My Science School

Covering an area of 3,700 sq.km., the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia span the States of Queensland and New South Wales. Australia split from Antarctica during the breakup of Gondwana (an ancient supercontinent) several million years ago. And today, the rainforests continue to live on as windows offering insights into what happened all those years ago. These rainforests are signicant not only in terms of evolutionary history and geology, but also for their startling biological diversity. A variety of flora and fauna lineages, with origins that can be traced all the way back to Gondwana, exists today within these areas. Which is to say that many plants and animals have remained relatively unchanged from their ancestors whose fossils have been recorded. In fact, some of them are said to be found only in these rainforests. Apart from these, the region is a primary habitat for several threatened species of plants and animals. Many species continue to be discovered or rediscovered within these forests. For instance, the Hastings river mouse and parma wallaby, previously thought to be extinct, were rediscovered. The sheer diversity in the number of rare and threatened rainforest species in the region are of great global importance for both science and conservation. Though much from the original rainforests has been replaced by other vegetation types, due to several reasons such as climate change, the region continues to reveal secrets and mysteries of a time when humankind did not exist.

Wildlife

Among the mammals that can be found in the region are deer, rats, mice, bats, and flying foxes, echidnas, bandicoots, and platypuses, and marsupials such as wallabies, wallaroos, kangaroos, possums, quolls, and gliders. Pipits, wagtails, sparrows, finches, mynas, starlings, thrushes, swallows, martins, warblers, robins, wagtails, flycatchers, cuckooshrikes, babblers, honeyeaters, wrens, treecreepers, bee-eaters, kookaburras, kingfishers, owls, cuckoos, parrots, lorikeets, cockatoos, buttonquails, lapwings, kestrels, falcons, eagles, kites, buzzards, spoonbills, ibises, herons, egrets, cormorants, frogmouths, nightjars, grebes, ducks, and plenty of other birds can be spotted in these rainforests. Snakes, pythons, skinks, lizards, monitors, geckos, turtles, and frogs are some of the reptiles of the area. These are in addition to several species of fish and insects that call the place their home.

Threats

As mentioned earlier, climate change is a huge threat to these rainforests. But that isn't the region's only problem. Here are a few other concerns:

Wildfires: A UNESCO World Heritage site, these rainforests face the fury of wildfires too. With the intensity and frequency of the wildfires increasing in the region, there are concerns that if timely action is not taken, these ancient wonders could be lost forever. These fears are not unfounded because during the 2019-2020 wildfire season, it is believed that at least 50% of these rainforests were affected. There have been calls to the government for implementing and adhering to policies that protect these areas.

Tourism: While tourism is integral to the development and upkeep of any crucial region, it can have an adverse impact on the very region it seeks to protect. And this is the exact problem that the Gondwana rainforests faces. Every year, it welcomes a few million visitors, who not only enjoy the natural beauty of the place, but, in the process, unwittingly, damage the vegetation. This also leads to soil erosion in the area. In addition, the rubbish that these visitors leave behind could harm the plants and the animals inhabiting the region.

Invasive species: Among others, weeds such as lantana, take over the region, stifling the growth of native plants. In the long run, they could cause large-scale devastation to the native vegetation that has existed for millions of years. This is true of some of the animals too. Invasive speices or pests such as pigs, foxes, cats, goats, deer, and wild dogs could either damage and consume native vegetation or feed on native animals, severely impacting the native wildlife population.

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The Rocky Mountains or the Rockies are North America's largest mountain range that runs through the western part of the continent. Spanning the countries of Canada and the U.S., the Rockies stretch for more than 4,500 km from British Columbia (in Canada) to New Mexico (in the U.S.). Some of the highest peaks of the continent lie within this mountain range. National parks and forest land protect most part of the region. Considering that the mountain range actually stretches to nearly 5,000 km spanning two large countries, there's a lot of variation in the landforms, soil types, and even rocks within the areas. However, the mountains also have much in common in terms of high elevations, spectacular scenery, climate patterns, and most importantly, biogeography - the distribution of animals and plants in this expansive region. The Rockies are also significant because it is a "continental divide" - a natural boundary that separates various river systems within North America.

Wildlife

Depending on the elevation and location, the Rocky Mountains offer a spectacular variety of vegetation from aspen, pine, and fir to willows and low-flowering plants, all, in turn, supporting different kinds of wildlife. The mountain lion, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, brown and grizzly bear, in addition to caribou, elk, moose, white-tailed deer, and in some parts, bison can all be spotted here. Smaller animals include beavers, otters, squirrels, chipmunks, ferrets, and marmots, while amphibians comprise frogs, toads, salamanders, and similar species indigenous to the region. The Rocky Mountains are believed to nurture nearly 300 species of birds, including varieties of geese, swans, quails, pheasants, grouse, grebes, pelicans. cormorants, bitterns, herons, ibises, vultures, eagles, hawks, kites, falcons, coots, cranes, plovers, stilts, avocets, sandpipers, gulls, terns, pigeons, doves, cuckoos, owls, swifts, hummingbirds, kingfishers, woodpeckers, flycatchers, nuthatches, magpies, larks, swallows, wrens, thrushes, mockingbirds, starlings, pipits, warblers, sparrows, finches, and many more.

Threats

• Expectedly, climate change is impacting the region. However, there are three telling ways in which it affects the region, especially places such as the Rocky Mountain National Park that falls within the mountain range. One, climate change has increased the incidence of wildfires in the region. Just a few years ago, one such fire burned for months and over snow. Over the years, the fires have been lasting longer than usual, which means, they are also destroying more area then earlier.
• Two, cheatgrass, an invasive species, thrives in increasing temperatures. Increasing temperatures a result of climate change- is only helping the spurt in the growth of cheatgrass. Earlier found in lower elevations, it is said that this non-native species has moved up over 2,000 feet in a matter of just 10 years. Invasive species dominate native species, and can even lead to the extinction of the latter.
• Third, bark beetle outbreaks. Drier, hotter conditions increase the severity of bark beetle infestations. Trees on millions of acres in the region are killed by the beetles and they fall to the ground. Increasing infestations mean that even iconic, endemic and rare varieties of trees are under great threat. And all these three are inter-related problems - cheatgrass and trees killed by bark beetle increase the chance and spread of wildfires
• Not just climate change, there are other factors of worry too for the mountain range. Several aspects such as excessive tourism, timber harvesting, grazing, oil exploration, and mining have resulted in a general degradation of the region and a shrinking habitat for its renowned wildlife.

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Located on the border between the African countries of Kenya and Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania's Serengeti plain spans an area of nearly 15,000 sq.km. The grassland and woodland savannah of the region, interspersed with rivers, is home to several species of animals such as cheetah, wildebeest, and zebra, and the threatened black rhinoceros. Set up in 1951, the Park attracts tourists from across the globe throughout the year for not just its diverse wildlife but also for hosting one of the most significant land animal migrations. It is one of the largest and the most diverse places in the world to witness the coming together of a large number of predator and prey. The Serengeti National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site of "outstanding universal value in 1981.

Wildlife

In addition to carnivores such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, and crocodiles, and herbivores such as wildebeest, gazelles and zebras, one can spot wild dogs, topis, warthogs, antelopes, elephants, giraffes, African buffaloes, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, and baboons within the periphery of the Park. The Park also nurtures a few hundred species of both resident and visiting birds. They include ostriches, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, darters, bitterns, herons, egrets, storks, ibises, spoonbills, flamingoes, teals, ducks, geese, shovelers, pochards, vultures, harriers, eagles, hawks, kites, kestrels, falcons, quails, francolins, crakes, coots, moorhens, bustards, jacanas, snipes, sandpipers, plovers, terns, gulls, sandgrouses, doves, turacos, nightjars, swifts, kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes, hornbills, barbets, woodpeckers, larks, swallows, martins, orioles, babblers, shrikes, robins, wheatears, warblers, flycatchers, pipits, weavers, starlings, and sunbirds.

Did you know?

