Mapping Deforestation

Mapped: 30 Years of Deforestation and Forest Growth, by Country

Today, forests make up around 31% of the Earth’s total land area, spanning 15.68 million square miles (40.6 million km²). Over the past three decades, the world lost a bit more than 4% (685,300 square miles) of its forests, which equates to an area about half the size of India.

Europe and Asia were the only two regions which had significant overall forest growth during this time period, while Oceania saw no significant change and North and Central America saw a slight reduction.

Africa along with South America and the Caribbean were the regions with the greatest amount of deforestation, both losing more than 15% of their forests over the past 30 years. 

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How Human Activity Is Changing Animal Migration Patterns

Humans have long tracked the movements of animals by following their paw prints or staking out their natural habitats. That kind of observation still has its value today, but now biologists also benefit from a slew of satellite, radio, and GPS technologies that can track the digital footprints of, say, a herd of elephants or a flock of storks as they move across the globe. And at a time when both climate change and urban development are changing—and disrupting—the migration routes, there’s a new urgency in these kinds of research.

In southern California, mountain lions are in decline in part because of the expansive freeways that crisscross the state. When researchers tagged a sample of lions in Santa Ana with GPS devices, they found their natural habitats divided by as many as eight lanes of traffic, as well as houses, golf courses, and other private developments.

Despite proposals to build animal crossings after the fact, over- and underpasses have proven ineffective; they’re rarely used by the big cats. The risks go farther than just ending up as roadkill. The roads themselves become cages for mountain lion populations, isolating various groups and resulting in higher rates of inbreeding. This threatens their growth and survival as a whole.

Full article at Map Lab:

How Human Activity Is Changing Animal Migration Patterns

Its a fascinating read...

Watch a Year's Worth of Carbon Dioxide Billow Around the Globe

This NASA visualization tracks 365 days of the planet's CO2 emissions. Called a "Nature Run," the visualization was created by a climate modeling program at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The video covers January 1st to December 31, 2006, and it clearly shows that much of the world's CO2 comes from the heavily populated northern hemisphere. Periodically, the southern half of the world flares up, because of seasonal forest fires in central Africa, for example.

Further Details

  Article >

Great Infographics from National Geographic

National Geographic has an amazing array of high-quality infographics - artistry at its finest! Here'e a sampling of just a few - highly recommended...

Amazonia: Vital and Fragile
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/hires/amazonia/

Talking Trees, illustration for National Geographic
Beau and Alan Daniels
https://beaudaniels.com/talking-trees-a-project-for-national-geographic

In Harm's Way

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/photo/tornadographic/

Black Sea Pollution

Black Sea by Neal Ascherson 
A bit tedious and long-winded, nevertheless this book covers the broad span of 3,000 years and really goes into depth about the myriad of jumbled ethnicities and the reasons behind the never-ending wars in the region. The last chapter really nails the ecological havoc the area is currently facing and is the best read of the whole book.

The Black Sea Watershed

Currents and river delta sediment discharge

Ecology

Due to the unique geography and ecosystem of the Black Sea, the current level of water pollution exceeds the ecosystem’s assimilation capability and is in grave danger.

For decades, a uniquely high river discharge into the Black Sea diluted its salinity consequently reducing its biodiversity but ironically simultaneously supplied sea vegetation with unusually high amount of nutrients, providing its fast proliferation and high biomass. 

As detailed in an earlier posting, this in essence created a dead layer of water on the bottom and a thin layer of cleaner but vulnerable life-sustaining water on the surface.

Pollution

The intense pollution by the surrounding countries that has now being going on for many decades has taken a heavy toll on the whole ecosystem. Under the current bad environmental conditions, more than 160 million people in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russian Federation, Romania and Turkey are exposed to danger.  

Anually more than 100 000 tons of sewage, tens of thousands tons of oil products, tens of thousands tons of toxic heavy metals (copper, lead, cadmium, etc.) enter the sea.

 

 Increased shipping of crude oil has added to the pollution problem

The sea is slowly dying...

Fishing
The combination of pollutants and overfishing has devastated the fishing industry.

Note

Most of the maps and graphics above are Sourced from GRID-Arendal in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),  Please visit their site for further Info

http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/collection/giwa-black-sea-graphics >

Further Info

The Black Sea Commission >
Black Sea Education >
Case Study >

Minimal Maps (Mapping the Rest of America)

U.S. Land Use Patterns

Grass, Trees, Etc. - Kinda Cool..

vs.

vs.

Article > 

The Health Benefits of Trees

Air Pollution Removal by Trees

 

It is becoming increasingly clear that trees help people live longer, healthier, happier lives—to the tune of $6.8 billion in averted health costs annually in the U.S., according to research published this week. And we're only beginning to understand the nature and magnitude of their tree-benevolence.

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USA Carbon Footprint: Cities vs. Suburbs

Yikes!!  America's urban centers are locked inside vast rings of emissions-spewing suburban sprawl.

According to a new study, population-dense cities contribute less greenhouse-gas emissions per person than other areas of the country, but these cities’ extensive suburbs essentially wipe out the climate benefits. Berkely Article >

Carbon footprints 
Check out the Interactive U.S. Map >

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Beefing Up Population Density Won't Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Our suburbs are responsible for 50 percent of America's household emissions – twice as much as their urban counterparts.

City dwellers tend to have smaller carbon footprints than their suburban neighbors. They use more public transportation and live in smaller abodes, whereas folks in the suburbs own more vehicles, have bigger homes, and enjoy larger household incomes. Article >

Earth Pulse - Vital Statistics

Vital Statistics 

- Map and compare global trends -

Check this one out - it is pretty amazing!

Population, Resources, Deforestation, Political Migration and More...

Map and compare global trends.

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Our Changing Forests

The world’s forests absorb roughly a quarter of human emissions of carbon dioxide, and help limit the increase of the gas in the atmosphere. 

Many are threatened by a variety of factors...

Article >

Global Carbon Emissions

Bubble Chart - Carbon Emissions

A bubble chart used for maximum effectiveness. Ina millisecond you see that China and the U.S. are the worst offenders. The color scheme easily visually delineates continents without even the need for a key.

Site > http://www.stanfordkaystudio.com/information.html
As you scrolled down, did you notice the overall shape?

This dual infographic just nails it home brilliantly.
http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/pictures/576x432fitpad[0]/4/2/3/1291423_Untitled.jpg