澳门历史开奖记录

UCL experts are studying some of world鈥檚 most precious ecosystems to understand how conservation interventions can help reduce the impacts of human activity on the world鈥檚 biodiversity.

Biomes are large areas of interconnected ecosystems, ranging from aquatic to desert to tropical forest, which听can be characterised by local climate and environmental conditions.听Protecting听these natural ecosystems is vital for a sustainable and resilient future planet.听

听鈥淐omplex ecosystems听of vegetation and wildlife听around the world are under pressure from human influences such as climate change and land management,鈥澨齟xplains Professor Kate Jones (UCL Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, CBER), who听is听leading the Biome Health Project,听in听partnership with the World Wildlife Fund. The project is听exploring听the effects of human activities on听four听distinct听biomes around the world:听sub-tropical dry forest in听Nepal;听coral reefs in听Fiji; tropical forest in听Malaysian Borneo;听and听savanna听grassland in听Kenya.听

In听collaboration with local partners,听the team听is designing听a field-based study system that will help uncover how biodiversity responds to human听influence, and how conservation听activities听can help reduce the impacts of these pressures.听

鈥�鈥淐omplex ecosystems of vegetation and wildlife around the world are under pressure from human influences such as climate change and land management.鈥澨�听

鈥淲e鈥檙e using听a range of technologies, such as听camera traps, audio recordings and videos of underwater habitats,听to听monitor indicators of biodiversity at each location,鈥澨齭ays听Guilherme Braga Ferreira (UCL听CBER), who is overseeing the data collection and analysis from the four field sites.听听

The team听chooses听sites within each biome听where the levels of human pressure vary and where conservation efforts are underway,听to monitor听how听different species are听responding to human听activity听at each field site.听听

For example, preliminary data听from the听Maasai听Mara听National Park听in Kenya, where the team听are using听a grid of camera traps and acoustic recording devices,听suggest that听grazing cattle have听a negative impact on the number of听buffalo and听eland in the area, but beneficial effects on the number of smaller herbivores.听

鈥淲e are developing a听framework听that will听help听identify听tipping points,听where dramatic declines in biodiversity occur and offer evidence-based solutions to听help听halt听biodiversity听loss听at听these听precious sites,鈥� Professor Jones adds.听