Best of our wild blogs: 21 Sep 08

Big Cleanup Updates
see the main blog for all updates, some highlights include styrofoam dominates and 56 car parts and more than 10,000 plastic bags and the data manager's task and lots of photos
on the News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore blog

The Life History of the Commander
on the Butterflies of Singapore blog

Brown-capped Woodpecker chick fell from its nest
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Crinoids at Hantu
on the wild shores of singapore blog

Last Sunday Chek Jawa boardwalk tour
upcoming, on the adventures of the naked hermit crabs blog

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Off the urban path in Singapore

Spectacular slivers of nature survive in densely packed business paradise.
Tony Shuga, American-Statesman 21 Sep 08;

SINGAPORE — Much of this city is crowded with mile after mile of 10- to 20-story apartment towers, office centers, private schools, multifloor retail malls, then still more apartment towers. Though rows of tall trees shade many streets, it's hard to imagine the rain forests and coastal woodlands that once covered the island, now home to one of the world's most densely populated countries.

Yet remnants of that lush heritage survive. And like most everything else in Singapore, they're accessible by public transportation.

That goes even for Pulau Ubin, or Granite Island, which lies in the narrow strait separating Singapore from Malaysia to the north. It's about 90 minutes from downtown by light rail, bus and "bumboat" — wooden ferryboats that serve as the main link to the city, but can carry only a dozen pedestrians, and no vehicles.

Pulau Ubin is a 4-mile-long, mile-wide sanctuary of woods and wetlands with a population in the dozens. Simple, low-slung dwellings rely on generators for power. Narrow, paved roads are traveled mainly by tourists on bicycles that rent for less than $10 a day, apparently the settlement's major industry.

A high point is the recently opened Ketam Mountain Bike Park, where riders follow a twisting, roller-coaster path through trees and heavy undergrowth surrounding the abandoned, water-filled Ketam Quarry. Steep 15- to 30-foot inclines provide a grueling workout on trails marked with blue, black diamond and double-black diamond ratings that mirror those used on ski hills.

For a more leisurely look at nature, there's a boardwalk through the Chek Jawa tidal mangrove flats. Here the signs each offer a paragraph or two explaining how the vast tangle of exposed roots, branches and greenery functions as a critical piece of the marine ecology.

A second wilderness retreat, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, is much closer to Singapore's urban core yet seems more remote. From Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, at the juncture of several busy thoroughfares, it's a 10-minute walk to the reserve's main entrance. Ten minutes more and you're surrounded by spectacular rain forest with 200-foot trees, huge-leafed plants and broad slopes blanketed by brilliant green ferns. The exotic vegetation is so thick that under overcast skies it's nearly too dim to see, and rainfall takes a quarter-hour to penetrate to the jungle floor.

Though it covers less than two-thirds of a square mile, the reserve contains an astounding abundance of plant life — more than 300 tree species in one five-acre survey plot, for example. There's a variety of well-marked foot and bike trails, ranging from an easy stroll to climbs up hundreds of treacherous stairsteps (the park contains Singapore's highest point, more than 500 feet above sea level).

Like the city itself, Bukit Timah is virtually unblemished by litter. On the day I visited, it was free of crowds as well, thanks to an hourlong thunderstorm that added to the sense that I was treading through the primordial past. Admission is free.

Other attractions worth checking out:

MacRitchie nature trails: Free and reachable by bus, this separate system of wilderness trails is near Bukit Timah but considerably larger, with several routes of more than five miles. The big draw is the Tree Top Walk, a suspension footbridge that stretches more than 250 yards between the park's two highest points.

Singapore Botanical Gardens: If you're more interested in the wild diversity of tropical plant life than a pseudo-adventure in the jungle, this is for you. It's not far from Bukit Timah and MacRitchie, and also busable. Admission is free, though there's a charge for exhibits such as the National Orchid Garden (about $4).

Singapore Zoo Night Safari: Often mentioned as a top Singapore attraction. The zoo is designed to hide its barriers and give the illusion of viewing the animals in nature. The effect is more pronounced after dark, when many species are active. Night, of course, is cooler, as well. The zoo can be reached by both bus and a special zoo shuttle that stops at several hotels. Cost of the Night Safari, with various optional features, is roughly $16-$30.

Science Centre: Another outstanding off-the-beaten-track destination, especially for children. An hourlong ride west of the urban center by light rail, the center is a vast collection of engaging, hands-on, kid-friendly displays highlighted by fairly sophisticated and frequently fascinating text explanations. (Several of these take shots at the West, and the U.S., for disregarding environmental concerns.) Divided into topic areas including energy, water, the human body, motion and ecology, the center reflects Singapore's plans to grow by training its kids and boosting technology as well as fostering business and trade. Basic admission is about $4.50.

For tourism information: 212-223-3331, www.visitsingapore.com.

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Scientists monitor growing Lake Erie algae bloom

Yahoo News 20 Sep 08;

Giant floating fields of algae are back in strength this year on Lake Erie and scientists are trying to figure out why.

The blooms of the pea-soup colored algae — so big they've been showing on satellite photos — are toxic to fish and small animals and irritating to humans. The lake once notorious for its pollution is cleaner than ever, yet the algae continues to thrive.

"Algae is a big deal, especially the microcystis, what is often called the blue-green algae," said Tom Bridgeman, a professor of environmental science at the University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center. "It's not aesthetically pleasing when it gets on boats or rots on the shore, but it can also be a health hazard."

Nine of 11 samples taken Sept. 3 from near West Sister Island, northeast of Toledo, were more toxic than guidelines set by the World Health Organization, said Geoffrey Horst, a Michigan State University graduate student who studies the algae. It won't kill people, but at minimum it's going to give swimmers a rash.

Water utilities along Ohio's Lake Erie shore spend thousands of dollars a day to kill the thick algae and to treat the bad smells and bad tastes that the organism causes, officials said.

But it's not going away.

"It's now blooming in the proportions that it was in the bad old days of the 1960s and early '70s," Bridgeman said. "There's a mystery to it because the lake seemed to be getting cleaner, but now the algal blooms are worse."

Even dead, the algae poses a problem: Decomposition of dead algae uses up oxygen and creates oxygen-free dead zones in the lake.

"There has already been a fish die-off in Lake Erie this season," said John Hageman, laboratory manager at Ohio State University's Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island.

Researchers suggest the algae might be blooming because it's fed by abundant phosphorus, which is running into the lake from increased suburban development.

"The same nutrient-rich fertilizers which cause our grass and crops to grow can cause the algae to grow in the lake," said Bridgeman, who calls the algae "Green Kool-Aid."

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Global food situation at a crossroads

World can avert major problems but must act now
EurekAlert 19 Sep 08;

Los Baños, Philippines – Declining agricultural productivity and continued growing demand have brought the world food situation to a crossroads. Failure to act now through a wholesale reinvestment in agriculture—including research into improved technologies, infrastructure development, and training and education of agricultural scientists and trainers—could lead to a long-term crisis that makes the price spikes of 2008 seem a mere blip.

This stark warning, in line with calls from organizations such as the World Bank, the World Food Program, and Asian Development Bank (ADB), was issued by members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) following their meeting on 16-19 September at Institute headquarters in Los Baños, Philippines.

The global community needs to remember two key things," said BOT Chair Elizabeth Woods. "First, that growth in agricultural productivity is the only way to ensure that people have access to enough affordable food. Second, that achieving this is a long-term effort. A year or two of extra funding for agricultural research is not enough. To ensure that improved technologies flow from the research and development pipeline, a sustained re-investment in agriculture is crucial."

Dr. Woods pointed out that the annual rice yield growth rate has dropped to less than 1% in recent years, compared with 2��% during the Green Revolution period of 1967-90. Based on projected income and population growth, annual productivity growth of almost 1.5% will be needed at least until 2020.

The meeting coincided with the release of a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stating that higher food prices are partly to blame for the number of hungry people growing by 75 million to around 925 million worldwide—and further jeopardizing the UN Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger and poverty by 2015.

Another report, released this week by the ADB, argued that, for Asian countries to prevent future food price surges, agriculture needs wide-scale structural reform. This report also warned that, with demand remaining higher than supply, any supply shock would further increase cereal prices.

An ADB report released in August increased the cut-off level for poverty from US$1 per day to $1.35 per day, meaning that millions more people are trapped in poverty than previously thought. Disturbingly, the new measure does not take into account the higher food and fuel prices of 2008, which, according to some estimates, have plunged a further 100 million people below the poverty line. Although the export price of rice has settled from more than $1,000 per ton in May to around $700 per ton, it is still double the price of one year ago.

The current crisis serves as a timely wakeup call for governments, multilateral organizations, and donors to refocus on agriculture. Various national and international bodies have called for a second Green Revolution to feed the world in the face of a growing population and shrinking land base for agricultural uses.

Unlike the first Green Revolution, in which productivity growth was achieved with the introduction of modern varieties in tandem with assured irrigation and inputs (such as fertilizer), and guaranteed prices, the second Green Revolution needs to achieve the same goal in the face of several 21st-century challenges. These challenges include water and land scarcity, environmental degradation, skyrocketing input prices, and globalized marketplaces, all within the context of global climate change.

In short, the second Green Revolution will have to expand productivity sustainably, with fewer resources.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the world's leading rice research and training center. Based in the Philippines, with offices in 13 other countries, IRRI is an autonomous, nonprofit institution focused on improving the well-being of present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes, while preserving natural resources. IRRI is one of 15 centers funded through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an association of public and private donor agencies (www.cgiar.org).

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Live Earth show to help boost solar energy

Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters 20 Sep 08;

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India will host the next Live Earth concert to raise funds for lighting homes with solar energy in places where people do not have access to electricity, organizers said.

The December event will see rocker Jon Bon Jovi and Bollywood's biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan share the stage, and is described by organizers as one of the biggest events held in India.

The concert will be held in India's financial capital Mumbai on December 7, Live Earth founder Kevin Wall said in Mumbai.

"(Former Vice President) Al Gore asked me whether we could do this in India, and I said yes," Wall told Reuters in Mumbai. "This is going to be huge."

"Jon Bon Jovi is just one name and Mr Bachchan is just one name, but there will be a lot of international artists," he said.

Wall, who organized a series of concerts last year with the former vice-president, said the event in India would be telecast live in more than 100 countries.

Gore, who spoke via satellite this week during a news conference held in Mumbai on Thursday said India could provide the leadership required to bring about changes in world policies on climate change.

The proceeds from the concert will go to the "Light A Billion Lives campaign," supported by Nobel Prize-winner Rajendra Pachauri, the chairman of the United Nation's Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

At least 1.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity, Pachauri said, adding that the campaign would target villages in countries like India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Malawi.

Organizers said they would set up giant screens and distribute televisions in remote villagers for the concert.

(Editing by Bappa Majumdar and David Fox)

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