"Biodiversity" has also become a hot topic these days.
In fact, in May 2019, an organization affiliated with the United Nations Environment Program issued a report stating that the global species extinction rate was "at least tens to hundreds of times faster than the average rate over the past 10 million years."
In 1993, the United Nations issued the "Convention on Biological Diversity", which aims to unite countries to save endangered species and protect biodiversity. In order to further implement this convention and arouse people's ecological awareness, the United Nations announced in 2000 that May 22 every year is the "International Biodiversity Day".
All things in nature share weal and woe. The United Nations pointed out that the loss of biodiversity will threaten the health of all living things, including humans. For example, the loss of biodiversity may encourage animal-borne diseases, that is, diseases that spread from animals to humans. . In addition to fighting the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, protecting biodiversity can also bring great value to future generations.
From the sky to the sea, the Netherlands is rich in natural resources, but there are also problems in this country that have damaged biodiversity due to pollution and overexploitation. How to live in harmony with nature and build a healthy and vibrant ecosystem has become an important topic for exploration in the Netherlands.
The Dutch government takes steps to improve the environment
The Netherlands is a country rich in natural resources. The country has a national landscape with a total area of more than 900,000 hectares, accounting for one-fifth of the country's land area. At the same time, marine and freshwater resources are second to none in the world. Moreover, the Netherlands is also one of the world's largest exporters of agricultural products and food.
However, with the continuous development of national power, the Netherlands is facing more natural tests.
In terms of land use, the well-developed agriculture and dense population in the Netherlands have caused the country's land to be polluted to varying degrees. On the one hand, the large amount of nitrogen produced by agriculture pollutes water bodies and affects marine life; on the other hand, it destroys vegetation and acidifies soil.
As for the ocean, the Netherlands is close to the North Sea and has developed fisheries. 20% of the Dutch North Sea area is within the scope of the global marine protected area. However, only 0.3% is truly fully protected, and only 26% of fish and shellfish exploitation is sustainable.
In terms of biodiversity, there are 36,000 animal species in the Netherlands. However, in the red list of endangered animals that is updated every year, more than 40% of the animals on the list are in a dangerous state.
To this end, the Dutch government has formulated various policies and regulations to protect biodiversity. The National Ecological Network is one of the plans. This plan includes existing nature reserves and areas that may be expanded in the future. The Dutch government plans to expand the protected areas to 728,500 hectares by 2025.
This also includes the protected areas in Natura 2000. Natura 2000 is a network of nature reserves established by the European Union in the 1990s, covering more than 18% of the EU's land and 6% of the sea. The breeding grounds and habitats of rare species are the key points.
In terms of protecting the ocean, the Netherlands has formulated the North Sea 2050 space agenda, emphasizing that human construction and activities must coexist harmoniously with the natural environment of the North Sea. Fisheries will be further restricted. The Ministry of Fisheries said that by 2020, 30% of the North Sea will be banned from fishing.
As for the ocean, the Netherlands is close to the North Sea and has developed fisheries. 20% of the Dutch North Sea area is within the scope of the global marine protected area. However, only 0.3% is truly fully protected, and only 26% of fish and shellfish exploitation is sustainable.
In terms of biodiversity, there are 36,000 animal species in the Netherlands. However, in the red list of endangered animals that is updated every year, more than 40% of the animals on the list are in a dangerous state.
To this end, the Dutch government has formulated various policies and regulations to protect biodiversity. The National Ecological Network is one of the plans. This plan includes existing nature reserves and areas that may be expanded in the future. The Dutch government plans to expand the protected areas to 728,500 hectares by 2025.
This also includes the protected areas in Natura 2000. Natura 2000 is a network of nature reserves established by the European Union in the 1990s, covering more than 18% of the EU's land and 6% of the sea. The breeding grounds and habitats of rare species are the key points.
In terms of protecting the ocean, the Netherlands has formulated the North Sea 2050 space agenda, emphasizing that human construction and activities must coexist harmoniously with the natural environment of the North Sea. Fisheries will be further restricted. The Ministry of Fisheries said that by 2020, 30% of the North Sea will be banned from fishing.
