1.
I have chosen the Mediterranean Basin as my hotspot to
explore.
The Mediterranean Basin is located between two landmasses,
Euroasia and Africa. The basin is a the biggest hotspot regarding
vegetation, housing over 11,900 endemic plant species. The climate has a vast
range, with cool wet winters and hot dry summers. There is also a range in
rainfall between 100 mm to 3,000 mm. While the Mediterranean Basin used to
house a variety of large forests including conifer and oak, the land is now
mostly shrublands, similar to the "chaparral vegetation of
California" (CEPF).
2.
The Cedar of Lebanon is an evergreen conifer cedar. The tree is a
producer, found in, as its name would suggest, Lebanon. The cedar is
known for its "high quality timber, oils, and resins" (arkive).
Regarding its reproductive traits, the cedar is monoecious. It is also known
for a long lifespan, with trees on record being over 1,000 years old! One
interaction with other species the Cedar of Lebanon is known for, is actually
the lack of interaction. The cedar works as a natural moth repellent. It is
also known to control mosquito larvae (arkive). There are no other specific
mentions of the cedar of Lebanon and surrounding species; however, being
a tree, the cedar of Lebanon could easily provide shelter and food for various
tree-dwelling animals of the area, including the Isabelline wheatear, the Wren,
and/or the Bluethroat.
The Iberian Lynx is a member of the family felidae. Per Arkive, this is
"the world's most threatened species of cat ". The Iberian lynx is a
carnivore. Their mating season tends to take place in January, mothers
typically reach full term within 2 months. It is noted there is typically only
one litter a year, part of the reason this species is endangered. The Iberian
lynx has a direct tie to rabbits of the area, as they are the lynx's primary
food source. The lynx are also known to eat ducks, deer, and partridges if
there are not enough rabbits readily available. Keeping this in mind, it is
easy to see how feeding habits alone affect their ecosystem.
3.
The Cedar of Lebanon is known as Cedrus libani.
The Iberian Lynx is known as Lynx pardinus.
4.
The socioeconomic status
of the Mediterranean Basin is largely based on the tourism industry. This
area hosts 32% of the world's tourism, which is growing quite drastically since
the 1970's (CEPF). The number of people the tourism brings in is small compared
to the 450 million inhabitants that reside in the area year round
(CEPF). There is a wide spread regarding income, as the Mediterranean
Basin is a vast hotspot. The norther Mediterranean area is known for
low population growth and medium-high income. Alternatively, the southern and
eastern areas have low-medium income rates and high population growth. Overall,
the main threats that are brought forth by the Mediterranean's socioeconomic
status include degradation because of urbanization, tourism, and industrial
endeavors utilizing natural resources (CEPF).
5.
The most glaring
reason the Mediterranean Basin is now a hotspot is due to mankind. Many people
of the area have utilized the natural resources as a point of income; this
could take the form of industrialization or tourism.
Additionally, to permit for the growing population, urbanization has also lead
to degradation of the land. Major culprits that go hand in hand with population
growth, the area has experienced "deforestation, intensive grazing and
fires, and infrastructure development" (CEPF).
6.
Current
conservation measures for the Mediterranean Basin include: expansion of
protected areas, and pollution control. Because the area consists of
various countries, conservation efforts look different by area. One such
conservation project is known as the Mediterranean Action Plan, which looks at
both land protection and pollution elimination efforts. The Mediterranean
Action Plan was established under the United Nations in the 1970's, and
continues to go strong. There is more information here regarding
the Mediterranean Action Plan.
7.
Especially after
taking this class, I feel it is of the utmost importance to protect
biodiversity everywhere. The important thing to remember is we are all
connected on this earth. By offsetting one ecosystem, it can, and quite
possibly will, disrupt another ecosystem down the road. As amazing as the
technological advances mankind has made, I believe we have grown up too
quickly. By messing with technologies and ways of life we don't completely
understand, we have jeopardized what we have now, and what future
generations could have. Protecting the biodiversity of our planet now is
actively pursuing measures of sustainability we need for tomorrow.
8. Works Cited
"Cedar of Lebanon Photos and Facts." Arkive - Cedar of
Lebanon Videos, Photos and Facts. Wildscreen. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.arkive.org/cedar-of-lebanon/cedrus-libani/>
"Iberian Lynx Videos, Photos and Facts." Arkive- Lynx
Pardinus. Wildscreen. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.arkive.org/iberian-lynx/lynx-pardinus/>.
"Iberian Lynx." WWF. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 25 Nov.
2015.
<http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/profiles/mammals/iberian_lynx
"Mediterranean Basin." CEPF.net
-. Conservation International. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
"Socioeconomic, Policy and Civil Society
Context." CEPF.net -. Conservation International. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment