FIU - CASE Tropics

shifting landscapes in the

tropics Researchers race to save the world’s rarest plant species

By Evelyn S. Perez | esuperez@fiu.edu

T

ropical forests are changing to

temperatures and changing rainfall

it,” Feeley said. “Some people hold

in the growing body of knowledge

more than 100 peer-reviewed

and their habitats, while balancing

keep up with climate change.

patterns. This survival tactic comes at

the notion the Amazon is an isolated

amassed by ICTB, a partnership

papers in diverse academic journals,

the demands for plant resources by

Trees are gradually moving to where

the expense of neighboring highland

and pristine ecosystem, immune to

between FIU and the National Tropical

including Nature, Science and PNAS.

growing human populations.

temperatures are cooler, rainfall is

trees. Kenneth J. Feeley, a researcher

disturbances. We need to change our

Botanical Garden. The center is

Headquartered at The Kampong in

greater, freshwater is available and

in the FIU International Center for

mindset and open our eyes to the fact

home to researchers with geographic

Coconut Grove, Fla., the center is

invaluable addition to global

conditions are ideal.

Tropical Botany (ICTB), has discovered

that even in the middle of the Amazon

expertise extending from South Florida

planning a 10,000-square-foot facility

conservation. With the center’s

Forests in the Andes Mountains are

For Feeley, the center is an

that instead of shifting to different

or the remote Andes Mountains,

to the Caribbean, Central and South

that will include space for research,

support, the biological sciences

no exception. At 4,300 miles long, it

locations, highland trees are retracting,

species are at risk.”

America, Africa, the Pacific and Asia.

education, professional training and

professor has come close to

is the longest continental mountain

or dying back. His findings reveal a

These regions comprise the top global

outreach. On a continuously evolving

determining the number of tree

range in the world and runs through

stark truth: tropical tree species in the

studying the ecology, biogeography

biodiversity hot spots — areas of

planet, the center’s mission is clear:

species in the tropics — an

seven countries. The lowland tree

Andes are at risk of extinction.

Feeley has dedicated his career to and conservation of tropical plant and

exceptional species richness facing

to produce the knowledge and tools

impressive feat considering the

species that call the Andes home are

“The effects of climate change

animal communities. His research

extraordinary threats. In just two years,

needed to conserve and manage

tropics are comprised of some of

moving upslope in response to rising

are everywhere — you can’t escape

on migrating trees is just the latest

ICTB researchers have published

threatened tropical plant species

the most geographically remote and

30 | Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016

Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016 | 31

ecological processes are altered with cascading consequences for the entire ecosystem. While long-valued for their biodiversity and aesthetics, his

THE BEEF

study supports the idea rare species are more important than originally believed. The reality that high rates of

Scientific discovery could revolutionize one of world’s most important crops

rare species are expected to be lost in the near future cannot be ignored.

The fact that people depend on

RESEARCHERS SAY EAT LESS MEAT, SAVE THE PLANET

plants for food, shelter, fuel, fiber and medicine shouldn’t be ignored

Eric von Wettberg wants to arm Ethiopian and Indian farmers with revolutionary new varieties

either. In addition to material goods, Young chickpea pods

of chickpea. The FIU researcher

all living creatures depend on tropical forests to capture and store harmful carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

has identified the gene responsible

inaccessible areas. Feeley and an

In a planet already threatened by

for giving white chickpea its

international research team determined

climate change, habitat loss and

seed color and flower color. In

there are at least 40,000 tropical

over-harvesting make matters worse

developing countries, farmers earn

species of trees and as many as

for many tropical plants. As human

more for selling light chickpeas for

53,000 in the Americas, Africa and

populations continue to grow, the

their desired appearance and ease

the Indo-Pacific region. Having an

sustainable use of these plant

of cooking. This can be problematic

accurate assessment is critical for

resources is critical.

because dark chickpeas are often

developing effective management and

more resistant to diseases and

conservation strategies.

growing them yields more seeds.

The genetic finding can help

But just how essential are these to protect and conserve? Christopher

of researchers found loggers can help

chickpea that will fare better

Baraloto, director of ICTB, says rare

forests recover their carbon stock

against debilitating diseases, yield

species are irreplaceable when it

in as little as seven years by using

carnivores and herbivores.

can help change these trends through

decrease land demands and ecological footprint of agriculture, people should reduce the amount of animal products in their diets to less than 10 percent of their total caloric intake. The

market-driven conservation.”

In a study published in Science of the Total Environment, the researchers found meat production in the most biodiverse countries in the world — including those in Asia, Africa

recommended reduction is equivalent

and South America — is increasing

to a daily serving of meat that is

rapidly. Some may require 30 to 50

about the size of a deck of playing

percent more land beyond their current

Brian Machovina spoke about eating healthy to save the environment at TEDxFIU 2014.

cards. That is a tall order when trying

agricultural areas just to meet their

to balance the availability of food for

meat production needs by 2050.

T

need to increase nutritional health.

management practices for logging. In

breeders create varieties of

personal and environmental health

Machovina and FIU biologist

emphasizes the need for sustainable a recent study, Baraloto and a team

water pollution and the loss of wild

Kenneth J. Feeley argue in order to

To help accomplish this, Baraloto

threatened species that botanists want

a higher number of seeds on the

By Evelyn S. Perez | esuperez@fiu.edu

o conserve the world’s animals,

people, their desire to eat meat and the

Yet, growing fruits, vegetables, legumes and soy protein would increase

comes to ecosystem functionality. He

techniques that ensure only the trees

same amount of land, and fetch a

and a team of international researchers

needed for commercial use are felled.

higher price per seed.

simulated what would happen

With sustainable forest management,

home, people should eat less meat,

consumption is realistic if we can

when rare and common species

producing timber to meet human

according to FIU researcher Brian

offer delicious, convenient, plant-

collaborators plan to partner

are removed from an ecosystem.

demand and maintaining carbon

Machovina. Producing livestock,

based foods that people want to eat,”

with international crop breeding

Examining rainforest trees from

storage can be done in tandem.

including cattle, goats and sheep,

Machovina said.

centers to provide them with the

French Guiana, as well as stream fish

information and wild seeds needed

from the Brazilian Amazon and birds

International Center for Tropical Botany

largest driver of deforestation and

drives meat consumption and the

livestock. This could allow an additional

to adapt seeds to local conditions

from the Australian Wet Tropics, they

are racing the clock to discover,

habitat loss worldwide. It accounts

power of the market can equally

4 billion people to be fed, surpassing the

and hand them to farmers.

found when rare species are removed

protect and restore. n

for 75 percent of agricultural land

drive its reduction. Awareness about

estimated global population growth of

and is a leading cause of soil loss,

the damage of meat consumption to

2-3 billion people. n

Von Wettberg and his

32 | Arts, Sciences & Education 2015-2016

Plant by plant, researchers in the

plants and the places they call

for human consumption is the single

“Reducing animal-based product

“The power of the market is what

the number of food calories available for people by as much as 70 percent on the agricultural lands currently in use. Cultivating them requires less land area than what is needed to raise

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