Photos released at the opening of the 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) in Merida, Mexico, this weekend highlight the diversity and threats to conservation in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Off the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula by the island of Holbox, a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is surrounded by the fish that make the region an important feeding ground for the world's largest fish.

© Brian Skerry, International League of Conservation Photographers

"An expedition of 32 leading conservation photographers undertaken from July to November resulted in a portfolio of hundreds of images that serve as a warning of the conservation status of this area known as the heart of the ancient Mayan civilization," Conservation International said in a news statement accompanying the images.

A trio of Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) feed in the placid Laguna Rosada. Located on the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, near the city of Progreso, the lake and flamingos are a reliable tourist draw.

© Cristina Mittermeier, International League of Conservation Photographers

The pictures were gathered in a Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) by the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). ILCP is an initiative of the WILD Foundation, an organizer of WILD9.

Representatives from governments, the private sector, native peoples and non-governmental organizations are participating in WILD9 to address the role of conservation of wilderness areas in human wellbeing and climate stabilization.

Named for the sacred Mayan dzonote sinkholes, cenotes can be found all over the Yucatán peninsula. They provide both a source of ecotourism income and important link to the region's history and culture. (Learn more about a National Geographic/Waitt project to explore the cenotes and the underground caves that connect them)

© Jack Dikynga, International League of Conservation Photographers

Merida, where the conference is meeting, is on the Yucatán Peninsula.

"One of the goals of WILD9 is to inspire and illustrate how to make smarter choices about how we interact with nature. Mexico's rich biodiversity and vast wild places motivated WILD9 to convene in Merida," said Vance Martin, president of The Wild Foundation, and co-chairman of WILD9.

"There is wonderful spirit of the land and traditional connection to nature that makes Mexico and the Yucatan very special. The RAVE and WILD9 forum aim to highlight the imperative to conserve important wild hotspots like the Yucatán Peninsula."

Bats emerge from the Kantemo Cave, near the town of Puerto Maria Morelos, Yucatán, Mexico.

© Florian Schulz, International League of Conservation Photographers

Located in the Mesoamerica Biodiversity Hotspot, the Yucatán Peninsula has an area larger than Greece spanning parts of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, said the statement accompanying the photographs. "Its landscape is a mosaic of dry forests, lowland moist forest, underground rivers and mangroves that fringe the turquoise Caribbean Sea, but it is threatened by high rates of deforestation and biodiversity loss due to human activities, like population growth and unsustainable industrial and agricultural development."

Painted treefrog or Ranita Pintada (Tlalocohyla picta) found in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Yucatán, Mexico. This species of frog is also found in parts of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

© Kevin Schafer, International League of Conservation Photographers

"The Yucatán Peninsula contains about 25 percent of Mexico's total freshwater supply and high levels of species endemism. Efforts to conserve its forests and the biodiversity that lives in them are crucial to the well-being of the people who depend on it, and should be seen as an effective response to climate change as well," said Russ Mittermeier, President of Conservation International, a partner of the Yucatán RAVE.

The Cozumel emeral (Chlorostilbon forficatus) is a bird endemic to the Island of Cozumel, Mexico.

© Roy Toft, International League of Conservation Photographers

The RAVE aimed to achieve a full visual assessment of the conservation condition of the Yucatán Peninsula in a short period of time with a team that included several specialized photographers (landscape, wildlife, macro, camera trapping, portraiture), writers and cameramen. ILCP's members explored a variety of habitats such as cenotes (or sinkholes), lagoons and mangroves in search of whale sharks, flamingos and other species to document their behavior and their surroundings.

Aerial view of Cancun on the Yucatán Peninsula. The local environmental is threatened by deforestation and biodiversity loss due to human activities, like population growth and unsustainable development.

© Daniel Beltra, International League of Conservation Photographers

Cristina Mittermeier, executive director of ILCP, said: "Photography is a powerful tool for conservation because it provokes emotions and invites people to reflect on the subjects being shown. Our goal with this expedition is to communicate visually the splendor and the threats to the Yucatán Peninsula. The conservation of its biodiversity is at a critical stage, but there is still abundant wildlife that can be preserved if development is planned in a more sustainable way."

A Mexican rodeo in Dzilam Gonzalez, Yucatán. Cattle is an important part of economic activity, food security and culture in this part of Yucatán, with huge impacts on the landscape and on the culture.

© Cristina Mittermeier, International League of Conservation Photographers

Said Gonzalo Merediz, executive director of Amigos de Sian Ka'an, "Mexico is blessed to have the WILD9 and the ILCP in Merida because the results of the congress and the RAVE will be used for improving our environmental policy and expanding the protection of wilderness in the Yucatan Peninsula.

