聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 There is much interest in the fate of the world鈥檚 varied ecosystems.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We see that concern mirrored in the press often, in particular with the threat encroaching agriculture is having on 麻豆视频 American rain forests, and the threat global temperature change has on the Arctic and its denizens, in particular the polar bear.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For differing reasons both ecosystems get a lot of attention.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The importance of trees in the cycle of cleaning the atmosphere makes the rain forest important.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And there is a feeling that species of plants yet to be discovered could offer humanity all manner of new components which could be important in medicine. They cannot be discovered if they have gone extinct.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The threat to the Arctic ice cap could lead to flooding of coastal lowlands, and when a regal creature such as the polar bear is threatened it becomes a natural 鈥榩oster boy鈥� to rally support to the issue.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But it was interesting to read a recent release by the Saskatchewan Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada聽which suggests the most endangered ecosystem might be much closer to home for those of us on the Canadian Prairies.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The release notes Nature Conservancy of Canada scientist Dan Kraus has said the grasslands are the world鈥檚 most endangered ecosystem in a recent short essay found at http://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/blog/grasslands-the-most.html#.WBOYetUrKHt.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he public often points to rainforests and coral reefs as the planet鈥檚 most critical habitats in need of conservation. But choosing the most endangered comes down to risk: more than 50 per cent worldwide grasslands have been converted to crops and other uses, and there are few protected areas,鈥� related the release. 鈥淢ore than 70 per cent of Canada鈥檚 prairie grassland has been converted. The endangerment of grassland habitat in Canada has cascaded into the endangerment of many grassland species.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淕rasslands are critical for allowing water to infiltrate into the ground and holding water during floods. Grasslands are important for carbon storage, with intact native prairies proving to be particularly effective at sequestration and long-term storage in their deep and extensive root networks.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Kraus鈥� report goes into great detail.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here are many reasons why temperate grasslands are endangered. They are the original breadbasket of the world. Over 50 per cent have been converted to crops and other land uses.
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽鈥淢uch of the remaining are intensively grazed, replacing what were some of the planet鈥檚 greatest concentrations of wild grazing animals with cattle, goats and sheep,鈥� it detailed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he loss and continued threats to temperate grasslands was recognized in 2008, when the International Union for the Conservation of Nature declared temperate grasslands as the world鈥檚 most endangered ecosystem. Two years later, a paper published in the Journal of Ecological Letters about global habitat loss and conservation found that temperate grasslands had the highest Conservation Risk Index compared to all other terrestrial ecosystems. This high risk is a result of large-scale conversion of temperate grasslands and very few protected areas. A recent paper in the journal Science examined habitat types around the world, and temperate grasslands were identified as the ecosystem with the greatest impacts and land use pressures.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he endangerment of grassland habitat in Canada has cascaded into the endangerment of many grassland species. More than 60 Canadian species at risk depend on this habitat, including species that symbolize our grasslands, such as plains bison, swift fox and greater sage grouse.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The situation is certainly one which deserves greater attention from academics, government, and agriculture.聽
