Whale sharks are a declining species for which little biological data is available. While these animals are protected in many parts of their range, they are fished legally and illegally in some countries. Baseline biological and ecological data are needed to allow the formulation of an effective conservation plan for whale sharks. It is not known, for example, whether the whale shark is represented by a single worldwide panmictic population or by numerous, reproductively isolated populations.
climate change Poznan talks begin Delegates from 186 nations congregated in the Polish city of Poznan on December 1 to negotiate a new climate change treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. Ministers discussed their vision for long-term cooperative action and emphasized the economic slowdown should not overshadow the fight against climate change. unfccc Executive
A strong earthquake of 6.2 magnitude and at a depth of 30 miles (48 km) struck Panama near the Costa Rica border overnight, the US Geological Survey said on Wednesday.
The quake hit 35 miles (56 km) west southwest of David, Panama, at 1:11 a.m. local time (0611 GMT).
Many studies suggest that global warming is driving species ranges poleward and toward higher elevations at temperate latitudes, but evidence for range shifts is scarce for the tropics, where the shallow latitudinal temperature gradient makes upslope shifts more likely than poleward shifts.
Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela are closer to ensuring their citizens have the chance to break the cycle of poverty than many of their neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the World Bank
The concept of ecosystem services has received significant attention since the appearance of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment(MA). Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.
A study in Science (June 2008, Vol 320, No 5884) shows that plants are relocating to higher altitudes to escape warming temperatures. The study found new generations thriving at higher altitudes and dying out at lower ones, leading to a shift in the population, at an average rate of 29 metres per decade. Because the shift is generational, plants associated with shorter life spans are making the
