#resilient ecosystems

[internationaldayofargania]

Promote the Argan tree as a pillar of a rich heritage and an ancestral source of resilient and sustainable development.

Local communities make oil and other products from argan trees, farm on the land around the trees, and rear goats who scale the short trees and eat argan nuts. United Nations on International Day of Argania.

[yonderoo]

Alright, friends, gather 'round for a majestic tale straight from the heart of the savanna! 🐘🌿 Behold, the phenomenal elephant! 🐘✨

This grand creature, a keystone of the African wilderness, struts through the thicket with an air of wisdom and grace. Notice its immense ears, like flapping fans, which it uses to cool down under the scorching sun and communicate with its kin across vast distances. The tusks, those elegant yet formidable instruments, are not only tools for foraging but also a testament to its power and heritage.

Look at the intricate wrinkles on its skin, telling tales of years gone by. Each crease is a chapter in the epic saga of survival. The trunk, a marvelous multi-tool of evolution, serves as everything from a delicate pick to a mighty hose, combining dexterity and strength.

The gentle giant moves with surprising silence, its padded feet barely making a sound. As a protector of the flora, it plays a crucial role in shaping its ecosystem, felling trees to allow sunlight to nourish the undergrowth, creating habitats for smaller creatures.

In the soft light of the jungle, the mighty elephant is a symbol of wisdom, strength, and resilience. 🌿✨ Truly, this gentle titan is a wonder to behold, a testament to nature's grandeur.

[thoughtlessarse]

In 2008, the late American climate scientist Wally Broecker warned of the global repercussions of polar ice loss. Today, his predictions echo louder than ever as Greenland ice haemorrhages at an alarming rate, threatening rapid sea-level rise. Over the past 15 years, the Arctic Circle region has been heating up at four times the global average; it’s now more than 3C above levels in the 1980s. In 2023, we witnessed a staggering loss of Antarctic Sea ice. Over the past year, land and ocean temperatures have soared, far beyond what was anticipated for an El Niño year. Global average temperatures have breached the 1.5C mark, indicating that climate transition has been unleashed. From record-breaking wildfires across continents to catastrophic floods  threatening to submerge major cities, extreme climate events have become the new norm, causing massive loss of life and economic damage worldwide. Yet despite mounting evidence and urgent pleas, meaningful action falters. Global prosperity has historically emerged from fossil fuels. But the stranglehold of fossil fuel giants, generously subsidised by governments and financially backed by banks, places short-term profits over the planet’s survival. This entrenched dependency stymies efforts to transition to a sustainable future, despite the urgent need for change. GDP growth remains sacred, while climate, biodiversity, health, and social equity are sacrificed, condemning future generations to inherit a ravaged planet. I say this acutely aware of how making such statements can appear as virtue signalling, particularly to those in the global south, where development is still taking hold. This is not primarily about denying them their pathway, but changing where those of us in the developed world stand – and perhaps our final destination. On our current path, civilisation as we know it will disappear. If we meet current commitments only – net zero by 2050 – perhaps some form of humanity will survive, managing the challenges of continued extreme weather events, ice loss, and sea-level and temperature rises. But we have agency to change this, and a thriving future is still on the table. To grasp it, we must embark on a radical journey encompassing an essential “4R planet” pathway. This means: reducing emissions; removing the excess greenhouse gases (GHGs) already in the atmosphere; repairing ecosystems; and strengthening local and global resilience against inevitable climate impacts.

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[drumlincountry]

i'm going thru a lot of growth and transformation at the moment (maybe) but unfortunately i can only really express it thru agricultural and ecological metaphors

[reasonsforhope]

“They are one of the most unique and fundamental types of forest on our planet, and for a few decades they were being lost at a rate that seemed soon-to-be-fatal. But with the 2022 State of the Mangrove report, a new picture is emerging of changing trends and attitudes towards these trees, which have a crucial role in easing the effects of climate change...

Globally today, 42% of all mangrove forests lie under some level of protection. The updated maps calculate that 147,000 square-kilometers of the Earth’s surface (57,000 sq-miles) are covered in mangroves, more than previously thought.

Compared to the previous 14 years, the average loss rate between 2010 and 2022 dropped by 600%—to just 25 sq-miles per year (66 km2), or 0.04%.

Conditions for the coastal trees are also improving, not only because of dedicated efforts to reforest mangroves but also because, as climate change policy around the world has narrowed to a carbon-in carbon-out equation, aquatic ecosystems like mangroves have clearly become the most important ecosystems of all...

Some of the largest restoration programs going on in the world right now include Senegal—where in the regions of Casamance and Sine Saloum, 80 km2 has so far been reforested, totaling nearly 80 million trees—and Indonesia, where President Joko Widodo has attempted to reforest 6,000 km2. China has successfully restored 4 km2 of mangrove forests in Zhanjian, Guangdong province, totaling around 4 million trees.” -via Good News Network, 11/24/22

[intlforestday]

Forests do more for the climate than store and sequester carbon.

For example, they:

regulate rainfall

provide cooling benefits

protect coastal areas

provide forest products for local communities facing climatic threats

[themonsterp]

Développement durable, perturbations , résistance, constance , persistance et résilience écologique.

Le développement durable connaît un engouement notable depuis les deux dernières décennies en raison de la prise de conscience du fait que les ressources sont limitées, que certains écosystèmes sont menacés, avec, comme corollaire, de nombreux préjudices pour la société.

Le développement durable consiste à répondre aux besoins du présent sans nuire aux besoins des générations futures. Il s’agit de tendre vers un équilibre entre le maintien d’un bon développement économique et social, et la préservation de la structure et du fonctionnement des écosystèmes.

La gestion durable des systèmes socio-écologiques consiste, quant à elle, à définir des stratégies de gestion soucieuses de préserver l’intégrité des écosystèmes naturels et anthropiques (productivité, flux de matières et d’énergies, biodiversité, économie etc…).

Les perturbations : un facteur écologique fondamental

Les perturbations constituent des événements discrets dans le temps, souvent Imprévisibles, agissant à toutes les échelles d’espace et affectant une majorité d’écosystèmes terrestres.

L’agent de perturbation possède ses propres caractéristiques : fréquence, prédictibilité, intensité, hétérogénéité spatiale.

En raison de leur extension et leur répartition, les écosystèmes forestiers sont touchés par une grande variété de perturbations : incendies, tempêtes, ouragans, cyclones, tornades, insectes ravageurs, tempêtes de glace, glissements de terrain, avalanches, érosions torrentielles), avec des conséquences importantes sur la biodiversité, les cycles de nutriments, le cycle de l’eau.

Par perturbation, nous entendons tout événement discret dans le temps et dans l’espace provoquant une réduction de biomasse ou une mortalité des entités fondamentales du système, par exemple les arbres dans un peuplement forestier.

En quoi la diversité peut contribuer à augmenter la résistance et la résilience des écosystèmes ?

La résilience au sens de l’écologie (“ecological resilience”) et la résilience au sens de l’ingénierie (“engineering resilience”) .

Les perturbations empêchent le système d’atteindre un équilibre dominé par quelques espèces. En revanche des perturbations trop fréquentes empêchent les espèces de fin de succession de réaliser leur cycle de développement.

Les perturbations peuvent provoquer des bouleversements, des changements radicaux de comportement des systèmes écologiques ainsi que des fluctuations importantes de leurs variables caractéristiques. Elles peuvent en revanche réduire sensiblement la complexité de certaines dynamiques (Chaotiques et cycliques par exemple).

Relations entre résistance, résilience, constance et persistance .

La résilience définit la capacité des systèmes écologiques à maintenir de façon dynamique leurs structures et leurs propriétés, leur organisation, face à des bouleversements du milieu.

