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Narcolepsy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Narcolepsy /ˈnɑrkəˌlɛpsi/, also known as hypnolepsy, is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally.[1] People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia. Narcoleptics, when falling asleep, generally experience the REM stage of sleep within 5 minutes, while most people do not experience REM sleep until an hour or so later.
One of the many problems that some narcoleptics experience is cataplexy, a sudden muscular weakness brought on by strong emotions (though many people experience cataplexy without having an emotional trigger).
Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder. It is not caused by mental illness or psychological problems. It is most likely affected by a number of genetic mutations and abnormalities that affect specific biologic factors in the brain, combined with an environmental trigger during the brain's development, such as a virus.
The term narcolepsy derives from the French word narcolepsie created by the French physician Jean-Baptiste-Édouard Gélineau by combining the Greek νάρκη (narkē, "numbness" or "stupor"), and λῆψις (lepsis), "attack" or "seizure".
Affectation de jour voie principale effectuant sont premier de la journée en direction de Port Alfred
Ears are like radar as Male watches me with one eye.
Like most red squirrels, spotting a Caucasian Squirrel is definitely becoming a rare sight. Climate change affects nature differently in every corner of the world.
The last time I came across the local squirrels was at the beginning of July. Due to the extreme heat in the region, Caucasian Squirrels are certain to spend very hot hours in their nests. Because I haven't been seen them around very often for more than 2 months.
Today, it was cloudy weather in the North Aegean Region of Turkey, the strong North wind was shaking the olive branches. I was walking in an olive grove and I was patiently waiting to see the Caucasian Squirrel. After waiting for about an hour, the reward came, a group of squirrels were playing around the pomegranate trees 100 meters in front of me. I was waiting under the olive tree with a wide trunk. I didn't move, waiting for them to climb the centuries-old olive trees and retreat to their den inside the follow in the middle of the tree. I saw the Mr & Mrs Caucasian Squirrel couple enter their century-old olive tree hollow.I started to wait next olive tree trunk, which is about 7 meters away.I had already begun to wait silently for 30 minutes when the male Caucasian Squirrel noticed my presence immediately. Curious male took out his head first, then his half body, checked and after making sure then Female followed him.The moment I had been waiting for a long time happened 7 meters in front of me. Even though I was wearing a camouflage cover, they were aware of my presence.
I had to use 1.4 TC for close-up when the light was enough. Today they made me very happy. I hope you wouldn't mind 14 series of Caucasian Squirrel photos and you'll like it just as much as I do.
The Caucasian squirrel - Sciurus anomalus ; The Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.
The species is usually said to have first been described in 1778 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae,and named Sciurus anomalus. However, some authors argue that this work was actually published in 1788, and that the true first description was made by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1785.
Description -
Caucasian squirrels are small tree squirrels, with a total length of 32 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in), including the 13 to 18 cm (5.1 to 7.1 in) tail, and weighing 250 to 410 g (8.8 to 14.5 oz). The color of the upper body fur ranges from greyish brown to pale grey, depending on the subspecies, while that of the underparts is rusty brown to yellowish, and that of the tail, yellow brown to deep red. The claws are relatively short, compared with those of other tree squirrels, and females have either eight or ten teats.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich described the Caucasian squirrel in 1885 as "Its color is grayish-brown above, and yellowish-brown below".
Physical Description -
Caucasian squirrels have a dental formula of incisors 1/1, canines 0/0, premolars 1/1, and molars 3/3, totaling 20. They have four fingered fore feet and five fingered hind feet. Sex differences in body length or mass are not evident.
Distribution and habitat -
Caucasian squirrels are native to south-western Asia, where they are found from Turkey, and the islands of Gökçeada and Lesbos in the west, Iran in the southeast, and as far as Israel and Jordan in the south.It is one of only two species of the genus Sciurus to be found on Mediterranean islands,and, although Eurasian red squirrels have been recently introduced to some areas, is the only species of Sciurus native to the wider region.
The species mainly lives in forested areas dominated by oak, pine, and pistachio, up to altitudes of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
Biology and behavior -
The squirrels are diurnal, and solitary, although temporary groups may forage where food is plentiful. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, tree shoots, and buds,with the seeds of oak and pine being particularly favored. Like many other squirrels, they cache their food within tree cavities or loose soil, with some larders containing up to 6 kg (13 lb) of seeds. They live in trees, where they make their dens, but frequently forage on the ground, and are considered less arboreal than Eurasian red squirrels. They commonly nest in tree hollows lined with moss and leaves, and located 5 to 14 m (16 to 46 ft) above the ground, but nests are also sometimes found under rocks or tree roots. Their alarm call is high-pitched, and said to resemble the call of the European green woodpecker, and they mark their territories with urine and dung.
Breeding occurs throughout the year, but is more common in spring or autumn. Litters range from two to seven, with three or four being typical, and the young are fully mature by five or six months of age.
Conservation -
A survey in 2008 found that the species remained abundant within Turkey, however declines are noted in population within the Levant region. The guides for a survey in 1993 in Israel stated that they considered the species to be nearly extinct within the area studied. Whilst the Caucasian squirrel is threatened by poaching and deforestation, the declines recorded are not sufficient to qualify them as anything other than "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1] Hunting of the species is banned by the Central Hunting Commission, and the Caucasian squirrel is protected by the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
This information is sourced from "Wikipedia".
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
www.spurnpoint.com/Spurn_Point.htm
Spurn is a very unique place in the British Islands. Three and a half miles long and only fifty metres wide in places.
Extending out in to the Humber Estuary from the Yorkshire coast it has always had a big affect to the navigation of all vessels over the years. Help to some and a danger or hindrance to others. This alone makes Spurn a unique place.
Spurn is made up of a series of sand and shingle banks held together with mainly Marram grass and Seabuckthorn. There are a series of sea defence works built by the Victorians and maintained by the Ministry of Defence, till they sold Spurn to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the 1950s. The defences are in a poor state, breaking down and crumbling. This is making Spurn a very fragile place wide open to the ravages of the North Sea.
One of the most striking features of Spurn is the black and white lighthouse near to the end of Spurn. Now just an empty shell not used since it was closed down at dawn on the thirty first of October 1986.
There have been many Lighthouses on Spurn over the years the first recorded at around 1427. The present light was built from 1893 TO 1895. The small tower on the beach on the Estuary side was originally the low light. It was built and put in to operation at around 1852. This light was no longer needed when the present lighthouse was opened in 1895.At a later date the light was removed and it was used as a store for explosives and later as a water tower. The tank can still be seen on the top. When it was operational there was a raised walkway from the shore to the lighthouse so it could be reached at all stages of the tide.
The present lighthouse was built to replace an old lighthouse that was positioned just to the south of the present one. You can still see the round perimeter wall surrounding the old keepers cottages and the base of the old lighthouse which had to be demolished due to it settling on it's foundations making it unsafe.
The only light on Spurn today is a flashing green starboard light on the very end of the point and the fixed green lights marking the end of the Pilots jetty.
Because of Spurns ever moving position there have been many Lighthouses over the years. There is a very good book by George.de.BOAR, called History of the Spurn Lighthouses, produced by the East Yorkshire Local History Society. This is one of a series of books on local history.
www.spurnpoint.com/Around_and_about_at_Spurn.htm
Around and about there are plenty of places to eat and drink. Starting from the north of Spurn at Kilnsea there is the Riverside hotel offering good quality food drink and accommodation. Coming south towards Spurn and still in Kilnsea there is the Crown and Anchor pub. A welcoming place serving bar meals fine beers and offering bed and breakfast at very reasonable rates. At the crossroads before you turn towards Spurn there is the Spurn heritage coast visitors centre. Where there is a small cafe and exhibition. At the entrance Spurn point nature reserve is an information centre and bird observatory selling books pamphlets, etc., and the last toilet on Spurn.
Past the lighthouse is the last car park. Two hundred metres further on you find the Humber Lifeboat and Pilot stations. Near the houses is a Small caravan selling tea, coffee, cold cans, hot and cold food, crisps and sweets.
All are open all year round apart from the heritage centre which is open thought the season.
BIRD WATCHING.
Is a very popular pastime as Spurn is internationally famous for birds. There are up to two hundred species recorded at spurn every year. Some of which are extremely rare. The Marmora's Warbler seen at Spurn In June 1992 was only the third recorded in Britain.
SEA FISHING.
The beaches of Spurn provide some of the best sea fishing in the area, with Cod and Whiting and Flats being caught through the winter and Skate, Flats and Bass through the summer. There is sport to be had all the year.
At the very end of Spurn is deep water ideal for Cod but this only fishes best two hours either side of low water, the tide is to strong at other times. All along the seaward side of Spurn is good for all species of fish at all times though over high water being the better. The riverside of Spurn is very shallow and only produces Flats and the bass over high water.
