticide use, intensive agriculture and urbanisation are all blamed.  Londoners are partial to the lazy hum of the bee and the sight of a pretty butterfly. Our urban back gardens, balconies and windowsills might seem small fry in the fight to stop a global decline, but we can all help.  Here are some simple ways to encourage insects into your outdoor space and do your bit for the bugs.  You don’t need pesticides. If you plant the right flowers you will encourage the “good” bugs — hoverflies, lacewings and ladybirds — that will eat the troublesome ones: greenfly and aphids.  Instead of getting out the spray bottle, plant penstemons to attract ladybirds and draw in hoverflies and lacewings by sowing dill, fennel or the delightful, uplifting daisy-like cosmos from mid-spring.  For a windowbox or pot, a dwarf cosmos variety such as Sonata or Antiquity (Sarah Raven, £4.25 per packet) will provide months of exuberant colour.  For borders Cosmos Sensation Mixed (thompson-morgan.com, £2.69) will give you a stunning chest-high cloud of pink, purple and white flowers for months if you keep deadheading.  “Butterflies and moths are particularly vulnerable to extinction because their caterpillars are at the bottom of the food chain,” says Kate Bradbury, author of The Bumblebee Flies Anyway and Wildlife Gardening For Everyone and Everything (available for pre-order).  Attract moths with scented honeysuckle or London’s favourite climber, the smart, evergreen star jasmine (trachelospermum jasminoides) with its white scented flowers.  Moths are also attracted to the tobacco plant nicotiana alata (the only nicotiana with flower tubes short enough for native moths).  Buddleia is a well-known magnet for butterflies, but too big for many urban spaces.  Try verbena bonariensis instead, or the perennial wallflower erysimum “Bowles Mauve” which can flower year round in London’s sheltered spots.  Any London garden needs climbers to soften the boundaries and provide scent and shelter. And insects rather like them too.  “Ivy is the best option as you don’t need to train it,” says Bradbury, “but honeysuckle and clematis work well too.”  Dead logs are a favourite refuge for beetles, wood lice and other insects. “Simply pile them up in a corner,” says Bradbury.  “If you can, partially bury the logs in the soil as this will provide a habitat for stag beetles.”  If no logs are at hand, just leave dead leaves and twiggy prunings in a pile.  On balconies or roof terraces, you can provide refuges for solitary bees by stuffing bundles of dead hollow stems such as alliums or bamboo into empty pots or crevices in the wall.  Bees particularly like umbel flowers (those that look like umbrellas) such as ammi majus (Chiltern Seeds, £1.86), orlaya grandiflora and fennel all of which bring grace and delicacy to urban gardens.  They are also highly partial to daisy-like blooms like rudbeckias, ox-eye daisy, asters, helenium and echinaceas, with their joyful dollops of colour.  If you have only a windowsill or balcony, grow Mediterranean herbs in pots, says Bradbury.  Thyme, oregano, rosemary, lavender, dill and sweet cicely are “easy, low-maintenance, provide flowers for pollinators and we get to use them too”.  Even small spaces could include an apple tree in a pot to provide blossom, bark for insects to shelter in and fruit for you too.  Choose a M27 rootstock, and a self-fertile variety to ensure pollination such as Sunset, Red Windsor or Fiesta (Blackmoor Nurseries, Fiesta, 3 year old bare root bush, £23.80, blackmoor.co.uk).  If you have the space for a hedge, even a small one, to break up different areas of the garden then plant one.  The poet Pam Ayres recently tweeted pictures of her newly planted mixed native hedge to encourage bees and butterflies.  From Hedges Direct, the Bee and Butterfly selection includes hawthorn, crab apple, hazel, dog rose, viburnum and rowan and will cost you £155.99 for around 14 metres.


fortune--2019-02-11--Insects Are Dying Off at a Scary Rate Putting Humanity at Risk