La résilience écologique décrit ainsi trois propriétés fondamentales : La quantité de changement que le système peut endurer, la capacité du système à s’auto- organiser, la capacité du système à apprendre et à s’adapter.

La résilience au sens de l’écologie se distingue ainsi de la résilience au sens de l’ingénierie définie par la vitesse de retour à un état de référence après perturbation. Les deux types de résilience sont complémentaires et leur emploi respectif dépend en premier lieu de l’échelle d’étude des systèmes.

Résistance et résilience définissent le comportement d’un système face à une perturbation de forte magnitude ; il s’agit de propriétés intrinsèques au système.

Fort de ces propriétés, les effets des perturbations (événement unique ou régime de perturbation) peuvent conduire à une extinction du système (extinction d’une population), à une extinction de certaines de ses composantes (espèces pour une communauté) ou à une profonde réorganisation de sa structure et de son fonctionnement (ex. dégradation irréversible d’écosystèmes).

En écologie des communautés, la résistance peut être associée à une différence de composition spécifique dans la communauté entre les états avant et après perturbation. Il s’agit de la capacité du système à absorber ou contrecarrer les effets d’une perturbation.

La constance est la propriété de ne pas changer au cours du temps. La constance permet de caractériser des trajectoires pour lesquelles il n’existe pas de formalisme mathématique permettant de tester simplement l’existence ou non d’état d’équilibre.

Made by @themonsterp and inspired by— Perturbations, diversité et permanences des structures dans les écosystèmes forestiers. Thomas Cordonnier.

La persistance représente un critère clé en biologie et en écologie de la conservation car elle exprime le maintien de l’intégrité du système au cours du temps.

En théorie, la persistance est une qualité : on persiste ou on ne persiste pas. En écologie forestière, on parle éventuellement de persistance d’une espèce, de persistance de classes d’âge, ou de persistance d’une structure.

[greenthestral]

Unveiling the Secrets of Life Below Water: Goal 14 for a Sustainable Future

In our journey towards achieving a sustainable future, Goal 14 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) plays a pivotal role. Life Below Water, as it is commonly referred to, focuses on the preservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. With this goal, the international community aims to safeguard marine ecosystems, mitigate the impacts of human activities, and promote sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities. This article delves into the significance of Goal 14, explores the challenges faced, and highlights the initiatives that can help us ensure a healthier and more vibrant life below water.

Understanding the Importance of Goal 14

The Earth's oceans are vast and cover more than 70% of the planet's surface. They are teeming with life and harbor a remarkable diversity of species and ecosystems. From the mesmerizing coral reefs to the mysterious depths of the abyss, the oceans are a treasure trove of biodiversity, supporting millions of species, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Beyond their ecological significance, the oceans play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate. They act as a massive heat sink, absorbing a significant amount of the sun's energy and distributing it across the planet. Additionally, oceans play a vital role in the water cycle, facilitating the evaporation of water, which then falls as precipitation and sustains terrestrial ecosystems.

The oceans are not only important for the environment but also for human societies. They provide sustenance to millions of people around the world. Fishing, both for subsistence and commercial purposes, is a primary source of livelihood for coastal communities. The oceans also support economic activities such as tourism, shipping, and offshore industries, contributing significantly to global economies.

However, the delicate balance of marine ecosystems is under threat due to various human activities. Overfishing, driven by unsustainable practices and the demand for seafood, has led to the depletion of fish stocks worldwide. Large-scale industrial fishing, with destructive methods such as bottom trawling, threatens not only the targeted species but also the entire marine food web.

Marine pollution is another significant challenge faced by the oceans. Pollution from land-based sources, including plastic waste, chemicals, oil spills, and agricultural runoff, finds its way into the marine environment, causing severe harm to marine life and ecosystems. The accumulation of plastic debris in the oceans has reached alarming levels, forming giant garbage patches and causing entanglement and ingestion by marine organisms.

Habitat destruction and degradation are also taking a toll on marine ecosystems. Destructive practices such as coral reef destruction, coastal development, and the destruction of mangroves and seagrass beds result in the loss of critical habitats and the disruption of delicate ecological relationships. These habitats serve as nurseries and breeding grounds for many species, and their loss has far-reaching consequences for marine biodiversity.

Furthermore, climate change poses one of the most significant threats to life below water. Rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise are already impacting marine ecosystems. Corals, which are vital for the survival of countless marine species, are particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures and increased ocean acidity, leading to coral bleaching events and the degradation of coral reefs.

In recognition of the urgent need to protect and sustainably manage marine resources, Goal 14 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was established. Also known as Life Below Water, this goal aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources for present and future generations.

Goal 14 encompasses various targets and indicators to guide efforts towards sustainable ocean management. One of the key focuses is the protection and restoration of coral reefs, which are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs provide habitat for numerous species, protect coastlines from erosion, and support vibrant tourism industries. By implementing measures to reduce coral bleaching, enhance reef resilience, and combat destructive practices, Goal 14 seeks to safeguard these vital ecosystems.

Another critical aspect of Goal 14 is the reduction of marine pollution. It calls for the prevention and significant reduction of marine debris, particularly plastic waste. Efforts are being made to promote better waste management systems, recycling and reusing plastics, and raising awareness about the detrimental effects of single-use plastics. Innovative technologies for ocean cleanup are also being developed to tackle existing pollution.

To address the issue of overfishing, Goal 14 emphasizes the need to restore fish stocks to sustainable levels. This involves implementing science-based management plans, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and promoting responsible fishing practices. Creating marine protected areas and adopting ecosystem-based management approaches can help protect critical habitats and ensure the long-term viability of fisheries.

Furthermore, Goal 14 acknowledges the urgent need to address ocean acidification, which poses a grave risk to marine organisms. By reducing carbon dioxide emissions and taking steps to enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems, such as protecting mangroves and seagrass beds, this goal aims to mitigate the impacts of ocean acidification and ensure the survival of vulnerable species.

Achieving Goal 14 requires a collaborative effort from governments, businesses, civil society organizations, and individuals worldwide. International cooperation is crucial to strengthen governance frameworks, regulate resource exploitation, combat illegal fishing, and promote sustainable practices. By taking collective action and embracing sustainable approaches, we can secure a healthier and more vibrant future for life below water.

Challenges and Threats to Life Below Water

The life below water faces a multitude of challenges that require immediate attention and concerted efforts. Overfishing, driven by unsustainable practices and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, has led to a decline in fish stocks worldwide. The loss of biodiversity affects not only marine ecosystems but also the communities that depend on them for food security and economic opportunities.

Marine pollution poses another significant threat. Plastic waste, chemicals, oil spills, and other pollutants contaminate the oceans, harming marine life and ecosystems. The accumulation of plastic debris, in particular, has gained global attention due to its devastating impact on marine organisms and the potential consequences for human health through the food chain.

Ocean acidification, caused by the absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, poses a grave risk to marine organisms such as corals, shellfish, and plankton. Acidic waters can hinder the growth and survival of these organisms, disrupting the entire marine food web and impacting the livelihoods of coastal communities.

 Initiatives and Solutions for a Sustainable Life Below Water

Achieving Goal 14 requires a comprehensive approach involving governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals. Several initiatives and solutions have emerged to address the challenges faced by life below water:

Sustainable Fisheries Management: Implementing science-based management plans, promoting responsible fishing practices, and combating illegal fishing are crucial steps towards replenishing fish stocks and ensuring the long-term sustainability of fisheries. Tools like marine protected areas and ecosystem-based management help preserve critical habitats and protect biodiversity.

Marine Pollution Prevention: Reducing plastic pollution and other sources of marine debris is vital. This can be achieved through improved waste management systems, recycling and reusing plastics, and raising awareness about the consequences of single-use plastics. Additionally, promoting the use of biodegradable alternatives and supporting innovative technologies for ocean cleanup can help mitigate the impact of existing pollution.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Addressing climate change is fundamental to preserving life below water. Transitioning to renewable energy sources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting sustainable coastal development are essential steps in mitigating the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Additionally, enhancing the resilience of coastal communities through measures such as mangrove restoration, coastal protection, and sustainable tourism can aid adaptation efforts.

International Cooperation and Governance: Collaboration among nations is crucial for the effective implementation of Goal 14. Strengthening international frameworks, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and promoting regional cooperation can help combat illegal fishing, regulate resource exploitation, and ensure the sustainable use of marine resources.

Conclusion

Preserving life below water is not only crucial for the health of our oceans but also for the overall well-being of our planet. Goal 14 provides a roadmap for sustainable ocean management, aiming to conserve marine biodiversity, mitigate pollution, and promote the sustainable use of marine resources. By taking action at individual, local, and global levels, we can make a significant difference in ensuring a healthier and more vibrant future for life below water. Let us join hands and work together to safeguard the oceans for generations to come.

[boggedybloggedy]

A lot of trees in this swamp laid down their lives in the last hurricane....... by which I mean they are Laying On The Ground, and also Still Very Much Alive. See all those new branches, the red shoots going straight up?

I think the swamp muck is so wet that even with half their roots in the air, they’re still getting enough water to carry on.

[farmerstrend]

Why Kenya's Agritech Startups Struggle to Penetrate the Market Despite Strong Investment

Discover why Kenya’s agritech startups struggle with market penetration despite strong investment, and explore how regulatory challenges and fragmented services hinder growth in the sector. Kenya’s agritech industry faces hurdles beyond funding, including complex regulations and data security concerns. Learn how startups can overcome these challenges to scale and succeed. Uncover the key barriers…

[internationaldayofargania]

Socio-economic development & sustainability of the Argan ecosystem.

The United Nations will celebrate the third International Day of Argania, under the theme: "Socio-economic development & sustainability of the Argan ecosystem." The celebration will aim to share knowledge and practices from the Argan production sector, in support of food security and sustainable production and consumption patterns. Follow the event on UN Web TV on 10 May, 3:00 pm EST

[fairy-ganj-mother]

I've always loved the concept of resiliency

[delicatelysublimeforester]

The Dance of Weather: How Trees and Forests Shape Our World

[thoughtlessarse]

An international study led by the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), of the Spanish National Research Council (CISC), has shown that as the number of global change factors increases, terrestrial ecosystems become more sensitive to the impacts of global change. The results, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, show that the resistance of our ecosystems to global change decreases significantly as the number of environmental stressors increases, especially when this stress is sustained over time. This is the conclusion reached by the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning Laboratory (BioFunLab) at IRNAS-CSIC after analyzing 1,023 global change experiments worldwide in collaboration with 10 international institutions, including the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, the University of Alicante, the Northeast China Forestry University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S., and the University of New South Wales in Australia. "Terrestrial ecosystems are subject to a myriad of climate change and environmental degradation factors, including global warming, drought processes, atmospheric pollution, fires or overgrazing among many others. We know that these global change factors impact the ability of our ecosystems to provide services such as carbon sequestration or soil fertility that are key in the fight against climate change and in food production. "What we didn't know is how an increase in the number of global change factors affects the ability of ecosystems to resist this global change," explains Manuel Delgado Baquerizo, BioFunLab leader and senior author of the paper. "Our research shows that as the number of global change factors to which we subject our ecosystems increases, these ecosystems become more and more sensitive and reduce their natural capacity to resist the impacts of environmental perturbations."

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So, we're basically fucked is the takeaway I’m getting.

[3ggbed]

*looking out my window at the fiery onslaught* i will save us all.