THE BEACH.
The beaches at Spurn are of soft sand and shingle. Whichever way the wind is blowing you can just pop over the dunes to the outer side. There are fossils and all manners of things to find beach combing. Swimming is not safe any were near the point end as there are very strong tides at up to six knots at times. But in side Spurn around the point car park is perfect at high water. The beach does not shelf to fast and very little tide. You can have the place to your self at times, as Spurn is never really busy weekdays.#
A very popular pastime at Spurn is Fossil hunting. There is a good abundance of fossils to be found in amongst the pebbles and shingle.
The Shark Trust has a very interesting PDF file tell you all about Shark Skate and rays the mermaids purses you find on the beach are egg shells from sharks and Rays. Click the link to down load the Shark Trust Brochure.
WALKING.
Walking or strolling at spurn is very easy, as there are no hills. There are various sign posted paths up and down the point. For the fit a complete walk round the whole point is about 8 miles, taking in all the point round the point end and back to the "warren" information place at the start of Spurn. You will need good footwear, as much of the paths are sand. There is limited access for disabled, but not to the point end, as you have to go via the beach.
You can park your car at the point car park and walk round the point end and back to the car park about a mile, or just stroll around the point were you choose. The only place you are not allowed to go are down the pilot's jetty and the centre square of the Lifeboat houses.
In spring and early summer Spurn is covered with a large amount of wild flowers of all species.
There are common to the not so common; from Orchids to bluebells. I must remind you Spurn is a nature reserve and the picking of all flowers is prohibited. When visiting please enjoy Spurn, as it is a very beautiful place and leave only your footprints.
Horse Riding.
There is riding available nearby at the North Humberside Riding Centre. The stables are ideally located with rides along quiet country lanes, by-ways, plus miles of sandy beach and riverbanks. The cross-country course offers a variety of fences for both the novice and the more experienced rider.
www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/
A Brief History of Spurn Bird Observatory
Following visits to Spurn by several members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in the late 1930's, a communal log for ornithological observations was instituted in 1938. This included a roll-call of species, the beginnings of a recording system, which later became standard in bird observatories. Realising the potential of the Spurn peninsula for the regular observation of bird migration a group of enthusiasts, notably Ralph Chislett, George Ainsworth, John Lord and R.M. Garnett, had the idea of setting up a bird observatory, with the Warren Cottage at the northern end of the peninsula as an ideal headquarters. Unfortunately the outbreak of war forced them to put their plans on hold but shortly after hostilities ceased a lease for Warren Cottage was obtained from the War Department and the observatory was established shortly afterwards under the auspices of the Y.N.U. with the four members mentioned above forming the first committee. A preliminary meeting was held in September 1945 to decide on the site for a Heligoland trap, work on which was begun almost immediately and the first bird (a Blackbird) was ringed on November 17th. The first minuted committee meeting was held on March 9th 1946 and the observatory was opened to visitors at Whitsuntide that year.
Initially coverage was limited to the main migration seasons, being extended to winter weekends in the early 1950's to trap and ring some of the large numbers of Snow Buntings which used to occur at that time of year and gradually coverage was increased (whenever possible) to cover the late spring and summer. In 1959 there was an important development when the Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust (now the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust) became the owners of the peninsula and thus the observatory's landlord. In 1960 a full time warden was appointed by the Trust, and although having no official connection with the observatory the fact of having an observer on the peninsula year-round inevitably helped to improve the ornithological coverage. This was especially the case from 1964 when the current warden, Barry Spence, was appointed, in conjunction with the fact that an interest in birds and their migrations was steadily growing and more bird-watchers were staying at the observatory, often for longer periods.
When the observatory opened there was accommodation for seven visitors in Warren Cottage and facilities included two chemical toilets, the Warren Heligoland trap and an ex-army hut as a ringing hut. Over the next ten years a further five Heligoland traps were constructed along the peninsula, although today only three remain in existence. In 1959 the observatory gained the use of the Annexe, one of two ex W.D. bungalows built at the Warren during the early 1950's, thus increasing the accommodation capacity to seventeen and providing much improved toilet facilities. Over the years the accommodation and facilities have been gradually improved to try to make the visitor's stay at Spurn as comfortable as possible. Other improvements have also taken place, in 1968 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Point was converted into a ringing laboratory ready for the first B.T.O. Ringing Course, held in autumn of that year and in 1971 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Warren was also converted into a ringing laboratory. The other part of this building became a laboratory for the use of students of Leeds University but this also became available to the observatory in the mid 1980's when the University no longer had a use for it. Subsequently it was converted into a self-contained accommodation unit for two, complete with kitchen facilities, and although officially known by the somewhat unimaginative name of Room F (the rooms in the Annexe being known as Rooms A, C, D & E, - whatever happened to Room B?), it was somewhat irreverently christened "Dunbirdin" by regular visitors to Spurn.
In 1965 a sea-watching hut was erected east of the Warren beyond the line of the former railway track. Due to coastal erosion it became necessary to move this in late 1974, when it was hoped that it would last at least as long as it had in its first position. Alas this was not to be, as the rate of erosion increased dramatically in the mid 1970's, necessitating a further move in early December 1977. In that year a clay bank had been built across the field behind Warren Cottage (Clubley's field) to prevent the flooding of arable land by wind-blown sea water, but on January 11th 1978 Spurn suffered its worst flooding ever when a strong to gale-force north-westerly wind combined with a spring tide. In late 1981 due to extensive construction works at Easington a large quantity of boulder clay became available and this was used to build up and extend the bank across Clubley's field, south towards Black Hut and north beyond Big Hedge to join up with an existing bank (which had been built in 1974) behind the scrape. In 1982 the sea-watching hut was repositioned on top of this bank, where it remained until the bank itself was washed away in the early 1990's.
A number of other changes to the observatory recording area began to take place from the early 1970's, including extensive building operations at the Point, commencing in 1974, with the construction of a new jetty for the Humber Pilot boats, new housing for the Spurn Lifeboat crew and the conversion and renovation of various existing buildings for use by the Coastguard and the Pilots. In 1978 following damage to the existing road south of the Warren area a new tarmac road was laid to the west of the original one, this lasted until 1988 when a second "new road" loop had to be laid, followed in 1991 by the construction of the existing loop road running along the Humber shore from just south of the Warren to just beyond Black Hut. The construction of this road resulted in the destruction of the actual Black Hut, although the area still bears the name. In 1981 the lines of wartime concrete anti-tank blocks running from the seashore to the Canal Zone were removed to fill in a breach at the Narrow Neck. This resulted in the southward extension of the Scrape field by the farmer up to Big Hedge and the start of a gradual decline in the condition of this hedge and its attractiveness to birds. In 1982 a local resident excavated a pond for shooting purposes in the wet area adjoining the Canal Zone. This never really proved successful and the land was later purchased by the Y.W.T. and the pond enlarged to become what is now known as Canal Scrape. In 1984 a famous Spurn landmark, the Narrows "Hut", a wooden migration watch shelter which had stood at the Narrow Neck for twenty-three years, was set fire to by person or persons unknown and completely destroyed, it was replaced the following year by a more solid construction made from breeze-blocks.
A period of considerable change began in 1988 when the Spurn peninsula was designated as part of the Spurn Heritage Coast. Projects undertaken include the enlargement of the Canal Scrape mentioned above and the erection of a hide overlooking it, a hide overlooking the Humber wader roost at Chalk Bank, a public sea-watching hide alongside the observatory one, provision of additional car-parking space, the restoration of the short-turf habitat in the Chalk Bank area, provision of footpaths, etc. A major project was the renovation of the Blue Bell in Kilnsea for use as offices, an information centre and a small cafe, which became fully operational in 1995. Another fairly recent project has been the creation of another scrape/pond on Clubley's field.
In 1996 the observatory celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, and for the first time in its history SBO employed a full time seasonal warden. This position has since been expanded and the observatory now enjoys the services of a year- round warden. In 1998, with a view to the future, a small bungalow in Kilnsea was purchased with money bequeathed by the late John Weston, a long time committee member, who regrettably died in 1996. This was followed in 1999 by the purchase of a strip of land adjacent to the property and is now known as the ‘Church Field’, this is planted with a sacrificial crop every year, and has also had several groups of trees planted and a feeding station placed in the north-east corner. Access to this field is available by becoming a member of ‘Friends of Spurn Bird Observatory’, a venture set up in 2003 to eventually help with the building of a new observatory when the old one falls way to the sea.
