African Edu-Eco

28/04/2024

Some randy facts about bamboo:

1.Fast Growth: Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world. It has been recorded at growing 47.6 inches in 24 hours. Some species can even grow over a meter per day under optimal conditions. A new bamboo shoot reaches its full height in less than a year.

2. Oxygen Release: A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than any other tree out there.

3. Carbon Dioxide Absorption: Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide at a rate of 17 tons per hectare every year. It can act as a valuable carbon sink given how fast the plant grows.

4. No Fertilizer Required: Bamboo doesn’t need fertilizer to grow. It can self-mulch by dropping its leaves and use the nutrients to grow.

5. Drought Resistance: Bamboos are drought-tolerant plants. They can grow in the desert.

6. Wood Replacement: Bamboos can be harvested in 3-5 years compared to the 20-30 years of most softwood trees.

7. Building Material: Bamboo is incredibly strong and sturdy. It has been used as support for concrete as well as scaffolding, bridges, and houses.

8. Soil Stability: Bamboo has a wide network of underground roots and rhizomes that prevent soil erosion.

9. Natural Air Conditioner: Bamboo cools the air surrounding it by up to 8 degrees in the summer.

10. Invasiveness: Some species of bamboo, especially ‘running’ bamboos, can be invasive due to their extensive root systems, which allow them to spread rapidly. However, not all species are invasive, and with proper management, the environmental impact can be minimized.

Text credit: Earth Unreal
Image credit: Organizer Bamboo Nursery

28/04/2024

07/03/2024

Check out these two small mammal field guides by new SMSG member Daan Drukker! The first is a guide to the Squirrels of Western Africa (2023). The guide covers 7 groups of squirrels, including rope squirrels, sun squirrels, and anomalures, which have gliding membranes!

https://www.mammalwatching.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Provisional-field-guide-to-the-Squirrels-of-West-Africa.pdf

28/02/2024

28/02/2024

“We did it!” Doka Nason shouted as he stared at the screen of a camera trap in Papua New Guinea. He and his team had just captured a long-sought image: that of the black-naped pheasant-pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis insularis). Believed to be extinct, this rare ground-dwelling bird was photographed ...

16/02/2024

16/02/2024

REDCLAW CRAYFISH IS A HARMFUL INVADER OF FRESHWATER SYSTEMS, AND IT HAS BEEN NEWLY RECORDED IN THE CROCODILE RIVER IN THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK The Redclaw crayfish is native to Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea but has been introduced around the world for aquaculture and the aquarium trade. Co...

14/02/2024

01/01/2024

A study shows that forests in 15 tropical countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America managed by and local communities are associated with improved outcomes for , biodiversity and forest livelihoods

Read the news
https://buff.ly/3TrQLel
Via

01/01/2024

To all my friends and family here at home, my Aussie mates, my Ghanaian friends and associates and all those spread around the African countries in which I have trained or consulted, I wish you all a happy, dynamic, prosperous and lucrative 2024 filled with blessings, joy and countless opportunities for advancing and growing to become better versions of yourselves. Love you all

14/12/2023

02/12/2023

Do you know what mycelium is?

The mycelium or mycorrhiza is a fungus that expands below the soil, creating a network of connections between all plant species, something like the Internet, which allows them not only to communicate, but also to take care of themselves, protect themselves, feed themselves and stock up on water.

When a tree is cut down in the forest, this mycelium communicates to the rest of the trees that one of them is dying, and the others, through the mycelium, begin to take care of the remaining trunk to try to save that life.
They feed him, give him water and protect him. Because that dying trunk is part of the forest family

16/11/2023

15/11/2023

Hatchlings, pluck, and long goodbyes:Raising condors with The Peregrine FundNov 14, 2023 Written By Lev Levy Image DetailsFor a certain kind of person, it’s a dream job.You’ve got to be the kind of person who’s okay with hatchings and fledglings: the hatching of dreams and birds, and the event...

15/11/2023

Why is the sea cucumber called the “vacuum cleaner” of the sea? This echinoderm sucks up algae, tiny aquatic invertebrates, and organic waste. It sweeps up the snacks, scooping up sand along the way, with the tube feet surrounding its mouth. It digests all of the organic materials—then, it excretes a sandy p**p that is “cleaner” than what it ingested. By recycling dead matter and aerating the sand, sea cucumbers help their ecosystem. There are more than 1,000 species of sea cucumbers in the class Holothuroidea, lumbering around the ocean floor throughout the world.

Photo: maradg, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist