Institute of Biodiversity Conservation

International targets set for reducing biodiversity loss may still be achieved with the help of a new online conservation tool. The new initiative led by the Zoological Society of London brings together information on the world’s threatened species and demonstrates that we know the least about the status of animals and plants in areas where diversity is greatest. This means that in parts of the world where conservation planning may be most critical, we lack information to effectively prioritize and manage species.

cranesThe Kafta-Sheraro National Park, northwest Ethiopia supports the remnant elephant population in the expense of the Tekeze Valley, and it is home to many ungulates, predators and a variety of birds. An expedition to the National Park was carried out to assess the faunal diversity of the Park and learn the impacts of the major threats. In this expedition, more than 21,500 Demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides virgo), about 9% of the world population, were recorded which can qualify the criterion for the Ramsar Convention. cranesThe Kafta-Sheraro National Park, northwest Ethiopia supports the remnant elephant population in the expense of the Tekeze Valley, and it is home to many ungulates, predators and a variety of birds. An expedition to the National Park was carried out to assess the faunal diversity of the Park and learn the impacts of the major threats. In this expedition, more than 21,500 Demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides virgo), about 9% of the world population, were recorded which can qualify the criterion for the Ramsar Convention.

The 2009 World Food Prize will be awarded to Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia, whose sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the devastating Striga weed have dramatically increased the production and availability of one of the world’s five principal grains and enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Upon completing his graduate degree, Dr. Ejeta accepted a position as a sorghum researcher at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) office in Sudan. During his time at ICRISAT, Dr. Ejeta developed the first hybrid sorghum varieties for Africa, which were drought-tolerant and high-yielding.