• Every year, more than 10 lakh wildebeest, along with thousands of other herbivores and ungulates such as zebra and gazelle, go on a 1,000-km circuitous journey between the Park in Tanzania and Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. The migration sees the animals moving to greener pastures in Kenya during the dry season in Serengeti. Throughout the migration, several adults and newborns perish to predators such as crocodiles, lions, and cheetah, but much more survive to keep the world's most astounding spectacle alive.
• The Park faces threats due to natural causes such as wildfires, and human-related issues such as excessive tourism, water management, poaching, etc. For instance, a recent study that had studied the region over a long period of time found that due to increasing human activity on the boundary, animals congregate increasingly in the core of the protected area. And this is not good news because such a concentration could lead to depletion of natural resources such as plant and water, and even lead to extreme drought.
• While the large numbers of animals migrating to the region is fantastic news, monitoring something of this magnitude requires a lot of time and labour. Recently, a “research team testing the capacity of both citizen scientists and machine learning algorithms to help survey the annual wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania found that both methods could produce accurate animal counts, a boon for park managers”.
• African wild dogs disappeared from the Park around 1991-1992, and several reasons-from rabies and canine distemper diseases to encroachment of farming activity into their habitats have been attributed to the disappearance. Around 2012, a few packs were re-introduced to the region, and some of them even gave birth to young ones.

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Situated in the central part of the Indonesian archipelago, the Komodo National Park spans an area of 2,00,000 hectares. A UNESCO World Heritage Site of Outstanding Universal Value, it is home to about 5000 Komodo dragons. As the only place in the world today with these lizards, the area has been of particular interest to both the scientific community and curious tourists. Once found in Australia too, these lizards are said to have thrived in their current home for millions of years now.

Wildlife

Though most noted for Komodo dragons, the park nurtures other wildlife too. Among the more than 70 species of birds spotted in the area are cockatoos, jungle fowl, kestrels, herons, thick-knees, doves, sunbirds, finches, drongos, Orioles, scrub fowl, and friarbirds. The waters around the boundary of the Park nurture several species of whales such as sperm whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and the endangered dugong also known as sea cow.

The “Jurassic Park” problem

Last October while several parts of the world were still grappling with COVID-19 and the destruction it left in its wake, a photo from the park went viral. What did it show? A Komodo dragon facing a truck. What was a truck doing in such an eco-sensitive region? This needs a bit of a history. In 2019, a controversial decision to close the Park was dropped after collective outrage. Soon after that came another piece of news. That the government would end mass tourism by imposing a heavily priced membership scheme to enter the park. “But around the same time they also unveiled plans for a mass tourist development on neighbouring Rinca Island, which is home to the second-largest population of Komodo dragons.” And this project has been dubbed “Jurassic park“, which is where Komodo dragon had an unexpected encounter with that truck. Concerned conservationists have raised questions over the need for such a project, worried that this move will ruin the natural habitat of the world’s largest lizard. A damaged natural environment will eventually affect its habitants too, meaning the Komodo dragons could be in peril if the project is completed. Though it has been said that the project has been stopped, media reports suggest that the project may not have been dropped but only paused for now.

Did you know?

• The world’s largest and heaviest lizards, these reptiles can grow up to 10 feet, weigh more than £300 and live up to 30 years in the wild.
• Going by their diet, they are hearty eaters –it is said that in one go, these giants can consume nearly 80% of their body weight. The carnivore’s diet includes everything from deer and pigs to water buffaloes and sometimes even smaller comes from its own species!
• Poaching and human encroachment are only two of the reasons that could lead to a decline in the population of these lizards.
• As with the most habitats the world over, climate change is unlikely to spare this region either. While resultant intense wildfires can directly alter the habitat of the Komodo dragon, storms threaten to cause extensive damage to corals and the reefs in the waters surrounding the archipelago.

Picture Credit : Google

Spanning 8,000 sq.km., the Galapagos Islands is an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated about 1,000 km from mainland Ecuador, the country it is part of. It comprises more than 100 islands, including a few that are inhabited. As much as 97% of the total area of the archipelago has been declared a National Park (human occupation in the region occurs in the rest of the 3%). The areas surrounding the region have been declared a marine reserve, and are one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. The region nurtures hundreds of plant species, a dozen native land mammal species, over 35 reptile species and nearly 3,000 marine species. It is home to unusual wildlife such as marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and flightless cormorants. The region today faces several threats, including unsustainable and illegal fishing practices. Such practices endanger both native and migratory species. So, to protect the islands, scientists, conservationists, and NGOS have been calling for the expansion of the current Galapagos Marine Reserve to protect an additional 4,00,000-odd sq.km.

