Sea creatures can’t develop in warming ocean
February 17, 2011
Cosmos Online
Image credit: Wikimedia
SYDNEY: Sea urchins and marine abalone – large sea snails – will not develop skeletons if the ocean continues to warm and acidify as predicted, new research has shown.
The results of a new study show that abalone and sea urchins born into ocean conditions 100 years from now will be unable to calcify their shells or grow their spines – suggesting that key sources of protein will be lost due to climate change in the future.
“We wondered about the impact of climate change on shelled marine animals since ocean acidification reduces the amount of Read more
Undead microbes may influence biodiversity
February 17, 2011
Cosmos Online
Image credit: NASA
EAST LANSING: New research sheds light on how microorganisms are able to ‘hibernate’ for long periods of time. This unique ability affects entire ecosystems on Earth, and could have implications for the transport of organisms between planets.
It’s commonly known, at least among microbiologists, that microbes have an additional option to living or dying – dormancy. What isn’t known, however, is how large numbers of dormant microorganisms affect the natural environments when they act as microbial seed banks.
“Only a tiny fraction is Read more
Fast-growing plants linked to poor pest resistance
February 17, 2011
Benjamin Kolb
The idea that breeding plants for faster growth and higher yield will lead to a generation of crops vulnerable to pests and disease has been supported by new research.
By using ‘knockout’ mutations, researchers have disabled one gene at a time and found that genes for high yield and fast growth are closely linked to defence against pests. Plants are able to put more resources into growth by shutting down some defence genes.
For decades farmers have selectively bred crops for their yield, but Tobias Züst, lead Read more
Dewpara Sal forest: Past and present
July 18, 2010
Biodiversity
Dewpara Sal forest: Past and present
From Dhaka Mirror
SAL occurs on the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. In India Sal occupies the northern and central regions separated by the Gangetic plain. Terai (low land) is considered as the main Sal growing region of Nepal. The major portion of Sal forests in Bangladesh is located in the central parts (Mymensingh, Tangail and Gazipur).
Sal forest is the most threatened and vulnerable ecosystem of Bangladesh. Until the beginning of the 20th century, these forests existed as a continuous belt with rich floral and faunal diversity. Gradually increasing population put tremendous pressure on this ecosystem and changed the Read more
Climate refugees: The Bangladesh case
March 6, 2010
Bimal Kanti Paul
Concern over anticipated sea-level rise (SLR) associated with global climate change has received wide attention of Bangladeshi climate specialists and related scientists, concerned citizens, politicians, and the print and electronic media. It is now widely accepted in the country that Bangladesh faces grave challenges from impacts associated with climate change. According to the World Development Report 2010, about 18% of Bangladesh’s land will be submerged if the sea level rises by one meter. Should this occur, it will Read more
Impact of climate change on St. Martin’s Island
January 6, 2010
Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman
Global climate change poses a high risk to the biodiversity of coral reefs of St. Martin’s. The major threats to the coral reefs are high levels of sedimentation, cyclones, storm surges and beach erosion. Global warming is a matter of major concern for coral reefs of this island as elsewhere.
St. Martin is a tiny island in the Bay of Bengal approximately 9 km south of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. It is the the southernmost part of Bangladesh and is locally known as Narikel Jinjira (Coconut Island). St. Martin’s Island is a stock of Read more
Parthenium weed poses danger to crops
December 30, 2009
Parthenium, a newly discovered invasive and dangerous weed, has been posing a serious health problems to human beings and livestock and also causing loss of crops and vegetation in the country, reports The New Nation
The dangerous weed is affecting many countries in Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands causing serious environmental problems.
It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness and economic and environmental Read more
Sundarban water warming faster than global average
December 17, 2009
In the Sundarbans, surface water temperature has been rising at the rate of 0.5 degree Celsius per decade over the past three decades, eight times the rate of global warming, says a new study, reports Times of India on Tuesday. That makes the Sundarbans one of the worst climate change hotspots on the globe.
The study, carried out over 27 years from 1980 by scientists from India and the US, found a change of 1.5 degrees Celsius, a clear challenge to the survival of flora and fauna in the world’s Read more