Insects Are Dying Off at a Scary Rate, Putting Humanity at Risk

Two-fifths of the world’s insect species may disappear over the next few decades, and we could be looking at a world without any insects at all within a century. Given insects’ importance for sustaining plant and animal life—by pollinating plants and serving as a food source—that’s as dire a prediction as they come.  The warning was issued in a global review of insect declines, in which the authors called for a dramatic rethinking of agricultural practices and better strategies for cleaning polluted waters.  “Unless we change our ways of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades,” the researchers wrote, according to a Guardian report. “The repercussions this will have for the planet’s ecosystems are catastrophic, to say the least.”  As the Australian researcher Francisco Sánchez-Bayo told the newspaper: “If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind.”  The projections are based on the downward trajectory of the world’s insect mass, which is thought to be falling by 2.5% per year. The culprits? Agricultural practices that rely on pesticides, the loss of habitats to growing cities, biological change such as the introduction of new species to habitats, and of course climate change.  This is the first global review of its sort, though hardly the first story to point to an alarming decline in insect populations. Pesticides such as neonicotinoids have long been cited as a cause for mass bee deaths in North America and Europe, and last year scientists warned of huge insect losses in Puerto Rico—along with losses of the animals that ate them.


france24--2019-02-12--Earth seeing catastrophic collapse of insects

Earth seeing 'catastrophic collapse' of insects

Angela Weiss, AFP | A butterfly is seen during a preview visit of the butterfly conservatory at the American Natural History Museum in New York on October 3, 2018.  Nearly half of all insect species worldwide are in rapid decline and a third could disappear altogether, according to a study warning of dire consequences for crop pollination and natural food chains  “Unless we change our way of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades,” concluded the peer-reviewed study, which is set for publication in April.  The recent decline in bugs that fly, crawl, burrow and skitter across still water is part of a gathering “mass extinction,” only the sixth in the last half-billion years.  “We are witnessing the largest extinction event on Earth since the late Permian and Cretaceous periods,” the authors noted.  The Permian end-game 252 million years ago snuffed out more than 90 percent of the planet’s life forms, while the abrupt finale of the Cretaceous 66 million years ago saw the demise of land dinosaurs.  “We estimate the current proportion of insect species in decline -- 41 percent to be twice as high as that of vertebrates,” or animals with a backbone, Francisco Sanchez-Bayo of the University of Sydney and Kris Wyckhuys of the University of Queensland in Australia reported.  “At present, a third of all insect species are threatened with extinction.”  An additional one percent join their ranks every year, they estimated. Insect biomass sheer collective weight is declining annually by about 2.5 percent worldwide.  “Only decisive action can avert a catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems,” the authors cautioned.  Restoring wilderness areas and a drastic reduction in the use of pesticides and chemical fertiliser are likely the best way to slow the insect loss, they said.  The study, to be published in the journal Biological Conservation, pulled together data from more than 70 datasets from across the globe, some dating back more than a century.  By a large margin, habitat change deforestation, urbanisation, conversion to farmland emerged as the biggest cause of insect decline and extinction threat.  Next was pollution and the widespread use of pesticides in commercial agriculture.  The recent collapse, for example, of many bird species in France was traced to the use of insecticides on industrial crops such as wheat, barley, corn and wine grapes.  “There are hardly any insects left that’s the number one problem,” said Vincent Bretagnolle, an ecologist at Centre for Biological Studies.  Experts estimate that flying insects across Europe have declined 80 percent on average, causing bird populations to drop by more than 400 million in three decades.  Only a few species of insects mainly in the tropics are thought to have suffered due to climate change, while some in northern climes have expanded their range as temperatures warm.  In the long run, however, scientists fear that global warming could become another major driver of insect demise.  Up to now, rising concern about biodiversity loss has mostly focused on big mammals, birds and amphibians.  But insects comprise about two-thirds of all terrestrial species, and have been the foundation of key ecosystems since emerging almost 400 million years ago.  “The essential role that insects play as food items of many vertebrates is often forgotten,” the researchers said.  Moles, hedgehogs, anteaters, lizards, amphibians, most bats, many birds and fish all feed on insects or depend on them for rearing their offspring.  Other insects filling the void left by declining species probably cannot compensate for the sharp drop in biomass, the study said.  Insects are also the world’s top pollinators -- 75 percent of 115 top global food crops depend on animal pollination, including cocoa, coffee, almonds and cherries.  One-in-six species of bees have gone regionally extinct somewhere in the world.  Dung beetles in the Mediterranean basin have also been hit particularly hard, with more than 60 percent of species fading in numbers.  The pace of insect decline appears to be the same in tropical and temperate climates, though there is far more data from North America and Europe than the rest of the world.  Britain has seen a measurable decline across 60 percent of its large insect groups, or taxa, followed by North America (51 percent) and Europe as a whole (44 percent).


