Month: July 2019

Environment

IUCN Red List of Bolivia’s Endangered Animals

Xamira Zuiderwijk / July 19, 2019

Established in 1964, the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN Red List has evolved into becoming the most comprehensive source of global information used by wildlife departments and other government agencies, non-governmental conservation organizations, natural resource planners, business communities, educational institutions and students,

As it is our aim to disseminate information about Bolivia and its wildlife in particular, the AllTimeList.com has provided us with a compilation of animals specific to Bolivia that have been reported as endangered in the IUCN Red List.
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Bolivia, being the fifth largest South American country with its tropical location, as well as its striking variations in climate and topography, has provided the country with a broad ecosystem ideal for animal and plant biodiversity. In fact Bolivia’s biodiversity of wildlife is one of the greatest in the world.

Yet like most countries endowed with an abundance of natural resources, Bolivia has pressing environmental issues that have affected some animal species. Although the Bolivian government has made efforts to address concerns such as deforestation, soil degradation and water pollution, the existence of a number of plant and animal wildlife is currently threatened due to loss of habitat and impaired biodiversity.

List of Bolivia Animals Included in the Latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

It has been several years now since four of Bolivia’s animal species have been included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Sadly, there has been a continuing decline in their respective population due to the decreasing number of matured animals found thriving in their natural habitats.
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1. Bolivian Chinchilla Rat (Abrocoma Boliviensis)

This animal was last assessed as critically endangered in March 2016. It was last seen in Bolivia’s forests in 2013 and is feared that it has become locally extinct. Although this small animal was previously affected by the fur trade, evidence of the chinchillas becoming prey to local snake species has been documented.

2. Bolivian Spinetail (Cranioleuca Henricae)

A bird species last assessed as endangered in October 2016. It has remained in the list of endangered Bolivian animals, because the very small range of suitable habitat in which they thrive, has been severely degraded and fragmented.

3. Apolo Cotinga (Phibalura Boliviana)

Another bird species last assessed in Oct 2016. This bird is endemic to Bolivia and went unrecorded for 98 years until it was rediscovered in the year 2000. However, it has been reported under the endangered category since 2013 as its single, very small population is likely to decline rapidly due to habitat loss. This bird species has disappeared from former localities because their habitats are no longer in existence due to large-scale clearance and burning of areas used for cattle-ranching and agriculture purposes.

4. Beni Titi Monkey (Plecturocebus Modestus)

The Beni Titi Monkey is endemic to Bolivia and was last assessed as endangered in June 30, 2008. Although no longer encountered or present in the Petaca and La Laguna regions, a very small portion of this animal is included in the Beni Biosphere Reserve area. The groups of Titi Monkeys last surveyed in 2006 were fragmented around cattle ranches, a condition that suggests the species existence is threatened by forest loss and habitat fragmentation leading to a decline in the number of mature species.

Environment, Trade

Bolivia’s Hopes for Meat Boom via China Trade, Raise Deforestation Concerns

Xamira Zuiderwijk / July 10, 2019

Recently, Bolivia’s livestock farmers received news that the country will soon be exporting cattle meat to China. However, the news also raised environmental concerns that the new market will worsen the current state of deforestation in Bolivia, unless livestock farmers migrate to more sustainable methods of production.

In 2014, the Friends of Nature Foundation (FAN) published a report stating that the previous perception of agricultural expansion, particularly for soybean as being the main cause of deforestation, had changed. According to FAN Director, Natalia Calderón, from the years 2000 to 2013, their analyses showed that more than 60% of Bolivia’s deforestation was caused by livestock.

 

Ms. Calderon, who is an expert on conservation and climate change said that currently they are wary of the planned expansion of agricultural spaces intended for cattle raising, as they have recently detected a broadening of deforested areas as such those in the Charagua and Chiquitania regions in Santa Cruz. That is without considering that talks about incentives for cattle production, adequate monitoring and control, as well as technical assistance and technology, have yet to take place.

