Volume 2 | Number 1
Contents Fall 2012 2 |
Employee of the Month Upcoming Events About the Company
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New Standard for Tree Protection
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Protection of Endangered Species
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So You Want to Know More About Plants and Animals
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EVENTS October 30
Marketing Workshop
12pm-3pm
November 18
Company Picnic (Barnett Park)
9am - 1pm
November 24
Cystic Fibrosis Walk-a-thon
10am-2pm
December 5
Opening of New Building Party
7pm-11pm
December 12
Planning Roundtable
5pm - 7pm
December 20
Christmas Party
7pm
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Charlotte Warren is the is the company’s go-to writer. She specializes in drafting and implementing public relations and marketing materials, but also writes speeches, manages social media platforms and comes up with copy for advertising campaigns. She is a former Genesis Project intern nicknamed the “ghost writer” and “comma-kaze” for her infatuation with the written word. Charlotte considers herself a hybrid; an English Floridian, if you will. She was born and raised in Essex, England, but moved to Florida in 2004. She doesn’t plan on looking back but still enjoys a cup of tea every morning.
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ABOUT Genesis Project Genesis Project is a global non-profit organization whose mission is to address threats to conversation involving climate change, fresh water, oceans and conservation lands. Currently with a membership of more than 1 million environmentalists, conservationists and eco-conscious individuals, Genesis strives to preserve the existence of the planet for future generations. In it’s 60 year history, the Genesis Project has protected over 100 million acres of land, 4,000 miles of river and operated over 100 marine conservation societies worldwide. Genesis Project can be found in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. For more information, please visit us on the web at www.genesisproject.org.
New Standard for Tree Protection
By Steven Toth
Arborists and building developers now have an agreed framework for the protection and preservation of trees during all stages of a development project with the first Australian Standard covering tree protection on construction sites now available. AS 4970-2009 Protection of trees on development sites provides arborists, architects, builders, engineers, land managers, landscape architects, contractors, planners and building surveyors with tree management guidelines for the proper care and protection of trees retained and integrated into construction projects. It includes guidance on how to decide which trees should be retained and the means of protecting those trees during construction work. Guidelines on how to calculate the tree and crown area requiring protection and isolation from construction activities and the use of tree protection measures such as barriers and protectors are also covered. Key to the Australian Standard is the requirement that procedures must be in place to protect trees at every stage of the development process, including from the earliest planning of an outdoor event or the initial design of a new development, where trees are present. John Tucker, CEO of Standards Aus-
tralia said the new Standard is an Australian first, representing an important step forward in promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly building practices. “Trees provide valuable environmental and social benefits to our urban environments. Inadequate development design, planning and supervision can have drastic impacts on the long-term survival and protection of trees well after construction is completed,” he said. “This new Australian Standard recognizes the importance trees play in our daily lives and provides the building
and tree care industries with a uniform, agreed approach to protecting and retaining trees as part of the building development process,” said Mr Tucker. “Until now, developers, planning ministers, local councils and arborists have had no consistent methodology for protecting trees retained on construction sites. This Australian Standard provides guidelines for tree management that have
been agreed by government, arboriculturists and the building industry,” he said. With no regulations currently governing tree management during development, the voluntary Australian Standard is attracting interest from local councils in Victoria and New South Wales looking to introduce mandatory guidelines to protect trees on development sites. Danny Draper, Chair of the Standards Australia Arboriculture Committee responsible for developing the Standard said the certainty provided by the Australian Standard will assist in dispute matters between consulting arboriculturists, local councils and Local and Environment Courts and be beneficial for the costing and application of tree protection measures by the building industry. City of Sydney Council has already applied guidelines stipulated by the Australian Standard to a development project to upgrade the Victoria Park playground in Camperdown, NSW. Requirements in the Australian Standard include: • conducting a detailed topographical site survey; • undertaking a preliminary tree as sessment and arboricultural report; • the restriction of activities in tree protection zones including the dumping of waste, machine excava tion, storage and preparation of chemicals, and physical damage to trees; • the erection of protective fencing around the tree protection zone pri or to machinery or materials brought to the site; • the use of approved signs to identfy the tree protection zone; • mulching, watering and weed re moval recommendations to main tain the tree protection zone; • regular monitoring of tree protec tion in adherence with the ap proved tree protection plan through out the development process. AS 4970-2009 Protection of trees on development sites was completed in August and is now available from Standards Australia’s distributor, SAI Global.
