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[compost_tea] FWD: BIG MONEY COMING TO A FOODWEB NEAR YOU (if you live in the 3rd World) was [globalnews] UN: Soil's Tiniest Organisms Could Solve Huge Problems



 From GLOBAL NEWS via BD NOW!

>
>>Status:  U
>>Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 10:01:58 -0500
>>Subject: FW: [globalnews] UN: Soil's Tiniest Organisms Could Solve Huge
>>	Problems
>>From: Jane Sherry <j.msherry@verizon.net>
>>To: Bdnow <Bdnow@envirolink.org>
>>X-Authentication-Info: Submitted using SMTP AUTH LOGIN at 
>>out003.verizon.net from [151.205.177.155] at Sat, 30 Nov 2002 
>>08:59:56 -0600
>>Reply-To: bdnow@envirolink.org
>>Sender: owner-bdnow@envirolink.org
>>
>>
>>
>>Environment News Service
>>Soil's Tiniest Organisms Could Solve Huge Problems
>>
>>NAIROBI, Kenya, November 29, 2002 (ENS) - There is a wealth of new 
>>species under our feet awaiting discovery, especially in the still 
>>unknown portions of the tropics, which represents "a huge new 
>>genetic resource," the top United Nations environmental agency said 
>>today. Amoebas, protozoa, netatodes, mites, termits, ants, 
>>earthworms. Life forms that inhabit the soil are the least known of 
>>all life forms on Earth, and scientists are discovering that they 
>>can profoundly affect planetary patterns.
>>
>>Calling it "the largest source of untapped life left on Earth," the 
>>UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced a new $26 million 
>>project to understand and utilize the life forms underground. It is 
>>one of the more "unusual, curious but absolutely vital projects 
>>UNEP has undertaken," said the agency's executive director Klaus 
>>Toepfer as he announced the project today.
>>
>>In the hope that this "genetic treasure trove" will yield new 
>>drugs, antibiotics, and industrial products, the project will 
>>initially target "below ground biodiversity" in seven tropical 
>>countries - Brazil, Mexico, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Kenya, Indonesia 
>>and India. These countries were chosen for study are those thought 
>>to have the richest below ground biodiversity.
>>
>>Backed with $9 million funding from the World Bank Group's Global 
>>Environment Facility (GEF) and support from other donors such as 
>>the Rockefeller Foundation, the Conservation and Sustainable 
>>Management of Below-Ground Biodiversity project will catalog and 
>>classify "the life forms below ground" said Ahmed Djoghlaf, head of 
>>the UNEP/GEF Division, based at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.
>>
>>One gram of tropical forest soil may contain up to 40,000 
>>individual bacterial species, the agency said today, many of which 
>>have never been described.
>>
>>These miniscule life forms can be as tiny as one-tenth of a 
>>millimetre (100 micron). The smallest amoebas are even less than 10 
>>micron in size.
>>
>>"There is an urgent need to assess, classify and record the life 
>>forms below ground," Djoghlaf said.
>>
>>Just as increasing intensification of agriculture and clearing of 
>>forests for farmland have taken their toll on wild animals and 
>>plants, they place the microscopic world of underground bacteria 
>>and fungi at risk of extinction and decline in the abundance and 
>>numbers of species.
>>
>>UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said, "The life forms living 
>>just below our feet are the most understudied organisms on the 
>>planet. When people think of where new species might be found, they 
>>tend to think of the rainforests, mangrove swamps or place like 
>>mountain peaks, not millimetres below their toes."
>>
>>Toepfer said researchers are now realizing that the world's soils, 
>>especially topical soils, are teeming with life. They "harbor more 
>>undescribed species than dwell on the Earth's surface," he said.
>>
>>Expressing delight at UNEP's involvement in "this pioneering work." 
>>Toepfer said, "Harvesting the secrets of this understudied realm 
>>promises huge benefits and improved knowledge towards the goal of 
>>delivering sustainable development, towards eradicating poverty."
>>
>>Bacteria and fungi in the soil can clean drinking water sources. 
>>They help eliminate pollutants and germs from groundwater as it 
>>percolates through the soil to reservoirs, boreholes and other 
>>freshwaters sources.
>>
>>Organisms living in the soil also "play a key role in the release 
>>of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases from the land 
>>into the atmosphere," scientists associated with the project said 
>>as part of the UNEP statement today.
>>
>>Understanding and unraveling the role of these microscopic 
>>creatures in the carbon cycle may help the land absorb more 
>>greenhouse gases to help cool the planet.
>>
>>Soil-dwelling beneficial life forms may also play a role in 
>>reducing crop, livestock and human diseases, UNEP said today, as 
>>they attack and neutralize plant, animal and human pests and 
>>pathogens.
>>
>>Earthworms, termites and other soil burrowing organisms influence 
>>the amount of rainwater soils can absorb. Soils depleted in such 
>>organisms are more prone to drought and run-off, which in turn 
>>increases the risk of flooding and erosion with consequences for 
>>river water and coral reefs.
>>
>>"We may be losing many important and useful species from the 
>>world's soils without even knowing it," warned Djoghlaf.
>>
>>The project is coordinated by Mike Swift, director of the Nairobi 
>>based Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of the 
>>International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), one of the 
>>research centers in the CGIAR agricultural network.
>>
>>The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research 
>>(CGIAR), an association of public and private members supporting a 
>>system of 16 Future Harvest Centers, works in more than 100 
>>countries, mobilizing the "cutting-edge science" that CGIAR says 
>>aims to reduce hunger and poverty, improve human nutrition and 
>>health, and protect the environment.
>>
>>Increasingly, bioengineering and genetic modification of crops 
>>underpins CGIAR's approach to those issues. Still, CIAT has other 
>>offerings, among them a new climate database tool based on 20 years 
>>of weather data. The newly published CD-ROM version 1 of MarkSimTM 
>>generates Simulated Weather Data for Crop Modeling and Risk 
>>Assessment.
>>
>>The Below-Ground Biodiversity Project Guide to "Mini Beasts, Wiggle 
>>Worms and Fellow Soil Dwellers"
>>
>>Over 4,000 bacteria and related organisms have been described by 
>>science, an unknown number of which are soil dwelling. It is 
>>estimated that in one gram of forest soil there are up to 40,000 
>>individual bacterial species many of which have never been 
>>described.
>>
>>It is thought that only five percent of the world's living fungi 
>>have been described. Of the 72,000 described species, up to 35,000 
>>could be classed as soil living.
>>
>>Protozoa include amoebas and flagellates. Some 1,900 soil-living 
>>protozoa have been described, which may be only 10 percent of the 
>>species alive.
>>
>>Some 15,000 individual nematode species have been described. It is 
>>estimated that there may be more than be as many as 100,000 species.
>>
>>The 45,000 described species of spider-like invertebrates known as 
>>mites are thought to represent just five percent of the total.
>>
>>There are numerous groups of soil-dwelling insects, including 
>>termites. More than 2,000 termite species have been described.
>>
>>Nearly 9,000 ant species have been described.
>>
>>Over 3,600 earthworms have been described, and scientists say 
>>double this number may exist in the wild.
>>
>>Most protozoa eat bacteria, says Elaine Ingham of Oregon State 
>>University, but one group of amoebae eat fungi, the vampyrellids 
>>that suck the life out of their prey.
>>
>>"The perfectly round holes drilled through the fungal cell wall, 
>>much like the purported puncture marks on the neck of a vampire's 
>>victim, are evidence of the presence of vampyrellid amoebae," says 
>>Ingham. "The amoebae attach to the surface of fungal hyphae and 
>>generate enzymes that eat through the fungal cell wall. The amoeba 
>>then sucks dry or engulfs the cytoplasm inside the fungal cell 
>>before moving on to its next victim."
>>
>>Pictures, facts and figures on soil biology and below ground 
>>biodiversity are online at the website of the U.S. Department of 
>>Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service's Soil Quality 
>>Institute, UNEP recommends. Find it here.
>>
>>The "Soil Biology Primer" edited by by A.J. Tugel, and A.M. 
>>Lewandowski the source of the photos in this article, is online at: 
>>http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/soil_biology_primer.htm
>>
>>
>>Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2002. All Rights Reserved.
>>-------------
>>An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on
>>inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between
>>two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed,
>>arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
>>superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace,
>>love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity,
>>truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and
>>inside every other person, too." The grandson thought about it for a minute
>>and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee
>>simply replies, "The one you feed."


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