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Protecting nature starts with science. Here\u2019s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than 60 percent <\/a>of the world\u2019s oceans lie beyond the jurisdiction of any nation \u2014 an area commonly known as the \u201chigh seas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n However, only about 1 percent of this vast and largely unexplored expanse is protected.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a new report<\/a>, a team of ocean experts outlines the importance of creating a high seas marine protected area in one of the most unique biodiversity hotspots on Earth: the Salas y G\u00f3mez and Nazca ridges<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Located in international waters off the coasts of Peru and Chile, these underwater mountain chains stretch 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) across the southeastern Pacific Ocean and provide critical habitat and migratory routes for a variety of marine life, including whales, leatherback sea turtles, corals and hundreds of other marine species.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAlthough Peru and Chile have recently taken steps to protect areas within their waters, more than 73 percent of the Salas y G\u00f3mez and Nazca ridges lie outside of national jurisdiction,\u201d said Daniel Wagner, Conservation International ocean scientist and the lead author of the report. \u201cThis means that the majority of these habitats \u2014 and the many species they support \u2014 are largely unprotected.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And according to Wagner, the Salas y G\u00f3mez and Nazca ridges face looming threats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOverfishing, climate change and deep-sea mining could have a profoundly negative impact on this region,\u201d Wagner added. \u201cSo far, commercial fishing has been limited in the Salas y G\u00f3mez and Nazca ridges, and deep-sea mineral exploration has not yet occurred, providing a window of opportunity to protect this area without significantly impacting those industries.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Co-authored by 27 leading experts in ocean science, policy and law, the report found that the most effective strategies to protect the Salas y G\u00f3mez and Nazca ridges include limiting fishing activities, prohibiting seabed mining and establishing a high seas marine protected area in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cNot only is this area a biodiversity hotspot, it is also culturally significant as Polynesian and other seafarers have sailed across it on their way to South America for centuries.\u201d said Wagner. \u201cDue to their exceptional natural and cultural significance, these ridges are one of the most important high seas areas to protect globally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Deforestation, the global wildlife trade and other human activities are decimating species around the planet.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a new study<\/a>, they are also eliminating the critical functions that native wildlife and plants provide for healthy ecosystems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSimply counting the number of species in a tropical forest does not provide a full picture of the biodiversity in that ecosystem,\u201d said Jorge Ahumada, a wildlife scientist at Conservation International and co-author on the study.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cFrom small birds to massive carnivores, every native species has its own niche in an ecosystem based on traits such as its size, diet or reproductive habits. If a species disappears from an area, its absence could create a domino effect that impacts the broader ecosystem. We need to better understand the ramifications of local species loss.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n To do this, the researchers first analyzed wildlife photos from 15 protected areas in tropical forests around the world, including in Asia, Africa and South America. The photos were pulled from the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring Network<\/a>, which uses motion-detector cameras to monitor global species trends in tropical forests.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Then, they studied the known traits of each of these species and compared them to the traits of other species in that area, calculating what is known as an ecosystem\u2019s \u201cfunctional diversity\u201d \u2014 the variety of roles species play in their habitats.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The study\u2019s authors concluded that destructive human activities decrease the diversity of species\u2019 traits in an area, which can have particularly profound impacts on an ecosystem\u2019s food chain.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe found that in areas where local species extinctions have been documented due to significant deforestation or poaching, such as in Korup National Park in Cameroon, large carnivores like leopards and golden cats are the first to go,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout these apex predators, entire food chains can be thrown out of balance. Eventually populations of smaller herbivores will skyrocket, forcing more competition for the same limited resources.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Determining the variety of traits in an ecosystem is fundamental to prioritizing new areas for wildlife conservation, Ahumada added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThis research illustrates the importance of local species to the health of an ecosystem,\u201d said Ahumada. \u201cWe can use this information to identify new sites for protected areas that conserve native species \u2014 and the roles they play in their habitats.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In 2017, a team of scientists led by Conservation International\u2019s Bronson Griscom produced a landmark study: They found that nature can provide at least 30 percent<\/a> of the carbon emissions reductions necessary to keep average global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (3.7 degrees Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However, the speed at which countries protect and restore nature is just as important as its mitigation potential, according to a recent paper <\/a>co-authored by Griscom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe only have a decade left to prevent the worst impacts of climate change,\u201d said Griscom. \u201cNatural climate solutions<\/a> \u2014 such as reforestation or restoration of mangroves \u2014 are effective at reducing emissions but they can\u2019t fix our climate overnight. It can take years for these efforts to reach their maximum mitigation levels. We must act now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The paper\u2019s authors analyzed a variety of factors that can reduce or delay the climate benefits from projects that protect or restore nature \u2014 including the speed at which a project is implemented, the amount of land involved and an area\u2019s ability to absorb emissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Depending on these factors, they found that delays could slash a project\u2019s expected emissions reductions \u2014 sometimes in half \u2014 by mid-century.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAny delay in action will require more aggressive reduction efforts later on, making it even more difficult for countries to meet their climate goals,\u201d said Griscom. \u201cThe good news is that we have a variety of practices that can avoid delays, and unlock natural climate solutions more quickly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For example, a restoration technique known as \u201capplied nucleation\u201d helps regrow forests by planting relatively small islands of fast-growing trees that attract birds, insects and seed dispersers \u2014 \u00a0reducing the time needed for restoration outcomes by as much as 75 percent<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe must remain optimistic, while being aware of the barriers we face,\u201d said Griscom. \u201cWe can rapidly unlock the benefits from natural climate solutions by learning from previous projects<\/a> that have succeeded and using the best available science to minimize delays.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n2. Conserving wildlife \u2014 and the roles they play in nature \u2014 to improve ecosystem health<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3.\u00a0Conservation delays can reduce climate benefits from protecting nature<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n