808 Briefly ASIA & OCEANIA
Wild tiger numbers 40% higher than thought There are 40% more tigers in the wild than previously thought, with as many as 5,578 individuals, although the species re- mains Endangered, according to a leading conservationist group. The jump in num- bers was a result of improved monitoring, with the population thought to be stable or increasing. Habitat protection projects showed that recovery is possible. There are thought to be between 3,726 and 5,578 wild tigers—40% more than at the last assess- ment in 2015. Although the tiger remained Endangered, the population trend indicates that projects such as the IUCN’s integrated tiger habitat conservation programme are succeeding and recovery is possible as long as conservation efforts continue. Major threats include poaching of tigers themselves, poaching and hunting of their prey, and habitat destruction because of agriculture and human settlement. WWF also says that wild tiger numbers have started to recover after a century of decline in the main habitats of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia and China. The reassessment of tiger numbers came as the IUCN updated its Red List of Threatened Species. Source: The Guardian (2022) theguardian. com/environment/2022/jul/22/wild-tiger- numbers-40-higher-than-thought-says- conservation-group
Reserve welcomes birth of first Arabian oryx in 90 years Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Royal Reserve in the Northern Borders Region witnessed the birth of an Arabian oryx for the first time in 90 years. The birth is the result of cooperation between the King Salman Royal Reserve Development Authority and the National Center for Wildlife. A group of oryx was released in the Reserve in March 2022, as part of a reintroduction pro- gramme. The birth of the oryx calf gives a major boost to the preservation of the species, which disappeared from the region because of a combination of factors, includ- ing hunting and loss of vegetation cover. With adults weighing up to 80 kg, the Arabian or white oryx is the largest land mammal in the Arabian Peninsula. It is characterized by a white coat on most of the body except for the face and feet, which are usually a dark color. Source: The Levant (2022) thelevantnews. com/en/article/saudi-arabia-welcomes- birth-of-first-arabian-oryx-in-kingdom-in- 90-yearsjune-9,-2022,-7:56-am
World’s biggest plant discovered off Australian coast The largest known plant on Earth, a sea- grass roughly three times the size of Manhattan, has been discovered off the coast of Australia. Using genetic testing, scientists have determined a large under- water meadow in Western Australia is in fact one plant. It is believed to have spread from a single seed over at least 4,500 years. The seagrass covers c. 200 km2, researchers from the University of Western Australia said. The discovery was made at Shark Bay, c. 800 km north of Perth. Researchers had set out to understand the genetic diver- sity of the species, also known as ribbon weed, which is common along parts of Australia’s coast. They collected shoots from across the bay and examined 18,000 genetic markers to create a fingerprint from each sample. They had aimed to dis- cover how many plants made up the mea- dow and were astonished to find it was just one. The species generally grows like a lawn at a rate of up to 35 cm per year. Sources: Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2022)
doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0538 & BBC (2022)
bbc.co.uk/news/world- australia-61655327
Small efforts could have big effects for conservation of Australian animals More than 40 Australian animals at the highest risk of extinction in the next 2 dec- ades could be saved, and it would take only a small amount of extra conservation effort to achieve this, according to new research. AteamofAustralian scientists has identified the 63 vertebrates they believe aremost likely to go extinct by 2041,and found atleast 47 can be brought back from the brink. Although the data are alarming, they present an opportunity to invest in conservation im-
provements.The 47 species include 21 fish, 12 birds, sixmammals, four frogs and four rep- tiles, with nine of those species estimated to have a greater than 50% risk of extinction in the next 20 years. Animals considered at high risk include the western ground parrot, the swift parrot andVictoria’sBawBawfrog. More than half of the habitat for those ani- mals falls within conservation reserves and the habitat range for several was small, meaning targeted conservation efforts to address threats such as invasive species were possible. Sources: Biological Conservation (2022)
doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109561 & The Guardian (2022)
theguardian.com/ environment/2022/may/25/no-excuses- limited-conservation-efforts-could-save-at- least-47-australian-animals-from- extinction
New Zealand funding push for the conservation of Pacific crop seeds Farmers can now expect to get improved ac- cess to seeds and planting materials that will maintain and hopefully increase their yields despite the impacts of climate change, as the New Zealand Government has provided NZD 10 million for the conservation of Pacific crop seeds. The money will be allo- cated to the Fiji-based Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees, which since 1998 has been conserving the region’s collections of 17 crops including yam, coconut and 70%of the world’s taro varieties. Climate change is a major threat to Pacific agriculture, put- ting the region’s food security at risk. This investment will increase resilience by ensur- ing the region’s seeds and plant materials are preserved and protected for future generations. Source: Fiji Village (2022)
fijivillage.com/ news/NZ-gives-10-million-for-the- conservation-of-Pacific-crop-seeds-5fx48r
Pacific expedition may have discovered over 30 new deep-sea species One of the world’s least explored regions has revealed a collection of species unknown to science. Researchers collected samples from Areas of Particular Environmental Interest, on the abyssal plains of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the central Pacific, using a remotely operated vehicle. A total of 55 specimens were brought to the surface from across the abyssal plains and undersea hills known as seamounts, enab- ling scientists to examine the deep-sea or- ganisms. There was evidence of 48 different species, of which only nine are currently known to science. The remaining 39 may be new species, but it is difficult to assess. There is too much uncertainty about the variation within known species to assign species with confidence, and older type spe- cimens are often in poor condition, making comparisons with new samples difficult. Sources: ZooKeys (2022)
doi.org/10.3897/ zookeys.1113.82172 & The Natural History Museum (2022)
nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/ 2022/july/pacific-expedition-may-have- discovered-over-30-new-deep-sea-species. html
All internet addresses were up to date at the time of writing. The Briefly section in this issue was written and compiled by Emma Muench, Julia Hochbach and Martin Fisher, with additional contributions from Annkathrin Sharp. Contributions from authoritative published sources (including websites) are always welcome. Please send contributions to
oryx@fauna-flora.org.
Oryx, 2022, 56(6), 803–808 © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605322001168
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