Wild Intern (Apr-Jun 2014) - Now open for applications!
from wild shores of singapore
Of mud and seed banks: Adventures with Seagrass-Watch, 2nd - 3rd Feb 2014 from teamseagrass
Video clip of the White-throated Kingfisher’s call
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Butterflies Galore! : Great Helen
from Butterflies of Singapore
The real cost of conservation: cheap protection rarely succeeds from Mongabay.com news by Tiffany Roufs
Reshma Ailmchandani Channel NewsAsia 3 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE: Residents in the west of Singapore enjoyed a slight reprieve from the dry spell on Monday as rain fell for the first time in weeks.
Brief showers were reported on Monday, between 4.45pm and 5.30pm, in various parts of western Singapore, such as Jurong West, Tuas and Choa Chu Kang.
The rainfall recorded in Tuas was between 0.2mm and 15.2mm.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) reported on its Twitter feed that there were flash floods on the PIE towards Tuas at the AYE exit.
It said that the water was cleared at around 6.50pm.
The downpour, however, does not mark the end of Singapore's dry spell.
A Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) spokesperson said: "The showers were due to local wind convergence over the south western areas.
"Singapore is still in the dry phase of the northeast monsoon.
"The current dry weather conditions are expected to persist in the first half of March. For the next few days, mainly fair and warm conditions are expected."
- CNA/xq
Rain brings some respite from dry weather in parts of S’pore
Today Online 3 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE — Rain was observed in parts of Singapore this afternoon (March 3), providing some respite from the unrelenting dry weather in recent months.
Brief localised showers fell mainly over Tuas, Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang between 4.45pm and 5.30pm today, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS). Rainfall of between 0.2mm and 15.2mm at Tuas was recorded.
The showers were due to local wind convergence over the south western areas, said the MSS.
For the next few days, mainly fair and warm conditions are expected, with Singapore still in the dry phase of the North-east Monsoon, said the MSS.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) had in the morning forecast showers in the western part of Singapore.
The Land Transport Authority tweeted around 5pm that there was a flash flood on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) near the Ayer Rajah Expressway exit. In response to media queries, the authority clarified that it had observed some water collecting on the PIE which cleared within minutes, and the road remained passable to traffic.
PUB confirmed that there was no flash flood.
The recent dry spell of 27 days over the past two months beat the previous record of 18 days set in 2008, promoting PUB to increase the amount of NEWater pumped into the reservoirs to maintain water levels. The NEA said last week that the dry weather would likely persist into the first half of this month.
Showers in west bring respite to S’pore
Today Online 4 Mar 14;
SINGAPORE — Rain in the western parts of Singapore yesterday afternoon provided some respite from the unrelenting dry weather that the Republic has been experiencing in recent months.
The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) reported that brief showers fell over Tuas, Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang between 4.45pm and 5.30pm. At Tuas, between 0.2mm and 15.2mm of rainfall was recorded.
“The showers were due to local wind convergence over the south-western areas,” said an MSS spokesperson.
The Land Transport Authority had tweeted around 5pm that there was a flash flood on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) near the Ayer Rajah Expressway exit, but later clarified in response to media queries that it had observed some water collecting on the PIE, which cleared within minutes, and that the road remained passable to traffic. Singapore has been experiencing unusually dry weather since the start of the year, with a recent dry spell of 27 days over two months, beating the previous record of 18 days set in 2008.
The MSS spokesperson said: “The current dry weather conditions are expected to persist in the first half of March. For the next few days, mainly fair and warm conditions are expected.”
Bigger splash on dry days
Jalelah Abu Baker, Darren Tang MyPaper AsiaOne 4 May 14;
SINGAPORE - Precisely when Singaporeans should be cutting back on water usage, they are consuming more.
The dry spell, which technically ended yesterday when some rain fell in the west, saw Singapore's water consumption go up as people showered longer and watered plants more frequently.
Meanwhile, a crisis is building up in the water-starved landscaping industry.
But ordinary folk are unfazed and continue to splash water.
Mr Tay Lai Hock, chief of the Ground-Up Initiative, a non-profit organisation that connects people back to nature, told MyPaper yesterday that people here may be thinking: "It's temporary what, so why should I change my habits?"
He said there may be more usage of air-conditioning, which also uses up water.
"It will take a catastrophe to wake everyone up," he added. "We think we can use technology to solve everything, and still want to maintain our standard of living."
Since the dry spell started in mid-January, daily water consumption has increased by about 15 million gallons.
