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| World Protected Areas
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is one of the main sources of information on the global environment. You can map (or graph) protected areas on the UNEP website. Go to geodata.grid.unep.ch/. You'll see an option to "search the GEO Database." In the search space, enter protected areas. The search should return a list of variables, such as extent of protected mangroves (by number of sites or by total area), number or area of marine protected areas, and so on. Some of these variables are grouped by country, some by region (e.g., Africa), and some by subregion (e.g., southern Africa). Select Mangroves, Forest Extent (at the national level). Then click continue. The next window asks you to select a year to map, but you have only one option, so click continue again. Next, select the Draw Map option. Look at the legend below the map, showing ranges in extent of protected mangroves. Which countries have the most protected mangroves? Zoom in on Indonesia (using the Basic Tools, Zoom In option). As you zoom in, you should see the shape of the ocean floor. Can you see the flat shelves around Indonesia where mangroves might flourish? Now check which countries have the maximum amount of protected mangroves: click on the show extremes box, then click on the map to redraw. Which five countries have the most? Go back to the Geo Data Portal website, and you can return to the list of data sets by clicking on 2. Dataset, just above the Draw Map option. Select another variable to map. Protected Areas (IUCN Categories I–VI) is a good option. After you've made your map, you can use the show extremes option again. Which countries have the most protected areas? Which have the least? Can you think of some explanations for these extremes? Note that you can make bar graphs to compare selected countries, you can look at (and download) data tables, and if you select a variable with multiple dates, you can draw a line graph showing change over time. Parks and Preserves in Australia Many countries have national park and nature preserve systems. Australia provides information on these areas on the Web. Go to www.ea.gov.au/ parks/, and choose a national park or nature preserve by clicking on a name in the list in the left frame. Look at the web page for that site. What is the site like? Where is it? What characteristics make it worth preserving? Is there anything like it near where you live, or have you ever been to a place like this one? Wetland Losses in the United States Wetland losses represent habitat losses for a huge variety of wildlife, as well as a reduction of water storage capacity on land. Look at the Environmental Protection Agency's map of wetland losses: this map is halfway down the page at www.epa.gov/wateratlas/geo/maplist.html. To see a larger version of this map, click on the map image. How severe is wetland loss in your area? What reasons can you think of to explain wetland losses in your area? Where are wetland losses most severe? What land-use activities might explain losses in those areas? Now look at the map of aquatic/wetland species at risk, on the same page. What is the date on this map? Do you suppose conditions have improved or worsened since that date? |