#ecosystem conservation

From the article:

The new law aims to restore at least 20% of the EU's land and seas, with specific targets including reversing the decline of pollinators and restoring 25,000 kilometres of rivers to free-flowing conditions. This target is instrumental to align EU policy with global commitments made by almost 200 countries to restore and protect at least 30% of our planet’s degraded ecosystems by 2030. The legislation solidifies Europe's leadership in global biodiversity restoration and protection efforts, setting a powerful example for the rest of the world.

A community that is spearheading a drive to conserve the wetlands that it relies on– and that thousands of species call home. It’s located on one of the world’s most polluted lakes. Through a series of initiatives, locals now have their sights set on becoming a model wetland village.

Credits:

Supervising Producer: Nooshin Mowla Video Editor: Amit Garg (Metro Media Works)

The size of the dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay has gone down for the second year in a row.

Dead zones occur due to extra nutrients entering the bay from upstream (often from fertilizer runoff), which leads to massive algae blooms

This reduction is likely due to a number of factors, including better management and monitoring of the watershed by a variety of upstream states and other organizations.

Conservation begins at the local level, and this is an excellent example of some good news for an iconic ecosystem.

Since the 1940s, the LA River has not looked much like a river. The banks of the river were transformed into a concrete trough in order to provide flood control after a series of devastating floods (the result of homes being built in the river’s floodplain).

This strategy was successful at controlling flood, but all the expense of nearly every other function of the river. 

With updated information about ecosystem services and the ability of functioning river systems to mitigate the impacts of climate change, plans are now underway to restore the river to its former glory. In addition to removing the concrete barriers, the goal is also to restore lost ecosystem services for the benefit of local communities.

                சாம்பல் கதிர்க்குருவி  |  TAWNY-FLANKED PRINIAS

              .  This small passerine is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It is found in scrub in a variety of habitat types, excepting the most extreme environments, and adapts easily to human presence. Males and females look alike in appearance. Non-breeding birds have a longer tail than breeding birds. Juveniles have pale yellow underparts and a yellowish bill. It is found amongst shrubs and grass in a variety of habitats including woodland, savanna and cultivated areas. It adapts well to man-made habitats and is not considered to be threatened. This bird eats insects and other invertebrates.  The nest is purse-shaped and made of strips of grass woven together. It is built one to two metres above the ground.   Two to four eggs are laid; they are variable in ground color and usually have brown or purple spots or blotches. 

             புள்ளி அலகு கூழைக்கடா | SPOT-BILLED PELICAN

Spot-billed pelicans are classified as "Near-threatened, " as their numbers have declined in many areas due to habitat loss and human disturbance, and many populations in Southeast Asia are now extinct.

BUT Due to improved protection of this species, their numbers have seen an increase in recent history, and about 13,000 - 18,000 individuals are believed to exist globally. Several protected colonies nesting close to human habitations have become popular tourist attractions, such as the villages of Kokrebellur and Uppalapadu in India. These pelicans once occurred over a wide range in South Asia, but now they only breed in Sri Lanka and southeastern India, and potentially also on the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia.