Charles Darwin's ecological experiment on Ascension isle

[Dead_Parrot]

Here's interesting...

A lonely island in the middle of the South Atlantic conceals Charles Darwin's best-kept secret.

Two hundred years ago, Ascension Island was a barren volcanic edifice.

Today, its peaks are covered by lush tropical "cloud forest".

What happened in the interim is the amazing story of how the architect of evolution, Kew Gardens and the Royal Navy conspired to build a fully functioning, but totally artificial ecosystem.

More at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11137903


Cloud forest now forms a damp oasis on Ascension's highest peak

[RandomThoughts]

1. Called subsets of the internet we post on.

:rofl:

Was going to write a story about that, add a little CGI tv, and some people can be kept from seeing what is going on.


You fuckers will pay. (Side note, the opposites think it is people like me that will pay them)


Note that is how they rationalize their own deaths.

[northoftheborder]

2. Fascinating story - had never heard it.

Why couldn't this same thing be done in other areas - I suppose they would have to be near the ocean, if otherwise arid, for the mist to form.

[Nihil]

8. Same here ...

... until Muriel posted it on the Science forum a week or so ago.

> I suppose they would have to be near the ocean, if otherwise arid,
> for the mist to form.

I think the location is definitely key.

[scarletwoman]

3. How fascinating!

I went to the link to read the whole article - way too short! I really wanted to know more about the island.

Things like, are there any animals there, any insects? Birds? Bird nesting sites? Do the banana trees produce fruit? Are there grasses? Wildflowers?

Anyway, thank you for posting this.

sw

[XemaSab]

6. There are 24 species of bird, including one endemic

Phasianidae

Red-necked Francolin Francolinus afer Introduced species

Procellariidae

Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis Rare/Accidental

Hydrobatidae

Band-rumped Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro

Phaethontidae

Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus

Fregatidae

Ascension Frigatebird Fregata aquila Endemic Vulnerable

Sulidae

Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
Red-footed Booby Sula sula
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

Rallidae

Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni Rare/Accidental
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica Rare/Accidental

Scolopacidae

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Rare/Accidental

Laridae

Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata
Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata
Brown Noddy Anous stolidus
Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris
Black Noddy Anous minutus
White Tern Gygis alba

Stercorariidae

Parasitic Jaeger/Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Rare/Accidental

Apodidae

Common Swift Apus apus Rare/Accidental

Hirundinidae

Northern House Martin Delichon urbicum Rare/Accidental

Sturnidae

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Introduced species

Estrildidae

Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Introduced species

Fringillidae

Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris Introduced species

[Ozymanithrax]

4. This is an incredible article.

Great for ficiton ideas.

[Ozymanithrax]

5. A related blog post at Centauri Dreams.

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=14217

[depakid]

7. Pretty barren looking place mostly

http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/africa/ascension.html