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Protectio Endangered Spe
B
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on of ecies
By Savannah Potter
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n endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006. Many nations have laws offering protection to conservation reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the lists and obtain legal protection like Pandas. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.
Conservation Status
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that endangered species not living. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation status of a species; not simply the number remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, known threats, and so on. Internationally, 199 countries have signed an accord agreeing to create Biodiversity Action Plans to protect endangered and other threatened species. In the United States this plan is usually called a species Recovery Plan.
Climate Change
Before greenhouse gases and global warming species were able to survive in their natural habitat. However the rapid increase of climate change has put animals at risk of becoming extinct. Nigel Stork in the article “Re-assessing Extinction Rate” explains, “the key cause of extinction being climate change, and in particular rising temperatures, rather than deforestation alone.” Stork believes climate change is the major issue as to why species are becoming endangered. Stork claims rising temperature on a local
and global level are making it harder for species to reproduce. As global warming continues, species are no longer able to survive and their kind starts to deteriorate. This is a repeating cycle that is starting to increase at a rapid rate because of climate change therefore landing many species on the endangered species list.
IUCN Red List Endangered Species
IUCN Red List refers to a specific category of threatened species, and may include critically endangered species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species uses the term endangered species as a specific category of imperilment, rather than as a general term. Under the IUCN Categories and Criteria, endangered species is between critically endangered and vulnerable. Also critically endangered species may also be counted as endangered species and fill all the criteria. The more general term used by the IUCN for species at risk of extinction is threatened species, which also includes the less-at-risk category of vulnerable species together with endangered and critically endangered. IUCN categories include: • Extinct • Extinct in the wild • Critically endangered • Endangered • Vulnerable • Near threatened • Least concern
United States
Under the Endangered Species Act in the United States, “endangered” is the more protected of the two categories. The Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana) is an example of an endangered subspecies protected under the ESA. In the United States alone, the “known species threatened with extinction is ten times higher than the number protected under the Endangered Species Act” (Wilcove & Master, 2008, p. 414). The US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service are held responsible for classifying and protecting endangered species, yet, adding a particular species to the list is a
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long, controversial process and in reality it represents only a fraction of imperiled plant and animal life (Wilcove & Master, 2008, p. 414). Some endangered species laws are controversial. Typical areas of controversy include: criteria for placing a species on the endangered species list, and criteria for removing a species from the list once its population has recovered; whether restrictions on land development constitute a “taking” of land by the government; the related question of whether private landowners should be compensated for the loss of uses of their lands; and obtaining reasonable exceptions to protection laws. Also lobbying from hunters and various industries like the petroleum industry, construction industry, and logging, has been an obstacle in establishing endangered species laws. Being listed as an endangered species can have negative effect since it could make a species more desirable for collectors and poachers. This effect is potentially reducible, such as in China where commercially farmed turtles may be reducing some of the pressure to poach endangered species. Another problem with the listing species is its effect of inciting the use of the “shoot, shovel, and shut-up” method of clearing endangered species from an area of land. Some landowners currently may perceive a diminution in value for their land after finding an endangered animal on it. They have allegedly opted to silently kill and bury the animals or destroy habitat, thus removing the problem from their land, but at the same time further reducing the population of an endangered species. The effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act, which coined
the term “endangered species”, has been questioned by business advocacy groups and their publications, but is nevertheless widely recognized as an effective recovery tool by wildlife scientists who work with the species. Nineteen species have been delisted and recovered and 93% of listed
with endangerment that are not included under the protection of such laws as the Endangered Species Act. According to NatureServe’s global conservation status, approximately thirteen percent of vertebrates (excluding marine fish), seventeen percent of vascular plants, and six to eighteen percent of fungi are considered imperiled (Wilcove & Master, 2008, p. 415-416). Thus, in total, between seven and eighteen percent of the United States’ known animals, fungi, and plants are near extinction (Wilcove & Master, 2008, p. 416). This total is substantially more than the number of species protected under the Endangered Species Act in the United States.