Bus : Solaris Urbino 18 IV Electric
Mise en service : 2019
Affectation : 64
Dépôt : Haren
Réseau : STIB/MIVB
Modèle / Model : Škoda Kodiaq 4x4
Affectation / Assignment : Gendarmerie Nationale, Gendarmerie Départementale / National Gendarmerie, Departmental Gendarmerie
Fonction / Function : Véhicule de capacité moyenne / Medium capacity vehicle
Mise en service / Commissioning : Mai 2019 / May 2019
Équipementier / Maker : Scorbel
Shot of Breagha taking a drink of water from fresh stream. Breagha not in shot but liked the the patterns it produced
Male on the left, female on the right, slowly taking steps.
Like most red squirrels, spotting a Caucasian Squirrel is definitely becoming a rare sight. Climate change affects nature differently in every corner of the world.
The last time I came across the local squirrels was at the beginning of July. Due to the extreme heat in the region, Caucasian Squirrels are certain to spend very hot hours in their nests. Because I haven't been seen them around very often for more than 2 months.
Today, it was cloudy weather in the North Aegean Region of Turkey, the strong North wind was shaking the olive branches. I was walking in an olive grove and I was patiently waiting to see the Caucasian Squirrel. After waiting for about an hour, the reward came, a group of squirrels were playing around the pomegranate trees 100 meters in front of me. I was waiting under the olive tree with a wide trunk. I didn't move, waiting for them to climb the centuries-old olive trees and retreat to their den inside the follow in the middle of the tree. I saw the Mr & Mrs Caucasian Squirrel couple enter their century-old olive tree hollow.I started to wait next olive tree trunk, which is about 7 meters away.I had already begun to wait silently for 30 minutes when the male Caucasian Squirrel noticed my presence immediately. Curious male took out his head first, then his half body, checked and after making sure then Female followed him.The moment I had been waiting for a long time happened 7 meters in front of me. Even though I was wearing a camouflage cover, they were aware of my presence.
I had to use 1.4 TC for close-up when the light was enough. Today they made me very happy. I hope you wouldn't mind 14 series of Caucasian Squirrel photos and you'll like it just as much as I do.
The Caucasian squirrel - Sciurus anomalus ; The Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.
The species is usually said to have first been described in 1778 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae,and named Sciurus anomalus. However, some authors argue that this work was actually published in 1788, and that the true first description was made by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1785.
Description -
Caucasian squirrels are small tree squirrels, with a total length of 32 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in), including the 13 to 18 cm (5.1 to 7.1 in) tail, and weighing 250 to 410 g (8.8 to 14.5 oz). The color of the upper body fur ranges from greyish brown to pale grey, depending on the subspecies, while that of the underparts is rusty brown to yellowish, and that of the tail, yellow brown to deep red. The claws are relatively short, compared with those of other tree squirrels, and females have either eight or ten teats.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich described the Caucasian squirrel in 1885 as "Its color is grayish-brown above, and yellowish-brown below".
Physical Description -
Caucasian squirrels have a dental formula of incisors 1/1, canines 0/0, premolars 1/1, and molars 3/3, totaling 20. They have four fingered fore feet and five fingered hind feet. Sex differences in body length or mass are not evident.
Distribution and habitat -
Caucasian squirrels are native to south-western Asia, where they are found from Turkey, and the islands of Gökçeada and Lesbos in the west, Iran in the southeast, and as far as Israel and Jordan in the south.It is one of only two species of the genus Sciurus to be found on Mediterranean islands,and, although Eurasian red squirrels have been recently introduced to some areas, is the only species of Sciurus native to the wider region.
The species mainly lives in forested areas dominated by oak, pine, and pistachio, up to altitudes of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
Biology and behavior -
The squirrels are diurnal, and solitary, although temporary groups may forage where food is plentiful. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, tree shoots, and buds,with the seeds of oak and pine being particularly favored. Like many other squirrels, they cache their food within tree cavities or loose soil, with some larders containing up to 6 kg (13 lb) of seeds. They live in trees, where they make their dens, but frequently forage on the ground, and are considered less arboreal than Eurasian red squirrels. They commonly nest in tree hollows lined with moss and leaves, and located 5 to 14 m (16 to 46 ft) above the ground, but nests are also sometimes found under rocks or tree roots. Their alarm call is high-pitched, and said to resemble the call of the European green woodpecker, and they mark their territories with urine and dung.
Breeding occurs throughout the year, but is more common in spring or autumn. Litters range from two to seven, with three or four being typical, and the young are fully mature by five or six months of age.
Conservation -
A survey in 2008 found that the species remained abundant within Turkey, however declines are noted in population within the Levant region. The guides for a survey in 1993 in Israel stated that they considered the species to be nearly extinct within the area studied. Whilst the Caucasian squirrel is threatened by poaching and deforestation, the declines recorded are not sufficient to qualify them as anything other than "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1] Hunting of the species is banned by the Central Hunting Commission, and the Caucasian squirrel is protected by the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
This information is sourced from "Wikipedia".
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
Although I waited 1.5 hours to catch this curious pose, I was satisfied.
Like most red squirrels, spotting a Caucasian Squirrel is definitely becoming a rare sight. Climate change affects nature differently in every corner of the world.
The last time I came across the local squirrels was at the beginning of July. Due to the extreme heat in the region, Caucasian Squirrels are certain to spend very hot hours in their nests. Because I haven't been seen them around very often for more than 2 months.
Today, it was cloudy weather in the North Aegean Region of Türkiye, the strong North wind was shaking the olive branches. I was walking in an olive grove and I was patiently waiting to see the Caucasian Squirrel. After waiting for about an hour, the reward came, a group of squirrels were playing around the pomegranate trees 100 meters in front of me. I was waiting under the olive tree with a wide trunk. I didn't move, waiting for them to climb the centuries-old olive trees and retreat to their den inside the follow in the middle of the tree. I saw the Mr & Mrs Caucasian Squirrel couple enter their century-old olive tree hollow.I started to wait next olive tree trunk, which is about 7 meters away.I had already begun to wait silently for 30 minutes when the male Caucasian Squirrel noticed my presence immediately. Curious male took out his head first, then his half body, checked and after making sure then Female followed him.The moment I had been waiting for a long time happened 7 meters in front of me. Even though I was wearing a camouflage cover, they were aware of my presence.
I had to use 1.4 TC for close-up when the light was enough. Today they made me very happy. I hope you wouldn't mind 14 series of Caucasian Squirrel photos and you'll like it just as much as I do.
The Caucasian squirrel - Sciurus anomalus ; The Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.
The species is usually said to have first been described in 1778 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae,and named Sciurus anomalus. However, some authors argue that this work was actually published in 1788, and that the true first description was made by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1785.
Description -
Caucasian squirrels are small tree squirrels, with a total length of 32 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in), including the 13 to 18 cm (5.1 to 7.1 in) tail, and weighing 250 to 410 g (8.8 to 14.5 oz). The color of the upper body fur ranges from greyish brown to pale grey, depending on the subspecies, while that of the underparts is rusty brown to yellowish, and that of the tail, yellow brown to deep red. The claws are relatively short, compared with those of other tree squirrels, and females have either eight or ten teats.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich described the Caucasian squirrel in 1885 as "Its color is grayish-brown above, and yellowish-brown below".
Physical Description -
Caucasian squirrels have a dental formula of incisors 1/1, canines 0/0, premolars 1/1, and molars 3/3, totaling 20. They have four fingered fore feet and five fingered hind feet. Sex differences in body length or mass are not evident.
Distribution and habitat -
Caucasian squirrels are native to south-western Asia, where they are found from Turkey, and the islands of Gökçeada and Lesbos in the west, Iran in the southeast, and as far as Israel and Jordan in the south.It is one of only two species of the genus Sciurus to be found on Mediterranean islands,and, although Eurasian red squirrels have been recently introduced to some areas, is the only species of Sciurus native to the wider region.
The species mainly lives in forested areas dominated by oak, pine, and pistachio, up to altitudes of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
Biology and behavior -
The squirrels are diurnal, and solitary, although temporary groups may forage where food is plentiful. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, tree shoots, and buds,with the seeds of oak and pine being particularly favored. Like many other squirrels, they cache their food within tree cavities or loose soil, with some larders containing up to 6 kg (13 lb) of seeds. They live in trees, where they make their dens, but frequently forage on the ground, and are considered less arboreal than Eurasian red squirrels. They commonly nest in tree hollows lined with moss and leaves, and located 5 to 14 m (16 to 46 ft) above the ground, but nests are also sometimes found under rocks or tree roots. Their alarm call is high-pitched, and said to resemble the call of the European green woodpecker, and they mark their territories with urine and dung.
Breeding occurs throughout the year, but is more common in spring or autumn. Litters range from two to seven, with three or four being typical, and the young are fully mature by five or six months of age.
