Sg-Habitat Loss/ Deforestation/ Conservation Efforts

Extinct Dodo Bird/ Nite on the town(2 Dodo birds)

Singapore—Day 3

Today we heard from Dan’s colleague Sivasothi on Ecological/Conservation efforts and Navjot Sodhi re: SE Asian extinctions.
My partial summary of Sivasothi’s presentation reflects definition of problem and goal/efforts:
The problem:
--Deforestation from 1819 picture of Singapore with 82% land mass in primary forest and 13% in mangroves to a990 numbers of 0.5% mangroves and 0.2 % primary forest.
--74% of SE Asia is expected to be deforested by 2010.
--of Singapore’s coral reefs 60% are lost and 30% degraded.
--Mangroves in 1990 totaled 2700 hectares/ now 500 ha
--Bukit Timah (forest) is falling apart in front of our eyes—victim of acid rain and loss of species that help re-seed native flora (Bukit Timah has more species of palms than all of Africa) and rare fauna within the area have disappeared
The Goal/Effort:
--Although early efforts were to become self-sufficient, public awareness and government decision-making are bringing better environmental decisions (the preservation of Chek Jawa may have been the turning point)
--early planners had little knowledge of ecology—“I appreciate the developmental pressures but all decisions have not been informed decisions”
--the urban population was blissfully unaware of these issues which are now in their focus
--lack of education efforts about environmental issues has improved and additional effort is needed
--the preoccupation with terrestrial issues has been moderated
--raising public awareness and reaching citizens with education is effective coupled with advocacy thorough providing ministers and decision makers good information and backing away to allow them to make informed decisions.
--Mondai mangroves (important for migratory birds and an abundance of marine life) is now an important area of focus for Singapores decision-making—hopefully to follow in the pattern of Chek Jawas success.

Navjot Sodhi describes hisself as cautiously pessimistic and sees Singapore and many areas of SE Asia as worst case scenarios of deforestation. He lays responsibility at the feet of scientists/academics for “the lack of education of tropical citizens re: environmental issues”.
--2/3 of all biodiversity resides in the tropics
--deforestation in SE Asia is the highest rate and importance in the world. Projections have the only remaining forests in 2050 to reside in protected areas only—all else gone
--destruction is not limited to forests—mangroves (critical for hatcheries, prevention of erosion, tsunami protection and habitat for wide ranging species) in Singapore are 95% lost and expected to be 97% lost by 2030 –due to land reclamation.
--if we lose 95% of ther forest, we lose 50% of the species (some species can adapt)
--drivers of habitat loss include population growth, drive to increase national GNP, logging—legal and illegal,western demand for wood,
--habitat loss—we are the cause/we are the victims

Consequences of loss of habitat/biodiversity include loss of habitat as environmental filters, increased disease spread (linked to bird flu, SARS, Nipah virus, dengue and malaria), increased drought and fires, landslides and loss of life, erosion, decreased pollination, and much more.

Forest bird species are declining/disappearing on a steep slope downward and accelerating—shorebirds migrating from as far as Siberia find disruption along their route—Sg is a major stop—are decling as well.

National University of Singapore is home to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity.

Singapore Green Plan
http://www.mewr.gov.sg/sgp2012/index_2006.htm

Nature Society response to Green Plan
http://conservationsingapore.nss.org.sg/SGP2012.doc

Deforestation in SE Asia
http://ca.youtube.com/user/WetlandsInt
also see peat lands and climate change
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=tmT7UeJM8eM
Raffles Museum
http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/news/index.php?phrase=semakau&submit=Search+RMBRnews