Madagascar: Africa's isolated and unique island neighbor is at risk

Madagascar, that large island you see off the east coast of Africa, is a remarkably unique and, conversely, typical place. What is special about Madagascar is the good news. And what is not so special is the bad news. First the good news.

Being somewhat isolated, Madagascar can act as a gigantic evolutionary petri dish, bringing forth a variety of animals that are found nowhere else. According to MSNBC, since 1999 scientists have discovered as many 615 new species, ranging from Berthe's mouse lemur - the world's smallest primate weighing in at one ounce - to lizards with tree bark-like camouflage to a whole host of plants.

"All the species are so special, and many are unique to Madagascar," said Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, conservation director for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Madagascar. "They don't exist anywhere else in the world."

With something new being discovered almost on a weekly basis, this island - the fourth largest island in the world - has, in little over a decade, provided scientists with 17 new species of fish, 41 mammals, 61 reptiles, 69 amphibians, 42 invertebrates, and 385 plants.

I have a niece, Kathryn Theiss, who is a botanist and has spent a considerable amount of time in Madagascar studying species of orchids. She must be in heaven every time she's there in the field. But heaven can be fleeting and this is what makes Madagascar typical. Now, the bad news.

Like many other developing nations, many of Madagascar's plant and animal species are at risk or out right endangered because of the subsistence-level needs of the people - from farming to poaching for exotic animals. For most of the Malagasy people, wood is their primary source of energy. And a growing population demands farmland. So, deforestation is a major problem. From 1950 to 1990, the forests were cleared at a rate of 2 percent a year. While the level of deforestation has decreased by as much as half since then, the damage had been done and the island's total forest acreage has been reduced by as much as 90 percent.

"The sad part is that there could be many species that will disappear before they are discovered," Ratsifandrihamanana said.

So there is a race taking place in Madagascar, with continuing advances in scientific study methods allowing for ever-increasing numbers of new species to be identified, while the accelerating degradation of the forests threaten more and more species with extinction. The WWF continues to work in Madagascar to both assist the scientists and bring the issue of deforestation to the people on a local level.

"We're really trying to empower local communities so they are better managers of the resources, because they are the ones who make the daily decisions for how they will use the forest," observed Ratsifandrihamanana.

WWF has its work cut out for itself. To educate the populace to better conserve their isolated and precious resources, the overall economic situation must improve, and Madagascar is considered one of the poorest nations on the planet with an unsettled government (a coup occurred in 2009). But whatever progress is achieved would be worth the effort.

OurAmazingPlanet recently listed eight of the world's most endangered places - and Madagascar made the list. A dubious distinction for an evolutionary jewel that can provide scientists with knowledge about the development of species that could be transferred to how we can best preserve plants and animals worldwide. What a tragedy it would be if Madagascar's only legacy was to serve as a lasting reminder of what can happen when mankind takes without giving back.

Belize Biodiversity At Risk: Bladen Nature Reserve threatened

The nation of Belize, bordered by Guatemala and Mexico to the left and the Caribbean Sea to its right, is a land of rich natural resources and a strong tourism base, particularly for vacationing scuba divers. Recognizing that its lush tropical woodlands constitute a natural treasure and heritage, the Belize government has had to balance the demands of development with conservation and preservation of its forests.

To that end, the Bladen Nature Reserve was established in the northwest portion of the southern district of Toledo, bordering Guatemala. Established in 1990 and now managed by the Ya'ache' Conservation Trust, the reserve consists of 97,000 acres of pristine tropical forest containing a wide diversity in plant and animal life. It is also under siege.

According to Channel5Belize.com, the biodiversity of the Bladen Nature Reserve is being undermined by animal poachers, those who illegally harvest the xate palm, and even legitimate developers who are eying the Central River that runs through the reserve as a potential hydroelectric plant site.

The threats to the Bladen Nature Reserve are a microcosm of what many nature reserves face around the world. Xate, a type of palm popular in floral displays and for Christian religious ceremonies, has been heavily harvested in neighboring Guatemala. So, xate harvesters, known as Xateros, have been routinely crossing the Belize border and stripping the reserve of its xate, setting up harvesting camps - where the palm leaves are hung to dry - and hiding from government officials in caves. In addition, animal poachers enter the reserve to capture many of the reserve's animals for foreign markets, particularly colorfully-plumed birds like macaws and curassows.

As is the case with many developing nations trying to protect their natural resources, the Belize government has limited resources available to patrol and enforce protection of the reserve. According to Channel5Belize, "The expansive acreage is the most protected area in the country yet it remains under constant threat from poachers and developers both in and outside of its confines. For years this territory has been used for illegal hunting and harvesting. Despite joint efforts by conservationists and various government agencies incursion by xateros is unavoidable."

The extent of the illegal harvesting has been taking a toll on the forest overall, and with deforestation comes soil erosion. This produces sediments washed down by rains into the reserve's Monkey River Watershed, which adversely impacts water supplies for many communities all the way out to the Caribbean Sea where excess sediment has been fouling coral reefs in Belize's Barrier Reef - which can, in turn, threaten Belize's diving tourism.

To top it off, the energy demands of a growing populace have developers looking at the reserve as a possible location for a hydroelectric plant along the Central River. The government has granted permission for the developers to conduct research, despite the efforts of others who say it violates the reserve's charter and regulations.

"Why are we granting someone a permit to study it for commercial interest when you're saying that these commercial activities can, in fact, not be allowed in these areas? So what is the long term intent? Is it to de-reserve these areas and allow these commercial developments to happen?" said Lisel Alamilla, Executive Director of the Ya'ache' Conservation Trust.

Efforts are being taken by the Ya'ache' Trust's managers, researchers, and conservationists to present a more detailed "big picture" view of the problem for government officials. Otherwise, little by little, a magnificent and ecologically important piece of Belize's heritage could disappear forever.

Read about threats to the reserve at Channel5 Belize.com.
Read about the Xate palm.

Pesticides & Junk Mail: better ways to deal with both

Here are two news items from the Center for Biological Diversity that not only benefit the environment but will also have definite proactive effects on our lives. 

EPA proposes new pesticide regulation  
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposed regulation that will require pesticide manufacturers to list both active and inert ingredients on their products.  Apparently, the manufacturers currently are only required to list active ingredients which are those designed to kill the intended pest.  So-called inert ingredients can actually turn out to be hazardous.  Chemicals like formaldehyde, sulphuric acid, or known carcinogens have been used for this purpose and the EPA has recently designated 350 inert ingredients as being hazardous. 

If this proposed regulation is enacted, you, the consumer or farmer, will be able to better decide what product to use (if you are inclined to use any pesticides) by knowing ALL of the ingredients that would be entering the air, soil, or water.  

But as with many proposed regulations, there will first be a public comment period that will commence shortly.  It is anticipated that the pesticide manufacturers will add a dissenting voice.  If you would like to add your own voice of support, click here. 

Happy with your junk mail? 
I suspect not, yet millions of pounds of the stuff gets crammed into our mailboxes each week.  And that printed material represents the loss of thousands of trees.  But there's a way you can help to put a stop to it by visiting 41pounds.org.  This organization gets its name from the fact that the average adult currently receives about 41 pounds of junk mail each year.  

For a 5-year membership fee of only $41USD (that breaks down to $8.20USD a year), 41pounds.org will block your name from leading mailing list agencies in addition to catalogers you specify.  They guarantee that within 6-8 weeks you will see a noticeable drop in unwanted mailings, credit card offers, and catalogs.  

41pounds.org is a non-profit organization and, just to be clear, I'm not getting any compensation for plugging this group.  You could do all the leg work yourself and save the cost of membership - if you are tenacious enough.  But as a former marketing exec, I can tell you that the direct mail industry counts on the fact that you won't bother.  To visit their web site and learn more, click here.