Conservation -
A survey in 2008 found that the species remained abundant within Turkey, however declines are noted in population within the Levant region. The guides for a survey in 1993 in Israel stated that they considered the species to be nearly extinct within the area studied. Whilst the Caucasian squirrel is threatened by poaching and deforestation, the declines recorded are not sufficient to qualify them as anything other than "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1] Hunting of the species is banned by the Central Hunting Commission, and the Caucasian squirrel is protected by the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
This information is sourced from "Wikipedia".
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
A re-shoot of the downtown Sault Ste Marie VFW Post's neon sign. It turned out a little better than the original, but that Plexiglas does affect the image. Since it is right over the sidewalk and pretty low they do need it to protect the neon.
We hope. May the oil spill miraculously not affect our only continental US tropical reef and fragile environment. The oil spill effects seem to be picked up by the Loop Current, tar balls have been found west of Key West . Fears and sadness for our beautiful Florida Keys precious treasure. Other photos and more commentary for those who wish in first comment below. Sadness also for all the other many areas affected, and for the 11 men who lost their lives in the oil rig explosion, and their families. News stories here: www.cbsnews.com/2718-201_162-558.html (Thanks Maicos-2 for the link)
Lisette accompanied us on our photo documentation journey to show the beauty of the Florida Keys, before any oil spill effects. She seemed to get the seriousness of the mission.
Years ago, fresh water was trickled into Florida Bay from the mainland, through the C-111 canal. The fresh water "poisoned" the salt water bay, killed the fish and seagrass, the sponges, the sealife. The water turned to pea soup. It took 2 + years to sort of recover. Sea urchins and sand dollars never recovered. That was fresh water-- imagine-- oil effects and invisible toxic chemicals put into the water to disperse the oil. I'd rather have the fresh water.
More information about our delicate environment here: fl.audubon.org/PDFs/pubs_policydocs-florida_bay_report_ma...
There is no other ecosystem in the entire world like our ecosystem and the Florida Everglades.
Taken 5/8/10, Uploaded 5/18/10, #4918, r72_550, Exposure enhanced a touch, (erase)
To view large in Windows Vista Internet Explorer, click Control + a few times, and then Control 0 to return to normal view. Other operating systems and browsers usually have a magnification control, often on the lower right.
If you wish, view "my own favorites" of my photostream, or view all of my Photostream, sorted by Interestingness: fiveprime.org/flickr_hvmnd.cgi?search_domain=User&tex...
Whether you live in an area where the cool rain comes straight after a hot summer, or where you have misty rain in the cold winter the rainy season affects us all. Taking care of your feet properly during the wet season is very important to avoid foot infections and in cases where it’s cold, to p...
Scientists find that cometary dust affects interpretation of spacecraft measurements, reopening the case for comets like 67P as potential sources of water for early Earth.
Researchers have found that water on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has a similar molecular signature to the water in Earth’s oceans. Contradicting some recent results, this finding reopens the case that Jupiter-family comets like 67P could have helped deliver water to Earth.
This image, taken by ESA’s Rosetta navigation camera, was taken from a about 53 miles from the center of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on March 14, 2015. The image resolution is 24 feet per pixel and is cropped and processed to bring out the details of the comet's activity.
Credit: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM
#NASA #NASAMarshall #NASAJPL #NASAGoddard #Moon #comet #water #Earth
I confess, I've stolen this powerful holeyes concept to the fabulous Stasys Eidrigevicius (graphist, painter, poster designer . .)
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Outlining a Theory of General Creativity . .
. . on a 'Pataphysical projectory
Entropy ≥ Memory ● Creativity ²
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Etude du jour:
"Le regard ne s’empare pas des images, ce sont elles qui s’emparent du regard."
( Franz Kafka )
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rectO-persO | E ≥ m.C² | co~errAnce | TiLt
Hot and sunny September seemed much like a continuation of summer, only with the addition of school buses and homework. October was lovely -- the warm temperatures, the red and gold leaves against glorious blue skies, the wedding. All was well, my mood was expansive, life was deliciously good.
Then November arrived and bit me on the ass.
I have SAD -- Seasonal Affective Disorder -- and while many people get sluggish and grumpy and blue in the winter, I succumb to despair.
I sleep upwards of ten hours a day. I isolate myself from everyone.
I crave sweets. I become convinced that this moment -- right now-- is the nadir of my existence, and that nothing will ever get better. Ever.
I have full-spectrum sun lamps. I have meds. I have books that reassure me that I am not the only one who feels this way. I have the myth of Persephone, which I find strangely comforting. I have my daughter, who understands.
But already I ache for springtime, and the sun.
The flowers affect positively our nervous system. We have so many stresses in today's world and I suppose that the flowers are the best way to neutralize the consequences of everyday worries and experiences.
© 2009 Steve Kelley
New York City (NYC) viewed from the observation deck at the Empire State Building (ESB) looking North towards midtown, Times Square, and Central Park. It was very windy and rainy on the North side of the observation deck so no real opportunity for a multiple exposure shot.
To view all images in larger sizes and to download, purchase, or license please click here: Images from the top of the Empire State Building...
Nikon d300
Nothing will make two peoples differences come to the surface faster than marriage. One difference that shines heavily in our marriage, and affects us especially in the fall, is the art show.
My bride loves arts and crafts…any and all. We agree on the art side with the exception of jewelry, holiday ornaments, anything knitted/crocheted/sewn or woven…oh yea…and this is a big one…anything that smells, especially candles and home made soaps. The last thing I want to smell on a beautiful fall day is someone’s rendition of butterscotch, especially when they totally missed the mark. When they make a natural forest (not heavy pine) or even a barn-smelling candle or soap, then maybe we can talk!
I am also very particular about crowds as well, she is not. The crowd size could never be too small, but can certainly be too large. Enjoyment is never achieved when I am shoulder to shoulder with strangers who are mob herding me toward the fake butterscotch booth. In an attempt to keep me from rolling my eyes back in my head and totally detaching into an out of body experience, Joann will sometimes go out of her way to point out the photography booths. Funny thing is that it is in the same tone and manner that she once used to distract the kids when they were toddlers before loading up a spoonful of vegetables and ramming it home! We both enjoy the nature photography booths especially when creative elements are included such as layering; textures and creative framing are applied.
I am often surprised at the high prices especially when the main object is slightly out of focus or pixelated. Being a talker myself, I always try to engage the artist (if not with a possible customer) to complement and ask him/her about the back-story of the shot. I assume they are like me and the where, when and how is equally important as the capture. Often it is not. Several over the years have turned a deaf ear the moment that I share my love for wildlife photography. They were only interested in business yet had an attitude that would provide for poor sales.
Some 5-7 years ago we were at one of the larger art shows where I spent most of the day people watching and moving from one shady spot to the next. Noticing a booth with a large owl shot out front, I wove through the crowd like a ninja between deadly laser beams, sometimes high, sometimes low and often sideways. Finally…something for me to look at! Once inside, I was surrounded by some of the greatest shots I had seen in some time, with a white haired gentleman standing in the corner. Within minutes, and around question number 23, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. For this artist, it was about the adventure and not just the product. I asked about camera settings, time of day, research methods…talking to someone that shared my passion was so refreshing!
A short time later (She may have been there longer) I noticed my bride by my side. Introductions were made and the man looked at Joann and said, “He’s got it bad!” to which she laughed out loud and said, “Oh…I know!” It was then that he shared something totally unexpected, stating; “You have a good guy here, at some point he is going to want to upgrade his camera and lenses, and you need to support that!” You could have pushed me over with a feather when Joann smiled and agreed. At the time I had a canon T3i and an 80-300mm lens, internally I laughed as I thought I had all the camera and lenses I would ever need…he understood the addiction much better than I.
While departing we shook hands and I asked one final question. It may have been a silly question to a pro, but having never taken a class in photography requires one to seek information from any possible source. I said, “What does it take to make a good photo great?” He smiled and shared “Most concentrate on the subject only, never moving their feet to better the background. When the subject and the background is great, then you have a great capture!”
I learned more in that twenty-minute exchange than I had in the previous 20 years of nature photography. Most importantly, that being addicted to something that gets you out and off the couch is ok and normal. And yes, that Joann was fine with me upgrading my equipment was a plus as well as I have reminded her of this conversation many times! I wish I had grabbed his card, as my problem with name retention grows daily. I would like to thank him again for his patience, kindness, wisdom and understanding of the internal me. Since that day when someone writes or asks questions about the where, when and how of any of my shots, I attempt to emulate him by spreading the grace that was granted me on a beautiful fall day…in an uncomfortable crowd…in air filled with the smell of bad butterscotch.