This comes from both domestic users, who contribute about 45 per cent of water usage, and non-domestic users, who make up the remaining 55 per cent.
The average consumption has gone up to about 400 million gallons per day, up from 380 million gallons per day in 2010, Mr George Madhavan, director, 3P Network, PUB, said. This stemmed from a rise in population and "economic activities".
However, he added that Singapore's per capita consumption of water has decreased, from 165 litres per day 10 years ago to 151 litres last year.
While hobbyists are using more water to keep their blooms from withering, those in the business don't have the same luxury. They do not generally use water meant for the public.
Mr John Tan, owner of Esmond Landscape and Horticultural Singapore, said: "My pond is basically dry and I have had to tap on water reserves from other nurseries. I would think that if this weather continues, most of the ponds in the nurseries will be dry in two weeks."
Mr Tan, who is also the chairman of the Landscape Industry Association, added that a council meeting will be held later this week to talk about possible solutions.
He has resorted to watering his plants once a day, down from twice. If the dry spell continues, plants may start to die, he said.
There was some respite in sight yesterday as a bit of rain fell in the west, and there was even a flash flood on the Pan-Island Expressway.
The Star 4 Mar 13;
PETALING JAYA: First, it was weeks of a dry spell. Then came the water shortage. Now, Klang Valley residents have to contend with the haze as well.
Despite a brief shower in the evening, yesterday’s air pollutant index (API) reading shot up to unhealthy levels in five places in the Klang Valley with Port Klang registering 136 (API of 100 to 200 is categorised as unhealthy) at 6pm.
The other places include Seremban (112) in Negri Sembilan, Shah Alam (101) and Banting (117) in Selangor while Seri Manjung, Perak, recorded 109.
According to the Department of Environment (DOE) website, several areas registered moderate air quality (API 51 to 100) as at 6pm. They were Batu Muda (92) in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya (100) and Kuala Selangor (98) in Selangor.
Other states that recorded moderate to unhealthy air readings included Taiping (100) and Ipoh (83) in Perak, and in Muar, Johor (97), Prai in Penang (94), and Sungai Petani, Kedah (99).
Meteorological Department national weather centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said it was not unusual for parts of Malaysia to experience hazy conditions during this time of the year, as it was the dry season due to the end of the north-east monsoon season.
He said, however, that this year’s haze was worse than last year’s and attributed it to open burning, forest fires and peat fires.
“The haze has nothing to do with our neighbours. It is not transboundary haze but our own doing,” he said.
He also said there was neither sufficient rain nor strong winds to help clear or disperse haze particles during long periods of dry weather.
In a statement yesterday, the DOE stated that the current moderate haze that the country is experiencing is due to land and forest fires in several states including Selangor, Perak, Pahang, Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
The department said that the current hot and dry weather conditions caused suspended dust particles to accumulate in the air, which resulted in haze.
Additionally, the department noted that various pollutant sources such as industrial emissions, motor vehicles and earthworks contributed to the increasing API levels.
The DOE said the peninsula is not expected to receive much rain until mid-March.
“However, rain and thunderstorms can occur in the afternoon and early evening in the interior of Perak, Selangor and Pahang,” it said.
Based on the daily weather forecasts by the Meteorological Depart-ment, the possibility of peninsular Malaysia being hit by transboundary haze is currently low due to the wind patterns.
Operation to induce rainfall provides break from heat and haze in Selangor
isabelle lai, g. surach, tashny sukumaran, austin camoens, karen chapman, priya menon, florence a. samy, ong han sean, AND sarban singh
The Star 4 Mar 14;
PETALING JAYA: The Meteorological Department’s cloud seeding operation over Selangor brought a brief break from the stifling heat and choking haze.
The department’s national weather centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said yesterday’s operation was to induce rainfall over dams and water catchment areas.
He said cloud seeding had also been planned over parts of Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Johor but there were not enough clouds there.
“We target rain clouds over or near dams and water catchment areas,” he told The Star.
“Even if the clouds are not directly above the areas, we expect the winds to carry them towards these places.”
Muhammad Helmi said the evening operation was a success because it brought about rainfall in several areas but until late yesterday it was not known if the rain was enough to raise water levels at the dams.
Muhammad Helmi said the operation was led by the department’s atmospheric science and cloud seeding division, using a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft carrying four 1,000-litre tanks of water containing 150kg of salt each.
He said the division identified suitable conditions for cloud seeding, based on Sunday’s weather forecast and alerted RMAF to be on standby.