"Amigos de Sian Ka'an, as well as all of the local non-governmental organizations and the national and state governments of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan have the duty to convert the work that this international cooperation has offered, into useful conservational tools."

Amigos de Sian Ka'an is a charity established by scientists and conservationists concerned about preserving the wilderness of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

The National Geographic Society is a sponsor of WILD9.

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Quintana Roo Underwater Cave Project

Beneath the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula, National Geographic Explorer and NGS/Waitt grantee Sam Meacham and his team are exploring and mapping the longest underwater cave system in the world.

 

Canada took top honors at the ninth National Geographic World Championship held today at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, the National Geographic Society announced today.

The United States came second, and Poland, just one point behind the United States, was third.

 

The winning team members from left are Chris Chiavatti of British Columbia, Peter Brandt of Manitoba, both 15, and Graham Tompkins, 16, of Nova Scotia.

NGS photo by Tyrone Turner

"This is the second time Canada has won the geography competition. It was victorious at the third National Geographic World Championship in 1997, when it beat eight other teams in Washington, D.C.," the Society said in a statement.

Fifteen national teams competed in the competition this year.

 

The U.S. team members were Kenji Golimlim, 11, of Southgate, Michigan; Milan Sandhu, 15, of Bedford, New Hampshire; and Eric Yang, 13, of The Colony, Texas.

 

 

Poland's team members were Piotr Byrski, 16, of Łodygowice, Ślaskie; Wojciech Kaczmarczyk, 16, of Racibórz, Ślaskie; and Gabriel Stachura, 16, of Lublin, Lubelskie.

 

"In an Olympics-style ceremony, medals were awarded to the first-, second- and third-placed teams. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show "Jeopardy!", moderated today's finals," a National Geographic news release said.

NGS photo by Tyrone Turner

"Canada, the United States and Poland qualified for the final round after obtaining the highest combined scores in a written contest on Sunday and in Monday's preliminary activity that included a hands-on map activity. Canada was the highest scorer in these earlier rounds."

NGS photos by Tyrone Turner

Students were eligible to take part in the World Championship competition by winning or being a top finisher in the national competitions of their home regions. The 12 other teams competing this year were from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

The presenting sponsor of this year's international contest organized by the National Geographic Society was Telmex Foundation, with supporting sponsorship from the Mexican Academy of Sciences, CONACYT, JW Marriott Mexico City and Televisa Foundation.

"The competition enhances international dialogue and understanding and promotes friendships around the globe."

John Fahey, president of the National Geographic Society, said the competition was a great way for talented young geographers around the world to match wits against each other and to enjoy a rewarding cross-cultural exchange. "The competition enhances international dialogue and understanding and promotes friendships around the globe," he added.

The World Championship is held every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. The Australians, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition in Orlando, Fla.

The third championship, held in 1997 at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested eight other teams. The United States won the next four competitions: against 11 other teams in Toronto, Canada, in 1999; against 12 other teams in Vancouver, Canada, in 2001; against 17 other teams at Busch Gardens, Fla., in 2003; and against 17 other teams in Budapest, Hungary, in 2005. The 2007 competition at SeaWorld, San Diego, was won by Mexico, which beat 16 other teams.

The Geography of Swine Flu and Other Pandemics

The United Kingdom is the country most at risk to the spread of a swine flu epidemic, reports Maplecroft, a research organization that focuses on global risks to business.

The UK-based company released three maps and indices revealing the countries most at risk from an influenza pandemic, including swine flu and bird (avian) flu.

Maplecroft also created the Influenza Pandemic Risk Index (IPRI), which consists of three categories: Risk of Emergence, Risk of Spread, and Capacity to Contain. "Each index generates a list of countries most at risk and that require a tailored policy response on the part of government and business," Maplecroft said in a statement.

The map of Risk of Spread shows the United Kingdom most at risk to the spread of an influenza pandemic, ranking number 1 out of 213 countries. The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Russia, Canada and Japan are also categorized as extreme risk because of their high population density, urbanization and busy airports.

Even though the UK and other developed Western nations are at extreme risk of spread, their capacity to contain influenza pandemics ranks low risk, however. "Large stockpiling of drugs and a sophisticated health infrastructure, which the Capacity to Contain index captures, means they have very effective measures with which to fight human influenza," Maplecroft explained.

Sub-Saharan Africa stands out as the area least able to contain pandemic influenza with 27 out of the 30 most extreme risk countries.

"The capacity of a country to contain the spread of human influenza depends on factors of wealth, health infrastructure, education resources, information and communication networks, and governance."

"The Risk of Emergence index unsurprisingly categorises Mexico as extreme risk and ranks the country as fourth most at risk, whilst Vietnam, China and Bangladesh top the table," Maplecroft said.

Countries most prone to risk of emergence of swine or avian flu in humans are poorer countries that have dense rural populations, with living quarters in close proximity to livestock, Maplecroft said. This is compounded by poor hygiene, lack of access to clean water and sanitation and poor public health education.

Newly Emerging Set of Global Risks

"It is important to see a newly emerging set of global risks--whether pandemics, conflict and terrorism, resource security including water stress, or climate change as inter-related," said Alyson Warhurst, Chair of Strategy and International Development at Warwick Business School and one of the founding directors of Maplecroft.

"Climate change is causing drought and flooding which in turn leads to crop failures and the destruction of livelihoods which in turn lead to poverty and the conditions that we see increase vulnerability to pandemic flu."

Sources used to compile the Influenza Pandemic Risk Index include: WHO, UNESCO, FAO, World Organisation for Animal Health, World Bank, Environmental Research Group Oxford, World Resources Institute and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The three IPRI maps and risk categories may be accessed on the Maplecroft Web site.

Maplecroft specializes in the analysis and creative visualization of global risks. Indicators, reports and interactive GIS maps are among the tools the company uses to assess vulnerability to over 100 global risks. The tools allow major international bodies to formulate strategy, control risk exposure, secure industry leadership and work towards a sustainable future, the company said in its statement.

Three photographs made by a camera trap (ncluding the one on the left) and a number of scat samples have proved that jaguars still roam in the center of Mexico, a region where the last known sighting of the big cat was at the start of the 20th century.

Photo courtesy Octavio Monroy-Vilchis/SINC

The lack of published records about the jaguar in the State of Mexico and concerns about whether this animal may have become extinct in the forests of the 260-square-mile (674-square-kilometer) Sierra Nanchititla Natural Reserve led to researchers from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) and the University of Alicante, Spain, successfully seeking out and monitoring the feline, according to a news release about the project.

The jaguar has become in danger of extinction in recent decades, due to the fragmentation and deterioration of its habitat, as well as hunting and illegal animal smuggling, the release said. "As a result of this vulnerability, no individuals have been seen in the centre of Mexico since the start of the 20th Century."

The Mexican-Spanish research project, published recently in the journal The Southwestern Naturalist, includes the first documented recording of the species Panthera onca in the center of Mexico, in the Río Balsas river basin.

"The photographs provide information about new recording sites, and allow us to deduce that the area where the animal was observed may be a corridor connecting jaguar populations," said Octavio Monroy-Vilchis, lead author and a researcher at UAEM.

The researchers carried out 86 interviews with inhabitants of villages near the study area between October 2002 and December 2004. They also collected feline dropping samples and installed automatic photographic detection systems.

"Even though not one of the interviews mentioned sightings of jaguars, we obtained three photographs of a male, and ten of the 132 excrement samples found have been attributed to the jaguar," Monroy-Vilchis said.

The fact that the animal was captured on camera at 1,845 meters [6,000 feet] "supports the theory that jaguars travel along the sides of mountains because their habitat has been fragmented by hunting and other human activities," the scientist said.

"According to members of the local Wildlife Conservation Society," the news release added, "the general area of the Río Balsas river basin is a priority area for verifying the presence of jaguars, since this could act as a corridor for them to move around."

Fifteen other areas in Mexico have been identified as potentially crucial for the long-term survival of jaguars, the news release said. It is not known whether the felines exist in these regions or, if they do, whether or not their populations are stable and their habitat is adequate to support them.

Related NatGeo News Watch entry:

Elusive Jaguars Are Surveyed Remotely in Ecuador's Wilderness

Mexico City--President Clinton addressed the International AIDS Conference here today.

"AIDS is a very big dragon," he said. "The mythological dragon was slain by St. George, the original knight in shining armor. But this dragon must be slain instead by millions and millions of foot soldiers."

Clinton cited his HIV/AIDS work in Africa and specifically mentioned the case of the 15-year-old boy and the boy's sister, Eugenie, whom Clinton had visited in Rwanda earlier on the trip. The former President said he had told the boy, Jean-Pierre, not to give up hope and to keep up with his education. Jean-Pierre said he wanted to be a doctor so that he could help others, Clinton said.

Reacting to the recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that there are 56,000 more new HIV infections a year than had previously been reported in the U.S., Clinton said: "For Americans, this should be a wake-up call. Even as we fight the epidemic globally, we must focus at home. And I intend to do so with my foundation."

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