Helping Preserve Endangered Species
It is the goal of conservationists to create and expand upon ways to preserve endangered species and maintain biodiversity. There are several ways in which one can aid in preserving the world’s species who are nearing extinction. One such way is obtaining more information on different groups of species, especially invertebrates, fungi, and marine organisms, where sufficient data is lacking. For example, to understand the causes of population declines and extinction an experiment was conducted on the butterfly population in Finland. In this analysis, the butterflies’ endangered list classification, distribution, densety, larval specificity, dispersal ability, adult habitat breadth, flight period and body size were all recorded and examined to determine the threatened state of each species. It was found that the butterflies’ distribution has declined by fifty-one and a half percent, and they have a severely restricted habitat. One example of specific butterflies
Being listed as an endangered species can have negative effect since it could make a species more desirable for collectors and poachers.
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species in the northeastern United States have a recovering or stable population. Currently, 1,556 known species in the world have been identified as endangered, or near extinction, and are under protection by government law (Glenn, 2006, Webpage). This approximation, however, does not take into consideration the number of species threatened
who have a declining distribution rate are the Frigga’s Fritillary and Grizzled Skipper, who have been affected by habitat loss due to extensive draining of the bogs where they live (Kotiaho et al., 2005, p. 1963–1967). This experiment shows that when we know the causes of endangerment, we can successfully create solutions for the management of biodiversity. Another way to help preserve endangered species is to create a new professional society dedicated to ecological ethics. This could help ecologists make ethical decisions in their research and management of biodiversity. Also, creating more awareness on environmental ethics can help encourage species preservation. “Courses in ethics for students, and training programs for ecologists and biodiversity managers” all could create environmental awareness and prevent violations of ethics in research and management (Minteer & Collins, 2005, p. 336). One final way in which one can conserve endangered species is through federal agency investments and protection enacted by the federal government. “Ecologists have proposed biological corridors, biosphere reserves, ecosystem management, and ecoregional planning as approaches to integrate biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development at increasingly larger spatial scales” (Ishwaran & Erdelen, 2006, p. 179). One example of a federal mandated conservation zone is the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, the largest marine protected area in the world. The monument is essential to the preservation of underwater communities and overfished regions. Only researchers working in the area are permitted to fish, no corals may be removed, and the Department of Homeland Security will enforce restrictions on vessels passing thrsough the waters via satellite imaging. The monument will serve as a home to an estimated seven thousand species, most of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world (Raloff, 2006, p. 92). This environmental monument demonstrates the fact that it is possible to create a safe environment for endangered species, as well as maintaining some of the world’s largest ecosystems.
IUCN Red List Endangered Species Extinct
Examples: Javan Tiger, Thylacine, Dodo, Passenger Pigeon, Caribbean Monk Seal, Steller’s Sea Cow, Aurochs, Elephant Bird, Woolly Mammoth, Tyrannosaurus, Dusky Seaside Sparrow
Extinct in the Wild
captive individuals survive, but there is no free-living, natural population Examples: Hawaiian Crow, Wyoming Toad, Socorro Dove, Red-tailed Black Shark, Scimitar Oryx, Catarina Pupfish
Critically Endangered
faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future. Examples: Mountain Gorilla, Bactrian Camel, Ethiopian Wolf, Saiga, Takhi, Kakapo, Arakan Forest Turtle, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Javan Rhino, Brazilian Merganser, Axolotl, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Northern White Rhinoceros, Gharial, Vaquita, Philippine Eagle, Brown Spider Monkey, California Condor, Island Fox, Black Rhinoceros, Chinese Alligator
Endangered
faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future. Examples: Dhole, Blue Whale, Asian Elephant, Giant Panda, Snow Leopard, African Wild Dog, Green Sea Turtle, Malayan Tapir, Tiger, Steller’s Sea Lion, Philippine Eagle, Markhor, Bornean Orangutan, Grevy’s Zebra, Tasmanian Devil
Vulnerable
faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term. Examples: African Elephant, Cheetah, Gaur, Lion, Sloth Bear, Dugong, Polar Bear, Indian Rhinoceros, Komodo Dragon, Great White Shark, Hippopotamus, Mandrill, Fossa
Near Threatened
may be considered threatened in the near future. Examples: Blue-billed Duck, Solitary Eagle, American Bison, Jaguar, Maned Wolf, Tiger Shark, Southern White Rhinoceros, Okapi, African Grey Parrot, Striped Hyena, Narwhal