Another round of cloud seeding would be done today provided weather conditions were suitable.
Explaining the process, he said, cloud seeding was a method of inducing rain, and not making rain.
“Salt solution is sprayed at the base of the identified clouds. The particles will be carried upwards by thermals or upward currents of warm air.
“This will form water vapour that will grow in size as it moves upwards until they grow heavy and fall down as rain.
“Through cloud seeding, we are actually accelerating the process of rainfall production as well as increasing the amount of rainfall.
“It takes between 15 minutes to half an hour for rain to fall after the solution has been sprayed,” he added.
Muhammad Helmi said there was a “very narrow window of opportunity” over the past week as the weather conditions kept fluctuating.
He said the winds were also stronger, resulting in low chances of rain clouds being formed.
In SEREMBAN, a downpour in several areas in the state over the weekend brought some relief but did little to replenish supply in the four major dams.
Checks with Syarikat Air Negri Sembilan showed that levels at the Sg Terip, Kelinchi, Talang and Gemencheh dams remained at near critical levels.
The level at the Sg Terip dam, which supplies treated water to households here, was at 100.12m, about six metres above the 94.6m critical mark.
As for the Kelinchi dam, it was at 199.1m (critical level 198.3m) while Talang was at 148.45m (140.5m) and Gemencheh at 99.66m (98m).
All households in the state, however, have continued to receive supply.
It's raining, it's pouring ... cloud seeding does its part
isabelle lai The Star 3 Mar 14;
PETALING JAYA: Klang Valley residents heaved a sigh of relief Monday evening. The Meteorological Department confirmed that the rain which fell over several areas in Selangor was due in part to a successful cloud seeding operation.
Its national weather centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the operation was a success in Selangor.
“We had already foreseen that Selangor is a good candidate for the operation,” he told The Star.
Muhammad Helmi said the Selangor operation was led by the department’s atmospheric science and cloud seeding division, with a TUDM aircraft used to transport four 1,000-litre tanks of water containing 150kg of salt each.
Although the department planned to carry out the operation in Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor as well, he said it had to be cancelled at the last minute due to the lack of suitable clouds.
Muhammad Helmi explained that cloud seeding was a process of inducing rain, not making rain, as the formation of moisture-laden towering cumulus clouds meant that rain would happen eventually.
He said optimal conditions for cloud seeding included the need for light and variable winds, which were conducive for the formation of such rain clouds.
“In the past week, weather conditions kept fluctuating and there was a very narrow window of opportunity. The winds were also stronger last week, meaning a low chance of rain clouds forming,” he explained.
He said that the salt solution was sprayed at the base of the identified clouds, adding that the salt particles would be carried upwards by thermals, which are upward currents of warm air.
He said this would form water vapour that would grow in size as they moved upwards, until they grew so heavy that they would then fall down as rain.
“Through cloud seeding, we are actually accelerating the process of rainfall production as well as increasing the amount of rainfall. We estimate it will take 15 minutes to half an hour for rain to fall after the solution is sprayed,” he said.
Muhammad Helmi expressed confidence that the rain would fall in the targeted areas, but said he was unable to predict how much it would increase water levels in the dams as the amount of rainfall depended on factors influencing each individual cloud.
The rain was a welcome sight for many people as Ong Kian Ming @imokman tweeted: Raining heavily in Bangsar... yippee!!!
SGobikrishnan said: Hujan lebat di KL...best pic.twitter.com/yQhHhUaedr
Alhamdulillah. Hujan lebat. Syukur, said ADIBAH NOOR @adibahnoor while Nurul Izzah @n_izzah
rewteeted: “@imokman: Raining heavily in Bangsar... yippee!!!” Whatchu doing in my kawasan? Ahems hehe
Since Sunday, over two million people in Petaling Jaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur are enduring a month-long water rationing exercise, with two days of supply followed by two days of dry taps.
It involves 431,617 households and businesses in the districts of Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor.
Cloud seeding to kick off in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor
isabelle lai The Star 3 Mar 14;
PETALING JAYA: The Meteorological Department will kick off a cloud seeding operation on Monday evening, which is hoped to provide some much needed rainfall over dams in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor.
Its national weather centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the operation would be targeted on rainclouds over or near major dams and water catchment areas.
“Even if the clouds are not directly above the targeted areas, we expect the winds will carry them towards the areas,” he told The Star, adding that the operation was expected to take around four hours.
Muhammad Helmi said they had identified suitable conditions for cloud seeding based on Sunday’s weather forecast, adding that they had then informed the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) to be on standby. He added that the department may conduct another round of cloud seeding on Tuesday.
