Pannasastra University of Cambodia Commitment to Excellence Environmental Science (2011-2012) Phnom Kravanh Instructor: Dr. Taing You New Species of Mekong 1. Sun Kimsean 2. Yeang Sokheng 3. Phirun Sopheavy 4. Thanthiva Akkharath 5. Kan Sivorn 6. Eng Savath 7. Vanna Yuk Van Neath The Mekong River is a major river in Southeastern Asia and is one of the world’s greatest rivers, ranked number 10th largest river by length in the world. The basin of the Mekong River drains a total land area of 795,000 km2 from the eastern watershed of the Tibetan Plateau to the Mekong Delta.
The Mekong River flows approximately 4,909 km through three provinces of China, continuing into Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam before emptying into the South China Sea. The Mekong River has many different kinds of names in many places. For example: Dza-chu (Tibet), Lancang Jiang (Jiang as river in China), Thailand and Laos as Mae Nam Khong (Mae Nam as river). The Mekong River Basin is divided into 2 parts: Upper Mekong Basin and Lower Mekong Basin. The Tibetan Plateau, Three Rivers Area (Mekong, Salween, and Yangtze) and Lancang Basin form the Upper Mekong Basin, which composed of China and Myanmar.
The Northern Highlands, Khorat Plateau, Tonle Sap Basin and Mekong Delta make up the Lower Mekong Basin, which composed of Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Mekong River holds more than 1,500 species of fish, including the Mekong giant catfish—the largest freshwater fish in the world—and the endangered Irrawaddy Mekong dolphins. Besides tigers and elephants, the Mekong’s forests sustain an extraordinary range of plants and birds, and extremely rare species such as douc langur and the saola.
At half the length of a bus and weighing up to 600kgs, the Mekong River’s giant freshwater stingray (Dasyatis laosensis) is the world’s largest freshwater fish. The critically endangered and culturally fabled Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) ranks third at up to 3 metres in length and 350kgs. The Mekong River is home to more giant fish than any other river on Earth. Populations of the Mekong giant catfish have fallen 90 per cent in just two decades. It is also a home for the endangered dolphins called Irrawaddy Dolphins.
Dog-eating catfish The scientific name is Pangasius sanitwongsei also known as: Paroon shark or ChaoPhraya giant catfish It is known to enjoy feasting on the carcasses of large animals, the remains of dead fowl and dogs have been used as bait to ensnare the Dog-eating catfish. At an impressive 660 pounds (300kg), the dog-eating catfish is almost the same size as the largest recorded bull shark. The Global Top 10 Giant Freshwater Fish 1. Giant freshwater stingray (Himantura chaophraya) 600kg (500cm, 240cm disc width) Mekong River Basin 2.
Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) 500kg (700cm) Yangtze River Basin 3. Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) 350kg (300cm) Mekong River Basin 4. Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) 306kg (500cm) Widespread in Europe and Asia 5. Giant pangasius (dog-eating catfish) (Pangasius sanitwongsei) 300kg (300cm) Mekong River Basin 6. Giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) 300kg (300cm) Mekong River Basin 7. Arapaima (pirarucu; paiche) (Arapaima gigas) 200kg (450cm) Amazon River Basin 8.
Piraiba (laulau; lechero) (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) 200kg (360cm) Amazon River Basin 9. Nile perch (Lates niloticus) 200kg (200cm) Nile River Basin 10. Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) 137kg (305cm) Mississippi River Basin The area surrounding the Mekong River is home to nearly 30,000 known species of plants, mammals, reptiles, and fish; including elephants, tigers, and the giant Mekong catfish. Over 1,000 previously unknown species have been found in the Mekong basin in the past decade.
A total of 145 plants, 28 reptiles, 25 fish, 7 amphibians, 2 mammals, and 1 bird were all discovered within the Greater Mekong region of Southeast Asia that spans Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan. Among the new species that were discovered is the snub-nosed monkey with an Elvis-like hairstyle (Rhinopithecus strykeri). Found in Myanmar’s remote, forested and mountainous Kachin state in early 2010. Locals say the monkey can be spotted with its head between its knees in wet weather to avoid rain running into its upturned nose.
In addition to the world’s first images of the snub-nosed monkey, there are other globally threatened species including red panda, takin, marbled cat, Malayan sun bear and rare pheasants such as Temminick’s tragopan, documenting the importance of this area for biodiversity conservation. But, for the extinction of the Javan rhino in Vietnam, recently confirmed by WWF, is one tragic indicator of the decline of biodiversity in the region. The Mekong’s wild places and wildlife are under extreme pressure from rapid, unsustainable development and climate change.
A staggering array of 28 reptiles was also newly discovered in 2010, including an all-female lizard (Leiolepis ngovantrii) in Vietnam that reproduces via cloning without the need for male lizards. However, this reptile might face extinction and because they are hunted down by people living in that area for been making as food. It was found by a Vietnamese scientist in a tank at a restaurant where it was being served as food. Apart from dams, logging, hunting, infrastructural development, and migration of humans into wild areas are also causing the ecosystems incredible stress and is leading to the death and extinction of many species.
In January 2010, a small, distinctive bird living in the rocky forests of the Annamite mountain range in Laos and Vietnam was described for the first time. It is similar to other warblers in this area of Southeast Asia, except for its distinct vocalizations and slight morphological differences. The tiny bird is greenish-olive with a yellow breast and striped crown. It has a loud and unique call, which is what first alerted the researchers that the bird may be new to science.
A new psychedelic gecko species was discovered this past year on Hon Khoai Island, 18 km off the southern landfill of the Ca Mu Peninsula in southern Vietnam. The new species is unique because it displays a remarkable psychedelic pattern of bright orange appendages; a dense, yellow neck overlying thick, black, lines; and a blue-gray body bearing yellow bars on its bright-orange sides. This new frog species from Laos was one of seven frogs discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year. While new species are discovered, researchers note that at least nine species of amphibian have gone extinct since 1980.
While many of these new species are being found in remote areas, some are being discovered in very close to humans — such as the Siamese Peninsula pit viper which was identified by science for the first time as it slithered through the rafters of a Thai restaurant. As for the plants, there were five species of carnivorous pitcher plants were also discovered across Thailand and Cambodia, with some species capable of luring in and consuming small rats, mice, lizards and even birds. • The Mekong’s wild places and wildlife are under extreme pressure from rapid, unsustainable development and climate change.
Wild Mekong is the fourth in a series of reports highlighting new species discoveries in the Greater Mekong region. The initial report First Contact was released in December 2008 and showcased the discovery of over 1000 new species discoveries in the region between 1997 and 2007. In total, 1584 species in the Greater Mekong have been newly described by science between 1997 and 2010. • The Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit is a tri-annual event attended by leaders from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The meeting had been held in Myanmar on Dec 19th and 20th .
The Summit would endorse the new 10-year strategic plan for the GMS. WWF is calling upon them to put the benefits of biodiversity, and the costs of losing it, at the center of decision-making and regional cooperation. WWF warns the Greater Mekong’s valuable natural assets and species will continue to disappear without accelerated efforts to green the region’s economies. The extinction of the Javan rhino in Vietnam, recently confirmed by WWF, is a tragic indicator of the decline of biodiversity in the region. References Fauna & Flora International. 1th January 2012. http://www. fauna-flora. org/news/first-images-of-newly-discovered-primate/ Mekong River Commission. http://www. mrcmekong. org/the-mekong-basin/physiography/ Mekong River Commission. http://www. mrcmekong. org/the-mekong-basin/physiography/physiographic-regions/ Mekong River Commission. 2010. State of the Basin Report 2010. Shepard, Wade. 23 December 2011. http://www. vagabondjourney. com/travelogue/wild-mekong-hundreds-of-new-species-found-in-mekong-basin/ World Wildlife Fund. 28 July 2010. http://wwf. panda. org/? 94313/Mekong-dams-threaten-rare-giant-fish World Wildlife Fund. 27 July 2010. http://www. worldwildlife. org/ who/media/press/2010/WW FPresitem17475. html World Wildlife Fund. http://www. worldwildlife. org/what/wherewework/mekong/index. html World Wildlife Fund. 12 December 2011. http://www. worldwildlife. org/who/media/press/2011/WWFPresitem25296. html World Wildlife Fund. 12 December 2011. http://wwf. panda. org/? uNewsID=202743 ———————– The forests of the Greater Mekong region harbor a rich variety of flowering plants, including this new orchid find.
Ideas Of Escapism And Pleasure In Brave New World Research Paper
Brave New World Explore the ways in which Huxley explores the idea of escapism and pleasure. Support your answer with details from the novel. In the “old world” people had to deal with melancholy and abuse, and pleasure was received in different ways than in that of the new world. Huxley depicts this in his novel, Brave New World by establishing the idea of escapism and pleasure. He portrays some people as wanting to decamp from reality and explains that people in this utopian society get their pleasure from doing the same sort of activities as one another, including visiting the feelies.
Huxley depicts that some characters try to escape from reality by taking soma so they can forget about all their fears and problems. When Lenina and Bernard are at the savage reservation they witness the consternation of a boy, Palowhtiwa being sacrificed. Lenina becomes aghast after seeing all the blood, “Too awful! That blood! ” She shuddered. “Oh, I wish I had my soma. ” This quote emphasizes the importance of soma in Lenina’s life. Huxley proves that if people like Lenina are to ajourn from these horrors they need to take soma.
Hypnopaedic teaching has taught people to ingest soma when they are feeling dismal. This is proved when Lenina says, “a gramme is better than a damn”. The rhymes from her hynopaedic teaching prove that people such as Lenina are like automatons or machines, which are forced to devour soma when they are feeling disconsolate. When Linda is in the hospital she chooses to live her life on a soma holiday because life becomes too much for her in the real world. Linda does this so she can escape from reality and so she can go into her own state of mind.
This is proven evident when she is described as having a “… broken and discoloured smile of infantile contentment. ” She is related to a delighted child because she is getting so much pleasure from her “soma holiday”. Huxley presents that people, such as Linda try to evade reality by taking soma. It is proven that some characters try to rid themselves from reality to escape abuse. When John is at the savage reservation he tries to avoid the other boys by reading his book, “The more the boys pointed and sang the harder he read. Huxley conveys that John endeavours to escape from the other boys by concentrating on his book.
The more he concentrates at reading, the easier it is for him to neglect the boys. It is communicated that people in London can get pleasure because they can get what they want whenever they like. It is false to say that one can be emotionally attached to one another in this utopian society. Everyone is taught that, “Everybody belongs to everyone else. This encourages people to not bother with relationships and to just enjoy life changing the person, who they date with every so often. It is also proven that people aren’t emotionally tied to others because they have learnt not to be burdened by death because of their death conditioning. This is a contrast to the old world where everyone saw death as a trepidation. Huxley shines a light on the fact that everyone seems to get pleasure from the same kind of activities. Going to the feelies is a popular thing for people to do.
When John and Lenina go to the feelies, Huxley points out how many people go, “‘Ooh-ah! Ooh-ah! ‘ the stereoscopic lips came together again, and once more the facial erogenous zones of the six thousand spectators in the Alhambra… “. Going to the feelies and seeing a feely like this is seen as habitual in this society. Huxley exposes to the reader that people enjoy this entertainment when the audience says, “‘Ooh-ah! Ooh-ah! “. He also highlights that it is a popular entertainment because he describes the Alhambra as having six thousand spectators.
Huxley concretes the opinion that everyone seems to get pleasure from the same sort of activities. Huxley parades the idea of pleasure and escapism in his novel, Brave New World and illustrates how some citizens of this utopian society want to be relieved from reality and explains how people get their pleasure. People escape from pain by taking soma, and John escapes by reading. These escapisms are also seen as pleasurable. People get their pleasure by taking soma and by partaking in various activities such as attending the feelies.
Invasive Species: Mexican Fruit Fly
Invasive Species: The Mexican Fruit fly An invasive species is a species that does not naturally take place in a particular area and with its arrival brings economic, environmental or human harm . Recently there has been a bigger emphasis on invasive species . They are threatening our agriculture and forests and causing major impacts to our cities . The characteristics that make the species thrive in their environment vary with each.
Their characteristics in general can be the lack of predators they have, their fast growing and their ability to alter soil and habitat conditions to better suit their own survival . Of the many invasive species there are to talk about, the one focused on will be the Mexican fruit fly. The Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, is characterized by its yellow to brown body and wing coloration . An adult fruit fly is 7-11 mm long and is a bit larger than a house fly . An adult fly may live up to 11 months and can lay more than 1,500 eggs in its life.
It’s a serious pest The Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, is characterized by its yellow to brown body and wing coloration .An adult fruit fly is 7-11 mm long and is a bit larger than a house fly. An adult fly may live up to 11 months and can lay more than 1,500 eggs in its life. It’s a serious pest 1,500 eggs in its life . It’s a serious pest to many fruits in Mexico and central America, where its native to . It frequently invades Texas, southern California, Arizona, and Florida by the importing of fruits to these areas .
In 1927, it was first discovered infesting the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and by early 1950s they were found within the California-Mexico Border . The Mexican fruit fly is considered to be invasive due to the fact that its transported from Central America and shipped to the U. S infesting and spoiling a variety of fruits . Along with living in a new environment it causes them to eventually spread to other parts of the world throughout shipment of fruits in crates. The damage they have done is they have caused Mexico 25% in losses and has caused millions of dollars in support of controlling these pests .
It has also made it unfit for export for many foreign countries . The Mexican fruit fly has made fruit trees and plants die off , reducing certain types of fruits and plants to be grown in specific areas . Which contribute to the loss of biodiversity, large variation in fruit has been lost. The loss of the trees and plants have left other insects with no food or habitat leaving them to die and cause small shifts in the ecosystem. There are many treatments being used to control the Mexican fruit fly population. The three kinds of treatments used are bait spray, the sterile insect technique and/or directed insecticide applications .
The bait spray treatment is done by using airplanes and ground sprayers . Program workers apply bait spray approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency. The spray is applied to fruit trees and it attracts the flies to it and they die off. The sterile insect technique is where large numbers of male sterile insects are released into areas where they mate with other flies. Such mating doesn’t produce offspring and eventually the population is eliminated through attrition . Direct insecticide applications is where program employees apply insecticide on the soil under host trees or plants .
These products kill larvae as they enter the soil to pupate and most of the adults as they later emerge. Agriculture quarantine laws have also take place so returning travelers are prohibited from bringing fresh fruits, meats, plants, birds and animal products which may harbor pests. In all, what has been taught about the Mexican fruit fly, as small as it can be, can cost us a lot in terms of economic and ecological aspects. It has cost farmers and regulation agencies a fortune to try to get this pest under control. Its way of spreading is hard to stop due to the ever growing world of ours where trading must continue.
Its ability to multiply in large numbers makes it even harder to take hold of it. Infesting our fruits and plants has also given rise to problems within our ecosystem. Biodiversity has been affected negatively with the destruction of certain trees and plants. Not just plants have suffered but also other insects that have habitats within them. The Mexican fruit fly is not as nice as it sounds.
References
- http://www. invasivespecies. org/resources/defineis. html
- http://www. eddmaps. org/ipane/volunteers/training_materials/IPANEtraining_Manual. pdf
- http://entnemdept. ufl. du/creatures/fruit/tropical/mexican_fruit_fly. htm
- http://www. cdfa. ca. gov/plant/pdep/target_pest_disease_profiles/mexican_ff_profile. html
- http://www. freshfromflorida. com/pi/pest-alerts/anastrepha-ludens. html
- http://scholarspace. manoa. hawaii. edu/bitstream/handle/10125/1297/20_jang_117-120. pdf? sequence=1
- https://biologyinvasivespeciesproject. wikispaces. com/Mexican+Fruit+Fly
- http://www. hungrypests. com/faqs/mexican-fruit-fly. php
- http://www. invasive. org/publications/aphis/fsmexfly. pdf 10. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Female_Mexican_fruit_fly. jpg