#Tropical Forests

[uncharismatic-fauna]

An Affinity for the Southern River Terrapin

The southern river terrapin (Batagur affinis), also known as the tungtung or the royal turtle, is a species of freshwater turtle residing, as its name implies, in the southern part of the Malaysian Peninsula, particularly along the western coast. They reside in estuaries, portions of large rivers that are regularly exposed to ocean tides.

While initially plain in appearance, the southern river terrapin can be visually striking. The body and shell are entirely black, or dark brown in females. The only spots of color are carried by males: bright yellow or white eyes and orange inner cheek flaps that are exposed when the mouth opens. Batagur affinis is also quite big, with females (the larger of the two sexes) reaching an average length of 62 cm (24 in) and a weight of 38 kg (83 lbs).

The tungtung is an omnivorous species. Its serrated beak allows it to feed on a variety of plants like grasses, algae, and fruits, as well as freshwater invertebrates like crustaceans and mollusks. Due to the high salinity of their habitats, they often leave the rivers and forage for food on land. The large size and thick shells of adults deters most predators. However, eggs and hatchlings are vulnerable to monitor lizards, otters, birds of prey, and crocodiles.

Mating for Batagur affinis occurs from October to February. Males and females remain relatively solo throughout the rest of the year, although they aren't overly territorial. Once a male locates a female, the two touch noses and he pulses his jaw to emphasize his bright orange cheek pouches and the white stripes on the inside of his throat. After copulation, the female lays a clutch of 20-40 eggs in nests dug in the sandy river bank. Young royal turtles hatch anywhere from 60-120 days later, depending on the temperature of the nest. Juveniles can take 18-22 years to reach maturity. Adults regularly reach ages well over 45, and individuals as old as 100 have been recorded.

Conservation status: The southern river turtle is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Over-harvesting of both eggs and individuals has decimated populations, and those that remain are threatened by habitat destruction. However, both local and international conservation efforts have been underway to preserve the species and its ecosystem.

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Photos

Eng Heng Chan

Paul Calle

Thorn Sophun

[tropicaltopia]

El Yunque National Forest

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Clouded leopard: The cat with saber-like teeth that can walk upside down in trees

Clouded leopards can rotate their ankle joints by almost 180 degrees and they kill by biting the back of their prey's neck with their huge teeth.

Clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa) have several adaptations that allow them to live in the tropical forests of southeast Asia.

(Image credit: Shutterstock))

[aylen-san]

Memories of tropical days

The tropics are another world, full of life, color and sounds that fill the heart with joy. When I first came to these places, I was struck by how the air here was heavy with moisture, as if every breath filled my chest with sweet nectar that gave me strength. The forests, tangled with vines and strange tendrils, seemed like living creatures shrouded in a mist of green and color. Huge trees spread their branches, creating a vault of leaves overhead, through which the sun's rays broke, turning into golden streaks like rays of hope in the thickest forest. On the branches of these trees lived monkeys, jumping deftly from one branch to another, their cries and laughter filling the forest with life and movement.

The birds here sang in ways I had never heard before. Their tinkling trills, melodious and varied, seemed to blend into a symphony that filled the air. I could spend hours listening to them sing, their bright feathers flashing in flashes of color through the dense green, like gems hidden in the shadows of the forest. Even the insects that fluttered and buzzed among the flowers seemed to be part of this living orchestra, each sound like a note in a melody created by nature itself. Huge butterflies, painted in unimaginable patterns, flew from flower to flower, making it seem as if nature itself was painting colors on the canvas of the air.

And the smells... The tropics are filled with scents that are impossible to forget. The sweet scent of ripe fruit, the spicy notes of flowers growing in the shade of trees, and the moist, rich aroma of the earth after rain all combine to create a dizzying cocktail. Mango, papaya, guava - their juicy fruits, so warm from the sun, seemed to contain the very essence of the tropics. I tasted each of them, and each time the taste was like a new melody, giving joy and sweetness of life.

The water in the tropics is also special. The streams that flowed through the forests sparkled in the sunlight like liquid crystal, and the seas that lapped the shores shimmered in every shade of blue and green. The waves were warm and gentle, as if the waters themselves were filled with life and light. I often stopped at the shore to listen to the waves gently touching the sand, humming an ancient song about the infinity of time and the power of nature. The coastline, lined with fine white sand, stretched into the distance, and the palm trees, their crowns leaning toward the water, provided shade to hide from the midday heat.

