RE: NANFA-- Report on America's Biodiversity

Crail, Todd (tcrail_at_northshores.com)
Fri, 30 Aug 2002 22:42:51 -0400

Perhaps this is something you can address Bruce, or anyone else for that matter :) The EO Wilson publications that I've read, he's always honed in on the fact that a 90% habitat reduction equals a 50% diversity loss. As well, the flip side is, a 90% gain in potential habitat equals a 50% gain in diversity.

In Ohio, as an example, it's claimed we've lost 95% of our historical wetland areas and the remaining river and riffle habitat have been completely changed by daming and cropland siltation (which I've seen enough to believe this isn't far fetched). However, it's a pretty short list of extinctions and extirpations. I'd say that vascular plants and freshwater mussels have taken the largest hit with birds coming in a distant third.

Does the equation loose weight as you move further away from the equator? Or are the current long lists of endangered, threatened, concern accurate examples of "living dead" unless action is taken in our current "enlightement"?

In other words, has Industrialization only had it's effects here long enough with the adaptability of the species that live here... That it's not gone to full fruition such as it would when an Amazonian rainforest or Micronesian mountain forest had the canopy ripped off and the thin layer of soil gone immediately?

Just kinda wondering. Perhaps this is a question to just wonder under the stars :)

Any thoughts greatly appreciated,
Todd
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Stallsmith
Sent: Fri 8/30/2002 9:22 PM
To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
Cc:
Subject: NANFA-- Report on America's Biodiversity


We've been on a roll on this list with interesting outside references, so I
thought I'd throw in one more. "States of the Union, Ranking America's
Biodiversity" is a 27 page report produced by the people who run the
natureserve website, in turn run by The Nature Conservancy. It's a summary
of how different American states are doing with risk, extinction, endemism
and overall biodiversity. For instance, Alabama is correctly listed as
having the most diverse freshwater fish biota with 284 species, just ahead
of Tennessee at 283. It's available as a .pdf download.

http://www.natureserve.org/publications/biodiversity/summary.htm


--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A
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