Bolivian Cattle Ranchers’ Projections to Meet the Forthcoming Meat Boom

Actually, in April 26, of this year, Bolivian Foreign Minister Diego Pary, and the Chinese Minister of Customs, Ni Yuefeng, had already agreed in writing to a protocol of opening China’s doors to Bolivia for its beef exports. Beef consumption among the 1.4 billion Chinese people has risen sharply, from which Bolivian cattle ranchers are hoping to gain huge benefits.

Gary Rodríguez, President of the Instituto Boliviano de Comercio Exterior (IBCE) expressed support for the beef exporters. He projects that the forthcoming beef trade with China will more than double, since they expect that in as short as half a year, cattle ranchers will be selling the equivalent of what they have been selling in the past 10 years. Rodriguez estimates that

“By the year 2020, we would be selling US$150 million to the world only for the export of cattle meat. However, the projection is to move from a cattle herd of 10 million to 17 million within a span of 10 years.”

In connection with this projection, cattle ranchers presented their goals to President Evo Morales in January, via the Livestock Development Plan 2020-2030, which includes planned expansions from the current 13 million hectares for livestock to 20 million hectares.

Bolivia’s cattle ranchers aim to export 20,000 tons of beef to China in the second half of this year. The projection will make roughly about US$75 million, or five times more than the entire amount generated in 2018, based on the figures furnished by the Bolivian Foreign Trade Institute (IBCE). Come 2020, the goal is to increase to 40,000 tons.

Benian Meat, the “Bolivia Natural Beef” Seen as a Model for Sustainable Beef Production

In Beni, farmers contend that their livestock industry is not a main cause of the country’s deforestation. Beni has extensive plains covered by pampas and savannas for cattle pasture enhanced by humid tropical forests located on gentle piedmont slopes.

Compared to Santa Cruz or Brazil, the clearing in Beni is only for cattle paddocks and are located in high places. Cattle ranchers in Beni assert that they take care of the environment, as they still follow the same system used by their grandparents, which is that of making a cattle ranch in the pampas.

Director Calderon of FAN upholds the sustainable method, confirming that in Beni, there is livestock but raised in natural pastures, which gives doubts to implications of deforestation. Still, she says that they would have to take precautions in everything that concerns management of soil and water.

Environment

Reconditioned Laptops: Affordable And Eco-friendly

Yi Min / July 10, 2019

 

Computers are the quintessential work companion and so, it’s astronomically overriding to ascertain that they’re equipped with the newest features and have optimum levels of performance for the requisites. If there is a notebook set to use, you’d like an expeditious, also an contrivance and responsive. Funding limitations might be a sticking point, although the current market is galore with choices that will fit your requisites. Restored laptops may be great options to ones.

Priced much lower compared to their pristinely incipient counterparts, these kinds of laptops experience minor repair tasks to animate them to function like incipient ones. Inspection processes have been carried about to determine that they display heights of functionality.

If you’re buying a refurbished notebook from a sanctioned dealer, you become guaranteed  together with a pleasant return coverage, as you’d get using a pristinely incipient one. In this manner, in the event you aren’t gratified with all the machine’s functionality it’s possible to knock on the door of the dealer to solve the matter.

Whenever folks dump their used notebooks they end up in landfills as e-waste, which presents an earnest environmental hazard. If these machines have been reworked and re-utilized, a sizable quantity of e-waste can be lessened. Thus, once you’re purchasing a notebook that’s undergone refurbishment, you’re carrying your very own small step towards availing and saving the surroundings or the environment.

Start your search from the cyber world. There is an abundance of reputable dealers on the internet who sell the best gaming laptop under 800 which have been through refurbishment, which means you have a number of alternatives to  pick from.

Probe to get a Reputable Trader: Ascertain that you’re investing your hard-earned money onto a trustworthy dealer. Do a background check on the credentials of the dealer and undergo customer testimonials. Settle warranty policy and make sure you’re obtaining a fair and clear thing. You ought to be on the lookout for a felicitous retail invoice, guaranteed warranty, along with a transparent return coverage.