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| Two new National Parks designated in Colombia |
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Colombia is one of the three biologically richest nations on Earth. Conservation International along with other leading conservation partners and the Colombian government has collaborated to help save Colombia’s forests in the Tropical Andes hotspot. Through a new resolution, the government has declared the new Selva de Florencia National Park. This area is noted for its high level of endemic and threatened species including 20 endemic plant species, 11 amphibian species, 14 mammal species, and 6 bird species. The amphibians of the Central Cordillera, within which the Selva de Florencia National Park falls, are particularly noteworthy; the region has one of the highest concentrations of endemic species in the world, with 71% of species occurring nowhere else.
The 10,019 hectares that comprise the Selva de Florencia is part of the vast coffee-growing region in Colombia’s Central Cordillera. This area has high peaks that include a chain of volcanoes and low valleys that descend into marshy jungle. In addition to its ecological importance, the rivers’ currents produce electrical energy for the entire region.
Serranía de los Yariguíes has also recently been named as a National Park bringing the total number of National Parks in Colombia to 51. Located on Colombia’s Eastern Andean Range, this park is also a significant source of water for the Santander department. It also acts as a natural barrier that helps to regulate the climate in that area.
Among the many species found in the Serrania de los Yariguies are 20 species of plants, over 10 species of amphibians and mammals, and 400 bird species. The park is comprised of more than 78,000 hectares of paramo (high elevation grassland) and cloud and sub-Andean forests. It is home to many species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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| Learn more about CI's work in Colombia |
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| Over 40% of Malagasy mammals threatened with extinction |
The Diademed Sifaka Propithecus diadema was evaluated as Endangered at the recent GMA workshop in Madagascar. © Conservation International, Russell Mittermeier |  |
The IUCN Global Mammal Assessment (GMA) recently completed a workshop to review the conservation status of all the native species of mammals occurring on the island of Madagascar. Sixty five of world's leading experts on the mammal fauna of the country used their knowledge of taxonomy, distribution, threats to species, and needed conservation actions to help evaluate existing data and conduct IUCN Red List assessments for each species.
The preliminary results of the workshop are dire, with an extremely high proportion of species at risk of extinction. The workshop data are currently being reviewed; however, the results indicate that over 40% of the mammal fauna of Madagascar are threatened with extinction: 5.3% Critically Endangered, 16.4% Endangered, and 19.1% Vulnerable. A further 14.5% were classified as Data Deficient, highlighting the need for further research to determine the conservation status of these species.
Madagascar's mammal fauna is becoming increasingly threatened by habitat loss, primarily through the continued loss of forests due to slash and burn agriculture. Another threat that has become increasingly problematic is hunting, most especially for the lemurs and carnivores, which is driving fragmented populations to the brink of extinction. The established protected areas are the major refuges for remaining populations of many species. It is of urgent priority to continue to manage these areas for biodiversity and to expand protection across as much of the remaining natural habitats as possible. The successful implementation of the Durban Vision, which aims to triple the protected area network on the island, will be critical to ensure adequate protection of Madagascar’s unique mammal species. This measure is crucial for the continued conservation of the island’s biodiversity, which is needed for the prosperity of the people of Madagascar.
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| Learn more about the Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Hotspot |
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| Important Bird Areas legally recognized in Ecuador; Andean IBA directory published |
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The directory of Important Bird Areas in the Tropical Andes was published in May 2005. |
On March 1, 2005, Ecuador became the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to legally recognize Important Bird Areas (IBAs) as sites of public interest for conservation. Ecuador is considered one of the top countries in the world for biodiversity and supports over 1,600 bird species in an area the size of the state of Maine. About 7% of Ecuador's birds are considered globally threatened by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
More than 100 IBAs have been identified in Ecuador since 1997 in a process led by CECIA, an Ecuadorian ornithological organization, which involved more than one hundred scientists, ornithologists, and ecotourism representatives.
"It's great news that the most important sites in Ecuador for birdlife have now been recognized by the government. This official recognition sets a precedent in South America that we hope will serve as an example for uniting the Andes in a regional effort to conserve its world-renowned biodiversity," said Sandra Loor Vela of CECIA.
A true test of the government's support for IBAs may come when the
Ecuadorian government decides how to deal with the issue of longline fishing in the Galapagos Islands National Park, a designated IBA. The Galapagos support over 12-15,000 breeding pairs of Waved Albatross, the largest and most important colony in the world for this globally threatened species.
