world wildlife fund
DESCRIPTION
Presentation of the World Wildlife Fund to the TNHCC luncheon on March 11TRANSCRIPT
World Wildlife Fund:The Southeast Rivers and Streams
Judy TakatsSenior Program Officer
World Wildlife Fund
Wednesday, 10 March 2009
bringing the world together to fight climate change
what is Earth Hour?
WWF: a leading force against climate change
a global event created
to symbolize that each one of us, working
together, can make a difference in climate change.
Shaping global agreements on carbon
Implementing adaptation plans for high-risk
ecosystems
Working with businesses to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions
Protecting forests that help mitigate climate change
Dedicated Experts from around the world are....
Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Nashville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York & San Francisco
2009…
global reach: Earth Hour 2009 flagship cities already include Abu Dhabi
Amman
Aukland
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Brisbane
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Copenhagen
Dublin
Galway
Geneva
Gold Coast
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Mexico City
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Sao Paolo
Shanghai
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Sydney
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Vancouver
Warsaw
Plus
The Entire State of CALIFORNIA*
Why Nashville?
Who is WWF?
An international conservation organization that is supported by almost 5 million members globally, 1.2 million members in the United States and almost 12,000 in Tennessee.
The diversity of life isn't evenly distributed around the globe. It is concentrated in certain areas, making them a greater priority for conservation.
Places of Focus
Amazon Coral Triangle Galapagos
By 2020, WWF will conserve 19 of the world's most
important natural places and significantly change global
markets to protect the future of nature.
Goal
Defining the Southeast
About 10.8 million people rely on the waters – projected to grow an average 30% by 2040.
266,483 km2 (102,890 mi2)
The Southeast Rivers and Streams
Outside of the
Amazon and
Mekong, the
Southeast Rivers
and Streams of the
United States is the
most aquatically
biodiverse.
The highest
number of fish,
snail, mussel,
crayfish,
amphibians
species in North
America.
Colorado River Watershed
Columbia River Watershed
Cahaba - 131
Clinch – 126
Conasauga – 76
Paint Rock – 79
Duck – 147
Native Fish Quiz
33 Native Fish Species
25 Native Fish Species
Biodiversity
Smoky Madtom (Noturus baileyi)Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Tennessee Shiner (Notropis leuciodus)Rosyside Dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
Bluemask Darter (Etheostoma [Doration] sp).
Biodiversity
Fine-lined Pocketbook (Hamiota altilis) Cumberland Monkeyface (Quadrula intermedia)
Elephant Ear (Elliptio crassidens) Catspaw (Epioblasma obliquata)
Pocketbook Monkeyface
Elephant Ear Catspaw
Fish and Mussels
Evidence of Decline
The Cumberland, Mobile and Tennessee River Basins are experiencing the highest freshwater
extinction rates in North America.
Of the over 490 fish species in the southeast, 91 are considered imperiled … almost 1 in 5 species.
Duskytail Darter (Etheostoma percnurum)
Etiner, D. Aquatic Fauna in Peril: The Southeastern Perspective, 1997
Freshwater mussels are the most imperiled fauna group in North America. Trend is global.
75% of recognized species are endangered or threatened
12% are presumed extinct
Pyramid Mussel (Pleurobema rubrum)
It’s just a mussel..or fish..or snail…
Aquatic systems receive the cumulative impacts of changes in their watersheds, whether beneficial or harmful.
How?
But how do you change the world
through just a handful of places?
Connect with people.
78% agreed that “by turning off the lights for one hour, I will
be doing my part in helping to
bring greater awareness, possibly leading to action on climate change…”
bringing the world together to fight climate change