Planting the same crops over and over again hurts species diversity and depletes the soil of its nutrients, threatening local food security and the agricultural businesses that underpin the region’s economy.īut many farmers and ranchers in Gran Chaco are showing that food production doesn’t have to come at the expense of nature. While the Gran Chaco has always been an important region for farming, many of the small farms serving local communities have been replaced by massive operations devoted to commodity crops like soy. What’s happening: A food system that gives back to nature And putting management in local hands could open the door to other sustainable income opportunities in the future, like carbon trading. The additional income opportunities can reduce families’ dependence on harvests on strained fisheries. Mangrove protectors are extending their leadership to their households, influencing more sustainable behaviors at the family level. Fields of mangroves are thriving and common food species of crab are bouncing back. The program has been a boon for both people and nature. Women in the program gain access to financial training and microloans that help them grow their economic independence. To bring them back to health, TNC and local partners established a program to empower women’s associations to restore mangroves near their communities. The fishing communities of Kenya’s Lamu Archipelago have always relied on the mangrove forests to nurture healthy fish and crab populations, but heavy logging in the 1990s took a heavy toll on these habitats. What’s happening: Mangroves, mothers and microloans Now the state has the chance to transform to a low carbon, low impact future by using former coal mine lands for siting solar energy development. West Virginians are struggling to figure out how their economic future will play out.įor generations, West Virginia has been a leading energy producer for the country. As energy markets have shifted, many of those mines have been shuttered or are in the process of shutting down, leaving behind degraded habitats and depressed local economies. In West Virginia, as in many Appalachian states, coal mining has long been an important industry. The Central Appalachians’ intact forests and varied topographies create an especially diverse network of microclimates, an in turn, a stronghold for biodiversity. Species whose habitats become too warm or humid due to climate change can shift their ranges along the mountain chain or climb to higher elevations to find climates more like those they’re adapted to.Įven plants take these “escape routes,” sending their seeds and offspring towards more favorable ranges over generations.
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