World Government Signs: Ecoregions and Biosphere Reserves World Government Signs is a series on topics and subjects that show how the World Government is forming including Politics and Religion. You may be wondering why does this matter at all? The answer is that the prophecies that the Bible speaks of concerning the end of days or the end time as many refer to it as are both being fulfilled right now while also coming together for the day of the Lord and the establishment of the Millennial Reign of Christ. You do not want to find yourself unaware of the time of which we live in nor do you not want to be ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ at any moment of time in your life. Many of the topics and subjects in this series will have the same name! That is because of the vast amount of information contained within. If you are to be ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ at any moment of time you must be born again of water and of the Spirit as Jesus instructed Nicodemus in John 3:1-7 which finds its fulfillment in Acts 2:38-39 which reads “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” If you have not partook of this then you are not ready to meet the Lord Jesus Christ if you were to die at this very moment!! After fulfilling Acts 2:38 you then are to live a life “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor 7:1) “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Heb 12:14) “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:15-17) This introduction will be reiterated with every single post in this series. So if you have read over this portion of the introduction, in future posts you will know to scroll down to where you see the title of the topic or subject typed again: World Government Signs: Ecoregions and Biosphere Reserves UNESCO or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (since 1945; Paris, France) Introducing UNESCO In 1945, UNESCO was created in order to respond to the firm belief of nations, forged by two world wars in less than a generation, that political and economic agreements are not enough to build a lasting peace. Peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity. UNESCO strives to build networks among nations that enable this kind of solidarity, by: Mobilizing for education: so that every child, boy or girl, has access to quality education as a fundamental human right and as a prerequisite for human development. Building intercultural understanding: through protection of heritage and support for cultural diversity. UNESCO created the idea of World Heritage to protect sites of outstanding universal value. Pursuing scientific cooperation: such as early warning systems for tsunamis or trans-boundary water management agreements, to strengthen ties between nations and societies. Protecting freedom of expression: an essential condition for democracy, development and human dignity. Today, UNESCOs message has never been more important. We must create holistic policies that are capable of addressing the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainable development. This new thinking on sustainable development reaffirms the founding principles of the Organization and enhances its role: In a globalized world with interconnected societies, intercultural dialogue is vital if we are to live together while acknowledging our diversity. In an uncertain world, the future of nations depends not only on their economic capital or natural resources, but on their collective ability to understand and anticipate changes in the environment - through education, scientific research and the sharing of knowledge. In an unstable world - marked by fledgling democratic movements, the emergence of new economic powers and societies weakened by multiple stress factors – the educational, scientific and cultural fabric of societies – along with respect for fundamental rights - guarantees their resilience and stability. In a connected world - with the emergence of the creative economy and knowledge societies, along with the dominance of the Internet, the full participation of everyone in the new global public space is a prerequisite for peace and development. UNESCO is known as the intellectual agency of the United Nations. At a time when the world is looking for new ways to build peace and sustainable development, people must rely on the power of intelligence to innovate, expand their horizons and sustain the hope of a new humanism. UNESCO exists to bring this creative intelligence to life; for it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace and the conditions for sustainable development must be built. Source: en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development Biosphere Reserves – Learning Sites for Sustainable Development Biosphere reserves are sites established by countries and recognized under UNESCOs Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science. As places that seek to reconcile conservation of biological and cultural diversity and economic and social development through partnerships between people and nature, they are ideal to test and demonstrate innovative approaches to sustainable development from local to international scales. Biosphere reserves are thus globally considered as: sites of excellence where new and optimal practices to manage nature and human activities are tested and demonstrated; tools to help countries implement the results of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and, in particular, the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Ecosystem Approach; learning sites for the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. After their designation, biosphere reserves remain under national sovereign jurisdiction, yet they share their experience and ideas nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). There