Wildlife

Ducks, teals, pintails, shovelers, junglefowl, grebes, flamingoes, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, boobies, cormorants, pelicans, herons, egrets, ospreys, crakes, hawks, gallinules, coots, stilts, oystercatchers, plovers, godwits, sandpipers, phalaropes, skuas, gulls, terns, pigeons, doves, cuckoos, owls, swifts, kingfishers, flycatchers, swallows, martins, mocking birds, warblers, and finches are among the several species of birds found in the Galapagos Islands. The mammals seen in the region include several species of whales, including killer whales, sperm whales, blue whales, and humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals, rodents, and bats. The reptiles include tortoises, sea turtles, marine iguanas, land iguanas, geckos, lava lizards, and sea snakes.

Did you know?

• It was the birds and animals in the Galapagos Islands that helped Charles Darwin come up with the ground, breaking Theory of Evolution", dramatically altering the way humankind had perceived its own history till then.
• According to a 2019 study, the waters off the Galapagos Islands have about 10 times more alien marine invertebrates than previously recorded. It recorded as many as 53 non-native marine invertebrates off two islands in the archipelago. The number of such species known earlier was just five! Researchers are convinced there are certainly more such creatures in the region waiting to be discovered.
• While the Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the most popular for coral reefs, the Galapagos hosts its own share of such reefs too. However, the El Nino event in 1982-83 is said to have wiped out about 90 % of shallow-water corals in the islands. To add to the problem, there were El Nino events in 1997-98, and 2015 too. However, towards the end of December 2017, a reef project carried a study in the region, and made a delightful discovery that corals were thriving in some of the remotest islands of the Galapagos.
• In a study involving sperm whales and spanning nearly three decades, researchers discovered that "two clans dominated the waters near the Galapagos decades ago, but whales from across the Pacific basin". For the discovery, the team studied distinctive communication clicks among sperm whales to track several cultural clans in the Pacific Ocean".
• In 2016, scientists discovered that two subspecies of the songbird vermilion flycatcher-found only on the Galapagos Islands-were actually two species, and gave them two different names too. While one of them Pyrocephalus nanus is commonly found in the region, the other Pyrocephalus dubius was last seen in 1987, and is, sadly, perhaps, extinct. The study used "molecular data from samples of museum specimens."

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Located on the westernmost point of Australia, the Shark Bay spans about 10,000 sq. km., and includes a few islands and the land around these areas. The Bay is said to have been named thus by buccaneer explorer William Dampier in the 17th Century, due to the presence of numerous sharks. The place was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 for its ecological significance and “exceptional natural features”. The region has the largest known area of seagrass (underwater flowering plants with long, grass-like leaves) covering a few thousand sq. km. In fact, the Wooramel Seagrass Bank within the region is said to be one of the largest seagrass meadows with a variety of seagrass species. As a result, not surprisingly, this place also has a good population of one specific mammal that feeds on the seagrass – the dugong. Another fascinating aspect of Shark Bay is the presence alagal colonies said to be several centuries old. They are considered to be among the oldest forms of life in the planet.

Wildlife

Shark Bay nurtures several marine and reptile species such as fish, dolphins, and turtles, with some that require special mention. It is considered one of the most secure places to conserve the dugong, whose numbers here are encouraging, with more than 10,000. The Bay also sees the presence of a significant number of bottlenose dolphins. It also nurtures for globally threatened mammals – burrowing bettong (a marsupial), rufous hare wallaby, banded hare wallaby, the shark bay mouse, and the western barred bandicoot. In addition to the dugong, the seagrass beds also support endangered species such as green and loggerhead turtles. Befitting its name, a large number of sharks can be seen in the region, as also rays, including the globally threatened manta ray. Whale species such as humpbacks use this place for a short break during their oceanic migration.

Threats

While the Great Barrier Reef of Australia gets wide international attention, the Shark Bay of the same country does not get as much attention, though the region is under great threat too. For instance, in 2011, Shark Bay was hit by a catastrophic marine heatwave that destroyed 900 se. km. of seagrass, which was more than a third of the total coverage. It also means, the damage affected creatures dependant on it, including sea turtles. It is said this life many portions of the region changed, and several have not yet recovered completely.

Climate change is a great threat to the region. In 2018, Shark Bay received the “highest rating of vulnerability” using the Climate Change Vulnerability Index. The index was “created to provide a method for assessing climate change impacts across all World Heritage Sites”. It was assessed that extreme marine heat events were likely to have catastrophic consequences in the region, but it would also have very low capacity to adapt to such events in the coming decades.

The increasing flooding of the Woomarel river leading into Shark Bay has an unexpected consequence – the destruction of stromatolites. These algal colonies have thrived in a specific area in the bay where the waters twice as saline as usual seawater. But when the freshwater keeps mixing with the seawater in the region, it gradually reduces the salinity. Which means, in the long run, it could affect those colonies that have thrived for several centuries. Unfortunately, given the continuing impact of climate change, more frequent, intense flooding associated with tropical storms, have been predicted for Shark Bay.

 

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Located in Hawaii, a state in the US, the Hawaii Volcano National Park is an active volcanic area. Set up in 1961, it spreads across more than 1200 km². The region hosts two of the most active volcanoes in the world – Mauna Loa and Kilauea. While Mauna Loa is a great test volcanic mass on earth, Kilauea is considered the planet‘s most active volcano. The Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The isolation of the Hawaiian archipelago, and the diversity in age, texture, and the composition of the lava flow within the region have given rise to an impressive variety of habitats which, in turn, have immensely influence the development and adaptation of the flora and fauna in the park.

Wildlife

Among the endemic, migratory, introduced, and indigenous birds in the region are francolins, pheasants, plovers, doves, babblers, thrushes, mynas, finches, canaries, sparrows, several species of honeycreepers, munias, endangered geese and hawks, and sea birds such as black noddy. The area’s native species include crickets, caterpillars, dragonflies, and sea turtles. Toads, geckos, and skinks too can be found in the area. Mammals such as mongooses, pigs, and wild goats have been introduced in the region. However, there is only one native mammal – a bat species.

Threats

Considered one of the most vulnerable in the U.S., the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park faces many threats. Among the most threatening is the problem of invasive species. It is said that the place has hosted several wildlife for centuries without any trouble. However, all that changed over 200 years ago when humans unwittingly introduced several non-native species, both plants and animals. Among the creatures causing problems to the native plants and animals are feral pigs, goats, mouflon sheep, feral cats and rats, mongoose, ants, wasps, and mosquitoes. Not just animals, even invasive plants have been a cause of great concern.

It may be hard to believe but some of the most destructive plant species of grass varieties. Grasses such as the African and South American varieties were introduced to help with grazing cattle and sheep. The seeds of these grasses are invariably spread by wind, making them easier and faster to spread but difficult to contain. These varieties are inherently strong, are resistant tofire, which are fine characteristics to have, especially since they feed cattle. But on the flip side, they smother the native grasses in their path, ultimately proving to be harmful to the native vegetation in the region.

Did you know?

Due to volcanic eruptions, the landscape of the Park is constantly changing. The flowing lava is rich in nutrients, and has the power to enrich the environment and even restore habitats that have faced degradation. But that may not be the case always, especially when the volcanic eruption is severe and continuous, without giving a habitat enough time or a chance to recover. In fact, news reports suggest that the eruption of Kilauea in 2018 could have dramatically and permanently altered the landscape of the region. It remains to be seen how (and how much) this has or could have affected the wildlife in the region.

 

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City of Britain’s important wildlife habitats, the Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland in England. In 1951, they became one of the first designated sites of special scientific interest. And 42 years later, they were declared a national Nature reserve. A seabird and seal sanctuary, these islands have been preserved by the National Trust, a conservation organization. The Trust, which has been managing the islands for over 90 years now, constantly strives to find a sensitive balance between respecting the boundaries of nesting avian parents and welcoming curious yet discerning tourists whose arrival keeps the Trust going.

