Page 28 - ATD21NOV2015

A28

SCIENCESaturday 21 November 2015

Shrinking Amazon forests may lose thousands of trees species

SETH BORENSTEIN If deforestation continues In this April 23, 2002 file photo, specimens from the Brazil nut, Lecythidacene family, are displayed
AP Science Writer at the same pace, nearly inside the Herbarium at The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx borough of New York.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A 8,700 tree types are in trou-
first-of-its-kind examina- ble, but the number of spe- Associated Press
tion of the Amazon’s trees cies at risk could be as low
found that as many as half as 5,500 if nations are able wood, but some trees exist. Stuart Pimm, who was not the work as sensible and
the species may be threat- to cut back as planned, Duke University ecologist part of the study, praised important.q
ened with extinction or said study co-author Nigel
heading that way because Pitman from the Field Mu- Feds: Lake Erie algae bloom in
of massive deforestation. seum in Chicago. 2015 was largest on record
Among the more than “We’ve never had a good
5,000 tree species in deep idea of how many species
trouble: the ones that pro- are threatened in the Am-
duce Brazil nuts and ma- azon,” Pitman said Friday.
hogany. “Now with this study, we
An international team of have an estimate.”
158 scientists found that de- About 15 years ago, the
pending on the degree to Amazon was losing about
which deforestation comes 11.6 million square miles
under control in the next 35 (30 million sq. kilometers)
years, between 36 and 57 of forest a year, said Tim
percent of the 16,000 tree Killeen, a scientist from Ag-
species in the tropical rain- teca Amazonica in Bolivia.
forest area would be con- But that figure has dropped
sidered threatened. Their to about 3.8 million square
study is published in Friday’s miles (10 million sq. kilome-
edition of ScienceAdvanc- ters) a year, he said.
es. Killeen said the tree that
The range rests on whether produces Brazil nuts is seri-
cutting down the region’s ously under threat, while
forest continues at the rate “mahogany is commer-
of the late 20th and early cially extinct throughout
21st centuries or slows down the Amazon.” He said that
to lesser levels proposed in means there’s no more
2006, study authors said. industry harvesting the

Hold on a second: JOHN SEEWER much larger. Just how big into the lake. Algae blooms
Associated Press is still being determined, — linked to phosphorus
UN kicks ‘leap second’ TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The though it was clearly bigger from farm fertilizers, live-
algae bloom that spread than anything measured so stock manure and sewage
decision down road across Lake Erie this sum- far, said Richard Stumpf, treatment plants — have
mer was the largest on a NOAA researcher. The taken hold in the western
BERLIN (AP) — For this decision, a U.N. agency has de- record and left behind a massive algae colony this third of the lake over the
cided to take its time. thick, paint-like scum that year stayed toward the last decade and colored
The International Telecommunication Union said Thursday covered an area roughly center of the lake between some of its waters a shade
that it had considered a proposal to abandon the “leap the size of New York City, Canada and Ohio and of green that looks like pea
second” at a conference in Geneva, but recommended government scientists said away from the shoreline, soup. The blooms, which
further study. Tuesday. The bloom fueled which lessened the impact typically peak from the
The practice of periodically adding an extra second to by heavy summer rains sur- on boaters and drinking middle of August through
compensate for the slightly slower rotation of the Earth passed the record-setting water plants, he said. Tox- the end of September,
has kept computers synchronized with the planet’s 24- algae outbreak in 2011 ins from a much smaller also have been blamed for
hour day since 1972. that stretched from Toledo bloom in August 2014 con- contributing to oxygen-de-
The international timekeepers said they needed more de- to Cleveland, said the Na- taminated the tap water prived dead zones where
tails on the possible impact of ending the practice, and tional Oceanic and Atmo- for 400,000 people in the fish can’t survive. Ohio,
would evaluate the findings at a meeting of the World spheric Administration. Toledo area and a sliver along with Michigan and
Radiocommunication Conference in 2023. Until then, Scum from the bloom cov- of southeastern Michigan. the Canadian province of
leap seconds will be added as needed. ered about 300 square Heavy rains across north- Ontario, agreed in June to
The last leap second was added on June 30; the time miles in early and mid-Au- ern Ohio in June and July sharply reduce the amount
before that was in 2012.q gust, the agency said. washed huge amounts of of phosphorus flowing into
But the actual bloom was algae-feeding phosphorus western Lake Erie within the
next 10 years.q