Oh yea, here is a shot of a squirrel seemingly hiding its snack from me, as if I had asked for some. I love the background more that the subject.
Taken yesterday at Patoka Lake state Park, Indiana.
I took this photo in Kauaii as well. It's a famous road on the island and the early morning light creates an interesting affect.
Male on the left, female on the right, the female followed the male, but more timidly.
Like most red squirrels, spotting a Caucasian Squirrel is definitely becoming a rare sight. Climate change affects nature differently in every corner of the world.
The last time I came across the local squirrels was at the beginning of July. Due to the extreme heat in the region, Caucasian Squirrels are certain to spend very hot hours in their nests. Because I haven't been seen them around very often for more than 2 months.
Today, it was cloudy weather in the North Aegean Region of Turkey, the strong North wind was shaking the olive branches. I was walking in an olive grove and I was patiently waiting to see the Caucasian Squirrel. After waiting for about an hour, the reward came, a group of squirrels were playing around the pomegranate trees 100 meters in front of me. I was waiting under the olive tree with a wide trunk. I didn't move, waiting for them to climb the centuries-old olive trees and retreat to their den inside the follow in the middle of the tree. I saw the Mr & Mrs Caucasian Squirrel couple enter their century-old olive tree hollow.I started to wait next olive tree trunk, which is about 7 meters away.I had already begun to wait silently for 30 minutes when the male Caucasian Squirrel noticed my presence immediately. Curious male took out his head first, then his half body, checked and after making sure then Female followed him.The moment I had been waiting for a long time happened 7 meters in front of me. Even though I was wearing a camouflage cover, they were aware of my presence.
I had to use 1.4 TC for close-up when the light was enough. Today they made me very happy. I hope you wouldn't mind 14 series of Caucasian Squirrel photos and you'll like it just as much as I do.
The Caucasian squirrel - Sciurus anomalus ; The Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.
The species is usually said to have first been described in 1778 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae,and named Sciurus anomalus. However, some authors argue that this work was actually published in 1788, and that the true first description was made by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1785.
Description -
Caucasian squirrels are small tree squirrels, with a total length of 32 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in), including the 13 to 18 cm (5.1 to 7.1 in) tail, and weighing 250 to 410 g (8.8 to 14.5 oz). The color of the upper body fur ranges from greyish brown to pale grey, depending on the subspecies, while that of the underparts is rusty brown to yellowish, and that of the tail, yellow brown to deep red. The claws are relatively short, compared with those of other tree squirrels, and females have either eight or ten teats.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich described the Caucasian squirrel in 1885 as "Its color is grayish-brown above, and yellowish-brown below".
Physical Description -
Caucasian squirrels have a dental formula of incisors 1/1, canines 0/0, premolars 1/1, and molars 3/3, totaling 20. They have four fingered fore feet and five fingered hind feet. Sex differences in body length or mass are not evident.
Distribution and habitat -
Caucasian squirrels are native to south-western Asia, where they are found from Turkey, and the islands of Gökçeada and Lesbos in the west, Iran in the southeast, and as far as Israel and Jordan in the south.It is one of only two species of the genus Sciurus to be found on Mediterranean islands,and, although Eurasian red squirrels have been recently introduced to some areas, is the only species of Sciurus native to the wider region.
The species mainly lives in forested areas dominated by oak, pine, and pistachio, up to altitudes of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
Biology and behavior -
The squirrels are diurnal, and solitary, although temporary groups may forage where food is plentiful. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, tree shoots, and buds,with the seeds of oak and pine being particularly favored. Like many other squirrels, they cache their food within tree cavities or loose soil, with some larders containing up to 6 kg (13 lb) of seeds. They live in trees, where they make their dens, but frequently forage on the ground, and are considered less arboreal than Eurasian red squirrels. They commonly nest in tree hollows lined with moss and leaves, and located 5 to 14 m (16 to 46 ft) above the ground, but nests are also sometimes found under rocks or tree roots. Their alarm call is high-pitched, and said to resemble the call of the European green woodpecker, and they mark their territories with urine and dung.
Breeding occurs throughout the year, but is more common in spring or autumn. Litters range from two to seven, with three or four being typical, and the young are fully mature by five or six months of age.
Conservation -
A survey in 2008 found that the species remained abundant within Turkey, however declines are noted in population within the Levant region. The guides for a survey in 1993 in Israel stated that they considered the species to be nearly extinct within the area studied. Whilst the Caucasian squirrel is threatened by poaching and deforestation, the declines recorded are not sufficient to qualify them as anything other than "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1] Hunting of the species is banned by the Central Hunting Commission, and the Caucasian squirrel is protected by the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
This information is sourced from "Wikipedia".
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
👩Disability is a global public health issue – it affects one in seven people worldwide. Everybody is likely to experience disability at some point in life.
👨Disability is also a human rights issue – people with disability are among the world’s most discriminated people, often experiencing violence, prejudice and denial of autonomy as well as facing barriers to care.
👩Disability is a development priority – it has a higher prevalence in lower-income countries and disability and poverty mutually reinforce each other.
1. Over 1 billion people live with some form of disability:
About 15% of the world's population live with a disability. This includes about 93 million children and 720 million adults with significant difficulties in functioning.
2. The numbers of people with disability are increasing substantially: More and more people are living with disabilities due to demographic change including population ageing and the global increase in chronic health conditions.
3. People with disability are disproportionately affected during the COVID-19 pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed people with disabilities to three increased risks with devastating consequences – the risks of contracting COVID-19, developing severe symptoms of COVID-19 or dying from the disease, as well as having poorer health during and after the outbreak, whether or not they were infected with COVID-19.
4. People with disability often do not receive needed healthcare: Half of people with disability cannot afford healthcare, compared to a third of people without disability. People with disability are also more than twice as likely to find healthcare providers' skills inadequate. And they also face barriers to access – they are four times more likely to report being treated badly and nearly three times more likely to be denied healthcare.
5. The unmet needs of children with disabilities have increased considerably, as health services have not expanded to meet the growing need: Although the numbers of children with disabilities have steadily increased with demographic trends, most health systems lack capacity to even address current needs of children with disabilities, let alone meet rising demand.Although the numbers of children with disabilities have steadily increased with demographic trends, most health systems lack capacity to even address current needs of children with disabilities, let alone meet rising demand.
6. People with disability are more likely to be unemployed than people without disability: Global data show that employment rates are lower for men with disability (53%) and women with disability (20%) than for men without disability (65%) and women without disability (30%). In OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, the difference is wider, with employment rates at 44% for people with disability compared to 75% for people without disability.
7. People with disability are vulnerable to poverty: People with disability have worse living conditions – including insufficient food, poor housing, lack of access to safe water and sanitation – than people without disability. They may also incur extra costs from medical care, assistive devices or personal support while facing greater barriers to employment.
8. People with disability can live and participate in the community: Through appropriate services and support, people with disability can participate in society as anyone else. However, 40% of people with disability do not generally have their requirements for assistance met.
9. Disabling barriers can be overcome
Governments can:
***include disability in their health agenda;
***invest in specific programmes for people with disability;
***adopt a national strategy and plan of action;
***improve staff education, training and recruitment;
***provide adequate funding;
***increase public awareness and understanding on disability; and
***ensure the involvement of people with disability in implementing policies and programmes.
10. Recognizing that disability is a human rights issue, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) promotes, protects and ensures human rights for all persons with disability: The Convention aims to advance the recognition of human rights for people with disabilities, who face discrimination and barriers to prevent them from participating in society. So far, more than 170 countries and regional integration organizations have signed the Convention and over 130 have ratified it.
© Ben Heine || Facebook || Twitter || www.benheine.com
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Ballpoint pen on paper - digital colors - made in 2007
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For more information about my art: info@benheine.com
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Is Climate Change Making Us Sick?
More floods, heat waves, insect-borne disease... Doctors are worried about how global warming will affect our health
By Barbara Lantin (*)
You might think that a little climate change would not go amiss in the British Isles. We’d have more warm summers and fewer freezing winters. What’s wrong with that?
Ask the people of Yorkshire. As a result of global warming, many homeowners this week are up to their waists inmuddy water. Andflooding could be just the beginning of our worries. This week a paper in the British Medical Journal gave warning that climate change could be particularly damaging to the health of people in the developing world, but research also suggests that it could be bad news for Britain. Delegates at a conference in London on Tuesday will be told that global warming will drive up rates of cardio-respiratory disease, diarrhoea and insect-borne diseases such as malaria in the UK.
Global warming is believed to be occurring because human activities, particularly burning fossil fuels, have released into the atmosphere huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse gases” that are trapping more heat in the Earth’s lower atmosphere. Average global surface temperatures are already rising and are predicted to increase by between 1.4C and 5.8C over the next century, bringing a higher risk of floods, droughts and heat waves.
“We are already witnessing the effects of climate change on health,” says Dr Hugh Montgomery, the director of the Institute for Human Health and Performance at University College London, who has organised next week’s conference at the Royal College of Physicians. The heat wave of 2003, when temperatures in the northern hemisphere reached the highest on record, killed up to 35,000 people – 2,000 of them in the UK. Last summer’s floods have been shown to increase rates of mental illness (see box, left). And milder weather is likely to be behind the arrival here from Europe of the midge-borne cattle disease bluetongue.
“Each of us is, in effect, moving 6km (4 miles) south a year or 60km a decade,” says Dr Montgomery. “The result will be fewer deaths from colds and flu, but more from strokes and heart attacks because of the heat. Global warming means a higher baseline temperature from which there will be more surges and extreme events.”
Every one degree rise means 75 deaths
By the 2080s we can expect to see weather like that of August 2003 every year. This is bad news. Studies by the Department of Health have shown that in June 2006, when temperatures in the UK soared, there were 75 extra deaths for every one degree rise on the thermometer, with children, older people, those living in built-up areas and the chronically sick most at risk. Deaths can be caused by the body’s inability to adapt and cool itself sufficiently. However, the main causes of death and illness are cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
When it’s hot, large quantities of blood are circulated to the skin to keep it cool, placing a sometimes catastrophic strain on the heart. In addition, heat causes ozone concentrations and pollution levels to rise. This increases asthma rates and causes extra deaths from a range of respiratory illnesses.
The heat is also likely to bring more unwelcome insects to these shores. While it is unlikely that malaria will take hold – the disease is controllable in countries with good healthcare – other disease-carrying insects (known as vectors by scientists) may arrive.
“Climate change poses a significant risk of the introduction of vector-borne diseases into Europe and indeed there is evidence that such change has already happened,” says Paul Hunter, a professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia. “Several vector-borne diseases not previously described in Europe have appeared, including chikungunya [a virus carried by Asian tiger mosquito that causes fever, headache and joint pain]. There was an outbreak in Italy last summer.”
Warmer, drier weather could change our landscape, too. Professor Ian Crute, the director of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Rothamsted Unit, predicts more maize grown, a possible regeneration of the tree fruit industry and the movement of greenhouse-grown fruit and vegetables to the north. “But I don’t expect we’ll ever have acres of sunflower fields or olive groves,” he says.
However, climate change will have a big impact on the way we live. “Events like the drought that has caused Australian wheat crop failure – and affected worldwide wheat prices – will become common. The era of cheap food that we have enjoyed since the Second World War is ending and people on low incomes will find it increasingly difficult to eat a healthy diet.”
What can we do about it?
Failure to act could have catastrophic consequences but striving to cut carbon emissions could produce unexpected benefits. “What we do to deal with climate change could bring about a revolution in public health,” says Ian Roberts, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. For example, reducing our dependence on cars should mean that more people walk and cycle, leading to a decrease in obesity. It should also reduce road accidents, which kill more than 3,000 Britons a year.
“At the moment we are in a vicious cycle,” says Professor Roberts. “We use our cars more and get fatter because we are not exercising. As we get heavier, we become more dependent on fossil fuels because we are reluctant to walk or cycle at all. We need to break this loop.
“If we design climate change policy to max-imise the health benefits, it will be the silver lining to the cloud of global warming. It’s the only bit of good news in the whole story.”
Rising woes
Increased risk to our physical health won’t be the only result of climate change, our mental health may also be affected.
Sara Wolcott* and family were among the 1,950 people made homeless by floods last July in Gloucestershire (see picture above). “After two months, I had panic attacks when my two sons or my husband left me alone. I kept thinking about all the things we’d lost, reliving it over and over,” she says.
Wolcott, who saw her GP and was prescribed antidepressants, isn’t alone. Soon after the floods, Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) had an increase in reports of mental health problems. In response, it set up the People Recovery Group to help those suffering stress and anxiety.
“There is evidence that disasters can increase incidence of mental health problems,” says Dr Nevila Kallfa, of Gloucestershire PCT. " People are living not just with the loss of their homes and posessions but with the constant fear that it will happen again.”
Wolcott agrees: “If floods become the norm, it would add an extra level of stress that’s bound to affect people’s health.”
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(*) Barbara Lantin is a freelance health writer who has contributed for many years to national newspapers, magazines and websites. Her work appears regularly on The Daily Telegraph health-and-wellbeing pages and on the Telegraph website. She has also written consumer information materials for Government departments and others. She is vice-president and former chair of the Guild of Health Writers.
The above article appeared on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/
Shop at the Rue d'Angleterre in Lille, France.
The album: www.flickr.com/photos/9619972@N08/albums/72177720302179006
It's that time again. Time to get your vote on.
I know mid-term elections don't seem that exciting, but the decisions you make have broad impact.
One issue close to my heart is Proposition 8 - a measure that amended the California Constitution to say that gay people do not have the right to get married or to enjoy the 1000+ legal benefits of marriage.
Proposition 8 was appealed and found unconstitutional in California District Court in August. This decision was (re)appealed by Prop 8 supporters, and the case has been elevated to Ninth Circuit Court in California. In all likelihood, the Ninth Circuit ruling will be (re-re)appealed and the case will be brought before the US Supreme Court.
So a bunch of justices are making decisions about another state. What does this have to do with you?
Here's where this gets exciting.
The US Supreme Court decision will affect the entirety of the United States.
The supreme court is made up of 9 justices. Five of these 9 justices have served for over 15 years - four of them are over age 70. There is a very real possibility that one of these justices may retire, exit for health reasons, or even pass away.
When there is a Supreme Court vacancy, the president makes an appointment, which the US Senate must confirm. The senate currently has a Democrat majority...meaning that a liberal Supreme Court appointee is likely to be approved. If, however, the Republican party gains a majority in the Senate, they are likely to deny the President's recommendations for Supreme Court Justice.
Currently the Supreme Court is at a relative balance over this issue, with Justice Kennedy likely providing the swing vote to push for marriage equality. The next appointment to the Supreme Court has the potential to strongly swing the court in favour of marriage equality....or in opposition.
And in order to shape the direction of the Supreme Court, we need to shape the direction of the Senate. Your choice for state senator may very well decide whether or not you or your loved ones can get married someday.
Get out your ballot. Look up the issues, the candidates. Consult sources you trust. And spread the vote.
www.spurnpoint.com/Spurn_Point.htm
Spurn is a very unique place in the British Islands. Three and a half miles long and only fifty metres wide in places.
Extending out in to the Humber Estuary from the Yorkshire coast it has always had a big affect to the navigation of all vessels over the years. Help to some and a danger or hindrance to others. This alone makes Spurn a unique place.
Spurn is made up of a series of sand and shingle banks held together with mainly Marram grass and Seabuckthorn. There are a series of sea defence works built by the Victorians and maintained by the Ministry of Defence, till they sold Spurn to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the 1950s. The defences are in a poor state, breaking down and crumbling. This is making Spurn a very fragile place wide open to the ravages of the North Sea.
One of the most striking features of Spurn is the black and white lighthouse near to the end of Spurn. Now just an empty shell not used since it was closed down at dawn on the thirty first of October 1986.
There have been many Lighthouses on Spurn over the years the first recorded at around 1427. The present light was built from 1893 TO 1895. The small tower on the beach on the Estuary side was originally the low light. It was built and put in to operation at around 1852. This light was no longer needed when the present lighthouse was opened in 1895.At a later date the light was removed and it was used as a store for explosives and later as a water tower. The tank can still be seen on the top. When it was operational there was a raised walkway from the shore to the lighthouse so it could be reached at all stages of the tide.
The present lighthouse was built to replace an old lighthouse that was positioned just to the south of the present one. You can still see the round perimeter wall surrounding the old keepers cottages and the base of the old lighthouse which had to be demolished due to it settling on it's foundations making it unsafe.
The only light on Spurn today is a flashing green starboard light on the very end of the point and the fixed green lights marking the end of the Pilots jetty.
Because of Spurns ever moving position there have been many Lighthouses over the years. There is a very good book by George.de.BOAR, called History of the Spurn Lighthouses, produced by the East Yorkshire Local History Society. This is one of a series of books on local history.
www.spurnpoint.com/Around_and_about_at_Spurn.htm
Around and about there are plenty of places to eat and drink. Starting from the north of Spurn at Kilnsea there is the Riverside hotel offering good quality food drink and accommodation. Coming south towards Spurn and still in Kilnsea there is the Crown and Anchor pub. A welcoming place serving bar meals fine beers and offering bed and breakfast at very reasonable rates. At the crossroads before you turn towards Spurn there is the Spurn heritage coast visitors centre. Where there is a small cafe and exhibition. At the entrance Spurn point nature reserve is an information centre and bird observatory selling books pamphlets, etc., and the last toilet on Spurn.
Past the lighthouse is the last car park. Two hundred metres further on you find the Humber Lifeboat and Pilot stations. Near the houses is a Small caravan selling tea, coffee, cold cans, hot and cold food, crisps and sweets.
All are open all year round apart from the heritage centre which is open thought the season.
BIRD WATCHING.
Is a very popular pastime as Spurn is internationally famous for birds. There are up to two hundred species recorded at spurn every year. Some of which are extremely rare. The Marmora's Warbler seen at Spurn In June 1992 was only the third recorded in Britain.
SEA FISHING.
The beaches of Spurn provide some of the best sea fishing in the area, with Cod and Whiting and Flats being caught through the winter and Skate, Flats and Bass through the summer. There is sport to be had all the year.
At the very end of Spurn is deep water ideal for Cod but this only fishes best two hours either side of low water, the tide is to strong at other times. All along the seaward side of Spurn is good for all species of fish at all times though over high water being the better. The riverside of Spurn is very shallow and only produces Flats and the bass over high water.
THE BEACH.
The beaches at Spurn are of soft sand and shingle. Whichever way the wind is blowing you can just pop over the dunes to the outer side. There are fossils and all manners of things to find beach combing. Swimming is not safe any were near the point end as there are very strong tides at up to six knots at times. But in side Spurn around the point car park is perfect at high water. The beach does not shelf to fast and very little tide. You can have the place to your self at times, as Spurn is never really busy weekdays.#
A very popular pastime at Spurn is Fossil hunting. There is a good abundance of fossils to be found in amongst the pebbles and shingle.
The Shark Trust has a very interesting PDF file tell you all about Shark Skate and rays the mermaids purses you find on the beach are egg shells from sharks and Rays. Click the link to down load the Shark Trust Brochure.
WALKING.
Walking or strolling at spurn is very easy, as there are no hills. There are various sign posted paths up and down the point. For the fit a complete walk round the whole point is about 8 miles, taking in all the point round the point end and back to the "warren" information place at the start of Spurn. You will need good footwear, as much of the paths are sand. There is limited access for disabled, but not to the point end, as you have to go via the beach.
You can park your car at the point car park and walk round the point end and back to the car park about a mile, or just stroll around the point were you choose. The only place you are not allowed to go are down the pilot's jetty and the centre square of the Lifeboat houses.
In spring and early summer Spurn is covered with a large amount of wild flowers of all species.
There are common to the not so common; from Orchids to bluebells. I must remind you Spurn is a nature reserve and the picking of all flowers is prohibited. When visiting please enjoy Spurn, as it is a very beautiful place and leave only your footprints.
Horse Riding.
There is riding available nearby at the North Humberside Riding Centre. The stables are ideally located with rides along quiet country lanes, by-ways, plus miles of sandy beach and riverbanks. The cross-country course offers a variety of fences for both the novice and the more experienced rider.
www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/
A Brief History of Spurn Bird Observatory
Following visits to Spurn by several members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in the late 1930's, a communal log for ornithological observations was instituted in 1938. This included a roll-call of species, the beginnings of a recording system, which later became standard in bird observatories. Realising the potential of the Spurn peninsula for the regular observation of bird migration a group of enthusiasts, notably Ralph Chislett, George Ainsworth, John Lord and R.M. Garnett, had the idea of setting up a bird observatory, with the Warren Cottage at the northern end of the peninsula as an ideal headquarters. Unfortunately the outbreak of war forced them to put their plans on hold but shortly after hostilities ceased a lease for Warren Cottage was obtained from the War Department and the observatory was established shortly afterwards under the auspices of the Y.N.U. with the four members mentioned above forming the first committee. A preliminary meeting was held in September 1945 to decide on the site for a Heligoland trap, work on which was begun almost immediately and the first bird (a Blackbird) was ringed on November 17th. The first minuted committee meeting was held on March 9th 1946 and the observatory was opened to visitors at Whitsuntide that year.
Initially coverage was limited to the main migration seasons, being extended to winter weekends in the early 1950's to trap and ring some of the large numbers of Snow Buntings which used to occur at that time of year and gradually coverage was increased (whenever possible) to cover the late spring and summer. In 1959 there was an important development when the Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust (now the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust) became the owners of the peninsula and thus the observatory's landlord. In 1960 a full time warden was appointed by the Trust, and although having no official connection with the observatory the fact of having an observer on the peninsula year-round inevitably helped to improve the ornithological coverage. This was especially the case from 1964 when the current warden, Barry Spence, was appointed, in conjunction with the fact that an interest in birds and their migrations was steadily growing and more bird-watchers were staying at the observatory, often for longer periods.
When the observatory opened there was accommodation for seven visitors in Warren Cottage and facilities included two chemical toilets, the Warren Heligoland trap and an ex-army hut as a ringing hut. Over the next ten years a further five Heligoland traps were constructed along the peninsula, although today only three remain in existence. In 1959 the observatory gained the use of the Annexe, one of two ex W.D. bungalows built at the Warren during the early 1950's, thus increasing the accommodation capacity to seventeen and providing much improved toilet facilities. Over the years the accommodation and facilities have been gradually improved to try to make the visitor's stay at Spurn as comfortable as possible. Other improvements have also taken place, in 1968 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Point was converted into a ringing laboratory ready for the first B.T.O. Ringing Course, held in autumn of that year and in 1971 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Warren was also converted into a ringing laboratory. The other part of this building became a laboratory for the use of students of Leeds University but this also became available to the observatory in the mid 1980's when the University no longer had a use for it. Subsequently it was converted into a self-contained accommodation unit for two, complete with kitchen facilities, and although officially known by the somewhat unimaginative name of Room F (the rooms in the Annexe being known as Rooms A, C, D & E, - whatever happened to Room B?), it was somewhat irreverently christened "Dunbirdin" by regular visitors to Spurn.
In 1965 a sea-watching hut was erected east of the Warren beyond the line of the former railway track. Due to coastal erosion it became necessary to move this in late 1974, when it was hoped that it would last at least as long as it had in its first position. Alas this was not to be, as the rate of erosion increased dramatically in the mid 1970's, necessitating a further move in early December 1977. In that year a clay bank had been built across the field behind Warren Cottage (Clubley's field) to prevent the flooding of arable land by wind-blown sea water, but on January 11th 1978 Spurn suffered its worst flooding ever when a strong to gale-force north-westerly wind combined with a spring tide. In late 1981 due to extensive construction works at Easington a large quantity of boulder clay became available and this was used to build up and extend the bank across Clubley's field, south towards Black Hut and north beyond Big Hedge to join up with an existing bank (which had been built in 1974) behind the scrape. In 1982 the sea-watching hut was repositioned on top of this bank, where it remained until the bank itself was washed away in the early 1990's.
A number of other changes to the observatory recording area began to take place from the early 1970's, including extensive building operations at the Point, commencing in 1974, with the construction of a new jetty for the Humber Pilot boats, new housing for the Spurn Lifeboat crew and the conversion and renovation of various existing buildings for use by the Coastguard and the Pilots. In 1978 following damage to the existing road south of the Warren area a new tarmac road was laid to the west of the original one, this lasted until 1988 when a second "new road" loop had to be laid, followed in 1991 by the construction of the existing loop road running along the Humber shore from just south of the Warren to just beyond Black Hut. The construction of this road resulted in the destruction of the actual Black Hut, although the area still bears the name. In 1981 the lines of wartime concrete anti-tank blocks running from the seashore to the Canal Zone were removed to fill in a breach at the Narrow Neck. This resulted in the southward extension of the Scrape field by the farmer up to Big Hedge and the start of a gradual decline in the condition of this hedge and its attractiveness to birds. In 1982 a local resident excavated a pond for shooting purposes in the wet area adjoining the Canal Zone. This never really proved successful and the land was later purchased by the Y.W.T. and the pond enlarged to become what is now known as Canal Scrape. In 1984 a famous Spurn landmark, the Narrows "Hut", a wooden migration watch shelter which had stood at the Narrow Neck for twenty-three years, was set fire to by person or persons unknown and completely destroyed, it was replaced the following year by a more solid construction made from breeze-blocks.
