Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on biodiversity conservation

By -
It is too early to evaluate the overall impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on biodiversity and our ability to protect it, but some preliminary conclusions are possible. At this point, protected areas appear to be safe and, in many places, biodiversity is benefitting from reduced human activities. However, this may not be true everywhere, especially where enforcement has weakened but threats have not.
Impacts on research and conservation.
What kinds of consequences will disruptions to field and lab work during the pandemic have for the species and ecosystems we are studying, monitoring, and protecting?
What effects will reduced human impacts on wildlife and ecosystems during the pandemic have on wild species (e.g. ranging behavior, breeding) and ecosystems, and will any of these effects persist into subsequent years?
Will conservation budgets be reduced because of the economic fallout from the pandemic, and how will this impact both staffing levels, and conservation science and practice?
Will the ban on the capture, trade, and sale of live wild animals for food in China lead to reduced hunting pressure and the recovery of populations in the wild?
How has the pandemic crisis impacted people whose livelihoods depend on conservation and ecotourism, especially local people who live near and inside protected areas?
Impacts on education, training, and networking.
Will the career paths and prospects for the current cohorts of senior undergraduate and graduate students differ from those who came before and will come after them?
Will the current switch to online teaching for conservation science and related disciplines impact learning outcomes and will it have a long-term influence on how courses are taught in the future?
What role will innovations in online technology play in conservation learning and science post COVID-19?
Will the move to other models for conferences and networking have a permanent impact on if and how traditional conferences are held, and will these new models affect how research collaborations develop?
Can lessons learned about online communication during the pandemic be used to reduce travel-related greenhouse gas emissions in the future?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scientists warn worse pandemics are on the way if we don’t protect nature

By -
Image
·        Pandemics like COVID-19 could occur more frequently unless we stop rapidly destroying nature, a group of biodiversity experts has warned ·        1.7 million unidentified viruses, known to infect humans, are estimated to exist in mammals and water birds. ·        Rampant deforestation, agricultural expansion and infrastructure development bring us closer to catching them.   A group of biodiversity experts warned that future pandemics are on the horizon if mankind does not stop its rapid destruction of nature. "There is a single species that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic – us. As with the climate and biodiversity crises, recent pandemics are a direct consequence of human activity – particularly our global financial and economic systems, based on a limited paradigm that prizes economic growth at any cost. We have a small window of opportunity, in overcoming the chal...
Read more

How has coronavirus affected rhinos?

By -
Image
Coronavirus has affected people all over the world but it's also had a knock on impact on animals like rhinos. Now that most of the world is in lockdown and people can't visit the reserves where they live, the money to help the rhinos has dried up. Money from tourism and conservation charities helps pay the wages of people who look after endangered rhinos and anti-poaching rangers who help protect the animals from harm. It's thought that because of this illegal poaching could increase - putting these animals at even more risk. More Reading Here 
Read more

Mangrove forest and its role to save people from cyclone

By -
Image
According to recent news, in the evening 20 May 2020, cyclone hit West Bengal, India , killing at least 12 people and causing damage that will go into billions of dollars when added up. The authorities had moved over 200,000 people from the coast into shelters before the cyclone reached the coast. That however, created a complication, because these shelters were already being used as Covid-19 quarantine centres, and now people are squashed in them without any prospect of keeping enough distance to avoid infection, though all have been given masks and asked to wear them at all times. That speed went down to around 130 kmph by the time Amphan reached Kolkata, 100 kilometres inland, but was still strong enough to destroy thousands of uncemented buildings, uproot thousands of trees, turn all roads into raging torrents and short-circuit transformers all over the metropolis though the authorities had switched off power. Without the barrier from trees , the speed of wind could be even stron...
Read more