Endangered Ecosystems

       There is now a 'red list' of Endangered Ecosystems around the world from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  There were twenty case studies created in order to assess the health of Earth's various ecosystems.

Aral Sea

They are as follows:

• Aral Sea — Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: freshwater, collapsed
• Raised bogs — Germany: critically endangered
• Gonakier forests — Senegal River floodplain: freshwater, critically endangered
• Cape Sand Flats — Fynbos, South Africa: terrestrial, critically endangered
• Coorong lagoons — Australia: freshwater/marine, critically endangered
• Karst rising springs — Southern Australia: freshwater, critically endangered
• Coastal sandstone upland swamps — Australia: freshwater, endangered/critically endangered
• Swamps, marshes and lakes in the Murray-Darling Basin — Australia: freshwater, endangered/critically endangered
• Giant kelp forests — Alaska: marine, endangered/critically endangered
• Caribbean coral reefs — Caribbean: marine, endangered/critically endangered
• Seagrass meadows — Southern Australia: marine, endangered-critically endangered
• German tamarisk pioneer vegetation — Europe: freshwater, endangered
• Coolibah-Black Box woodland — Australia: freshwater/terrestrial, endangered
• Tapia forest — Madagascar: terrestrial, endangered
• Semi-evergreen vine thicket — Australia: terrestrial, endangered
• Great Lakes Alvars — United States and Canada: terrestrial, vulnerable/endangered
• Reed beds — Europe: freshwater, vulnerable
• Floodplain ecosystem of river red gum and black box — southeastern Australia: freshwater, vulnerable
• Tepui shrubland - Venezuela: terrestrial, least concern
• Granite gravel fields and sand plains - New Zealand: terrestrial, least concern

What is IUCN?

IUCN. "IUCN - About IUCN." IUCN - Home. N.p., 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 May 2013. <http://www.iucn.org/about/>.

Oskin, Becky. " IUCN Criteria For 'Red List' of Endangered Ecosystems Detailed | Conservation | OurAmazingPlanet.com ."Home | OurAmazingPlanet.com . N.p., 8 May 2013. Web. 12 May 2013. <http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/4448-iucn-red-list-ecosystems-detailed.html>.

Wildlife Conservation Society

"The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world's largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth."

(WCS; Mission Statement)

         The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is an organization that was founded back in 1895 with a missions to save not only wildlife but the 'wild' places that they live in and call home.  They protect animal species all over the world and work against things such as climate change, wildlife and human health, natural resource exploitation  and sustainable development.  They recognize that climate change and global warming threatens both terrestrial and marine habitats in a multitude of ways.  In terms of climate change they have projects and looks at home it effects landscapes, wildlife, and conservation as well as carbon markets.


WCS. "Wildlife Conservation Society."Wildlife Conservation Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2013. <www.wcs.org/>.

Shade for Change

        Plants have been seen to help slow climate change.  According to Nature Geoscience they are doing this through temperatures rising causing them to emit
gases that lead to the formation of sunshade of clouds over the planet.  This 'sun-dimming' effect is said to possibly offset about one percent of worldwide warming and up to thirty percent locally.  It has also helped to provide more evidence in the importance of forest protection.
        There were eleven sites around the world that were observed to show the tiny particles emitted from plants.  The focus was in Europe, North America, Russia, and southern Africa.  Forests are effected by warming by means of invasive species or pests kept in check by the cold as well as wildfires.




Source: http://weather.yahoo.com/plants-slow-climate-change-forming-cloud-sunshade-study-184108780.html
Nature Geoscience Study: http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1800.html

Doyle, Alister. "Plants slow climate change by forming cloud sunshade - study - Yahoo! Weather." Yahoo! Weather - Weather Forecasts | Maps | News. N.p., 28 Apr. 2013. Web. 7 May 2013. <http://weather.yahoo.com/plants-slow-climate-change-forming-cloud-sunshade-study-184108780.html>.