Navigation Links
Rising energy, food prices major threats to wetlands as farmers eye new areas for crops
Date:7/24/2008

artificially the services wetlands provide will dwarf the cost of preserving and protecting them in the first place."

In their statement, conference delegates from 28 nations lament "inadequate national development policies, lack of implementation of existing laws, and the lack of long-term land use planning that negatively affect wetlands on public and private property."

They also call for help establishing such basic information tools as a mapped inventory of wetlands based on universally-accepted definitions, which as yet do not exist. They call on the 158 nations that are party to the Ramsar Convention to help remedy these and other yawning information gaps.

They warn against creating energy and food croplands at the expense of natural vegetation and of carelessly allowing agriculture to encroach on wetlands, which causes damage through sediment, fertilizer and pesticide pollution.

Development in and around wetlands must be preceded by "sound cost-benefit analyses, including environmental and social parameters," the statement says, adding that "mitigation of many negative side-effects is not possible" once the damage is done.

A recent study shows a large wetland in arid northern Nigeria yielded an economic benefit in fish, firewood, cattle grazing lands and natural crop irrigation 30 times greater than the yield of water being diverted from the wetland into a costly irrigation project.

And, at US$15 000 per hectare per year, the economic value of flood mitigation and other services provided by wetlands is greater than any other ecosystem seven times that of the next most valuable, tropical rainforests.

The statement notes accelerating rates of biodiversity loss, saying "freshwater biodiversity is declining faster than terrestrial or marine biodiversity, and wetland species are especially prone to decline and extinction."

The rich biodiversity of wetlands mitigates the spread of disease from
'/>"/>

Contact: Terry Collins
terrycollins@rogers.com
416-538-8712
United Nations University
Source:Eurekalert