But perhaps the most impressive sight was the tropical night sky. As the sun set and day turned to night, the stars lit up the dark velvet of the sky with unimaginable brightness. They seemed so close you could reach out and touch them. The moon illuminated the earth with a soft light, and the jungle was filled with the sounds of nocturnal creatures - their rustling and cries creating an atmosphere of mystery, as if the forest were whispering its ancient secrets. Giant fireflies lit up the night trails like floating stars, and the deep, bassy voices of toads were like ancient incantations lurking in the shadows of centuries-old trees.

The tropics reminded me that while nature can be harsh and cruel, it can also be incredibly generous and joyful. These places were full of life, joy, and boundless energy, and even in their heat and humidity I found peace and inspiration. In every leaf, every flower and every sound, I saw and felt the greatness of Arda, its unquenchable longing for life and light. Every morning, when the first rays of sunlight gilded the treetops, I greeted the new day with gratitude, feeling that the tropics had not only given me shelter, but a new music, a melody full of joy, life and love for this wonderful world.

[stop-war-ukraine]

Did you know #Ukrainians have deep roots in Latin America? From transforming rainforests to powering electrical grids, Ukrainian migrants have been quietly reshaping Latin America's landscape for over a century.

👆Uncover the stories of resilience, innovation, and unexpected cultural fusion - from a filmmaker who preserved his native language in #Brazil to a diplomat who became "Latin America's Schindler" in #Chile.

This isn't just migration history. It's a testament to how human determination can bloom in the most unexpected terrains.

This article was produced in partnership with the

@UA_Institute , Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution.

[catliketread]

Tropical Forest With Monkeys, Henri Rousseau, 1910

[enterprisegurl1701]

So pretty

the turquoise cotinga is a passerine bird found in costa rica and panama. these birds live in moist rainforest habitat; they are threatened by deforestation. these frugivorous birds use their slightly hooked beaks to open fruits. bright colors, particularly bright blue like this bird, are common in the cotinga family, and turquoise cotingas look very similar to many of the other cotinga species.

[ncwortcunning]

A study in Nature finds that up to 215 million hectares of land (an area larger than Mexico) in humid tropical regions around the world has the potential to naturally regrow.

That much forest could store 23.4 gigatons of carbon over 30 years and also have a significant impact on concerns like biodiversity loss and water quality. The study showed that more than half of the area with strong potential for regrowth was in five countries: Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, China, and Colombia.

Link to open access study published in Nature.

[howdoesone]

How does one ask a Pangolin to teach a yoga class with its curling skills?

The pangolin, a unique and fascinating creature, is often referred to as a “scaly anteater” due to its distinct armor-like scales. Native to parts of Africa and Asia, pangolins are known for their solitary, nocturnal lifestyle and their peculiar defensive behavior of curling into a tight ball when threatened. This remarkable ability to curl up might humorously inspire the idea of a pangolin…

[intlforestday]

Discover 6 reasons why forests matter!

According to Wildlife Conservation Society, protecting tropical forests remains the most effective way to prevent climate change.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Ode to the Oilbird

The oilbird (Steatornis caripensis), also known as the guácharo, is a species of bird found throughout northeast South America, from Guyana to Bolivia. They are found primarily in montane and semi-montane habitats, which contain both caves and fruiting trees for them to roost in and feed on. The oilbird is named for its young, which are quite fat and traditionally collected by indigenous people for cooking.

The oilbird is quite bat-like in its behaviour. During the day, they roost in nests constructed of faecal matter and regurgitated seeds along the walls of deep caves. At night they emerge to feed on fruits, primarily avocados, laurels, and palms. Like bats, they use echolocation, emitting a series of high-pitched screeches as well as a highly developed sense of smell to find food. However, these calls are below 20 hertz, and therefore audible to humans Because of their nocturnal activity, their primary predators are owls. Snakes are also known to predate upon eggs and hatchlings.

S. caripensis is a monogamous species. Between April and May, males and females seek each other out by circling each other during flight and emitting a series of mating calls. Afterwards, the pair spends most of its time together constructing a nest and foraging. Females lay 2-4 eggs, which both parents spend 30 to 35 days incubating. Afterwards, the hatchlings are intensively taken care of for up to 125 days, at which point they fledge and leave the nest.

