Biodiversity: March 2010 Archives
Worldwide, islands harbor some of our planet's most rare and fascinating species. The island of Madagascar, located off the eastern coast of Africa, is no exception. With abundant biodiversity, the island provides a home to 8 plant families, 4 bird families, and 5 primate families that are endemic, or found nowhere else on earth. One of Madagascar's most famed endemic species is the lemur, a small primate found in the island's forests.
Found on every continent and on islands
around the world, birds are one of our planet's most magnificent creatures. But
today, bird species face existential threats from climate change, pollution,
habitat destruction, and other environmental disasters. With the release of the
2010
"State of the Birds" report, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
provided an up-to-date accounting of the potential effects of climate change on
birds--and arrived at chilling conclusions.