"Important Bird Areas are vital places for conservation - not just for birds, but for all biodiversity. The Government of Ecuador should be congratulated for its far-sighted decision to help protect the country's wildlife and the many migrant birds that pass through its borders each year," commented Luis Suarez, Executive Director of Conservation International Ecuador.
In May 2005 Conservation International and BirdLife International published "Áreas Importantes para la Conservación de las Aves en los Andes Tropicales (Important Bird Areas in the Tropical Andes)", which provides detailed information on 455 IBAs in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. The identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) is currently underway to build from IBAs as data on other taxonomic groups are incorporated. KBAs are sites of global importance for biodiversity conservation based on the same criteria as IBAs but targeting the conservation of all taxonomic groups.
Contributed by BirdLife International. Learn more about the IBAs Programme of BirdLife International
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| Learn more about the Tropical Andes Hotspot |
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| Revitalizing sea turtle conservation in Sri Lanka |
Green Turtle Chelonia mydas hatchling crawling to the ocean in Rekewa, Sri Lanka. © Naamal De Silva | |
Five out of seven species of sea turtles found worldwide nest along the southern coast of Sri Lanka; all of these species are globally threatened. Thus, both the conservation of nesting beaches and the regulation of fisheries should be high priorities. However, over the past several decades, the primary mechanism of turtle conservation has been through private hatcheries that utilize somewhat dubious conservation tactics. The tsunami last December destroyed or damaged all of these hatcheries as well as many developed areas of the coastline, resulting in many tragedies, but also presenting renewed opportunities for turtle conservation.
In the last few months, there have been several positive developments. A National Sea Turtle Action Plan is to be published this July by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the World Conservation Union (IUCN - Sri Lanka). This document describes the range of conservation and research opportunities, and also provides guidelines to regulate the activities of the hatcheries. The development of this action plan has resulted in the establishment of a steering committee for sea turtle conservation in the country. In addition, two sea turtle sanctuaries are to be declared along the nation’s southern coast: one in Bundala (a nesting beach for the Critically Endangered Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea) and another in nearby Rekewa (one of the best nesting beaches in the country, visited by all five species). These are the first sanctuaries to be declared for reptiles in Sri Lanka.
Finally, there may be opportunities to promote conservation on the ground through funding from various post-tsunami rehabilitation projects and through other sources such as the Marine Turtle Conservation Act (passed last year by the United States Congress). One possibility for such funding is the revitalization of the hatcheries: they could be reconstructed in a way that provides more benefits to turtles while maintaining and expanding upon their current role in educating students and tourists. Additional funding could support the conservation of nesting beaches. Since sea turtles are charismatic flagship species, they can be used to increase environmental awareness and promote the conservation of coastal and marine areas.
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| Learn more about the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka Hotspot |
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| Freshwater biodiversity assessment in Eastern Africa guides development planning |
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Download The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Eastern Africa |
Biodiversity within inland water ecosystems in Eastern Africa is both highly diverse and of great regional importance to livelihoods and economies. However, development activities are not always compatible with the conservation of this diversity, and biodiversity is poorly represented in the development planning process. One of the main reasons for this is a lack of readily available information on the status and distribution of inland water taxa. In response to this the IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme has conducted a regional biodiversity assessment of over 1,600 taxa of freshwater fishes, molluscs, odonates and crabs from Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The study, entitled The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Eastern Africa, was based on the collation and analysis of existing information, and to help build capacity, experts from the region were trained in biodiversity assessment methods and, where appropriate, in field assessment and taxonomy.
The study shows that levels of regional endemism are notably high (82% of fish and 74% of are molluscs restricted to the region) and that the centres of species diversity are within the African Great Lakes of Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria, and in the Eastern Arc Mountain Range (for dragonflies and damselflies). However, it is within these Great lakes, and a few of the east coast drainages, that high levels of threat caused by sedimentation, invasive species and eutrophication are identified (27% of the fishes and 15% of the molluscs assessed as globally threatened).
Compounding the problem, a gap analysis found that inland waters are poorly protected within the existing protected areas network which is largely focused on terrestrial ecosystems. Forest Reserves were, however, observed to provide effective protection of watersheds at the headwaters of some river systems and the report recommends that there be greater incentives developed for their effective management and that their benefits to freshwater ecosystems be better recognized to help increase the potential for attracting funds.
It is imperative that the data from this study are made available to the relevant decision makers and stakeholders in a format that can be easily understood and readily integrated within the decision making process. With this in mind a second major project has been initiated to extend the work to the rest of Africa and to develop a series of “Best Practice Guidelines” for the integration of biodiversity information within the development process.
Contributed by the IUCN/SSC Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme
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