Threats to the Białowieża Forest
Europe’s last primeval forest, Białowieża hosts about 1,070 species of vascular plants, 4,000 species of fungi, more than 10,000 species of insect, 180 breeding bird species and 58 species of mammals. Home to Europe’s largest population of bison, trees are as tall as 180 feet and its foliage stretches for nearly…
This Is The Plastic Island in the Pacific (Photos)
[caption id="attachment_1200" align="alignright" width="565"] Plastics in our Oceans, Source: IranDaily[/caption] Since the introduction of plastics as a cheap and disposable alternative to metal, wood, and ceramic, the environment has suffered heavily from the influx of waste. Due to the nature of powerful carbon-to-carbon bonding in synthetic polymers, plastics decompose at…
Geospatial Technology Leading the Way to Save Wildlife
Geography and geospatial science were at the forefront when Megyn Kelly debuted her new show on NBC this past Sunday night. Besides the widely anticipated interview with President Vladimir Putin, veteran reporter Harry Smith interviewed AGS Councilor and International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW) Chief of Staff, Faye Cuevas about…
Animal Kingdom: Ethical or Unethical?
For almost five decades, Disney Theme Parks attracts visitors from many countries around the world and Animal Kingdom, a branch of the world-famous parks, opened on Earth Day in 1998 in Orlando, Florida. With the recent expansion of the new site opening this week, Pandora – World of Avatar, Animal…
What You Did Not Know About Ecotourism
With summer fast approaching, many people are planning their vacation getaways. To reel in tourists, some countries have turned towards an interesting form of revenue generation, ecotourism, the latest fad in tourism marketing. In fact, "The United Nations World Tourism Organization has declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism…
They Eat Plastic For Lunch
For years scientists have been on the search for ways to deal with our burgeoning plastic waste burden. The issue of plastic is that it is not really biodegradable. A single piece of plastic can take hundreds to even thousands of years to biodegrade. Plastics are petroleum products that have…
One Species of Toad Tops the Food Chain
Cane toads were taken from the state of Hawaii in 1935 and brought over to Australia in the hopes of controlling the native grey-backed cane beetle. The native species were noted to be detrimental to sugar cane crops, one of the main source of income for Australia because they feed on the…
The Resistance & Demand for Rhino Horns
There are five species of rhinoceros and they are in danger of being hunted to extinction for their horns. South Africa is home to around 20,000 white rhino (about 80% of the world's population) and 5,000 black rhinos. South African courts have repealed a 2009 act that prohibited the poaching and…
The Small Island Nation of Palau
[caption id="attachment_918" align="alignleft" width="486"] Photograph from iExplore[/caption] Small developing island nations are experiencing climate change impacts the most. The low-lying archipelago of Palau is a paradise of prodigious biodiversity with over 1,300 species of fish, about 700 species of hard and soft corals, and marine lakes that host hordes of…
Animal Tracking Technology: Its Evolution, Uses, and Misuses
[caption id="attachment_902" align="aligncenter" width="271"] A warbler with a tracking device via birdlife.org[/caption] Early on, to track migration patterns of animals, one had to follow discreetly with a pair of binoculars and a camera. Innovative technology has advanced our means for animal tracking and has made it possible to do so…