Revive the Woodpecker!! -Erika Arteaga

Due to technical difficulties, my blog post is locate,d on google. 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MCYqeX8G1RtfOv1YZM-4ZcY7PcK2Ss14EzkqDNwFD0w/edit?usp=drivesdk
Thank you for understanding! 

Save the Polar Bears - Josh Bilker

SAVE THE POLAR BEARS!!

by Josh Bilker

(https://www.freevector.com/cute-polar-bears)

            Polar bears (or Ursus martimus if you want to get scientific) are dying. They need your help or they will join the sad ranks of other extinct species like the Dodo bird.

  First discovered in 1774, polar bears live all along the ice-covered waters of the Arctic Ocean. You may recognize your average polar bear from their signature white fur or maybe from the popular Coca-Cola commercials, but contrary to popular belief, a polar bear’s fur is clear. Polar bears are the largest land carnivores, growing to an average weight of 1,000(!) pounds. They have one of the lowest reproduction rate of any mammal, which also contributes to their endangerment. Once a cub is born the mother nurtures them until they are ready to go on their own. Here’s an interesting tidbit: the mother can go up to 8 months without being fed while raising the cubs, which many experts believe is the longest any animal can go without eating.

(http://starecat.com/polar-bears-on-floating-ice-sad-picture/)

            Unfortunately, the polar bears have not been doing well as of late, they were listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a threatened species in 2015. Polar bears are in serious trouble due to all our harmful greenhouse gases. Global warming is melting the ice caps, which just so happens to be the polar bear’s habitat. Experts believe the ice caps will be completely melted in just 100 (another !!!)  years at the rate they are going. Polar bears, and any other arctic species will be completely wiped out, and it will be our fault as humans. If that does not make you angry, I honestly don’t know what will.

(http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/about-polar-bears/take-action)

            So, I know what you’re thinking right now: “what is being done to save the polar bears?” and the answer to that is not exactly helpful. The USFWS are attempting to conserve polar bears by reducing atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases, spreading international awareness of the threat to the polar bears, managing human-bear conflicts, and conducting monitoring and research of the species. This might sound great on paper, but the fact remains that USFWS does not have the power to save polar bears on these actions alone. They cannot reduce greenhouse emissions with awareness alone. Which means it is up to us to save the polar bears.

            So now you are probably frantically searching through Google wondering how you can slow climate change, well, no need to hit up Google, let me break it down for you right here. The easiest way is just to recycle. 75% of America’s trash and we only recycle 30% of it, think of all that waste! If we could increase that 30% to 40% imagine all the good that could happen! Another way to reduce emissions is to conserve energy, that could be as simple as turning off the lights when you leave to switching to CFL light bulbs. There are many other ways to save the environment and if you are curious here is a link to plenty more options click here.

The polar bear population is declining — fast. There are estimated to be only 25,000 polar bears left in this world. It’s up to us to save the polar bears so act! Do you really want to be the generation that killed off another species? If you would like make a difference please donate here, and if you would like to know more about this problem, check out this great website.

(http://www.winnipegsun.com/2014/10/31/orphaned-polar-bear-cubs-have-names)

Thank you for Reading!

           

           

            

The Jaguar, Griffin Aroz

 Jaguar

Panthera Onca

By Griffin Aroz

The Jaguar. The largest cat of the Americas, once roaming from the southern US to Argentina, embody the beauty of the Felidae Family. As we begin to understand and appreciate the panthera onca, we must come to realize that their preservation and success in the wild is important because of their role as apex predator and top of the food chain.

The Jaguar had a major role in stories of the Native Americans. The name is derived from yaguar which means “to kill with one leap”; a suitable name for these incredible hunters. These beats are usually around 5-6 feet in length and weigh anywhere between 100-250 pounds. Their massive hind legs allow them to strike their prey with one motion rather than a chase, making them experts of stealth.

          

Ecology

Jaguars are known for their lingering around a water source. The rainforests of northern South America are home to these cats but they are also seen on seasonally flooded swamplands, grasslands, and woodlands. They prefer dense, well covered forests that provide cooler temperatures and remain at relatively low elevations. There have been different studies on population density which have concluded results anywhere from 1.7-8 adults per 100 km² depending on the location.

Geographic Range and Population

            Today, these hunters mostly populate the Amazon Basin of South America as well as Central America and parts of Mexico. Its extent of occurrence is approximately 8.75 million km² with 88% of that being in the Basin. Sadly, Jaguars now inhabit only around 46% of their historical range with their habitat decreasing yearly. They are now regionally extinct in Uruguay and El Salvador. Studied have concluded that around 70% of the population is considered to

high probability of survival. Surprisingly, the Amazon Basin is now thought to be a less suitable habitat compared to the Pantanal and Gran Chaco of Brazil. They also dwell in the moist lowland forests of Central America. How many of the species there are today is difficult to calculate but researchers have calculated that there are 200 +/- 80 in the Atlantic Forest Subpopulation. This unknown number however, is decreasing with an increase of threats to them as well as other species of the Amazon area.

IUCN Listing and Threats

            The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies the Panthera onca as near threatened. This listing was assessed June 30^th of 2008. Although they are still considered abundant, the rapid amount of deforestation leaves the future uncertain for the species. Through human intervention, they were removed from the Vulnerable list in 1996. Today, most of their habitat is in the Amazon Basin which has been concluded does not provide adequate resources compared to other areas. Other than national parks, deforestation for residential, commercial, and agricultural development reduces prime habitat locations for the cats. Population isolation has led to an increased vulnerability of the species to human destruction. They compete with humans for prey and are frequently shot by herders because they pose a risk to cattle, swine, and poultry. Their fur is also considered a luxury of high demand. Efforts to shut down the international markets for pelts by anti-fur campaigns and CITES have been successful, but there still remains a demand because of its rarity and beauty. Along with pelts, paws, teeth, and other products are also still demanded. Government regulations can only go so far for the people that illegally hunt these predators. The fascination to the jaguar comes in many forms.

Recovery Plan

            The Jaguar is nationally protected under all countries that comprise its habitat. Government organizations continue to work on shutting down black market trading, however the main cause of the decrease in populations are from habitat destruction. Various programs are working to maintain the habitat corridor from north to south to ensure populations do not become isolated and genetic diversity is maintained. Efforts to discourage herders from shooting these cats on sight have made slight progress but harsher government laws and improvements on land fencing will hopefully deteriorate the view of the wild cats as a pest species.

“What Can I Do?”

            As the species moves more towards vulnerability, countries must work together to preserve the essence of this apex predator of the western world. Individually, change is difficult but the mass amounts of donations to organizations as well as involvement in these local and national organizations has led to great progress being made on reversing the damage done to the Jaguar as well as other species prone to human persecution. These organizations include   

• ·      http://www.iucnredlist.org (IUCN Red List of Endangered Species)
• ·       http://www.wno.org (World Nature Organization)
• ·      https://www.cites.org (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species)

Together, we can make sure that future generations are blessed to see the beauty of nature around them, especially the Americas’ apex predator, the Jaguar.

Citations

Caso, A., Lopez-Gonzalez, C., Payan, E., Eizirik, E., de Oliveira, T., Leite-Pitman, R., Kelly, M. &

 Valderrama, C. 2008. Panthera onca. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008:

 e.T15953A5327466. Downloaded on 02 December 2016.

National Geographic. "Jaguar." National Geographic. N.p., 28 Nov. 2016. Web. Downloaded on

 01 December 2016.

Ritz, Leo. "Jaguar A Big Cat 623087." Borongaja. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

Blue Whales, Charles Ackley

(Credit: Gilpatrick Lynn, NOAA)

                                                    
              

(Credit: NOAA Fisheries website, full citation in bibliography) 

Summery and Ecology of Species:

       Did you know the largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth is the blue whale? Adult blue whales in Antartica have reached 33m long and weigh over 150,000kg (True)! Although long-bodied and slender, while feeding blue whales expand their pleated throats and chest area to take in large amounts of seawater and food. The body then returns to its normal slender state as the filtered zooplankton or “krill” are consumed and the seawater is expelled (Sergeant). Krill are crustaceans or tiny shrimp-like animals found in all world’s oceans and make-up most of the blue whale’s diet (Kawarmura). Blue whales are highly mobile which allows them to take advantage of concentrations of prey over a very large area. Because of their mobility, there is very little or no direct evidence of interspecific competition with blue whales, therefore is is unlikely that resource competition is an important factor in recovery (Clapham & Browned). Blue whales have an r-selected life history and while there exact life span is unknown, it is believed by scientist that they can live for over 50 years old. The gestation period is about 10 to 12 months, calves are nursed for 6-7 months, and the age for sexual maturity is between 5-15 years (Yochem and Leatherwood). Reproduction activities (births and mating) take place in the winter season while en route to summer feeding areas. Although enormous in size, the going is not all easy and blue whales still experience natural mortality. A high proportion of blue whales in the Gulf of California are attacked by killer whales and wear the rake-like scars to prove it (Sears). Blue whale calves are especially vulnerable to these attacks. In the colder waters of the western North Atlantic, ice entrapment has injured and even suffocated whales to death (Sergeant).


