Winter is approaching, and Alaska, USA, ushers in the annual snow crab fishing season.
However, on October 13th local time, an incident that seemed inconspicuous but terrifyingly thought happened - The snow crab, which was once as common as a fish, disappeared here.
That's right, it disappeared. According to state officials, an estimated 41 billion snow crabs mysteriously disappeared within two years. This amazing number represents more than 90% of the local population, and the local area has no choice but to cancel this year's snow crab season activity.
Where did the snow crabs that were once densely packed and covered with the ground go?
No one knows the answer. But this plot is like the opening of a thriller disaster film, which makes people feel very uneasy.
△This is the first time in the history of the state that there is no snow crab season. Photo/thefishingdaily
Time goes back to a week ago, and Britain, far away from the other side of the ocean, also experienced similar events.
On October 4, the British BBC released a survey report: The sighting rate of British butterflies is "amazingly low" . Meanwhile, a report from the Butterfly Conservation Society warns that 24 of the 58 butterfly species may soon disappear from the UK.
What happened to the earth?
WWF 1WWF 2) gave the answer. On October 13, the " Earth Vitality Report 2022" (The Living Planet Report, LPR) compiled by WWF integration top experts was released worldwide.
report gives many conclusions about the current situation of the earth's nature today, the threats to nature, and the impact of humans, and gives a shocking number:
9%
Earth's vitality report 2022
Earth's vitality report 2022
html l0 wild animal populations have dropped by 69% in the past 50 years in the past 10 years. There are many numbers in the Earth's Vitality Report 2022, but 69% is the most important number. The report shows that from 1970 to 2018, the average decline in the population of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. It is collectively called " earth vitality index " (Living) Planet Index, LPI), 69%.
△ Earth's vitality index has continued to decline over the years. Figure/WWF
Earth's vitality index is derived from experts from all over the world continuously monitoring the changes in animal populations over the years, such as counting the number of wildebeest on the grassland, observing the traces of tiger cat in the rainforest, etc. These experts monitored and analyzed nearly 32,000 populations of 5,230 species, and finally came up with the figure 69%. In addition to 69%,
There are also some numbers that are also worrying.
4%
△Latin America and the Caribbean region, the vitality index has dropped sharply. Figure/WWF
3%—Among all species populations, freshwater species experienced the most tragic death, with an average drop of 83% . The disappearance and change of habitat, climate change, and the impact of human activities (such as river pollution, etc.) are the biggest threats facing these species. At the same time, because the freshwater environment is highly connected, threats can easily spread from one place to another.
△The average richness of 6617 freshwater populations around the world represents 1398 species, a decrease of 83%. Figure/WWF
1%—In the past 50 years, the number of 18 species of 31 species of marine sharks and rays in has dropped by 71% .The collapse of their numbers reflects an increased risk of extinction for most species. By 1980, 9 of the 31 species of marine sharks and rays were threatened. By 2020, three-quarters of species are threatened with an increased risk of extinction. For example, marine whitetip sharks have decreased by 95% worldwide and are at risk of critical endangerment.
△ Overfishing is one of the main reasons for the sharp decline in the number of sharks and rays. Photo/Visual China
7%—As the largest tropical rainforest and the most biodiversity on the planet, Amazon tropical rainforest 7% of forests have been cut down, which has caused at least 17% of the biomes to disappear. Science has determined that the critical point is between the 20-25% threshold for deforestation and forest degradation, and if this range is exceeded, the Amazon rainforest will collapse.
△The "2021 Amazon Assessment Report" written by the Amazon Science Group for Amazon has evaluated that the current situation of Amazon is not optimistic. Photo/Visual China
report uses a lot of space to point out one of the most important factors that cause such loss of biodiversity, and is also the biggest possibility of the disappearance of Alaska snow crabs mentioned above: climate change.
Global Warming , how devastating is it to nature?
Global warming, or climate change, is a cliché topic.
When we talk about many topics, such as extreme weather and climate abnormalities such as high temperatures, heat waves, fires, droughts, floods, etc., we can always avoid the prerequisite of global warming - loss of biodiversity is no exception.
△ Climate abnormality. Photo/"Book of Climate"
"Earth Vitality Report 2022" Use the front and back of the coin to describe the relationship between climate change and biodiversity loss - we always pay too much attention to climate change and ignore the current situation of wildlife, but in fact, the relationship between them is like the front and back of the coin, closely related to each other and closely connected.
In other words, we either solve both problems at the same time in or we cannot solve either.
Since the pre-industrial era, the earth has heated up 1.2℃. Due to the heating, about 50% of coral in the ocean has disappeared - and this is just the beginning.
△ Earth's heating changes. Picture/Picture by "Book of Climate"/Chengyuan
If the temperature rises by 1.5℃, 70-90% of the corals will disappear, while the warming of 2℃ will cause more than 99% of the corals to die.
The devastating nature of climate change to the animal kingdom is equally astonishing. In Costa Rica , the golden toad was declared extinct in 1989 due to the increasing number of days without clouds. On an island between Australia and Papua New Guinea, it was declared extinct in 2016 as sea level rises in and a series of strong storms flooded the homes of coral naked-tailed rats, killing its food plants, destroying its nesting sites.
△Some species endangered by climate change. Photo/"Book of Climate"
Global warming is changing the natural world, leading to large-scale deaths and large-scale extinction of species.
However, the progress made by all countries in conserving and restoring biodiversity has failed to a large extent - None of the 20 globally identified biodiversity targets (Aichi Goals) have been fully achieved, even worse than they were a decade ago.
Similarly, we have failed to achieve the temperature increase target of planned by the 2015 " Paris Agreement ". The current situation will put us on the road of 2-3°C or even higher. To reach 1.5°C, global emissions must be reduced by 50% by 2030, and by net zero by the century.
Unfortunately, we are likely to usher in a 1.5℃ warming before 2040.Climate change will become the root cause of biodiversity loss in the coming decades.
Climate change and loss of biodiversity are like a high-speed train with a failed brake, and it is difficult to stop.
So, where did the snow crab go? Do they can't stand the increasingly hot weather and run to the distant Arctic to find a colder home?
Dangerous changes are happening quietly before finding the answer.
Don’t worry, there is also a solution
Although the pace of climate change is difficult to stop, the Earth’s Vitality Report 2022 still points out the key solutions to the problem, such as mangrove .
△The light of life—mangroves. Picture/Visual China
Mangroves, known as the light of miracles with magic. They are the special plant community in the ocean and are an important source of vitality for biodiversity . They can adapt to the ocean and land environment, and are an important habitat for many birds, fish, shrimp, plants and insects.
The most important thing is that mangroves have the magical " blue carbon effect " - the ocean, as the world's largest active carbon library, stores about 93% of the world's carbon dioxide . This carbon dioxide captured by marine ecosystems is called "blue carbon".
△Mangroves are not red, but are evergreen in all seasons. Picture/Visual China
Mangroves store "blue carbon" in their impregnated soil, and their density exceeds many other ecosystems . Some of the most carbon-rich mangroves have been found along Colombia's Pacific coast, which are above 50 meters in height.
Although global mangroves only account for 0.7% of the global tropical forest area and 0.5% of the global offshore area, their carbon buried in sediments accounts for 10-15% of the global total.
In addition, mangroves help us adapt to climate change because their solid rhizomes can buffer waves and capture sediment, allowing coastal areas to keep pace with Shanghai's plane rising.
△Mangroves—Bird paradise. Photo/Visual China
In the past many years, mangroves, like other organisms, have been impacted by climate change and human activities. But it is encouraging that mangrove deforestation has dropped dramatically since the 1980s and is continuing to recover. The global mangrove area may stabilize or even increase by 2070.
protects mangroves, and it is urgent to protect them.
As a major mangrove country, my country has established multiple mangrove nature reserves in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and other places along the southeast coast. Under various protection measures, the area of mangroves in my country has increased from 22,000 hectares in 2000 to about 29,000 hectares now, with 7,000 hectares added. has become one of the few countries in the world with a net increase in mangrove area.
△Mangroves in Haikou Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve. Photo/Visual China
China National Geographic ·Books and Ant Forest "Magic Ocean" charity project will be launched soon on the mangrove protection system - Ant Forest - Magical Ocean, jointly protect mangroves and protect the ocean on which we rely on.
Of course, climate change is an extremely complex and huge proposition that affects all aspects of the world. can't solve the fundamental problem by relying on mangroves alone.
The key lies in the actions taken by countries - for example, China's emission reduction commitment made by the Copenhagen World Climate Conference has exceeded the amount of more than three years ahead of schedule.
But looking at other countries around the world, the attitude towards climate issues continues to adhere to a procrastination and quarrel, making this road seem increasingly hindering and long.
I hope the world will get better and better, and the plot of disaster films will never need to be staged in reality.
-END-
text, edit丨Wu Zhiyu
号电影号1号电影中丨"Earth of Vision China
References丨"Earth of Earth Vitality Report 2022"