He said optimal conditions for cloud seeding included the need for light and variable winds, which were conducive for the formation of towering cumulus clouds.
“In the past week, weather conditions kept fluctuating and there was a very narrow window of opportunity. The winds were also stronger last week, meaning a low chance of rain clouds forming,” he explained.
Muhammad Helmi said the operation would be led by the department’s atmospheric science and cloud seeding division, with a TUDM aircraft used to transport four 1,000-litre tanks of water containing 150kg of salt each.
He said that the salt solution would be sprayed at the base of the identified clouds, adding that the salt particles would be carried upwards by thermals, which are upward currents of warm air.
He said this would form water vapour that would grow in size as they moved upwards, until they grew so heavy that they would then fall down as rain.
“Through cloud seeding, we are actually accelerating the process of rainfall production as well as increasing the amount of rainfall. We estimate it will take 15 minutes to half an hour for rain to fall after the solution is sprayed,” he said.
Muhammad Helmi expressed confidence that the rain would fall in the targeted areas, but said he was unable to predict how much it would increase water levels in the dams as the amount of rainfall depended on factors influencing each individual cloud.
Since Sunday, over two million people in Petaling Jaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur are enduring a month-long water rationing exercise, with two days of supply followed by two days of dry taps.
It involves 431,617 households and businesses in the districts of Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling, Klang, Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor.
According to the authorities, the water levels at the Selangor dam and Klang Gates have been deemed critical at 47.5% and 54% respectively.
Antara 3 Mar 14;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Environment Ministry has sent a team of officers to look into the cause of forest and plantation fires, which have blanketed several parts of Sumatra island over the past few weeks.
"We have sent a team there. They are now investigating into the matter," Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya stated here on Monday.
"If the investigating team finds that the land fires involves any company we will deal with it pursuant to Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Impact Analysis and the Environment," he pointed out.
When a company was found guilty of setting fire to woodland in Rawa Tripa area some time ago, it was required to compensate Rp300 billion for the loss caused by the woodland fire, he pointed out.
"All companies are the same, regardless of whether they are foreign or local. If they set fire to woodland, they must compensate for the loss," he explained.
If somebody is found guilty of setting fire to woodland, the Environment Ministry will hand him/her to the Riau provincial police, he added.
"We hope that the investigating team will find the culprits soon," he stated.
The fires have reportedly ravaged about 7 thousand hectares of land and destroyed 90 houses.
The Terra and Aqua satellite has detected 1,046 hotspots from forests, plantations and peatland fires across Sumatra Island, it was reported Saturday morning.
"Of the total number, 963 were found in Riau Province. The number is significantly up from those on the previous day," Sugarin, the head of the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology and geophysics agency, stated here on Saturday.
The NOAA 18 satellite, however, detected only 138 hotspots across Sumatra on Friday, including 70 in Riau province, according to the Riau disaster mitigation office (BPBD).
So far this month, the NOAA 8 satellite revealed 2,208 hotspots on Sumatra Island, including 1,272 in Riau Province.
(Reporting by Indriani/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Satellite detects 337 hotspots in Riau
Antara 3 Mar 14;
Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - The Terra and Aqua satellite detected 337 hotspots of forest and plantation fires in Riau Province on Monday morning.
"The largest number is in Bengkalis with 121 hotspots," Sugarin, the head of the Pekanbaru meteorological, climatology and geophysics office (BMKG) stated.
Some 80 hotspots were found in the Meranti Island district, 55 in Indragiri Hilir, 46 in Siak, 40 in Rokan Hilir, 29 in Pelalawan, and two in Dumai City.
Around 70 percent of the hotspots or 140 came from plantation fires, with the largest number in Bengkalis (60), Meranti (31), Indragiri Hilir (22), Siak (21), Pelalawan (4), Dumai and Rokan Hilir one hotspot respectively.
The NOAA 18 satellite operated by Singapore, detected 70 hotspots across Sumatra on Sunday (Mar. 2), with the highest number or 54 in Riau Province.
The rests were in Meranti (17), Indragiri Hilir (12), Pelalawan (11), Bengkalis (7), Siak (4), Indragiri Hulu (2) and Dumai City (one).
Chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif stated that some 99 percent of forest and plantation fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan were deliberately set.
"There should be sanctions to stop recurrences. Slash-and-burn farming methods exist in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but the most important thing is that they should be controlled," Maarif noted in a statement on Feb. 28.