A period of considerable change began in 1988 when the Spurn peninsula was designated as part of the Spurn Heritage Coast. Projects undertaken include the enlargement of the Canal Scrape mentioned above and the erection of a hide overlooking it, a hide overlooking the Humber wader roost at Chalk Bank, a public sea-watching hide alongside the observatory one, provision of additional car-parking space, the restoration of the short-turf habitat in the Chalk Bank area, provision of footpaths, etc. A major project was the renovation of the Blue Bell in Kilnsea for use as offices, an information centre and a small cafe, which became fully operational in 1995. Another fairly recent project has been the creation of another scrape/pond on Clubley's field.
In 1996 the observatory celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, and for the first time in its history SBO employed a full time seasonal warden. This position has since been expanded and the observatory now enjoys the services of a year- round warden. In 1998, with a view to the future, a small bungalow in Kilnsea was purchased with money bequeathed by the late John Weston, a long time committee member, who regrettably died in 1996. This was followed in 1999 by the purchase of a strip of land adjacent to the property and is now known as the ‘Church Field’, this is planted with a sacrificial crop every year, and has also had several groups of trees planted and a feeding station placed in the north-east corner. Access to this field is available by becoming a member of ‘Friends of Spurn Bird Observatory’, a venture set up in 2003 to eventually help with the building of a new observatory when the old one falls way to the sea.
An unexpected side affect of the Coronovirus has been a world wide shortage of one of life’s daily necessities. Toilet paper has become the new “Buttcoin” as shoppers around the world face empty shelves in the toilet tissue aisle. In an inexplicable panic-buying phenomenon not seen since tulip bulbs were all the rage, shoppers have been stockpiling not just food, but trolley loads of toilet paper for lockdown. What anyone will do with a year's supply of bathroom tissue is unfathomable.
I finally managed to get hold of some toilet rolls from a company called 'who gives a crap'. This brand is sustainably-sourced 100% recycled. Also, they donate 50% of their profits to provide toilets and sanitation for 2.3 billion people in developing countries, partnering with charities such as Water Aid.
Male watching and listening position.
Like most red squirrels, spotting a Caucasian Squirrel is definitely becoming a rare sight. Climate change affects nature differently in every corner of the world.
The last time I came across the local squirrels was at the beginning of July. Due to the extreme heat in the region, Caucasian Squirrels are certain to spend very hot hours in their nests. Because I haven't been seen them around very often for more than 2 months.
Today, it was cloudy weather in the North Aegean Region of Turkey, the strong North wind was shaking the olive branches. I was walking in an olive grove and I was patiently waiting to see the Caucasian Squirrel. After waiting for about an hour, the reward came, a group of squirrels were playing around the pomegranate trees 100 meters in front of me. I was waiting under the olive tree with a wide trunk. I didn't move, waiting for them to climb the centuries-old olive trees and retreat to their den inside the follow in the middle of the tree. I saw the Mr & Mrs Caucasian Squirrel couple enter their century-old olive tree hollow.I started to wait next olive tree trunk, which is about 7 meters away.I had already begun to wait silently for 30 minutes when the male Caucasian Squirrel noticed my presence immediately. Curious male took out his head first, then his half body, checked and after making sure then Female followed him.The moment I had been waiting for a long time happened 7 meters in front of me. Even though I was wearing a camouflage cover, they were aware of my presence.
I had to use 1.4 TC for close-up when the light was enough. Today they made me very happy. I hope you wouldn't mind 14 series of Caucasian Squirrel photos and you'll like it just as much as I do.
The Caucasian squirrel - Sciurus anomalus ; The Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.
The species is usually said to have first been described in 1778 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae,and named Sciurus anomalus. However, some authors argue that this work was actually published in 1788, and that the true first description was made by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1785.
Description -
Caucasian squirrels are small tree squirrels, with a total length of 32 to 36 cm (13 to 14 in), including the 13 to 18 cm (5.1 to 7.1 in) tail, and weighing 250 to 410 g (8.8 to 14.5 oz). The color of the upper body fur ranges from greyish brown to pale grey, depending on the subspecies, while that of the underparts is rusty brown to yellowish, and that of the tail, yellow brown to deep red. The claws are relatively short, compared with those of other tree squirrels, and females have either eight or ten teats.
Samuel Griswold Goodrich described the Caucasian squirrel in 1885 as "Its color is grayish-brown above, and yellowish-brown below".
Physical Description -
Caucasian squirrels have a dental formula of incisors 1/1, canines 0/0, premolars 1/1, and molars 3/3, totaling 20. They have four fingered fore feet and five fingered hind feet. Sex differences in body length or mass are not evident.
Distribution and habitat -
Caucasian squirrels are native to south-western Asia, where they are found from Turkey, and the islands of Gökçeada and Lesbos in the west, Iran in the southeast, and as far as Israel and Jordan in the south.It is one of only two species of the genus Sciurus to be found on Mediterranean islands,and, although Eurasian red squirrels have been recently introduced to some areas, is the only species of Sciurus native to the wider region.
The species mainly lives in forested areas dominated by oak, pine, and pistachio, up to altitudes of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
Biology and behavior -
The squirrels are diurnal, and solitary, although temporary groups may forage where food is plentiful. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, tree shoots, and buds,with the seeds of oak and pine being particularly favored. Like many other squirrels, they cache their food within tree cavities or loose soil, with some larders containing up to 6 kg (13 lb) of seeds. They live in trees, where they make their dens, but frequently forage on the ground, and are considered less arboreal than Eurasian red squirrels. They commonly nest in tree hollows lined with moss and leaves, and located 5 to 14 m (16 to 46 ft) above the ground, but nests are also sometimes found under rocks or tree roots. Their alarm call is high-pitched, and said to resemble the call of the European green woodpecker, and they mark their territories with urine and dung.
Breeding occurs throughout the year, but is more common in spring or autumn. Litters range from two to seven, with three or four being typical, and the young are fully mature by five or six months of age.
Conservation -
A survey in 2008 found that the species remained abundant within Turkey, however declines are noted in population within the Levant region. The guides for a survey in 1993 in Israel stated that they considered the species to be nearly extinct within the area studied. Whilst the Caucasian squirrel is threatened by poaching and deforestation, the declines recorded are not sufficient to qualify them as anything other than "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[1] Hunting of the species is banned by the Central Hunting Commission, and the Caucasian squirrel is protected by the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
This information is sourced from "Wikipedia".
Thank you so much for visiting my stream, whether you comments , favorites or just have a look.
I appreciate it very much, wishing the best of luck and good light.
© All rights reserved R.Ertug Please do not use this image without my explicit written permission. Contact me by Flickr mail if you want to buy or use Your comments and critiques are very well appreciated.
Lens - With Nikon TC 14E II - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f8 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Thanks for stopping and looking :)
Drinkers who suffered the worst affects of alcoholism did not change their habits when Scotland's minimum pricing was introduced, a study has shown.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) reported minimum unit pricing (MUP) led to some people cutting back on food and energy.
All licensed premises have had to charge at least 50p per unit of alcohol since MUP was introduced in May 2018.
The Scottish government said it would review the final evaluation report from PHS before drawing conclusions.
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Well that just goes to tell you about the intelligence and life experience of our policy makers. - - - Price and risk have never been a good tools to tackle addiction.
In 1633 Turkey imposed the death penalty for smoking tobacco - it didn't stop it. The price of "hard drugs" just leads to crime; it doesn't solve the problem.
In my opinion it was just a money making exercise by the government.
The spirits industry contributes approximately 3% to total Scottish GDP (2020 GDP was about £163 Billion)
Dredging in the Paraná Delta comes with much controversy as it affects natures plan for the delta.
Due to its length (almost 4,900 kilometres) and its abundant flow, the Paraná River carries a lot of sediment.
About 160 million tonnes of sediment reach the lower delta every year. Because of this, the delta islands increase and steadily expand downstream towards Buenos Aires at a rate of 80-100 metres per year.
Without human intervention to prevent it, the natural growth of the Paraná Delta will continue non-stop.
According to estimates, in the next 200 to 500 years, the progress of the Paraná Delta into the Rio de la Plata would extend to the south-central area of the city of Buenos Aires.
Threats and Future Challenges
There are varying degrees of threats that affect not only the conservation of wetland biodiversity but also the Delta culture.
Some of these threats are regional or originate upstream, while others have a local character:
1 - Alterations of the water regime for energy and transport infrastructure (i.e., existing and future dams and roads) and the advance of industrial agriculture at a country scale.
2 - Construction of polders and artificial levees and changes in courses and water bodies for cattle ranch, afforestation, agriculture, and tourism.
3 - Urban development favoured by both the lack of planning and building codes in island environments and the low cost of lands.
4 - A set of diffuse threats is given by the overexploitation of natural resources (e.g., commercial fishing, hunting reptiles and mammals for hides, trapping birds for sale as pets, felling trees for firewood) and the spread of invasive alien species, modifier of natural communities.