Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 27 March 2018
U.N. reports see a lonelier planet with fewer plants, animals

BY SETH BORENSTEIN, AP of the species that only live
WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth in Europe are now threat-
is losing plants, animals and ened. In the last decade,
clean water at a dramatic 42 percent of the land
rate, according to four new plant and animal species
United Nations scientific re- have declined, said Europe
ports that provide the most co-chair Mark Rounsevell
comprehensive and local- of the Karlsruhe Institute of
ized look at the state of bio- Technology in Germany.
diversity. Wetlands have been cut in
Scientists meeting in Co- half since 1970.
lombia issued four regional AFRICA
reports Friday on how well Africa could lose half of
animal and plants are do- some bird and mammal
ing in the Americas; Europe species by 2100. And more
and Central Asia; Africa; than 60 percent of the con-
and the Asia-Pacific area. tinent's people depend on
Their conclusion after three natural resources for their
years of study : Nowhere is livelihoods, said report
doing well. co-chair Luthando Dziba
The Intergovernmental of South African National
Science-Policy Platform on Parks.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Already more than 20 per-
was about more than just In this Friday, March 2, 2018 file photo, keeper Zachariah Mutai attends to Fatu, one of only two cent of Africa's species are
critters, said study team female northern white rhinos left in the world, in the pen where she is kept for observation, at the threatened, endangered
Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia county in Kenya.
chairman Robert Watson. Associated Press or extinct. While scientists
It is about keeping Earth liv- said government and so-
able for humans, because chemicals have hurt plants by the year 2050 the Ameri- If trends continue, there ciety needs to change its
we rely on biodiversity for and animals, wetlands and cas will have 15 percent will be no "exploitable fish ways, individuals can use
food, clean water and mangroves that clean up fewer plants and animals stocks" for commercial fish- less energy, less water and
public health, the promi- pollution are disappearing, than now. That means ing by 2048. Around that eat less red meat, Watson
nent British and U.S. scien- and the world's waters are there will be 40 percent same, the region will lose said. "A balanced diet can
tist said. "This is undermining overfished, he said. fewer plants and animals 45 percent of its biodiver- really help," he said. There
well-being across the plan- Man-made climate in the Americas than in the sity and about 90 percent are "lots of individual things
et, threatening us long- change is getting worse, early 1700s. of its crucial corals, if noth- you can do."
term on food and water," and global warming will Nearly a quarter of the spe- ing changes, said Asia co- The outlook is bleak if soci-
Watson said in an interview. soon hurt biodiversity as cies that were fully mea- chair Sonali Seneratna Sell- ety doesn't change, but it
Scientists pointed to this much as all the other prob- sured are now threatened, amuttu, a senior researcher still can, Watson said.
week's death of the last lems combined, Watson Rice said. at the International Water "Some species are threat-
male northern white rhino said. And when all of "nature's Management Institute. ened with extinctions. Oth-
in Africa, severe declines in "We keep making choices contributions" are taken "All major ecosystems are ers, just pure numbers will
the numbers of elephants, to borrow from the future into account, nearly two- threatened in the region," go down," Watson said. "It
tigers and pangolins, but to live well today," said thirds are declining and she said. will be a lonelier place rela-
said those are only the most Jake Rice, Canada's chief more than one-fifth are EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA tive to our natural world. It's
visible and charismatic of government scientist for "decreasing strongly," Rice Even though it is the region a moral issue. Do we hu-
species that are in trouble. fisheries and oceans, who said. that Watson said may be mans have a right to make
What's happening is a side co-chaired the Americas ASIA-PACIFIC doing the best, 28 percent them go extinct."q
effect of the world getting report.
wealthier and more crowd- Duke University conserva-
ed with people, Watson wasn't part of the study Cat-and-mouse game: Mountain
tionist Stuart Pimm, who
said. Humans need more
food, more clean water, team, said the reports
more energy and more make sense and are based lion roams California backyards
land. And the way society on well-established scien-
has tried to achieve that tific data: "Are things pretty
has cut down on biodiver- dire? Yes." AZUSA, Calif. (AP) — A ficers tranquilized it. San Gabriel Mountains wil-
sity, he said. Among the regional find- mountain lion roamed The lion was spotted Mon- derness.
Crucial habitat has been ings: through backyards in a day morning in the eastern TV news helicopters
cut apart, alien species THE AMERICAS neighborhood outside Los Los Angeles County com- showed it pawing at the
have invaded places, If current trends continue, Angeles before wildlife of- munity of Azusa, near the door of a home and jump-
ing onto the roof of a shed,
then leaping over a fence.
Azusa police contained the
big cat until wildlife officers
arrived and used social
media to warn residents to
stay indoors.
After being tranquilized,
the sleeping lion was load-
ed onto a pickup truck
to be moved out of the
neighborhood.q