globalresearch--2019-02-11--The Worldwide Threat to the Biodiversity of Insects

Biodiversity of insects is threatened worldwide. Here, we present a comprehensive review of 73 historical reports of insect declines from across the globe, and systematically assess the underlying drivers. Our work reveals dramatic rates of decline that may lead to the extinction of 40% of the world’s insect species over the next few decades.  In terrestrial ecosystems, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and dung beetles (Coleoptera) appear to be the taxa most affected, whereas four major aquatic taxa (Odonata, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera) have already lost a considerable proportion of species.  Affected insect groups not only include specialists that occupy particular ecological niches, but also many common and generalist species. Concurrently, the abundance of a small number of species is increasing; these are all adaptable, generalist species that are occupying the vacant niches left by the ones declining. Among aquatic insects, habitat and dietary generalists, and pollutant-tolerant species are replacing the large biodiversity losses experienced in waters within agricultural and urban settings. The main drivers of species declines appear to be in order of importance:  i) habitat loss and conversion to intensive agriculture and urbanisation; ii) pollution, mainly that by synthetic pesticides and fertilisers; The latter factor is particularly important in tropical regions, but only affects a minority of species in colder climes and mountain settings of temperate zones. A rethinking of current agricultural practices, in particular a serious reduction in pesticide usage and its substitution with more sustainable, ecologically-based practices, is urgently needed to slow or reverse current trends, allow the recovery of declining insect populations and safeguard the vital ecosystem services they provide. In addition, effective remediation technologies should be applied to clean polluted waters in both agricultural and urban environments.  To read the full scientific report click here


naturalnews--2019-01-03--Are insects the solution to solving world hunger

Are insects the solution to solving world hunger?

Insects are found far and wide in great numbers. They are a rich source of protein, good saturated fats, fibers, and minerals. Seven out of every 10 people in the world eat them.  The United Nations itself officially urged the consumption of insects as a source of nutrition. In addition to being healthy, cultivating insects is considered to be much cheaper and easier than raising conventional livestock.  North America has a large number of insects to choose from. Here are the four groups to consider capturing and cultivating as an emergency source of food.  Ants are some of the most common and numerous insects. You should not have much trouble finding them.  Once you find their anthill, use a container to scoop them up. If you are in a hurry, you can shove your hand into the hill to grab them.  Avoid ants that are red in color. These may be fire ants with a painful bite and an even more agonizing sting.  Ants have a sour taste akin to vinegar. They are best served boiled, but can be eaten raw and live in an emergency. (Related: Reconsidering your attitude: Surviving on an insect-based diet when SHTF.)  Termites are not related to ants. They do behave fairly similarly, being plentiful in number and organized into colonies.  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  Outside of North America, termites live in large mounds of earth. Here, they either live underground or in the wood they consume.  Termites mostly eat wood. They also like moist places. If you spot damp, dead, and decaying wood, chances are you will find a termite colony.  A rule of thumb is that ants and termites cannot coexist. The former will often eat the latter.  Butterflies and moths spend the early part of their lives as caterpillars. They have no wings, move slowly, and eat plant matter.  Caterpillars are considered to be very nutritious. They will provide you with vitamin B, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc.  The hairy ones may prove to be more difficult to down than the hairless ones. Remove the hair if it is keeping you from eating the caterpillar.  Certain caterpillars may be toxic due to the poisonous plants they eat. If you want to play it safe, avoid the brightly colored ones, which is Nature’s way of advertising danger.  These members of the Orthoptera order are the best edible insects to try out or to turn into a regular part of your diet. They are very common and can be captured with ease.  On occasion, large swarms of these insects will arrive. While you will be able to catch a lot of them, they will also eat the contents of your farm or survival garden.  Not only do crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts provide you with plenty of protein, but they also taste good. People who have eaten these bugs compared their taste to peanuts.  Fry the insects to bring out that nice flavor, or dry them up before grinding them into a fine powder packed with protein.  Only collect insects from forests and other wilderness areas. Agricultural and industrialized areas are full of herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals.  If you want to know how to get the most nutrition out of edible insects, visit FoodFreedom.news.