According to Maarif, the Indonesian police have named 23 suspects in Riau and 16 in Central Kalimantan, who allegedly set the fires.
"There are several factors behind their decision to set fires in plantation and forest areas, such as economic, social and cultural factors," he explained.
On February 28, the Riau provincial police announced that 40 individuals have been named as suspects in forest and plantations fires in several districts and cities.
"All of them have been detained, after being identified as suspects, for allegedly setting fires during the past several weeks," said Senior Commissioner Estuning of the Riau police plantation fire task force.
(F001/INE)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Govt urged to take firm action against forest-fire starters
The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 14;
The Golkar Party has urged the government to take firm action against anyone involved in reckless land clearing by using slash-and-burn methods in Riau.
Golkar made the announcement as the forest fires, which have been caused by irresponsible people, have caused many problems for surrounding communities, including respiratory illness, poor visibility and disruption to transportation and mobility.
“Forest fires in Riau are a never-ending problem. They are usually set by irresponsible people who want to clear land but with no consideration for the environment. The government is obliged take firm measures agaisnt the perpetrators,” Golkar politician and vice chairman of the House of Representatives Commission IV on agriculture and plantations, Firman Soebagyo, said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Monday.
Firman added that the government had to be firm so as to prevent the fire issue from affecting bilateral relations with neighboring countries, especially Singapore and Malaysia.
“I hope this issue is not going to drag on much longer. It should be noted here, however, that the cause of the problems associated with the fires does not always originate in Indonesia, but we are the ones who should take responbility," he said.
During 2012 and 2013, Indonesia's government handled 41 cases relating to forest fires in Riau. More than 25 people have been arrested and named suspects, some of whom work for Singaporean and Malaysian companies. (meh)
Chan Boon Kai The Star 4 Mar 14;
GEORGE TOWN: The state’s only bed of seagrass, which is home to various marine species such as turtles and dugongs, is in danger after the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) called for a proposal to reclaim it.
The 50.6ha bed in Middle Bank, located between Penang Bridge and the Sungai Pinang river mouth, is the second largest in Peninsular Malaysia after Merambong in Johor.
Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu said PDC had called for a Request for Proposal (RFP) to reclaim the area.
“I have learnt that the Middle Bank was included in the Penang Structure Plan 2007 as reclaimable land.
“Since the plan is now up for review, the current state government should consider removing it as a reclaimable land,” he said.
The state government, said Teh, should also carry out a detailed environmental impact assessment on the seagrass bed and the reclamation of land.
“I hope that PDC can reconsider the reclamation plans. The Middle Bank should remain a ‘green lung’ in the sea,” he said, adding that at least six seagrass species could be found at the bed.
“Seagrass bed is important as it provides nursery, shelter and food for marine species, including fish, turtles, dugong and seahorses.
“It also protects fishermen and fish breeding workers from big waves,” he said after visiting the Middle Bank with state assembly speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang here yesterday.
“The state government should gazette the seagrass bed as the ‘Penang Heritage of Seagrass Bed Marina Park’,” he said.
Environmental educator Wong Yun Yun said various seagrass species, including tape seagrass and halophila, as well as marine creatures such as hermit crabs, clams, sea urchin and octopus were found during the site visit.
In an immediate response, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the reclamation project would only go on if the environmental impact assessment permitted it.
Alister Doyle Reuters Yahoo News 4 Mar 14;
OSLO (Reuters) - Increasing similarity in diets worldwide is a threat to health and food security with many people forsaking traditional crops such as cassava, sorghum or millet, an international study showed on Monday.
The report, which said it detailed for the first time the convergence in crops towards a universal diet in more than 150 nations since the 1960s, showed rises for foods including wheat, rice, soybeans and sunflower.
Among shifts, Pacific islanders were eating fewer coconuts as a source of fat and many people in Southeast Asia were getting fewer calories from rice, it said.
"More people are consuming more calories, protein and fat, and they rely increasingly on a shortlist of major food crops ... along with meat and dairy products," Colin Khoury, leader of the study at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia, said in a statement.
Such diets have been linked to risks of heart disease, cancers and diabetes, the study said. Reliance on a narrower group of food crops also raises vulnerability to pests and diseases that might gain because of climate change.
Overall, diets had become 36 percent more similar in the past 50 years, judged by factors such as shifts in consumption of more than 50 crops for calories and protein, the study said.
The convergence "continues with no indication of slowing", according to the study in the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that included the Global Crop Diversity Trust, Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the University of British Columbia in Canada.