Oilbirds are fairly large, with a body length of 40–49 cm (16–19 in), and weighing 350–475 g (12.3–16.8 oz), with a wing span of aboutn95 cm (37 in). They have rich brown plumage, speckled with white, and a flat head with a hooked beak. Compared to other birds, the feet and eyes are fairly small, but the pupils are relatively large to allow for greater night vision.

Conservation status: The IUCN has classified the oilbird as Least Concern. Guácharo Cave, which is home to at least 15,000 birds, is protected by the Venezuelan government, and the several more caves are protected in other countries' national parks.

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Photos

Greg Homel

Will Sweet

Roger Alham

[ur-daily-inspiration]

[eachtreematters]

Yellow Meranti

The Yellow Meranti tree species, scientifically known as Shorea faguetiana, is a part of the Dipterocarpaceae family. These species are native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, primarily found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The average height of these trees ranges from 65 to 130 feet, with a trunk diameter of 3 to 6 feet. The species are widely distributed across their native…

[gorillawalkingsafaris]

Forests in uganda that Whispers nature

Forests in Uganda_ Uganda as a country full of nature in terms of forests, rivers lakes, mountains, wildlife, swamps and birds.To whisper with nature in Uganda, visit places like Bundongo forest, Mgahinga National Park, Maramagambo forest, mabira forest, Lake Bunyonyi.These forests not only enhance climate but they are a home to very many wild animals, butterflies,ants, insects,water, sources,…

[reasonsforhope]

The World's Forests Are Doing Much Better Than We Think

You might be surprised to discover... that many of the world’s woodlands are in a surprisingly good condition. The destruction of tropical forests gets so much (justified) attention that we’re at risk of missing how much progress we’re making in cooler climates.

That’s a mistake. The slow recovery of temperate and polar forests won’t be enough to offset global warming, without radical reductions in carbon emissions. Even so, it’s evidence that we’re capable of reversing the damage from the oldest form of human-induced climate change — and can do the same again.

Take England. Forest coverage now is greater than at any time since the Black Death nearly 700 years ago, with some 1.33 million hectares of the country covered in woodlands. The UK as a whole has nearly three times as much forest as it did at the start of the 20th century.

That’s not by a long way the most impressive performance. China’s forests have increased by about 607,000 square kilometers since 1992, a region the size of Ukraine. The European Union has added an area equivalent to Cambodia to its woodlands, while the US and India have together planted forests that would cover Bangladesh in an unbroken canopy of leaves.

Logging in the tropics means that the world as a whole is still losing trees. Brazil alone removed enough woodland since 1992 to counteract all the growth in China, the EU and US put together. Even so, the planet’s forests as a whole may no longer be contributing to the warming of the planet. On net, they probably sucked about 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year between 2011 and 2020, according to a 2021 study. The CO2 taken up by trees narrowly exceeded the amount released by deforestation. That’s a drop in the ocean next to the 53.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases emitted in 2022 — but it’s a sign that not every climate indicator is pointing toward doom...

More than a quarter of Japan is covered with planted forests that in many cases are so old they’re barely recognized as such. Forest cover reached its lowest extent during World War II, when trees were felled by the million to provide fuel for a resource-poor nation’s war machine. Akita prefecture in the north of Honshu island was so denuded in the early 19th century that it needed to import firewood. These days, its lush woodlands are a major draw for tourists.

It’s a similar picture in Scandinavia and Central Europe, where the spread of forests onto unproductive agricultural land, combined with the decline of wood-based industries and better management of remaining stands, has resulted in extensive regrowth since the mid-20th century. Forests cover about 15% of Denmark, compared to 2% to 3% at the start of the 19th century.

Even tropical deforestation has slowed drastically since the 1990s, possibly because the rise of plantation timber is cutting the need to clear primary forests. Still, political incentives to turn a blind eye to logging, combined with historically high prices for products grown and mined on cleared tropical woodlands such as soybeans, palm oil and nickel, mean that recent gains are fragile.

There’s no cause for complacency in any of this. The carbon benefits from forests aren’t sufficient to offset more than a sliver of our greenhouse pollution. The idea that they’ll be sufficient to cancel out gross emissions and get the world to net zero by the middle of this century depends on extraordinarily optimistic assumptions on both sides of the equation.

Still, we should celebrate our success in slowing a pattern of human deforestation that’s been going on for nearly 100,000 years. Nothing about the damage we do to our planet is inevitable. With effort, it may even be reversible.

-via Bloomburg, January 28, 2024

[maureen2musings]

Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

Hidayat Abisena