BIOtheNUMBERS

The Living Planet Index is based on trends in nearly 5,000 populations of 1,686 species of mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and fish from around the globe.

The global index (Living Planet Index) shows that vertebrate species populations declined by nearly 30% during the period 1970 to 2005.

Humanity’s Ecological Footprint- Human demand on the biosphere more than doubled during the period 1961 to 2005.

 Global Living Planet Index shows an average trend of -28% from 1970 to 2005 in 4,642 populations of 1,686 species.

Temperate Living Planet Index shows a +6% average trend between 1970 and 2005 in 3,309 opulations of 1,235 species.

Tropical Living Planet Index shows a -51% overall trend from 1970 to 2005 in 1,333 populations of 585 species.

Terrestrial Living Planet Index shows an average -33% trend between 1970 and 2005 in 2,007 populations of 887 terrestrial species.

Marine Living Planet Index shows an average -14 % trend over 35 years in 1,175 populations of 341 marine species.

Freshwater Living Planet Index shows an average -35% trend from 1970 to 2005 in 1,463 populations of 458 species.

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Death Valley is the lowest spot in North America

The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet (86 m) below sea level

It is home to more than 1,000 kinds of plants

Some plants residing on the valley floor have roots that go down 10 times the height of a person

Death Valley is home to 51 species of native mammals, 307 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles, 3 species of amphibians, and 5 species and 1 subspecies of native fishes.

Yearly precipitation consistently averaged about 1.6 inches of rain for the first 65 years of record keeping.

The last 30 years has seen an increase, averaging 2.5 inches of rain a year. The 95-year average is now just under two inches a year.

There have been some years of no recorded rainfall at all.

The highest mountain in Death Valley National Park is 11,049 foot Telescope Peak. The vertical drop from the peak to the Badwater Basin is twice the depth of Grand Canyon.

134° F is the hottest recorded temperature (July 10, 1913)

The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 100° F or above was 154 days in the summer of 2001.

The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120° F, and 105 days over 110° F.

The summer of 1917 had 43 consecutive days with a high temperature of 120° F or above.

The highest ground temperature recorded was 201° F at Furnace Creek on July 15, 1972. The maximum air temperature for that day was 128° F.

Ground temperature on the valley floor is about 40% higher than the surrounding air temperature.

Higher elevations are cooler than the low valley. Temperatures drop 3° to 5° F with every thousand vertical feet.

Data: National Park Service

At least 81 bird species inhabit U.S. marine waters, spending their lives at sea and  returning to islands and coasts to nest.

At least 39% of bird species in U.S. marine waters are believed to be declining, but data are lacking for many species.

Of 81 ocean bird species, almost half are of conservation concern.

4 that are federally listed as endangered or threatened.

37% of ocean bird species have stable population trends.

12% of the 81 ocean bird species have  increasing populations.

12% of ocean birds do not have enough data available to determine population trends.

Longline fisheries worldwide injure and drown as many as 60 bird species.

Reference: North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee, 2009. The State of the Birds, United States of America, 2009. U.S. Department of Interior: Washington, DC.

More than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered with liquid water

If you include ice, the proportion rises to more than four-fifths

Humans and most animals are ~62% water

Soft-bodied aquatic organisms like jellyfish are more than 98% water

Freezing point is 0°C and the boiling point is 100°C

The density of water is 1 kg per liter

A pinhead-sized drop of water contains 1 billion billion molecules

Seawater has about 10.8 parts per thousand (ppt) of sodium and 19.35 ppt of chloride

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48 - The number of bird species that nest in U.S. grasslands, including ducks, grouse, hawks, and songbirds

48 and 55 - The percent of grassland birds that are of conservation concern and percent showing significant declines.

2 - Percent of the tallgrass prairie that still remains in North America

4 - Number of grassland bird populations that are federally endangered

8 - Number of sparrow species out of 12 that are listed as of conservation concern

38-77 - Percent of Eastern and Western meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Shorteared Owls, and Northern Bobwhites that have declined since 1968

6 - Number of species that breed in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada and that winter in Mexico’s Chihuahuan grasslands that are showing steep declines of 68–91%

Data: State of the Birds 2009

Photo by South Dakota Tourism