naturalnews--2019-06-25--Repel insects and bugs around your home using common plants

Most of the plants in the list below are aromatic, which helps deter pesky bugs and insects that can damage your crops.  Alliums include other plants that belong to the same family as onions, such as chives, garlic, leeks, onions, scallions, and shallots. Alliums are edible, and they offer the added benefit of protecting your garden from flies and slugs.  Do take note that alliums may attract moths. Alliums can also be very toxic to dogs and cats. (Related: Stop slugs from ruining your garden with these natural strategies.)  Basil is an edible herb that can also keep mosquitoes away.  Beautiful chrysanthemums produce pyrethrins, a class of organic compounds often used in commercially manufactured insect repellents. Chrysanthemums can help keep beetles, mosquitoes, roaches, and ticks away from your garden.  Chrysanthemums can also help get rid of silverfish, which can destroy books, clothes, and wallpaper using their excrement. You can get rid of silverfish by recycling old books, papers, and magazines that you no longer need.  Garlic is a superfood with antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Plant garlic in your home garden to help keep away mosquitoes.  Mother Nature's micronutrient secret: Organic Broccoli Sprout Capsules now available, delivering 280mg of high-density nutrition, including the extraordinary "sulforaphane" and "glucosinolate" nutrients found only in cruciferous healing foods. Every lot laboratory tested. See availability here.  Except for bees, most kinds of bugs will stay away from lavender.  You can also use lavender to keep moths away from your clothing: hang some dried lavender in the closet or put it in a dresser to prevent moths from eating clothing.  Marigolds bear colorful flowers with a unique smell that is frequently used in insect repellants. Fresh marigolds can also help repel mosquitoes, squash bugs, and tomato worms.  Plant the flowers among your vegetable garden to protect your crops from these pests.  Plant mint in your garden to repel other insects like mosquitoes. You can also hide mint inside your home to get rid of ants and mice.  Petunias are annual flowers that grow best in colder climates. The plant bears flowers that have a licorice-like scent that can get rid of various insects like including aphids, squash bugs, and tomato hornworms. Take note that caterpillars and slugs are attracted to petunias.  These plants and herbs repel various insects in your deck or patio, but their effect only lasts as far as their odor reaches. To widen their reach, plant them all around the areas that you want to protect as close to the seating areas as you can.  Another option is to add planters on your patio or deck, along with other herbs already planted in the ground.  When left unchecked, termites can cause massive damage to your home. Grow these plants to keep termites out of your property.  Catnip oil is a natural termiticide, but it breaks down in soil faster than the chemicals used in commercial termiticides. Plant catnip in pots to prevent it from growing wild on your lawn.  Chili peppers help repel various crawling insects, like ants and termites. The acid in chili peppers are effective against these insects, but they can be dangerous to children and pets.  Keep chili peppers out of reach of small children, pets, and livestock.  Vetiver grass can naturally deter termites. Vetiver is related to lemongrass, and it has a pleasant aroma.  Vetiver’s deep root system is often used for controlling erosion. This root system is also effective against termites, ticks, and cockroaches because the plant contains chemicals that are toxic to these insects.  When using plants to get rid of termites naturally, there are two strategies that you can use.  Keep various pests away from your crops by growing pest-repelling plants like alliums, basil, catnip, and vetiver grass.


naturalnews--2019-07-01--Bee smarts Scientists discover the insects can do basic math

Bee smarts: Scientists discover the insects can do basic math

(Natural News) Animals are able to understand and use numbers on a rudimentary level. They apply this understanding to important tasks, such as foraging and managing resources, which ensure their survival. So far, only humans and a few animal species have demonstrated the ability to do complex arithmetic operations. But a new study conducted by researchers from France and Australia show that honeybees can also do math. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, they reported that honeybees can learn to use colors as symbolic representations for addition and subtraction.  According to Adrian Dyer, one of the authors and a professor at RMIT University in Australia, two levels of processing are required to perform numerical operations like addition and subtraction. A person normally makes use of long-term memory to apply the rules for adding and subtracting while mentally manipulating numbers in his or her short-term memory. The brains of most animals are not equipped for these functions, hence they are considered complex operations.  While most people won’t think of bees as capable of these, studies show that they have the ability to learn complex rules and concepts. In fact, despite their small brain, bees in nature regularly process information that helps them solve problems involving the addition or subtraction of one element from a group of elements. Over the years, researchers have learned that bees can be trained to perform difficult tasks like counting and discriminating numbers using a reward-punishment approach. Numerical cognition is said to require a more sophisticated level of processing.  Support our mission and enhance your own self-reliance: The laboratory-verified Organic Emergency Survival Bucket provides certified organic, high-nutrition storable food for emergency preparedness. Completely free of corn syrup, MSG, GMOs and other food toxins. Ultra-clean solution for years of food security. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store.  In their previous study, Dyer and his team discovered that bees can be taught numerical rules like “greater than” and “less than” and the concept of “zero.” As a continuation of this, they designed another experiment that involved introducing two colors, blue and yellow, as representations of addition and subtraction, respectively. The researchers trained individual bees to visit a Y-shaped maze and rewarded them with sugar water for every correct answer. Meanwhile, they punished the bees with a bitter-tasting solution for every incorrect choice. This reward system ensured that the bees would return to the maze as it is in their nature to revisit locations that provide them with food.  The researchers set up the entrance to the maze so that before entering, the bees would encounter a sample stimulus containing a set of elements in isolation. The sample stimulus contained either one, two, or four elements if blue, and two, four, or five elements if yellow. The bees would then fly through an opening into a decision chamber where they could choose between two options. If the sample stimulus contained blue elements (addition), the bees were expected to choose the option that has one greater element than the sample. If the elements were yellow (subtraction), the bees were required to choose the option with one less element. The researchers randomly changed the colors of the elements every trial for each bee. It took the bees over 100 trials before they were able to figure out how to solve the problems.  The researchers reported that the “bees were able to use color as a symbolic representation of the addition and subtraction signs and learned, during 100 appetitive-aversive trials, to thus add or subtract one element from different samples.” Afterward, the bees “could successfully interpolate the learned operations of addition and subtraction to an unfamiliar sample number and shape during tests.” These results meant that bees have the ability to apply what they have learned to work out other problems.  “Our bees also used their short-term memories to solve arithmetic problems, as they learned to recognise plus or minus as abstract concepts rather than being given visual aids,” Dyer said. He believes that their findings hint at the possibility of advanced numerical cognition being more abundant in nature among non-human animals than previously thought.  Scarlett Howard, the first author of the study, agrees. She, along with her colleagues, also believe that language and prior understanding of numbers or advanced numerical concepts are not prerequisites for learning how to do addition and subtraction.  “Our findings show that the complex understanding of math symbols as a language is something that many brains can probably achieve, and helps explain how many human cultures independently developed numeracy skills,” she said.