Sensitive political borders in different parts of the world provide clues to the best ways to manage land areas and reserves.
Sensitive political borders in different parts of the world provide clues to the best ways to manage land areas and reserves. This is what appears from a public debate in Brisbane (Australia), as part of the international ecology conference. Dr. Roger Suffling, an ecologist from the University of Waterloo in Canada who chaired the discussion, says that "boundaries are active attempts at environmental management" since political boundaries separate ecosystems and allow comparisons between different management methods.
The differences between the methods can be distinguished in satellite photographs. Between North and South Korea there is a demilitarized area, since 1950 no people have entered the area and the result... a wealth of species that have disappeared from other areas: ibex, cranes, angora goats, Amur tigers, bears and maybe even a Siberian tiger, all live in the area. The unification of the Koreans would undoubtedly lead to their disappearance.
In contrast, satellite images show how the fall of the Iron Curtain caused an increase in the destruction of forests on the Russia-Finland border.
In our immediate vicinity, anyone who has seen the satellite map of Israel will be able to distinguish the southern border because of differences in color, differences that result from grazing on the Egyptian side (by Bedouin herds). On the other hand, on the border of the USA and Canada there is no difference between the sides. Both sides are guarded and managed in a similar way.
Dr. Uri Shens from Oranim University-Haifa, is testing the effect of modern agriculture in the Arabah compared to the Jordanian side, the test is being conducted in an area 60 km long and 10 km wide. The difference between agricultural areas and areas that have not been "treated" gives a measure of human influence. Among other things, Dr. Shens mentions the Harry-Ant that preys on invertebrates that fall into a funnel/trap. Almost no Ari-Namel was found on the Jordanian side, while on the Israeli side it is common. The researcher claims that it may be because of the reality of deer on the Israeli side, deer are hunted on the Jordanian side but are protected here. The deer break the hard crust of the ground and allow the eri-namel to dig his traps.
Another difference: on the Israeli side no local rodents were captured, according to the researcher the cause is foxes that are attracted to the food sources in the agricultural areas, foxes that make the rodents be careful...?
It is more for me to comment that in the 1970s we conducted a (small) carnivore survey in the Grupit sands. In the traps we caught hedgehogs, and many rodents... non-predators. With the "breakout" of peace between Israel and Jordan, Jordanian hunters allowed themselves to approach the border and the result... rams, wild animals and deer were shot!
In the meantime, worrying data is being published about the mammals of the area. According to the United Nations Organization for the Conservation of the Environment and the Protection of Wild Animals, it turns out that a sixth of the mammals of the Mediterranean Sea are in immediate danger of extinction. Habitat destruction due to urbanization and agriculture, are an immediate threat to 50 out of about 320 species of mammals, of which 20 do not live elsewhere.
The monk seal and the Iberian schooner (lynx) are the well-known and prominent examples, to which are added tigers, moose, dolphins, whales and others. In order to ensure their survival, habitats must be restored and preserved and corridors should be allowed to connect habitats even if they cross political borders.
Enforcement of cross-border nature conservation laws will give mammals a chance. This is the first time that the mammals of the Mediterranean Sea have been added to the Red List of the United Nations Organization. Maybe this will be the end of a lifeline?
The time has come that instead of controlling the environment for the sake of the human population, there will be control of the human population for the sake of the environment!
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