Week in News: 4th October
Welcome to the latest Week in News, your weekly round-up of the top stories in climate, conservation and green politics. It may seem bleak at times, but hope is always around the corner.
Bornean orangutan habitat threatened by wildfires
Across Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), uncontrolled wildfires are ravaging both forests and peatland, a result of exceptionally dry conditions throughout the territory caused by El Niño. Orangutans have been particularly affected by the blaze with non-profit Yiari leading rescue efforts for apes stranded, displaced and injured by the fires.
According to the IUCN's (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) primate specialists, more than 52% of habitat occupied by Borneo's orangutans has been impacted by the fires. Peatland fires are especially worrying; once a fire starts, it can burn underground for weeks or months if drained for agriculture, as much of Kalimantan's peat is.
Scientists are also concerned over the long-term health impacts of inhaling smoke for orangutans and other species affected by the fires. One rescued orangutan succumbed to smoke inhalation, and previous studies show a variety of health detriments in orangutans exposed to smoke, such as ketosis and vocal changes.
Environment secretary pledges half a million trees to be planted across England
Announced on Wednesday at Labour's Annual Conference, half a million trees are set to be planted across England over three years, in efforts to mitigate extreme weather events linked to global warming.
Environment secretary Angela Eagle announced £76m in funding for local authorities and environment groups as part of "local nature recovery strategies". The scheme hopes to capitalise on the benefits of planting trees in years to come, with trees providing shade and cooling surrounding air temperatures by as much as 4C in rapidly warming cities.
Butterflies visually confuse predators with high-contrast wings, study finds
In exciting new research published in Nature, scientists revealed the significance behind butterflies' high contrast wing patterns. We've long understood the relationship between visually striking patterns and mimicry, temperature regulation and warning signals such as eyespots. Now, research shows some butterfly wings create illusory motion (a visual illusion) in flight using these contrasting patterns to mislead predators.
According to the authors, surprisingly few predators catch butterflies in flight despite the insects' often bright colouration; misleading motion and visual confusion may explain why. Natural wing patterns created significantly more motion confusion in flight than unpatterned treatments during the study.
Importantly, the study also identified the specific patterns creating illusory motion, including contrasting vertical stripes on the forewing and high-contrast wing margins. Other species including zebras and snakes are also known to use patterns which disrupt the motion perception of predators.
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About the Author:
Madelaine is a Zoology and Science Communication graduate, now working as Engagement Officer for a natural history and heritage charity. Passionate about engagement with science and nature, and rediscovering a love of writing, she aims to document her experiences with the wild through blogs, wildlife photography, and tales of the natural world.
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