Distribution:
       Blue whales are found in all of the world’s oceans and are grouped into ten subpopulations called “stocks” (Gambell). Distribution is determined largely by food requirements based on where the krill is concentrated in the water. In the North Atlantic there are two stocks (Western and Eastern), they range from the subtropics to the Greenland Sea (Gambell). In the North Pacific the data suggests there are five stocks with some mixing among them: Southern Japan (virtually extirpated by whaling), northern Japan, Aleutian Islands, eastern Gulf of Alaska, and California/Mexico (Reilly and Thayer). In the Southern Hemisphere, there are two stocks, one occurs south of the “Antarctic Convergence” close to the edge of the ice, while the other one occurs north of this (NOAA). Lastly, in the Indian Ocean there is a resident population of blue whales (NOAA). Blue whale populations have been depleted by whaling, however there is no significant evidence to suggest exploitation has resulted in their distribution change.

(Credit: NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, December 2007)

(Credit: IWC, 2007)

                

What Happened to the Blue Whales?

       In the mid 19th century in Norway, explosive harpoons and steam powered boats were invented, which allowed whalers to begin hunting blue whales who were previously too fast for older whaling ships to hunt (Harrison). This technology spread throughout the world, resulting in a decline in the whale population. A whopping 360,000 blue whales were killed in the 20th century just in the Southern Hemisphere (Harrison). Blue whales were on the verge of extinction in the 1960’s before the IWC stepped in. All blue whale populations have declined as seen in chart above. However, there is currently a thriving population off California coast in the summer months. But other populations like the one of Japan’s southern coast has been virtually extirpated.


       Current Threats to blue whales include: habitat disruption/alteration, vessel collision, and by-catch from fishing gear (Heyning and Lewis). Even though strictly banned they continue to be hunted, notably off the coast of Japan and the Aleutian Islands (Stewart). Moreover, increased human activities such as scientific research, photography, whale-watching, and the boat traffic associated with these, disrupts the normal behavior of whales (Barlow).


Six-Step Protection Plan:

1) Better determine stock structure and seasonal movement patterns of populations in U.S. and International waters using genetic analysis and telemetry.

2) Using photo-identification obtain estimate the size and monitor trends in abundance of blue whale populations.

3) Identity and protect habitat essential areas and access to feeding areas. Obtain a better and more in depth knowledge of blue whale feeding ecology.

4) Reduce & Eliminate Human-caused mortality of blue whales. Reduce ship collisions by studying the overlap of traffic flow of ships and habitat of blue whales. Provide guidelines to whale watching boats. Reduce and eliminate injury and death by fishing gear. Develop a better understanding of how pollution may affect blue whales.

5) Coordinate efforts to implement recovery actions at all levels of government. Identify appropriate leaders, representatives of scientific community, private, state, federal agencies.

6) Lastly, Establish criteria for determining whether to delist or down list blue whales.

Feeling Blue about the treatment of Blue Whales? Get Involved…

Donate to whale hunting vigilante groups and law-firms like Sea Shepherd, many may remember their discovery network tv show, ”Whale Wars”. https://seashepherdlegal.org/donate

Visit http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/ and search blue whales to get involved by volunteering, donating, and fundraising. You can also hear a clip of the sounds they make.

Bibliography:

Barlow, J. 1997. Preliminary estimates of cetacean abundance off California, Oregon, and Washington based on a 1996 ship survey and comparisons of passing and closing modes. NMFS, SWFSC Admin. Rept. LJ-97-11. 25 pp.

"Blue Whale (Balaenoptera Musculus) :: NOAA Fisheries." NOAA Fisheries. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

Clapham, P.J., and R.L. Brownell, Jr. 1996. Potential for interspecific competition in baleen whales. Rep. int. Whal. Commn. 46:361-367.

Gambell, R. 1979. The blue whale. Biologist 26:209-215.

Harrison, Molly. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. Office of Protected Resources, 2005. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.

Heyning, J.E., and T.D. Lewis. 1990. Entanglements of baleen whales in fishing gear off southern California. Rep. int. Whal. Commn. 40:427-431.

Kawamura, A. 1980. A review of food of balaenopterid whales. Sci. Rep. Whales Res. Inst. 32:155- 197.

Reilly, S.B., and V.G. Thayer. 1990. Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) distribution in the eastern tropical Pacific. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 6:265-277.

Sears, R., J.M. Williamson, F.W. Wenzel, M. Bérubé, D. Gendron, and P. Jones. 1990. Photographic identification of the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. Rep. int. Whal. Commn., Special Issue 12:335-342.

Sergeant, D.E. 1966. Populations of large whale species in the western North Atlantic with special reference to the fin whale. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Arctic Biological Station, Circular No. 9. 

True, F.W. 1904. The whalebone whales of the western North Atlantic compared with those occurring in European waters with some observations on the species of the North Pacific. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 

Yochem, P.K., and S. Leatherwood. 1985. Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus (Linnaeus, 1758). Pp. 193-240 In: Ridgway, S.H. and R. Harrison (eds.), Handbook of Marine Mammals, Vol. 3: The Sirenians and Baleen Whales. Academic Press, London. 362 pp.