Big animal extinction 'severed nutrient arteries' 12 August 2013Last updated at 02:01 ET By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News The study is the first to look at how prehistoric megafauna distributed nutrients The demise of big animals in the Amazon region 12,000 years ago cut a key way that nutrients were distributed across the landscape, a study has suggested. Researchers say animals such as huge armadillo-like creatures would have distributed vital nutrients for plants via their dung and bodies. The effects, still visible today, raise questions about the impact of losing large modern species like elephants. The findings have been published in the journal Nature Geoscience. A team of UK and US researchers developed a mathematical model to calculate what impact the sudden loss of megafauna - animals with a body mass of more than 44kg (97lb) - had on the Amazonia's ecosystem. Results showed that the extinctions resulted in a 98% reduction in the dispersal of phosphorus (chemical symbol "P"). Essential for life
Scientists identify 2,370 'irreplaceable' places An international team of scientists has made a list of Earth's most "irreplaceable" places, highlighting more than 2,300 unique habitats that are key to the survival of rare wildlife. The goal of their research, published in the journal Science, is to help wildlife managers make existing parks and nature preserves more effective at preventing extinction. "Protected areas can only fulfill their role in reducing biodiversity loss if they are effectively managed," says Simon Stuart, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Species Survival Commission, in a press release about the study. "Given limited conservation budgets, that is not always the case, so governments should pay particular attention to the management effectiveness of highly irreplaceable protected areas." The study offers an irreplaceability score for 2,178 protected areas and 192 proposed sites, ranking their importance to rare wildlife in general and to specific biological groups. Western Ghats, India
Jatun Sacha Foundation | Jatun Sacha Foundation Ecuador Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at AMNH The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) transforms knowledge – from diverse sources and perspectives, spanning areas of scientific research as well as traditional and local knowledge – into conservation action. We collaborate with partners around the world to increase local and global capacity to address the loss of biological and cultural diversity. Convening professionals, institutions, and communities, we foster connections among practitioners to catalyze conservation on the ground. Center for Biodiversity and Conservation American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York, New York 10024 USA Phone: 212 769 5742 Fax: 212 769 5292 biodiversity@amnh.org What's New at the CBC CBC in the Field Student Conference on Conservation Science-New York (SCCS-NY) now accepting attendance only applications! The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation is accepting applications to attend our 5th Annual Student Conference on Conservation Science. April 9-11, 2013