Soybean, sunflower oil and palm oil had become part of the "standard global food supply" alongside crops such as wheat, rice, maize and potato, the study showed.
WEALTH
Rising wealth in emerging economies meant higher consumption of products such as meat and sugary drinks that are typical of Western diets. "We are seeing a rise in obesity and heart disease ... from Nigeria to China," Khoury told Reuters.
Even so, many national diets had become more varied.
"As the human diet has become less diverse at the global level over the last 50 years, many countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, have actually widened their menu of major staple crops, while changing to more globalized diets," a statement said.
The scientists urged diversification, including of crops that are falling from fashion, such as rye, yams or cassava, to bolster food security. They also called for preservation of genetic variety in all crops.
"Genetic uniformity means more vulnerability to pests and disease," Khoury said. The Irish potato famine in the late 1840s, or southern corn leaf blight in the United States in the early 1970s, showed the risks of relying on a single crop.
John Kearney, of the Dublin Institute of Technology who was not involved in the study, said trends in diets could be reversed with greater awareness of health risks.
Some people in Northern Europe were adopting healthier Mediterranean diets with more fruit, vegetables and less meat, he said, even though many in Southern Europe were shifting to more meat and less olive oil.
(Editing by Dale Hudson)
Crop diversity decline 'threatens food security'
Mark Kinver BBC News 3 Mar 14;
Combine-harvester working in a wheat field (image: AP) A growing reliance on crops like wheat help feed a growing population - but at what cost?
Fewer crop species are feeding the world than 50 years ago - raising concerns about the resilience of the global food system, a study has shown.
The authors warned a loss of diversity meant more people were dependent on key crops, leaving them more exposed to harvest failures.
Higher consumption of energy-dense crops could also contribute to a global rise in heart disease and diabetes, they added.
The study appears in the journal PNAS.
"Over the past 50 years, we are seeing that diets around the world are changing and they are becoming more similar - what we call the 'globalised diet'," co-author Colin Khoury, a scientist from the Colombia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture, explained.
"This diet is composed of big, major cops such as wheat, rice, potatoes and sugar.
"It also includes crops that were not important 50 years ago but have become very important now, particularly oil crops like soybean," he told BBC News.
While wheat has long been a staple crop, it is now a key food in more than 97% of countries listed in UN data, the study showed.
And from relative obscurity, soybean had become "significant" in the diets of almost three-quarters of nations.
He added that while these food crops played a major role in tackling global hunger, the decline in crop diversity in the globalised diet limited the ability to supplement the energy-dense part of the diet with nutrient-rich foods.
Amid the crops recording a decline in recent decades were millets, rye, yams, sweet potatoes and cassava.
The study by an international team of scientists also found that the homogenisation of the global diet could be helping accelerate the rise in non-communicable diseases - such as diabetes and heart disease - which are becoming an increasing problem worldwide.
Crop failure fears
Fellow co-author Luigi Guarino, from the Global Crop Diversity Trust, added: "Another danger of a more homogeneous global food basket is that it makes agriculture more vulnerable to major threats like drought, insect pests and diseases, which are likely to become worse in many parts of the world as a result of climate change.
"As the global population rises and the pressure increases on our global food system, so does our dependence on the global crops and production system that feeds us.
"The price of failure of any of these crops will become very high," he warned.
Last month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that called on EU nations to adopt measures to preserve crops' biological and genetic diversity in order for plant breeders to provide adaptable varieties of crops that will be able to cope with projected climatic changes and the need to increase yields.
MEPs said they were concerned that the global plant breeding market was currently "dominated by just a few large multinational undertakings which invest only in a limited number of varieties".
They added that estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggested that "the diversity of cultivated crops declined by 75% during the 20th Century and a third of of today's diversity could disappear by 2050".
Another study published in February warned there was a risk that the severity of some wheat disease epidemics may increase within the coming decades as a result of the impacts of climate change.
In order to improve the resilience of the global food system to future shocks, Mr Khoury said an expansion in the diversity of the globally important crops was needed.
"We also need to ensure the the genetic diversity is available to people," he suggested.
"That diversity comes from old varieties and the wild species that are related to the crops.
"A good example is if you are a breeder of maize (corn) in southern Africa where the crop is the main staple, then the diversity you will want will typically come from where the crop originated, which is Mesoamerica (Mexico to Belize).
"It is important already and will be increasingly important in the future that the people producing varieties suitable for southern Africa actually have access to varieties from Mexico."
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