Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Landclearing (1/8)
An Australian farmer walks across a paddock affected by salinity as a result of landclearing on his property about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of Sydney.
Thousands of Australian mammals, reptiles, and bird species face extinction from landclearing, according to the Australian government's "Biodiversity Audit." Nearly 3,000 Australian ecosystems are at risk if the annual landclearing rate of 500,000 hectares (1.23 million acres) continues. (Photo: Reuters)
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Landclearing (1/8)
An Australian farmer walks across a paddock affected by salinity as a result of landclearing on his property about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of Sydney.
Thousands of Australian mammals, reptiles, and bird species face extinction from landclearing, according to the Australian government's "Biodiversity Audit." Nearly 3,000 Australian ecosystems are at risk if the annual landclearing rate of 500,000 hectares (1.23 million acres) continues. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Coral Bleach and Marine Life (2/8)
The above photo shows a healthy coral reef off Papua New Guinea.
The photo below shows the effects of "bleaching" on corals off Caye Caulker, Belize. Much of the 320 kilometers (200 miles) of Belize's coral reef has been bleached from warming ocean waters in the last decade. Some scientists say it is likely to die - a victim of global warming. (Photo: Reuters)
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Coral Bleach and Marine Life (2/8)
The above photo shows a healthy coral reef off Papua New Guinea.
The photo below shows the effects of "bleaching" on corals off Caye Caulker, Belize. Much of the 320 kilometers (200 miles) of Belize's coral reef has been bleached from warming ocean waters in the last decade. Some scientists say it is likely to die - a victim of global warming. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Mangroves and Tsunamis (3/8)
Acehense workers plant mangrove trees on the outskirts of Banda Aceh in April 2005. Authorities are trying to rehabilitate mangrove forests on the coasts of tsunami-ravaged Aceh. Mangrove forests have been lost all around Southeast Asia to make way for shrimp farms and tourist resorts.
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, satellite images reveal that areas with intact mangrove forests suffered significantly less damage from the December 2004 Tsunami than unprotected areas. (Photo: Reuters)
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Mangroves and Tsunamis (3/8)
Acehense workers plant mangrove trees on the outskirts of Banda Aceh in April 2005. Authorities are trying to rehabilitate mangrove forests on the coasts of tsunami-ravaged Aceh. Mangrove forests have been lost all around Southeast Asia to make way for shrimp farms and tourist resorts.
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, satellite images reveal that areas with intact mangrove forests suffered significantly less damage from the December 2004 Tsunami than unprotected areas. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Forest, Floods, and Erosion (4/8)
A stream winds through a strip of once virgin Amazon rainforest destroyed by loggers in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso State. Over nine football fields of Amazon rainforest is destroyed every minute, according to Brazilian government figures.
Virgin rainforest acts as a natural filter for air and water. Once it is destroyed, the barren land is vulnerable to flooding and erosion. (Photo: Reuters)
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Forest, Floods, and Erosion (4/8)
A stream winds through a strip of once virgin Amazon rainforest destroyed by loggers in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso State. Over nine football fields of Amazon rainforest is destroyed every minute, according to Brazilian government figures.
Virgin rainforest acts as a natural filter for air and water. Once it is destroyed, the barren land is vulnerable to flooding and erosion. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Loss of Wetlands and Hurricane Katrina (5/8)
A levee gives way to high water in New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. The U.S. Gulf Coast has been under environmental pressure for decades. Louisiana alone loses about 65 square kilometers of wetlands annually. (Photo: Reuters)
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Loss of Wetlands and Hurricane Katrina (5/8)
A levee gives way to high water in New Orleans, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. The U.S. Gulf Coast has been under environmental pressure for decades. Louisiana alone loses about 65 square kilometers of wetlands annually. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Deforestation and Tropical Storms (6/8)
Haitians fleeing floodwaters climb off an overturned back. Haitians were caught off guard by flooding resulting from Tropical Storm Jeanne in September 2004. Close to 3,000 people died in Haiti, but only 18 across the border in the Dominican Republic. Experts from the Convention on Biological Diversity have linked the difference to the extensive deforestation in Haiti - clearly visible on the hills in the background of our picture. Only two percent of Haiti's original forest remains. (Photo: Reuters)
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Deforestation and Tropical Storms (6/8)
Haitians fleeing floodwaters climb off an overturned back. Haitians were caught off guard by flooding resulting from Tropical Storm Jeanne in September 2004. Close to 3,000 people died in Haiti, but only 18 across the border in the Dominican Republic. Experts from the Convention on Biological Diversity have linked the difference to the extensive deforestation in Haiti - clearly visible on the hills in the background of our picture. Only two percent of Haiti's original forest remains. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Invasive Species and Biodiversity (7/8)
A diver explores the seabed in search for tropical algae near the Croatian island of Hvar. Tropical algae of the Caulerpa family has spread into the Adriatic Sea and is gradually threatening to disrupt the native ecosystem. Croatia, reliant on the tourist industry, wants to preserve its coastal biodiversity.
An estimated 80 percent of endangered species could suffer losses due to invasive species. Estimated damage and control cost in the United States alone amount to more than 138 billion dollars annually. (Photo: Reuters)
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Invasive Species and Biodiversity (7/8)
A diver explores the seabed in search for tropical algae near the Croatian island of Hvar. Tropical algae of the Caulerpa family has spread into the Adriatic Sea and is gradually threatening to disrupt the native ecosystem. Croatia, reliant on the tourist industry, wants to preserve its coastal biodiversity.
An estimated 80 percent of endangered species could suffer losses due to invasive species. Estimated damage and control cost in the United States alone amount to more than 138 billion dollars annually. (Photo: Reuters)
Biodiversity Protects Against Climate Change
Extinction of Species (8/8)
South African artist Willem Boshoff's "Garden of Words III" installation commemorates 30,000 of the world's 300,000 known plant species that are on the list of endangered species. According to the South African National Biodiversity Institute, over 1,500 of South Africa's plant species face a high risk of extinction in the near future. (Photo: Reuters)
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Extinction of Species (8/8)
South African artist Willem Boshoff's "Garden of Words III" installation commemorates 30,000 of the world's 300,000 known plant species that are on the list of endangered species. According to the South African National Biodiversity Institute, over 1,500 of South Africa's plant species face a high risk of extinction in the near future. (Photo: Reuters)
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