The Agency of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, established in 1998 specifically to implement projects of the Aral Sea Basin Programs (Agency of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, 2022a), has been undertaking activities on restoring and creating wetlands in the southern Aral Sea region with the financial support of the government of Uzbekistan since 1995 (Agency of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, 2022b). Tech. In fact, new ecosystems were created twice in the place of once fourth largest inland water body on the planet: a desert (Aralkum) was formed initially, which is now being replaced by afforested areas. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. So, policymakers and scientists must collaborate to ensure that only native plant and tree species are used for afforestation, if the intervention is to count as a NbS. Many national parks, such as Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana, protect biodiversity within the park by restricting extractive activities, such asmininganddrilling.Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established to preserve sea life. Shahzoda Alikhanova. Water 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030609, Shaumarov M, Toderich KN, Shuyskaya EV, Ismail S, Radjabov TF, Kozan O (2012) Participatory management of desert angelands to improve food security and sustain the natural resource base in Uzbekistan. They depend on one another. Yao Y, Fu B, Liu Y, Wang Y, Song S (2021) The contribution of ecosystem restoration to sustainable development goals in Asian drylands: A literature review. 4. Lisa Bunclark & Ivn Manuel De La Vega Hernndez, Stella Manes, Mariana M. Vale & Aliny P. F. Pires, Rajarshi DasGupta, Shizuka Hashimoto & Haripriya Gundimeda, Rachel E. Bitoun, Ewan Trgarot & Rodolphe Devillers, Jocelyn Baker, Diane Dupont & Liette Vasseur, Christian Albert, Mario Brillinger, Barbara Schrter, Environmental Management Considering that the main soil types in the exposed seabed are solonchaks (with high concentration of soluble salts) and takyrs (heavy-textured soils under arid conditions)Footnote 10, that have low organic carbon content (An, Chang, Han, Khamzina, & Son, 2020), monitoring of afforested lands is critical to better examine the impact of tree plantations on soils (An, Chang, Han, Khamzina, & Son, 2020). For Trees Livelihoods 18:373386. First Aral sea basin program (ASBP-1). Ecological biodiversity is the diversity of ecosystems, natural communities, and habitats. o innate immune system Arid Land Res Manag 28:410427. Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, OX1 3SZ, Oxford, UK, Shahzoda Alikhanova&Joseph William Bull, You can also search for this author in We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive. https://aral.uz/en/asbp1/, Agency of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. Which States Have the Richest Biodiversity? - Treehugger To identify concentrations of imperiled biodiversity, the scientists created models for more than 2,200 species based on where they are known to exist and their habitat needs. Genetic biodiversity is the variation in genes that exists within a species. However, it is worth underlining that the effectiveness of protected/conserved areas cannot be equated to their existence only, management is a key to ensuring both environmental and societal benefits are gained to qualify to be considered as a NbS. Pesticides and erosion from human activity make matters worse. J Clean Product 298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126680, Dubovyk O, Menz G, Khamzina A (2016) Land Suitability Assessment for Afforestation with Elaeagnus Angustifolia L. in Degraded Agricultural Areas of the Lower Amudarya River Basin. Dryland areas have largely expanded in Asia since mid-twentieth century stretching towards north latitudes, triggering water stress and limiting ecosystem services (Prvlie, 2016), (Yao, Fu, Liu, Wang, & Song, 2021). To properly catalogue all the life on Earth, we also have to recognize the genetic diversity that exists within species, as well as the diversity of entire habitats and ecosystems. Annotated List of Wetlands of International Importance: Uzbekistan, 2022), however, there are none located in Karakalpakstan. Also, plantations of non-native monocultures were reported to be of low value for the revival of the local biodiversity (Zhang, Sun, Huettmann, & Liu, 2022), and demonstrated increased chances of susceptibility to diseases and pests (Seddon, et al., 2020). To reach its commitments to increase the percentage of protected areas with respect to the total territory, the government of Uzbekistan almost tripled the area of PAs in Karakalpakstan in 20212022 alone. Endemic speciesspecies that are only found in one particular locationare also found in hotspots. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. There can be a lot of variation in genesjust think about all the colors, sizes, and shapes that make up the genetic diversity of dogs. The researchers cited a variety of approaches, like tax incentives, to encourage the protection of certain species on private land. Soil Use Manag. You cannot download interactives. Biome is another name for a distinct type of ecosystem. Other than adding vocabulary, what developments occur in The chart shows information about four ecosystems. Biodiversity can include everything from towering redwood trees to tiny, single-cellalgaethat are impossible to see without a microscope.Kinds of BiodiversityA common way to measure biodiversity is to count the total number of species living within a particular area.Tropicalregions, areas that are warm year-round, have the most biodiversity.Temperateregions, which have warm summers and cold winters, have less biodiversity. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-018-8189-z, Article 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. The Cape Floristic Region in South Africa is home to about 6,200 plant species found nowhere else in the world. Tech. Qi L, Yao Y, English DE, Ma R, Luft J, Hu C (2021) Remote sensing of brine shrimp cysts in salt lakes. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5684-7_38. We have this tremendous biodiversity, but we also have these major stressors, including that we built ourselves into the fifth-largest economy in the world with 40 million people, said Wade Crowfoot, Californias natural resources secretary. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.012, Kasprzykowski Z, Goawski A, Mitrus C, Staski T (2014) A comparison of the structure of 2 waterbird assemblages during postbreeding movements in the arid zone of Uzbekistan. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. This is only a small portion of the total number of species on Earth. Wang B, Yan H, Xue Z, Batunacun Liu G (2022) Nature-Based Solutions Benefit the EconomicEcological Coordination of Pastoral Areas: An Outstanding Herdsmans Experience in Xilin Gol, China. Sustain Sci 15:12551266. FAO Forestry Paper No. 2). This single pixel includes seven species, such as the Escambia map turtle, narrow pigtoe mussel and round ebonyshell mussel. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. In 4 seconds, you will be redirected to nwfactionfund.org, the site of the National Wildlife Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization. Tropical rainforest biomes (article) | Khan Academy Promoting more-inclusive outdoor experiences for all. Remote Sens Environ 266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112695, Ragab R, Prudhomme C (2002) Climate change and water resources management in arid and semi-arid regions: Prospective and challenges for the 21st century. Tropical forests are widely considered to have the greatest species diversity of the terrestrial biomes but diversity is also high in the temperate deciduous biome and Low species diversity : The tundra biome has the least biodiversity, but the northern coniferous biome also has low species diversity. According to Walter Jetz, an ecologist who leads Yale Universitys biodiversity mapping efforts, its essential that policymakers make data-driven decisions about which areas to protect. Medicines that treat some forms ofcancerhave been made from therosy periwinkle, a flower that grows on the African island of Madagascar. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.001, Oberle B, Mackinnon K, Sandwith T (2021) Vital sites: Protected and conserved areas offer solutions for building back better. Pollution. (2022b, April 17). Water (Switzerland), 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13101433, Kumar P, Debele SE, Sahani J, Rawat N, Marti-Cardona B, Alfieri SM, Zieher T (2021) Nature-based solutions efficiency evaluation against natural hazards: Modelling methods, advantages and limitations. The non-systematic review primarily focused on the grey literature (i.e., the IUCN handbooks and guidance, as well as the UN resolution papers). To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10081-2013, Fernandes JP, Guiomar N (2018) Nature-based solutions: The need to increase the knowledge on their potentialities and limits. The most diverse group of animals are invertebrates. They also study how many species exist in single ecosystems, such as a forest, grassland, tundra, or lake. Biodiversity is the richness of life in all of its forms, from genes to ecosystems. The authors declare no competing interests. The review has not returned specific rangeland rehabilitation methods or success stories in the Aral Sea basin. But when biodiversity is reduced, this is impossible. The issue with low plant survival rates on the dried-out seabed in Uzbekistan is not uncommon: according to Shomurodov et al., (2021), survival rate of plant species in afforested areas is as low as 20%. These threats have caused an unprecedented rise in the rate of species extinction. LA. https://rsis.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/rsiswp_search/exports/Ramsar-Sites-annotated-summary-Uzbekistan.pdf?1647505458, The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics. TEXAS. All rights reserved. A large area of a forest will likely have higher biodiversity than a smaller area of the same forest. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate the slides or the slide controller buttons at the end to navigate through each slide. In some cases, it has been demonstrated that protected areas can, among other things, provide human health benefits and thus can offset healthcare costs (Oberle, Mackinnon, & Sandwith, 2021). Adaptive management, community awareness raising on functions of ecosystems and natural resources in general and their involvement in the planning and implementation processes are highly likely to increase the success of NbS interventions (Belle, Collins, & Jordaan, 2018). According to Li et al. humans are speeding extinction at a disastrous pace, according to the United States Geological Survey, published in the journal Ecological Applications. Australia is one of 17 megadiverse countries globally, with many plants, animals and ecosystems found nowhere . https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.ch.2020.08.en, Jiang L, Jiapaer G, Bao A, Guo H, Ndayisaba F (2017) Vegetation dynamics and responses to climate change and human activities in Central Asia. Aralkum national parkFootnote 7 total area: 10000km2, year of designation: 2022. J Environ Plan Manage 59:142162. The only species that currently survives in what is known as the southern Aral Sea in Uzbekistan is brine shrimp (Artemia). D. Smaller populations are less likely to go extinct than larger populations, so the species diversity will remain constant., Which of the following examples illustrates the community with the highest biodiversity? Photo credit: NASA Earth Observatory, Google Earth. Artemia, which is used as forage for aquatic species, is currently being harvested and represents business opportunities for the local population (Aladin, et al., 2018), (Arashkevich, Sapozhnikov, Soloviov, Kudyshkin, & Zavialov, 2009). But human activity has changed the natural processes of extinction and evolution. Wetlands in the Aral Sea basin are reported to be unstable in terms of their hydrological regimes and are highly dependent on the water inflow, which in turn defines their salinity levels and ability to support native biodiversity (Schlter, et al., 2013). If we do not stop the threats to biodiversity, we could be facing another mass extinction with dire consequences to the environment, and human health and livelihood. The Texas Hill Country region southwest of Austin, growing fast and with little protected land, is one example. o innate immune system Climate change. . Seddon N, Chausson A, Berry P, Girardin CA, Smith A, Turner B (2020) Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges. Land is cleared to plantcrops or build houses and factories. Occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor, coral reefs are home to more than 25% of all marine life. She or he will best know the preferred format. Species that are now abundant arent going to be if we dont protect some of these other habitats, said Brian ODonnell, the director of Campaign for Nature, a coalition of conservation groups. Here, we systematically review the application of nature-based solutions in rural drylands around the world with all four types of aridity indices defined by the United Nations: dry sub-humid, semi-arid, arid and hyper arid areas (see Fig. The final list was formed based on the recently formalized definition of nature-based solutions by the IUCN neglecting small-scale interventions, which in some cases the authors considered to represent NbS. This single pixel includes seven species, such as Cockerell's bumble bee, White Mountain false pennyroyal and Sacramento Mountains thistle. These are afforestation, wetland restoration, rangeland restoration and protected areas establishment in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region in the far-western part of Uzbekistan. Biodiversity is not distributed equally over the globe; several factors combine to create so-called hotspots . With less biodiversity, these connections weaken and sometimes break, harming all the species in the ecosystem. Right now, about 13 percent of the United States is permanently protected and managed primarily for biodiversity, according to the United States Geological Survey. - 208.89.96.71. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. J Oceanol Limnol 36:20612084. 3. Hence, water availability needs to be considered thoroughly when it comes to planning desert greening activities, as there is large-scale evidence of failed or low effective interventions aimed at greening the Aral Seabed. Parks 27:193196. https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2021.1923271, Belle JA, Collins N, Jordaan A (2018) Managing wetlands for disaster risk reduction: A case study of the eastern Free State, South Africa. This may not be a promising investment in terms of time, human and financial resources unless timely post-afforestation monitoring and R&D on the quality of land is ensured. It has also been documented that sub-soil conditions are at times more important than topsoil for tree growth (Matsui, Watanabe, Kussainova, & Funakawa, 2019). But some genes within a species are different. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.04.014, Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Additional measures for the creation of forests in the regions and of the green cover in the Aral Sea region. 1. Sci Total Environ 599-600:967980. The most prominent native species in terms of the ability to grow in sandy, loamy and saline soils are reported to be Saxaul (Haloxylon), Salsola Richteri (Moq) Karel ex Litv and Calligonum caput-medusae Schrenk (Bakirov, Khamzaev, & Novitskiy, 2020), Krascheninnikovia eversmanniana and Artemisia ferganensis (Shomurodov, et al., 2021).