In 2018, what is left to explore in the world? It seems unlikely, say, that humans might find an untouched forest to study, someplace that hasn’t been bulldozed and burnt and exploited within an inch of its life for precious minerals or virgin timber. But that’s exactly what happened this past spring, when a Welsh researcher, Dr. Julian Bayliss, led a 28-person team that included scientists specially selected for their different talents as well as logistics experts, rock climbers, and filmmakers to the top of a mountain in Mozambique.
Source: How Google Earth led a team of scientists to discover a rainforest on Mount Lico – The Verge
I just found this fascinating. Gorgeous photos, of course, but that the combination of Google Earth, Drones, and some low-tech and serious rope climbing and legwork lead to this expedition and its results is pretty amazing. Somewhat lengthy article, but as I said, fascinating.
Justin Wonder says
Awesome !
I love rain forest articles. How many new species were discovered by the scientists that made that climb ? Insects, bugs, spiders, snakes, reptiles and who knows what else…. the bogey-man maybe???
All available for study. Amazing. Not my cup of tea, but absolutely amazing.
There was an article posted a couple years ago about an expedition into the Amazon rain forest where they discovered, if my memory can be trusted, 486 new species !
At the current rate of discovery we’ll soon need more space should the new species expand their habitat ?
The idea begs a question ! Does the expansion of hundreds of new species vs the extinction of several old species generate an imbalance ?
Conservationists think the extinction of a single bird of prey in the UK is a global disaster. If the birds of prey had been dining on all these new snakes and spiders, would they have become extinct ???
Dinosaurs and giant mastodons became extinct ! Viruses and bacteria become extinct !
All without the help of humans.
Just wondering ? Do you think the earth would remain in balance without the aid of the conservationists and tree huggers ?????
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