Invite To Attend Death Anniversary

Contents covered in the session 6 (11/19/2009) Nature Workshop

Invasive alien species (I).
Invasive alien species (IAS) are the second leading cause of loss of biodiversity on our planet today, after the loss and alteration of habitats. In this situation, little known to our society, we will perform a simulated trip to learn about the characters, causes and consequences, starting this way today, and we will return at different times in the workshop soon.
With historical perspective, we reviewed records of introductions as the genet (Genetta Genetta) with many centuries old, so many that we have almost forgotten and treat it as one among us, the law of conservation, as scholars of the species. Sure, we may argue, if we go back far enough, all species are at some point in the territories. And it is true, but we can counter-saying that, while the Phoenicians, while the Arabs, were responsible for its introduction, not the future of the natural history of spaces and species.

Perhaps the best example is that of Xenicus lyalli, the only flightless passerine. This bird lived in New Zealand's Stephen Island, and the keeper's cat ended up with all their global population in 1894.

And along with the islands of Guam (Indonesia), which after World War II were introduced by accident a few specimens of brown arboreal snake (Boiga irregularis) that have caused the extinction of each and every one of the twelve species of native forest birds. As a result, other species of flora and fauna become extinct in cascade by altering the ecosystem to be altered the distribution and abundance of tree seeds were dispersed by the birds disappeared.

And the problem is compounded saw what triggers the current situation, focusing on the four most important and exemplifying with a particular species:
- global trade, which involves the transport of goods from distant countries, for example the red palm weevil beetle that was introduced following the massive importation of palm without phytosanitary controls, and that caused a plague and death of the attacked palms.

- farming of exotic species, causing leakage or deliberate releases of these species, for example the case of American mink. This has led to dire consequences for the European mink, becoming in the second mammal, after the Iberian Lynx, in greater danger of extinction.

- the pets to make many of these species, which are then released or escaped, may be naturalized, eg: the Cotorrita Grey Argentina.

- lack of control in the transport of water (ballast, canals, fishermen, ...), which has allowed the expansion of species such as mussel problem zebra.

Monograph: first record for Spain (and southern Europe) of Giant American Martin.
This past week, on 16 November saw the first meeting in Spain of a kingfisher American Megaceryle alcyon, called by Españñola Ornithological Society (SEO) and Martín Gigante Americano. The place where the meeting was the mouth of the wadi Albujón (Mar Menor).

And finally we saw a small video report on fisheries, Pirate fishing boats and large fishing the coast of Kenya. Issue, unfortunately, is very timely, very political hands, which we intend to give another perspective, more "green" about this problem.