Least Concern
no immediate threat to the survival of the species. Examples: Common Wood Pigeon, Rock Pigeon, Giraffe, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, California Sea Lion, Brown Bear, Grey Wolf, House Mouse, Scarlet Macaw, Platypus, Human, Bald Eagle, Brown Rat, Cane Toad, Humpback Whale, Emperor Penguin, American Crow, Wolverine, Mute Swan, Mallard, Red-tailed Hawk, Indian Peafowl, American Alligator, Southern Elephant Seal, Meerkat
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So You Want to Know About
PLANTS & ANIMALS OF EVERGLADES By Sue Urban
The Everglades is home to a vast array of plants and animals that have adapted to a wet, subtropical environment. Some creatures such as the Florida panther, wood stork and West Indian manatee have become symbols of a struggling ecosystem. Other parts of this vast mosaic - most notably the sawgrass marshes, and cypress and mangrove forests - are recognized around the world as images of the region. While some of its flora and fauna are widely recognized, the Everglades also is comprised of many hundreds, if not thousands, of lesser-known plants, animals and fish that are part of a living, dynamic ecosystem. The River of Grass includes wetlands plants, trees and marsh vegetation; invertebrates, fresh and saltwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. Some 68 species are on the federal threatened or endangered lists. Many more are rare, species of special concern, or included on state lists. A brief overview of selected Everglades’ plant and animal species follows: ‘ Marsh Plant Species The Everglades is comprised of more than 100 marsh species that live in water all or much of the year. Its most wellknown wetland plant is sawgrass, a normally hearty grass-like species that has formed thousands of acres of marshes. Floating aquatic plants that dominate the waterscape include bladderwort, white water lily, spatterdock and maidencane. Living among these is one of the tiniest members of the Everglades plant community, periphyton algae. The base of food webs, algae floats in mats on or just below the water’s surface, and is found throughout the Everglades. Orchids, Bromeliads and Ferns Within the tree islands and hammocks, visitors can find breathtaking
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orchids, Bromeliads and ferns. The warm, humid environment is ideal for air plants, with some of the world’s most unusual and beautiful orchids found in the Everglades. Many species of tropical ferns also thrive in this environment, often found under shade trees and covering the forest floor. Mangroves A keystone plant community of the Everglades, the mangrove is a coastal plant that is known for its vast interface between more saline coastal waters and the freshwater marshes; help reduce soil erosion and buffer the land from wind and waves; and build the soil through their growth and decomposition. Mangroves do not tolerate cold weather and are protected by law. Birds Birds are a special symbol of the Everglades, captured beautifully in the paintings of John James Audubon. It is reported that in the 1800s there were so many migratory and wading birds that their numbers darkened the skies. Unfortunately, the wading and migra-
tory bird population has been greatly reduced, first by hunters and more recently by the loss of habitat. Despite this, today some 350 bird species have been identified in Everglades National
Park alone. Some are year-round residents; other just visit for the winter; and still others stop by on their journey to more southern destinations. The most notable of the wading birds includes the wood stork; white and glossy ibises; roseate spoonbill; great blue, great white and tricolored herons; and snowy and great egrets. The endangered snail kite is an unusual bird in that it survives exclusively on the apple snail. The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow also is in the news today, as scientists and government regulators strive to preserve its quickly dwindling habitat. Land Mammals Many animals live in the Everglades including the raccoon, skunk, opossum, bobcat, and white-tail deer. But the poster-child of the Everglades and the symbol of this wild, vast ecosystem is the Florida panther. It is the most endangered species in the Everglades, with only 30 to 50 remaining in the wild. Panthers feed on deer and other mammals, live in uplands Everglades areas, and require large ranges. Great lengths are under way to save the panther including radio-tracking collared individuals and introducing other panther strains to increase the gene pool. Other Animals Another keystone species of the ecosystem and an indicator of its health is the American alligator. This ancient reptile builds “alligator holes” that provide an important food and water source for many other animals in times of drought. Two other wellknown animals in the ecosystem include the friendly West Indian manatee and Bottlenose dolphin, both of which live in saltwater bays and coastal areas.
Genesis Project
A Conservation Society 222 North Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida 33114 305-555-1234 305-555-9999 www.genesisproject.org