754 Briefly INTERNATIONAL


For human survival, we need urgent changes in farming.. . We depend on farming for our survival but this activity takes up more than one-third of the world’s landmass and contributes to the plight of 62% of all threatened spe- cies globally. However, researchers say that with proper management, agricultural land- scapes could support rather than damage biodiversity, through a global transition to agroecological production. An internation- al team of over 360 scientists from 42 coun- tries, led by the University of Göttingen in Germany and Westlake University in China, argue that agroecological princi- ples should be integrated in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Reversing the trend in species decline is essential for people and the planet, but it will require co- ordinated actions and a move to sustainable agriculture. Intensive farming relies on ex- cessive pesticides and fertilizer, with nega- tive effects on biodiversity. The scientists say that by adopting agroecological princi- ples, farming landscapes can provide habi- tats for biodiversity, promote connectivity between protected areas and increase spe- cies’ ability to respond to environmental threats. Source: Phys.org (2020) phys.org/news/ 2020-07-farming-urgent-biodiversity- scientists.html


.. . a sustainable blue recovery... We all rely on the ocean, which covers two-thirds of our planet, to regulate our cli- mate, provide us with food,medicine, energy and even the air we breathe. The ocean is valued at c. USD 3 trillion annually and sup- ports the livelihoods of more than 3 billion people. But the natural assets that the blue economy depends on are fast eroding under the pressure of human activities.Already, 94% of all wild fish stocks are being fully utilized, with one-third exploited in an unsustainable manner. In addition, the ocean is becoming acidic because of increasing levels of CO2 being absorbed by it, rising temperatures have killed up to half of the world’s coral reefs, and by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean.We cannot afford to continue mismanaging this important glob- al resource; a regenerative, sustainable and equitable blue economy must be part of the world’s social and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2020) unctad. org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?Original VersionID=2436


.. . and mainstreaming of biodiversity According to the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, more than 1 mil- lion animal and plant species are threatened with extinction because of human actions. However, relatively few people seem to understand what biodiversity is or why species matter, despite global attempts to mainstream biodiversity and relate it to the provision of ecosystem services upon which all life depends, and to value nature in monetary terms. Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic will help alter popular perceptions of humanity being immune to, and cocooned from, biodiversity loss and ecosystem de- struction. The destruction of undervalued wild habitats and the exploitation of wildlife have brought humans in close proximity with zoonotic viruses, and 75%of all emerging diseases are zoonotic in origin. The time has come to ensure that biodiversity is brought centrestage in our understanding, but also in our policies and laws. Source: The Citizen (2020) thecitizen.in/ index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/13/19082/ Are-We-Mainstreaming-or- SimplyTrivialising-Biodiversity


Switch to green technologies could speed up biodiversity loss Conservation efforts often overlook the threats posed by growth in renewable ener- gies. However, the global switch to green technologies could speed up biodiversity loss, scientists have warned. Technologies such as solar panels, batteries and wind turbines require mined materials such as lithium, cobalt, copper and aluminium, and demand for these materials could fuel the expansion of mining operations into fragile habitats harbouring rare wildlife. In a new study, scientists mapped mining areas and assessed their spatial coincidence with bio- diversity conservation sites and priorities. The researchers found that mining po- tentially influences 50 million km2 of the world’s land surface, with 8% coinciding with protected areas, 7% with key biodiver- sity areas, and 16% with remaining wilder- ness. Most mining areas (82%) target mate- rials needed for renewable energy production. Theywarn that mining threats to biodiversity will increase as more mines target materials for renewable energy production and, with- out strategic planning, these new threats to biodiversity could surpass those averted by climate change mitigation. Sources: Nature Communications (2020) nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17928-5 & iNews (2020) inews.co.uk/news/environ ment/green-technologies-switch-electric- vehicles-biodiversity-loss-615339


European hamster and caterpillar fungus on brink of extinction... Species around the world are facing unpre- cedented declines because of human activ- ities. According to the latest update of the IUCN Red List, the European hamster, once common across much of Europe and Russia but now extirpated from most of its original range,willgoextinctwithin30years if current trends continue. The key reason for the decline is a drastic reduction in the birth rate. Whereas previously female hamsters gave birth to.20 young every year, now they produce only 5–6 pups annually. The rea- sons are not known, but intensive farming, global heating and increasing light pollution may all play a role. The updated Red List also highlights the decline of the caterpillar fungusOphiocordyceps sinensis,whichoccurs onlyontheTibetanplateauandparasitizesthe larvae of ghost moths.Itis highlyprized in traditionalChinesemedicine for its supposed effects on the kidneys and lungs. High de- mand has led to a decline of nearly one-third in its abundance. Formany people selling the fungus, which can fetch higher prices than gold by weight, it is their main source of in- come (see also Oryx, 53, 247–255&256–264). Source: The Guardian (2020) theguardian. com/environment/2020/jul/09/caterpil- lar-fungus-and-european-hamster-on- brink-of-extinction


.. . and sharks functionally extinct on one in five coral reefs In one of the most comprehensive studies on shark abundance to date, Global FinPrint surveyed all reef shark species globally by re- viewing over 18,000 hours of video captured by more than 120 scientists on 371 tropical coral reefs. At 19% of the reefs sampled, no sharks were caught on video, suggesting they may no longer be present in high en- ough numbers to perform an ecological role at those locations. Fortunately, some loca- tions such as the Bahamas and French Poly- nesia maintain healthy shark populations on their reefs. Countries with highest shark abundance were typically those that had de- clared protected areas and regulated fishing with effective enforcement. The places that are doing worst have few or poorly enforced fishing regulations and higher levels of pover- ty. The data are now being used to review the conservation status of various shark spe- cies, and the impact on reefs when they are extirpated.The research suggests that the suc- cess of different conservation measures is context-dependent, but that actions support- ing reef shark recovery must be prioritized. Source: Science (2020) sciencemag.org/ news/2020/07/sharks-functionally- extinct-one-five-coral-reefs


Oryx, 2020, 54(6), 753–758 © Fauna & Flora International 2020 doi:10.1017/S0030605320000897


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