Wildlife

Several thousand seabirds such as puffins, Arctic terns, guillemots, razorbills, and shags visit the Farne Islands for the breeding season every year and make it their home. Over different times of the year, several other species of birds can be found here. They include ducks, geese, fulmars, terns, gulls, godwits, sandpipers, cormorants, skuas, falcons, warblers, flycatchers, buntings, and finches. The Farne Islands are also home to thousands of grey seals, and each year the place witnesses the arrival of hundreds of pups.

Did you know?

• Every year, thousands of puffins congregate at the Farne Islands. Though often known as a sea parrot, locally in Northumberland, the bird is known as a “Tommy noddy”.
• The islands welcome several other species of birds too, including the Arctic tern, and it is believed that in all, they are home to around 1,50,000 birds. Arctic terns have the longest migration for any animal/bird in the world. These birds fly from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back, covering about 71,000 km every year. They will staunchly defend their eggs and chicks from perceived attack, and this could include a peck on a visitor’s head!
• The Farne Islands are home to thousands of grey seals (also known as Atlantic seals), and every autumn the place welcomes hundreds of newborn pups. A tiny number of common seals (also known as harbour seals) too are found in the region.

The threats

• Climate change seems to be having a bearing on the habitat as is evident from a survey that showed a decline in puffin numbers in certain areas of these islands. Their numbers have fallen sharply, and there are even fears the bird could be heading towards extinction within the next 100 years.
• While several places around the world face drought, in 2019, heavy rain was the bad news for birds in the Farne Islands. In just one day in June that year, the place received 12 cm of rain. Young ones of Arctic terns, puffins, and guillemots perished in the rain. This included at least 300 young puffins – called pufflings. All these species are ground-nesting birds which is what led to the catastrophe.
• The number of people landing on Inner Farne Islands has long been limited, keeping in mind the risk to the wildlife there. However, certain never changes – such as advance booking to visit the region – seem to be affecting the long-held balance between “visitor access” and “wildlife conservation.”

 

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Recently, a leopard entered a house in a village in Vellore. The animal was caught by Forest Department officials after being tranquillised and set free in the reverse forest near Pernambut. Earlier this year, a leopard was spotted on the premises of an apartment complex around 5 km from the Bannerghatta National Park in Bengaluru. Incidents of animals straying from forest into residential areas and coming into conflict with humans, resulting in death and injury of people and animals have become more frequent than before. This is referred to as human-wildlife conflict.

The primary reason for the increasing human-animal interaction is urbanization. Human settlements expanding into established wildlife territories lead to conflict over not only space, but also food. Reduction in availability of natural prey leads wild animal to seek alternative sources in the urban regions. Humans also clear forests for agriculture, further compounding the issue.

Primates, such as langurs and macaques, have adapted to urban habitats over the years, where they get easy and quick access to food, compared to the wild. For humans, however, this means putting up with their menace. But, when tigers, leopards, elephants, wolves or snakes stray into human-inhabited areas, the impact is worse.

Why does this matter?

Human-animal conflicts affect animal behavior and activities. For instance, elephants, which are used to travelling long distances while foraging for food, increasingly find their way blocked by highways, railway tracks and factories. As the pachyderms move slowly in herds, the probability of them getting hit by trains is higher. In addition to elephants, other animals such as tigers, bisons, nilgai, and vultures’ are killed as a result of collisions with trains.

Experts say the primary reason for the increasing conflicts is the presence of a large number of animals and birds outside the notified protected areas, where wildlife can roam freely and exploitation of resources by humans is limited. But most of these protected areas in India are too small for territorial animals such as the tiger to roam about. There has been an increase in wildlife sanctuaries in India, but their overall area has considerably reduced.

Solution

Human animal confrontation can be minimized by

• Taking action against human encroachment of protected areas.
• Involving the local community in the protection of animals.
• Demarcating buffer zones after a thorough study of animals, their movement and behaviour.
• Increasing vigilance at railway lines that cut through animal corridors or areas nearby.
• Creating alternative water points for wildlife to community water sources.
• Utilising technology to prevent animals from getting stranded in human settlements.

 

Picture Credit : Google