Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Fruits of the forest gone: Overhunting of large animals has catastrophic effects on trees
(Please note, US federal government press release. Copyright concerns are nil.)
https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=133230
[font face=Serif][font size=5]Fruits of the forest gone: Overhunting of large animals has catastrophic effects on trees[/font]
[font size=4]As the animals go, so go tropical forests[/font]
[font size=3]November 12, 2014
The elephant has long been an important spiritual, cultural and national symbol in Thailand. At the beginning of the 20th century, its numbers exceeded 100,000.
Today, those numbers have plunged to 2,000. Elephants, as well as other large, charismatic animals such as tigers, monkeys and civet cats, are under attack from hunters and poachers.
Overhunting of animals affects entire forest
While the loss of these animals is concerning for species conservation, now researchers at the University of Florida have shown that overhunting can have widespread effects on the forest itself.
Overhunting leads to the extinction of a dominant tree species, Miliusa horsfieldii, or the Miliusa beech, with likely cascading effects on other forest biota.
The scientists report their results in the current issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
…
Probability of tree extinction increased tenfold
The results show that loss of animal seed-dispersers increases the probability of tree extinction by more than tenfold over a 100-year period.
"The entire ecosystem is at risk," says Caughlin.
"We hope the study will provide a boost for those trying to curb overhunting," he says, "and provide incentives to stop the wildlife trade."
…[/font][/font]
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2095[font size=4]As the animals go, so go tropical forests[/font]
[font size=3]November 12, 2014
The elephant has long been an important spiritual, cultural and national symbol in Thailand. At the beginning of the 20th century, its numbers exceeded 100,000.
Today, those numbers have plunged to 2,000. Elephants, as well as other large, charismatic animals such as tigers, monkeys and civet cats, are under attack from hunters and poachers.
Overhunting of animals affects entire forest
While the loss of these animals is concerning for species conservation, now researchers at the University of Florida have shown that overhunting can have widespread effects on the forest itself.
Overhunting leads to the extinction of a dominant tree species, Miliusa horsfieldii, or the Miliusa beech, with likely cascading effects on other forest biota.
The scientists report their results in the current issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
…
Probability of tree extinction increased tenfold
The results show that loss of animal seed-dispersers increases the probability of tree extinction by more than tenfold over a 100-year period.
"The entire ecosystem is at risk," says Caughlin.
"We hope the study will provide a boost for those trying to curb overhunting," he says, "and provide incentives to stop the wildlife trade."
…[/font][/font]
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
