In the early 1990s, vultures began dying in large numbers. Between 1992 and 2007, the number of India's most common three vulture species fell by more than 97 percent. The six other species were in decline as well. The dead birds were tested and found to have been exposed to diclofenac, an anti- inflammatory drug given to cattle in south Asia. Birds were fed on the carcasses of cows.
A far-reaching chain reaction began when that happened. As vulture populations plummeted, cow carcasses began to pile up and the number of rats and wild dogs increased. The main scavengers were dogs. The data shows that the number of dogs increased from 1992 to 2003 Tens of thousands of people die each year from dog bites and diseases caused by dogs. vulture populations have begun to recover after diclofenac was banned.
Mao wanted to quickly industrialise the country through the Great Leap forward. The campaign targeted mosquitoes, rats, flies and sparrows. The sparrows were ordered to be killed because he thought they were feeding on rice and grains. Citizens were told to shoot the birds, tear down their nest, smash their eggs and bang pots in order to frighten them into falling to their deaths. In China, sparrows were almost wiped out.
sparrows rely on insects for most of their diet, and Mao's officials didn't know that. The country's crops were destroyed by insect pests after mass killing. One of the most devastating famines in history was caused by the ecological catastrophe and multi-year dry spell. About 45 million people are thought to have died.
The extinction of dozens of species of salamanders in Panama and Costa Rica was caused by a deadly chytrid fungus. Most people wouldn't have known that it was the greatest loss of biodiversity due to a disease.
After the deaths, there was an eight-year spike in malaria cases in Central America, probably because there were no salamanders to prey on their eggs. There was a fivefold increase in the number of Malaria cases.
Michael Springborn is a professor at the University of California, Davis and the lead author of the paper.
More than two hundred thousand people were killed in the Indian Ocean earthquake and wave in 2004. According to a report by the Environmental Justice Foundation, the countries with the greatest decline in mangrove cover were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. Mangroves in these countries fell in the 1980's and 90's. Waves penetrated further inland and killed more people in places where the trees had been destroyed. The Mangrove forests saved lives and property, according to the report.
Mangroves absorb the impact of waves by their large root systems. If coastal communities are to recover and be protected from similar events, they need to conserva and restore coastal mangrove areas.
The widespread use of pesticides alongside habitat destruction means that farmers have to carry pots of pollen to pollinate their pear and apple trees. The paintbrush is attached to a bamboo pole so that it can be used to paint the flowers. Some 30% of China's pear trees are artificially pollinated.
Three-quarters of crops rely on insects for their sustenance. They are important to other wildlife as a source of food and as a way of pollination. Food production is being affected by a lack of wild pollinators. There is evidence that a lack of bees is affecting the amount of food that can be grown in 13 states in the US.
Artificial pesticides have been our main defense against crop pests. Parasitoid wasp, lacewings and ladybirds help farmers and gardeners by hunting pests.
ants can be more effective than pesticides at helping farmers produce food because they are better at killing pests. They are a generalist predator who hunt pests that damage fruit. Scientists looked at the impact of 26 species of ants on 17 crops. They do best in diversified farming systems where there are more places for them to nest.
Coral Reefs are a natural barrier to storms. They can protect coastal communities because of their jagged formations. By the time waves hit land, they reduce wave energy by an average of 97 percent. More than 200 million people are dependent on the protection of coral reefs around the world. According to research, the US provides more than $1.8 billion in flood protection benefits every year.
These reefs are damaged by developments such as marina and docks. Mass Bleaching is caused by rising temperatures and the corals are being destroyed. If global temperatures rise by 1.5C, research suggests that almost all corals on the planet will be damaged.
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