The Dutch academia's strange tricks to govern the environment
1. Take root in the earth
Not only is the government working hard, but the Dutch folk and academic circles have never stopped researching and protecting biodiversity. In agriculture, Wageningen University, known for its agriculture, is conducting various researches. In the past century, more and more agricultural land has been used for single crop cultivation, causing the land and the surrounding ecological environment to lose diversity, making it easier for pests and diseases to multiply.
Weinand Suker, a researcher at the Wageningen Institute of Botany, said that farmland with alternating crops will have more vitality. Different species use different nutrients, water and light. If a crop can produce protective substances, these substances will also protect surrounding plants. The excrement of one kind of organism can become another kind of food. Taken together, compared to planting individual species, alternate planting makes the soil healthier and yields higher grains.
Enriching the ecology within the soil is also very important. For example, the increase of worms can absorb excess waste and enrich the soil with air and moisture. Molds and bacteria recycle nutrients and improve soil structure and control pathogens.
In addition, Wageningen also contributes to the sustainable agricultural economy. They put forward the concept of "from fork to farm". This model puts the understanding of consumers' tastes and needs in the first place, reduces waste of agricultural output, and satisfies market demand in a more sustainable way.
2. Explore the bottom of the sea
In the ocean, a coral research is being conducted in the Dutch Caribbean. Coral reefs are extremely sensitive to climate change, and problems such as pollution and overfishing of pro-coral fish have put corals on the brink of extinction.
Eric Meister of the Wageningen Marine Research Center said that they are trying to repair coral reefs by "planting" live coral polyps on dead coral skeletons or artificial structures. This project lasts for 3 years, and the content is exhaustive, such as: under what circumstances will it be planted? What size coral is easier to survive? How to reproduce to keep the genetic diversity of corals to the maximum? Why is this coral more environmentally tolerant than another?
Meister hopes that this project will eventually be taken over by the locals. Protecting the coral ecology is not only the work of the academic community, but also the consensus of the locals, so that it can continue to add commercial value to the tourism industry and sustainable fisheries.
3. Focus on the backyard
There is a magical device in the backyard of some ordinary people-a camera. Patrick Jensen, associate professor of resource ecology, said his team is studying how animals adapt to the urban environment. This camera is used by Jensen to protect living things. Unique method. He pointed out that to protect the biodiversity of a certain area, it is necessary to obtain systematic data, so biological monitoring and statistics are particularly important.
Jensen coordinated a research laboratory called CameraTrapLab. What they did was to record passing animals with an automatic digital camera. Jensen explained that for birds or plants, systematic counting is relatively easy, but for some species that are only active at night or are very shy, the only way to capture their tracks is often with the help of cameras.
What the laboratory does is more than simple photography. Combined with the infrared sensor device, the camera can individually identify animals. Since the number of times the camera captures an individual animal is usually proportional to its species richness, the number of species in the area can be further calculated through calculations.
These cameras not only play a role in natural habitats, but can also be installed in ordinary people's backyards. This kind of "civic science" can also stimulate everyone's awareness of ecological protection. He pointed out that "people are full of interest in what happens in their gardens."
Different paths between the Netherlands and China, unified goals
Whether it’s animal cameras or coral research, in order to cope with the crisis of reducing biodiversity, the Dutch government and the private sector start with biological protection, new agriculture, ocean management, etc., relying on policies and solid science and technology to establish A comprehensive ecological protection network.
China is known for its rich biodiversity in the world. The rapid development of China in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China ignored the environment, and the biodiversity on this land has withstood severe tests.
In recent years, through systematic conservation, China's ecological diversity construction can be regarded as initial results. For example, China’s land degradation has achieved commendable "zero growth", and tree planting has achieved remarkable results; in terms of wildlife protection, the number of critically endangered animals such as giant pandas and crested ibis has continued to increase, and the protection level of Tibetan antelopes and other animals has been reduced from "endangered" to "Near Threatened".
At the moment when the epidemic has not left, we unexpectedly discovered that after the reduction of human activities, many natural habitats have returned to life, and many rare animals have reappeared. Perhaps this is also a good opportunity to rethink the relationship between man and nature.
