Study highlights gibbon trade in Indonesia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 7 December. A study focussing on the trade
in gibbons, recently published in the journal Endangered Species
Research, highlights the ongoing illegal trade in these threatened
species in western Indonesia.

The research, conducted by investigators based in England and
Malaysia, collected data from 22 zoos and nine wildlife rescue centres
and found some 600 gibbons present in these facilities. The most
common species kept as pets was the Siamang, from the Indonesian
island of Sumatra, with close to 200 individuals observed. Only six
Kloss' Gibbons from the Mentawai Islands were observed.

<http://www.traffic.org/home/2009/12/7/study-highlights-gibbon-trade-in-indonesia.html>

07/12/2009
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Profile of the carbon footprint of the global poor: the challenge of alleviating poverty and fighting global warming

By Jeremy Hance

Two of the world's most serious issues—poverty and climate change—are interconnected. With a rise in one's income there usually comes a rise in one's carbon footprint, thereby threatening the environment. Wealthy nations have the highest per capita carbon footprints, while developing nations like India and China—which are experiencing unprecedented economic growth—are becoming massive contributors of greenhouse gases. However, it is those who have the smallest carbon footprint—the world's poor—who currently suffer most from climate change. Food crises, water shortages, extreme weather, and rising sea levels have all hit the poor the hardest. 

http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1207-hance_rhoda.html

07/12/2009
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Indonesia: Kalimantan's Lowland Peat Forests Explained

By Gabriel Thoumi Earth's tropical rainforests are a critical component of the world's carbon cycle yet cover only about 12% of its terrestrial land. Accounting for 40% of the world's terrestrial carbon and 50% of the world's gross primary productivity,[1]. the production of organic compounds primarily through photosynthesis, tropical rainforests also are one of the engines driving Earth's atmospheric circulation patterns. http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1204-thoumi_kalimantan.html

04/12/2009
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Brazil could halt Amazon deforestation within a decade

Rhett Butler Payments from U.S. cap-and-trade, a carbon tax, or a proposed climate change mitigation mechanism could help end Amazon deforestation in Brazil, reducing CO2 emissions 2-5%, by 2020. But Brazil's window to act is only 2-3 years, say scientists. http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1203-amazon_deforestation.html

03/12/2009
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Indonesia could double oil palm planation area

mongabay.com Indonesia has 18 million hectares of land suitable for oil palm cultivation, nearly twice the 9.7 million hectares that have already been allocated for plantations, said Agriculture Minister Suswono said at the opening of the 5th Indonesian Palm Oil Conference in Bali. http://news.mongabay.com/2009/1202-indonesia_palm_oil.html

02/12/2009
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The Potential for Species Conservation in Tropical Secondary Forests

ROBIN L. CHAZDON, CARLOS A. PERES, DAISY DENT, DOUGLAS SHEIL, ARIEL E. LUGO, DAVID
LAMB, NIGEL E. STORK, SCOTT E. MILLER
Abstract <http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123190983/abstract>
Published Online: 24 Nov 2009

Abstract:  In the wake of widespread loss of old-growth forests throughout the
tropics, secondary forests will likely play a growing role in the conservation of
forest biodiversity. We considered a complex hierarchy of factors that interact in
space and time to determine the conservation potential of tropical secondary
forests. Beyond the characteristics of local forest patches, spatial and temporal
landscape dynamics influence the establishment, species composition, and persistence
of secondary forests. Prospects for conservation of old-growth species in secondary
forests are maximized in regions where the ratio of secondary to old-growth forest
area is relatively low, older secondary forests have persisted, anthropogenic
disturbance after abandonment is relatively low, seed-dispersing fauna are present,
and old-growth forests are close to abandoned sites. The conservation value of a
secondary forest is expected to increase over time, as species arriving from
remaining old-growth forest patches accumulate. Many studies are poorly replicated,
which limits robust assessments of the number and abundance of old-growth species
present in secondary forests. Older secondary forests are not often studied and few
long-term studies are conducted in secondary forests. Available data indicate that
both old-growth and second-growth forests are important to the persistence of forest
species in tropical, human-modified landscapes.

26/11/2009
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