2

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Surprisingly rapid changes in the Earths core discovered
2. Climate changing gas from some surprising microbial liaisons
3. Major collaboration uncovers surprising new genetic clues to diabetes
4. Oceanic sharks worldwide at serious risk from high-seas fishing, rising demand for shark products
5. The surprising power of the pill
6. Surprising discovery from first large-scale analysis of biodiversity and biogeography of viruses
7. Language of a fly proves surprising
8. Electrospray droplet research yields surprising, practical results
9. UVA reports surprising findings related to myotonic muscular dystrophy
10. The surprising story of Charles Darwin and his homeopathic doctor
11. Price of lower-calorie foods rising drastically, researchers find
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:12/15/2009)... the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA) to ... for an initial period of three years. ... Biogerontology editorial board and will acquire articles for ... society and provide society members with free electronic access ... Biogerontology offers a platform for research which ...
(Date:12/15/2009)... release is available in German ., ... everywhere across the globe, cultures vary as to how ... do not use egocentric terms such as ,left, right, ... allocentric notions like ,north, south, east, west, at all ... the bowl" or "There is an snake by your ...
(Date:12/15/2009)... a standard laboratory model organism, but there are ... analyze blood and blood-forming tissues in this species. ... easy-to-use laboratory resources from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ... features step-by-step protocols for the preparation, enumeration, ... and other hematopoietic tissues in the mouse. ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):More than a jump to the left 2New source of classical techniques for blood-based studies in the laboratory mouse 2Spectrum Announces Support Partnership for Breast Cancer Research During Breast Cancer Awareness Month 14307 1Spectrum Announces Support Partnership for Breast Cancer Research During Breast Cancer Awareness Month 14307 2Spectrum Announces Support Partnership for Breast Cancer Research During Breast Cancer Awareness Month 14307 3BioSpace Launches the 2010 Biotech Beach Hotbed Campaign 58625 1BioSpace Launches the 2010 Biotech Beach Hotbed Campaign 58625 2OAKWORKS Clinician Massage Table Product Line Gets a Green Makeover 58621 1OAKWORKS Clinician Massage Table Product Line Gets a Green Makeover 58621 2OAKWORKS Clinician Massage Table Product Line Gets a Green Makeover 58621 3OAKWORKS Clinician Massage Table Product Line Gets a Green Makeover 58621 4OAKWORKS Clinician Massage Table Product Line Gets a Green Makeover 58621 5
... developed a way to synthesize a cancer-killing compound called rasfonin ... from a fungus discovered clinging to the walls of a ... suicide while leaving healthy cells untouched. , "In 2000, scientists ... potential as a prototype anticancer agent, but no one has ...
... San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine shows that liver ... death and renewal. , The research, appearing online the ... the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ... proliferation. The findings by Michael Karin, Ph.D., professor ...
... HIV-positive subjects shows that HIV in the brain and central ... the blood and peripheral tissues. , Moreover, serious cognitive impairment ... a particular mutation in the HIV envelope gene. , ... It was led by Satish K. Pillai, PhD, a staff ...
Other Biology News:New lab technique churns out fungus' potential cancer fighter 2Cycles of cell death, proliferation key to liver cancer 2Viral genetic differences are possible key to HIV dementia 2Viral genetic differences are possible key to HIV dementia 3
(Date:12/15/2009)... Thomson Reuters ... become the first drug pipeline database to fully ... This highly anticipated new content is being provided ... ,, Thomson Pharma will offer ... press releases, conferences, and other sources across all ...
(Date:12/14/2009)... Vermillion, Inc. (Pink Sheets: VRML), ... C. Wallen, Ph.D. Chief Scientific Officer, Senior ... Laboratories, will be joining its board of ... ,, "Bill brings more than 20 ... and biotechnology," said Gail Page, Vermillion Executive ...
(Date:12/14/2009)... Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX ... of $2 billion aggregate principal amount of its senior ... public offering consists of $850 million of 4.50 percent ... notes due January 2020 and $300 million of 7.375 ... to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, ...
(Date:12/14/2009)... a US-based thermoforming company, has completed the delivery of Brookfield ... metal to a plastic enclosure with a smaller footprint and ... ... MA (PRWEB) December 14, 2009 -- ThermoFab, a US-based thermoforming ... Tester – helping Brookfield move from sheet metal to a ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Thomson Reuters is First to Offer Fully Integrated Pipeline and Clinical Trials 2Vermillion Announces Appointment of William C. Wallen, Ph.D. to Board of Directors 2Vermillion Announces Appointment of William C. Wallen, Ph.D. to Board of Directors 3Vermillion Announces Appointment of William C. Wallen, Ph.D. to Board of Directors 4Boston Scientific Announces Completion of $2 Billion Senior Notes Offering 2Boston Scientific Announces Completion of $2 Billion Senior Notes Offering 3Thermofab Helps Brookfield Engineering Move To A Compact Custom Plastic Enclosure 2
... ANGELES, Feb. 26 MMR Information Systems, ... its wholly-owned operating subsidiary, MyMedicalRecords, Inc. (collectively, ... ( www.mymedicalrecords.com ) and electronic safe deposit ... it has retained investment banking firm Houlihan ...
... Martin (NYSE: LMT ) has partnered with ... energy sector. As part of the corporation,s commitment to tackling ... research and development projects at Penn State in ... Lockheed Martin - Penn State collaboration will focus ...
... lines, and reagents now cover nearly half of the ... in ion channels and GPCR (G-protein coupled receptors) - ... now united. ChanTest, the leading provider of ion channel ... has acquired Rockville, Maryland-based Applied Cell Sciences. ACS is ...
Other Biology Technology:MMR Information Systems, Inc. Engages Houlihan Smith 2MMR Information Systems, Inc. Engages Houlihan Smith 3Lockheed Martin Invests in Smart Grid Research and Development at Penn State University 2ChanTest Acquires Applied Cell Sciences 2ChanTest Acquires Applied Cell Sciences 3ChanTest Acquires Applied Cell Sciences 4
Recombinant Rhesus Monkey IFN Alpha Activity: 2.9 x 10 8 u/mg...
... These handy dispensers save space and ... and other garb. They are the ... parts used in labs, processing and ... charges and the particles they attract. ...
... Ultrapure C 25 H 27 N 2 ... PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS Form: Dark burgundy metallic powder Identity: ... 2 O, 1 cm): greater than or equal ... Drying: less than or equal to 10.0% lambda ...
...
Biology Products: