shifting landscapes in the
tropics Researchers race to save the world’s rarest plant species
By Evelyn S. Perez | esuperez@fiu.edu
T
ropical forests are changing to
temperatures and changing rainfall
it,” Feeley said. “Some people hold
in the growing body of knowledge
more than 100 peer-reviewed
and their habitats, while balancing
keep up with climate change.
patterns. This survival tactic comes at
the notion the Amazon is an isolated
amassed by ICTB, a partnership
papers in diverse academic journals,
the demands for plant resources by
Trees are gradually moving to where
the expense of neighboring highland
and pristine ecosystem, immune to
between FIU and the National Tropical
including Nature, Science and PNAS.
growing human populations.
temperatures are cooler, rainfall is
trees. Kenneth J. Feeley, a researcher
disturbances. We need to change our
Botanical Garden. The center is
Headquartered at The Kampong in
greater, freshwater is available and
in the FIU International Center for
mindset and open our eyes to the fact
home to researchers with geographic
Coconut Grove, Fla., the center is
invaluable addition to global
conditions are ideal.
Tropical Botany (ICTB), has discovered
that even in the middle of the Amazon
expertise extending from South Florida
planning a 10,000-square-foot facility
conservation. With the center’s
Forests in the Andes Mountains are
For Feeley, the center is an
that instead of shifting to different
or the remote Andes Mountains,
to the Caribbean, Central and South
that will include space for research,
support, the biological sciences
no exception. At 4,300 miles long, it
locations, highland trees are retracting,
species are at risk.”
America, Africa, the Pacific and Asia.
education, professional training and
professor has come close to
is the longest continental mountain
or dying back. His findings reveal a
These regions comprise the top global
outreach. On a continuously evolving
determining the number of tree
range in the world and runs through
stark truth: tropical tree species in the
studying the ecology, biogeography
biodiversity hot spots — areas of
planet, the center’s mission is clear:
species in the tropics — an
seven countries. The lowland tree
Andes are at risk of extinction.
Feeley has dedicated his career to and conservation of tropical plant and
exceptional species richness facing
to produce the knowledge and tools
impressive feat considering the
species that call the Andes home are
“The effects of climate change
animal communities. His research
extraordinary threats. In just two years,
needed to conserve and manage
tropics are comprised of some of
moving upslope in response to rising
are everywhere — you can’t escape
on migrating trees is just the latest
ICTB researchers have published
threatened tropical plant species
the most geographically remote and
30 | Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016
Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016 | 31
ecological processes are altered with cascading consequences for the entire ecosystem. While long-valued for their biodiversity and aesthetics, his
THE BEEF
study supports the idea rare species are more important than originally believed. The reality that high rates of
Scientific discovery could revolutionize one of world’s most important crops
rare species are expected to be lost in the near future cannot be ignored. The fact that people depend on
RESEARCHERS SAY EAT LESS MEAT, SAVE THE PLANET
plants for food, shelter, fuel, fiber and medicine shouldn’t be ignored
Eric von Wettberg wants to arm Ethiopian and Indian farmers with revolutionary new varieties
either. In addition to material goods, Young chickpea pods
of chickpea. The FIU researcher
all living creatures depend on tropical forests to capture and store harmful carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
has identified the gene responsible
inaccessible areas. Feeley and an
In a planet already threatened by
for giving white chickpea its
international research team determined
climate change, habitat loss and
seed color and flower color. In
there are at least 40,000 tropical
over-harvesting make matters worse
developing countries, farmers earn
species of trees and as many as
for many tropical plants. As human
more for selling light chickpeas for
53,000 in the Americas, Africa and
populations continue to grow, the
their desired appearance and ease
the Indo-Pacific region. Having an
sustainable use of these plant
of cooking. This can be problematic
accurate assessment is critical for
resources is critical.
because dark chickpeas are often
developing effective management and
more resistant to diseases and
conservation strategies.
growing them yields more seeds. The genetic finding can help
But just how essential are these to protect and conserve? Christopher
of researchers found loggers can help
chickpea that will fare better
Baraloto, director of ICTB, says rare
forests recover their carbon stock
against debilitating diseases, yield
species are irreplaceable when it
in as little as seven years by using
carnivores and herbivores.
can help change these trends through
decrease land demands and ecological footprint of agriculture, people should reduce the amount of animal products in their diets to less than 10 percent of their total caloric intake. The
market-driven conservation.” In a study published in Science of the Total Environment, the researchers found meat production in the most biodiverse countries in the world — including those in Asia, Africa
recommended reduction is equivalent
and South America — is increasing
to a daily serving of meat that is
rapidly. Some may require 30 to 50
about the size of a deck of playing
percent more land beyond their current
Brian Machovina spoke about eating healthy to save the environment at TEDxFIU 2014.
cards. That is a tall order when trying
agricultural areas just to meet their
to balance the availability of food for
meat production needs by 2050.
T
need to increase nutritional health.
management practices for logging. In
breeders create varieties of
personal and environmental health
Machovina and FIU biologist
emphasizes the need for sustainable a recent study, Baraloto and a team
water pollution and the loss of wild
Kenneth J. Feeley argue in order to
To help accomplish this, Baraloto
threatened species that botanists want
a higher number of seeds on the
By Evelyn S. Perez | esuperez@fiu.edu
o conserve the world’s animals,
people, their desire to eat meat and the
Yet, growing fruits, vegetables, legumes and soy protein would increase
comes to ecosystem functionality. He
techniques that ensure only the trees
same amount of land, and fetch a
and a team of international researchers
needed for commercial use are felled.
higher price per seed.
simulated what would happen
With sustainable forest management,
home, people should eat less meat,
consumption is realistic if we can
when rare and common species
producing timber to meet human
according to FIU researcher Brian
offer delicious, convenient, plant-
collaborators plan to partner
are removed from an ecosystem.
demand and maintaining carbon
Machovina. Producing livestock,
based foods that people want to eat,”
with international crop breeding
Examining rainforest trees from
storage can be done in tandem.
including cattle, goats and sheep,
Machovina said.
centers to provide them with the
French Guiana, as well as stream fish
information and wild seeds needed
from the Brazilian Amazon and birds
International Center for Tropical Botany
largest driver of deforestation and
drives meat consumption and the
livestock. This could allow an additional
to adapt seeds to local conditions
from the Australian Wet Tropics, they
are racing the clock to discover,
habitat loss worldwide. It accounts
power of the market can equally
4 billion people to be fed, surpassing the
and hand them to farmers.
found when rare species are removed
protect and restore. n
for 75 percent of agricultural land
drive its reduction. Awareness about
estimated global population growth of
and is a leading cause of soil loss,
the damage of meat consumption to
2-3 billion people. n
Von Wettberg and his
32 | Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016
Plant by plant, researchers in the
plants and the places they call
for human consumption is the single
“Reducing animal-based product
“The power of the market is what
the number of food calories available for people by as much as 70 percent on the agricultural lands currently in use. Cultivating them requires less land area than what is needed to raise
Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016 | 33