are currently 631 biosphere reserves in 119 countries all over the world. Source: unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/ World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) Composed of 631 biosphere reserves in 119 countries, including 14 transboundary sites, the WNBR of the MAB Programme promotes North-South and South-South collaboration and represents a unique tool for international co-operation through sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, building capacity and promoting best practices. Vision The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence. It fosters the harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participatory dialogue; knowledge sharing; poverty reduction and human well-being improvements; respect for cultural values and society’s ability to cope with change - thus contributing to the Millenium Development Goals. Accordingly, the WNBR is one of the main international tools to develop and implement sustainable development approaches in a wide array of contexts. Mission To ensure environmental, economic and social (including cultural and spiritual) sustainability through: the development and coordination of a worldwide network of places acting as demonstration areas and learning sites with the aim of maintaining and developing ecological and cultural diversity, and securing ecosystem services for human well-being; the development and integration of knowledge, including science, to advance our understanding of interactions between people and the rest of nature; building global capacity for the management of complex socio-ecological systems, particularly through encouraging greater dialogue at the science-policy interface; environmental education; and multi-media outreach to the wider community. Source: unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/world-network-wnbr/ Main Characteristics of Biosphere reserves The main characteristics of biosphere reserves are: Achieving the three interconnected functions: conservation, development and logistic support; Outpacing traditional confined conservation zones, through appropriate zoning schemes combining core protected areas with zones where sustainable development is fostered by local dwellers and enterprises with often highly innovative and participative governance systems; Focusing on a multi-stakeholder approach with particular emphasis on the involvement of local communities in management; Fostering dialogue for conflict resolution of natural resource use; Integrating cultural and biological diversity, especially the role of traditional knowledge in ecosystem management; Demonstrating sound sustainable development practices and policies based on research and monitoring; Acting as sites of excellence for education and training; Participating in the World Network. Source: unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/main-characteristics/ About Global Ecoregions The Global Ecoregions is a science-based global ranking of the Earths most biologically outstanding terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. It provides a critical blueprint for biodiversity conservation at a global scale. Developed by WWF scientists in collaboration with regional experts around the world, the Global Ecoregions is the first comparative analysis of biodiversity to cover every major habitat type, spanning 5 continents and all the worlds oceans. The aim of the Global Ecoregions analysis is to ensure that the full range of ecosystems is represented within regional conservation and development strategies, so that conservation efforts around the world contribute to a global biodiversity strategy. The Global Ecoregions reflects 3 major innovations It is comprehensive in its scope - it encompasses all major habitat types including freshwater and marine systems as well as land-based habitats. It ranges from arctic tundra to tropical reefs, from mangroves to deserts, to include species from every major habitat type on Earth. It is representative in its final selection. The most outstanding examples of each major habitat type are included from every continent and ocean basin. Thus it includes, for example, the most important tropical and temperate forests from each continent, and the most important coral reefs from each ocean. It uses ecoregions as the unit of scale for comparison and analysis. Ecoregions are large areas of relatively uniform climate that harbour a characteristic set of species and ecological communities. By focusing on large, biologically distinct areas of land and water, the Global Ecoregions set the stage for conserving biodiversity. Source: wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/ Ecoregions Biodiversity is not spread evenly across the Earth but follows complex patterns determined by climate, geology and the evolutionary history of the planet. These patterns are called ecoregions. WWF defines an ecoregion as a large unit of land or water containing a geographically distinct assemblage of species, natural communities, and environmental conditions. The boundaries of an ecoregion are not fixed and sharp, but rather encompass an area within which important ecological and evolutionary processes most strongly interact. The Global ecoregions recognize the fact that, whilst tropical forests and coral reefs harbour the most biodiversity and are the traditional targets of conservation organizations, unique manifestations of nature are found in temperate and boreal regions, in deserts and mountain chains, which occur nowhere else on Earth and which risk being lost forever if they are not conserved. Terrestrial Ecoregions Deserts and xeric shrublands Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests Tropical and suptropical coniferous forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Temperate Coniferous Forest Boreal forests / Taiga Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands Temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands Flooded grasslands and savannas Montane grasslands and shrublands Tundra Mediterranean Forests, woodlands and scrubs Mangroves Freshwater Ecoregions Large river ecosystems Large river headwater ecosystems Large river delta ecosystems Small river ecosystems Large lake ecosystems Small Lake Ecosystems Xeric basin ecosystems Marine Ecoregions Polar Ecoregions Temperate Shelf and seas ecoregions Temperate Upwelling Tropical Upwellings Tropical Coral Selection Methodology The Global Ecoregions are the results of regional analyses of biodiversity across the continents and oceans of the world, completed in collaboration with hundreds of regional experts worldwide and by conducting extensive literature reviews. These ecoregions were chosen from outstanding examples of each terrestrial, freshwater, and marine major habitat type. The 26 major habitat types describe different areas of the world that share similar environmental conditions, habitat structure, and patterns of biological complexity, and that contain similar communities and species adaptations. In order to represent the unique fauna and flora of the worlds continents and ocean basins, each major habitat type was further subdivided by 7 biogeographic realms (Afrotropical, Australasia, Indo-Malayan, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oceania, Palearctic). Finally, ecoregions that represented the most distinctive examples of biodiversity for a given major habitat type were identified within each biogeographic realm. They were chosen based on the following parameters: species richness endemism higher taxonomic uniqueness (e.g., unique genera or families, relict species or communities, primitive lineages) extraordinary ecological or evolutionary phenomena (e.g., extraordinary adaptive radiations, intact large vertebrate assemblages, presence of migrations of large vertebrates) global rarity of the major habitat type Only the biodiversity value of ecoregions sharing the same major habitat type were compared because the relative magnitude of parameters such as richness and endemism varies widelay among them. Source: worldwildlife.org/biomes United States Environmental Protection Agency Western Ecology Division Ecoregion Maps and GIS Resources: Ecoregions of North America Ecoregions of the Continental United States Level III Ecoregions of Alaska Publications FTP Site Examples of Ecoregion Applications Contacts The ecoregions shown here have been derived from Omernik (1987) and from refinements of Omerniks framework that have been made for other projects. These ongoing or recently completed projects, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. EPA regional offices, other federal agencies, state resource management agencies, and groups from neighboring North American countries, involve refining and subdividing ecoregions. Designed to serve as a spatial framework for the research assessment, and monitoring of ecosystems and ecosystem components, ecoregions denote areas within which ecosystems (and the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources) are generally similar. By recognizing the spatial differences in the capacities and potentials of ecosystems, ecoregions stratify the environment by its probable response to disturbance (Bryce et al. 1999). These general purpose regions are critical for structuring and implementing ecosystem management strategies across federal agencies, state agencies, and nongovernmental organizations that are responsible for different types of resources within the same geographical areas (Omernik et al. 2000, McMahon et al. 2001). The approach used to compile these maps is based on the premise that ecological regions can be identified through the analysis of the patterns and the composition of biotic and abiotic phenomena that affect or reflect differences in ecosystem quality and integrity (Wiken 1986; Omernik 1987, 1995). These phenomena include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another regardless of the hierarchical level. Because of possible confusion with other meanings of terms for different levels of ecological regions, a Roman numeral classification scheme has been adopted for this effort. Level I is the coarsest level, dividing North America into 15 ecological regions, whereas at Level II the continent is subdivided into 50 classes (CEC 1997, 2006). Level III, a subdivision of Level II, has been even further subdivided into Level IV regions for the conterminous United States. More detailed explanations of the methods used to define the USEPA ecoregions are given in Omernik 1995, 2004, and Omernik et al. 2000. The applications of the ecoregions are explained in Bryce et al. 1999 and in reports and publications from the state and regional projects (e.g., Griffith et al. 2007, Griffith. et al. 1994, and Omernik et al. 2000). For additional information, contact James M. Omernik, U.S. Geological Survey, c/o U.S. EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333 (phone 541-754-4458; email [email protected]); or Glenn Griffith, U.S. Geological Survey, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333 (phone 541-754-4465; email [email protected]). Source: epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions.htm UNESCO All Offices by Region Through its field offices, UNESCO develops strategies, programmes and activities in consultation with national authorities and other partners. UNESCO also operates a number of specialized institutes and centres. Africa UNESCO Liaison Office in Addis Ababa - Liaison Office with the African Union and with the Economic Commission for Africa. UNESCO Office in Abuja - National Office to Nigeria. UNESCO Office in Accra - Cluster Office for Benin, Côte dIvoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo. UNESCO Office in Bamako - Cluster Office for Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger. UNESCO Office in Brazzaville - National Office to Congo. UNESCO Office in Bujumbura - National Office to Burundi. UNESCO Office in Dakar - Regional Bureau for Education in Africa and Cluster Office for Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. UNESCO Office in Dar es-Salaam - Cluster Office for Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and United Republic of Tanzania. UNESCO Office in Harare - Cluster Office for Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. UNESCO Office in Kinshasa - National Office to the Democratic Republic of Congo. UNESCO Office in Libreville - Cluster Office for Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe. UNESCO Office in Maputo - National Office to Mozambique. UNESCO Office in Nairobi - Regional Bureau for Sciences in Africa and Cluster Office for Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda. UNESCO Office in Windhoek - Cluster Office to Angola, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. UNESCO Office in Yaoundé - Cluster Office to Cameroon, Central African Republic and Chad. Arab States UNESCO Office for Iraq - National Office for Iraq. UNESCO Office in Amman - National Office to Jordan. UNESCO Office in Beirut - Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States and Cluster Office to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and the Autonomous Palestinian Territories. UNESCO Office in Cairo - Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States and Cluster Office for Egypt, Libya and Sudan. UNESCO Office in Doha - Cluster Office to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. UNESCO Office in Khartoum - National Office to Sudan. UNESCO Office in Rabat - Cluster Office to Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. UNESCO Office in Ramallah - National Office to the Palestinian Authority. Asia and Pacific UNESCO Office in Almaty - Cluster Office to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. UNESCO Office in Apia - Cluster Office to Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Tokelau (Associate Member). UNESCO Office in Bangkok - Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific and Cluster Office to Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Singapore, Viet Nam and Cambodia. UNESCO Office in Beijing - Cluster Office to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), Japan, Mongolia, the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of Korea (ROK). UNESCO Office in Dhaka - National Office to Bangladesh. UNESCO Office in Hanoi - National Office to Vietnam. UNESCO Office in Islamabad - National Office to Pakistan. UNESCO Office in Jakarta - Regional Bureau for Sciences in Asia and the Pacific and Cluster Office to Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste. UNESCO Office in Kabul - National Office to Afghanistan. UNESCO Office in Kathmandu - National Office to Nepal. UNESCO Office in New Delhi - Cluster Office to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh - National Office to Cambodia. UNESCO Office in Tashkent - National Office to Uzbekistan. UNESCO Office in Tehran - Cluster Office to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Turkmenistan. Europe and North America UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels - UNESCO Representation to the European Union and its subsidiaries bodies in Brussels UNESCO Liaison Office in Geneva - Liaison Office to the United Nations in Geneva. UNESCO Liaison Office in New York - Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York. UNESCO Office in Moscow - Cluster Office to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation. UNESCO Office in Venice - Regional Bureau for Sciences and Culture in Europe and North America. Latin America and the Caribbean UNESCO Office in Brasilia - National Office to Brazil. UNESCO Office in Guatemala - National Office to Guatemala. UNESCO Office in Havana - Regional Bureau for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean and Cluster Office to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Aruba. UNESCO Office in Kingston - Cluster Office to Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saints Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago as well as the associate member states of British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. UNESCO Office in Lima - National Office to Peru. UNESCO Office in Mexico - National Office to Mexico. UNESCO Office in Montevideo - Regional Bureau for Sciences in Latin America and the Caribbean and Cluster Office to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. UNESCO Office in Port-au-Prince - National Office to Haiti. UNESCO Office in Quito - Cluster Office to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. UNESCO Office in San José - Cluster Office to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. UNESCO Office in Santiago de Chile - Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean and National Office to Chile. UNESCO Liaison Office in Addis Ababa - Liaison Office with the African Union and with the Economic Commission for Africa. UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels - UNESCO Representation to the European Union and its subsidiaries bodies in Brussels UNESCO Liaison Office in Geneva - Liaison Office to the United Nations in Geneva. UNESCO Liaison Office in New York - Liaison Office to the United Nations in New York. Source: en.unesco.org/about-us/all-offices-region
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 10:16:10 +0000
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