Guest guest Posted December 16, 2003 Report Share Posted December 16, 2003 ***************************Advertisement*************************** TechCentral http://star-techcentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my) URL: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2003/12/16/features/6890148 & sec=\ features ________________________ Tuesday December 16, 2003 Asia & #8217;s birds in danger By TAN CHENG LI <b>Deforestation, wetland destruction, hunting and collecting for the pet trade are pushing Asia & #8217;s birds closer to extinction. More than 100 sites crucial for the survival of the region & #8217;s 324 threatened bird species remain unprotected, prompting conservationists to launch a blueprint to save these endangered birds.</b> ONE in every eight bird species in Asia is in peril and yet over 100 nature sites crucial for the survival of these species are unprotected and remain vulnerable to destruction. A report which aims to halt Asia & #8217;s bird extinction crisis, titled Saving Asia & #8217;s Threatened Birds: a Guide for Government and Civil Society, released last month by Birdlife International reveals that 324 bird species & #8211; 12% of Asia & #8217;s total & #8211; face risks of extinction. Already, 41 bird species teeter on the brink of extinction as they are ranked “critically endangered”. Of these, 11 may have already died out as there have been no recent sightings. The Siau scops-owl, for instance, has not been seen for over 130 years in Indonesia while the Himalayan quail was last recorded in 1876. The Asian region hosts over 2,700 bird species, some of which are so rare that they are found only on single islands or mountain ranges. The region is experiencing rapid environmental change as the human population and national economies grow, and many of Asia & #8217;s habitats and wildlife are under great pressure. Every Asian country has populations of threatened birds but Indonesia tops the list with 117 species, followed by China (78), India (73) and the Philippines (70). But if figures for species which are of “conservation concern” (species classified as conservation dependent, near threatened or data deficient) are considered, then Malaysia moves to second spot with 142 species, after Indonesia with 322 species. Birds, like all elements of biodiversity, should be conserved for the richness and diversity they contribute to human experience. They are also good indicators, and can be used to identify the biologically rich areas as well as environmental changes and problems. They sit high in the food chain and thus reflect changes lower down. In general, places that are rich in bird species are also rich in other forms of biodiversity. <b>Extinction crisis</b> The most serious threats to Asia & #8217;s birds and their habitats include unsustainable and illegal logging and conversion of lowland forests for agriculture and plantations, major infrastructure development such as large-scale drainage and irrigation projects and the construction of roads in remote areas, and large-scale reclamation of coastal wetlands. The report sets out priorities for the conservation of birds and habitats in the region. It will be distributed to decision-makers in all Asian countries. To provide a conservation focus, the report moves the emphasis from individual species to key habitats on which multiple species depend. An important finding of the report is that more than 100 Important Bird Areas (IBA) & #8211; sites crucial for safeguarding Asia & #8217;s threatened birds & #8211; remain unprotected. These should be a major priority for conservation action, says BirdLife International, a global alliance of conservation organisations in over 100 countries. (The IBA is an initiative of Birdlife International to identify and protect a network of critical sites for birds. These sites hold significant numbers of threatened bird species or provide breeding and wintering ground for migratory birds.) The main habitat for threatened birds is tropical lowland forests. These hold half of the region & #8217;s 324 threatened species. Unfortunately, much of such forests has been lost and degraded due to commercial logging and clear felling for pulp production and plantations. These are the biggest threats to Asia & #8217;s birds. Next is disturbance or conversion of wetlands. Wetlands are crucial for the survival of 20% of Asia & #8217;s threatened avifauna. Migratory species such as the spoon-billed sandpiper and spotted greenshank are pushed closer to extinction by wetland loss and large land reclamation projects, especially along the coast of South Korea and China. Hunting for food, sport and the wild bird trade is a threat for over 150 bird species. However, the impact of hunting is poorly understood because there is little study on whether it is unsustainable or has caused population declines. Because the habitat and hence populations of many forest birds are now fragmented, it is believed that hunting is causing the extinction of subpopulations. Capture for the wild bird trade is especially acute in Indonesia and the Philippines. Less than half of Asia & #8217;s threatened species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): 62 species are listed in Appendix I (no commercial trade) and another 62 in Appendix II (only controlled trade). Of concern is that four threatened species (Storm & #8217;s stork, greater adjutant, Timor sparrow and black-winged starling) are traded but not protected under CITES. Enforcement appears to be lacking too as trafficking of four other threatened species (Palawan peacock pheasant, red and blue lory, salmon-crested cockatoo and Philippine cockatoo) continues despite their listing under Appendix I. <b>Key habitats</b> Most of the threatened bird species are totally dependent on a particular type of forest, grassland or wetland. Thus the report identifies 32 priority habitat regions and lists the necessary conservation measures for these areas. These support the majority of Asia & #8217;s threatened birds and include nine forest regions, three grassland regions and 20 wetland regions. Birdlife International says it is best to focus efforts on these threatened habitats because a single conservation action will address the needs of several threatened species. One priority habitat is the Sundaland (or Sundaic) forests which cover the moist tropical lowland and montane forests of the Thai-Malay peninsula, Borneo and the Greater Sunda islands. It supports 47 threatened bird species. Of these, 22 are endemics (found only in the region), such as the silvery woodpigeon which is restricted to one small island and Rueck & #8217;s blue-flycatcher which is found only in Sumatra. The Sundaland region also contains the world & #8217;s most extensive mangrove swamps. The mangroves and intertidal mudflats here provide important habitat for waterbirds such as the milky storks and lesser adjutants, both of which have their highest numbers here. There are also non-breeding populations of Chinese egret, spotted greenshank and possibly spoon-billed Sandpiper. Two waterbirds are endemic to wetlands on the coastal plains of Java: the Sunda coucal, which survives in mangroves and associated swamps, and the Javanese lapwing, which was last recorded in marshy grassland in 1940 and may now be extinct. Conservation efforts are also hampered by the gap in knowledge. The report states that distribution and habitat requirements of some critical and endangered bird species are poorly known, making it impossible to precisely define the habitat protection and other measures that are required to ensure their survival. The report focuses on the direct pressures facing Asia & #8217;s birds and how these should be addressed but ultimately, the underlying and indirect causes of biodiversity loss will also need to be tackled. It outlines the fundamental changes in land-use and resource utilisation that are needed, through policy and planning. Noritaka Ichida, director of BirdLife Asia, recommended these conservation actions: ·Protect wetlands on the migratory flyways (flight path) of threatened species such as the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and the Bako-Buntal Bay in Sarawak. ·Conserve the remaining lowland tropical forests of Malaysia and western Indonesia through legislation, land-use planning, sustainable forest management, and support from the private sector. ·Conserve key sites for critical and endangered species that are currently not protected. ·Strengthen implementation of CITES, given the continued high levels of trade in protected species, especially parrots. ·Survey “lost” or poorly-known species before they become extinct so that conservation measures can be advanced. Studying birds can tell us about the habitats on which we all depend, and the loss of Asia & #8217;s threatened birds is a measure of a more general deterioration in biodiversity and the natural environment. <b>Related Stories:</b> <a href= " http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2003/12/16/features/689015\ 0 & sec=features " >The endangered ones</a> <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2003 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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