Tornado

What is tornado?

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as twisters or cyclones, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology, in a wider sense, to name any closed low pressure circulation. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, but they are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, whose narrow end touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris and dust. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (177 km/h), are about 250 feet (76 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (483 km/h), stretch more than two miles (3.2 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).

Oklahoma Tornado (Watch here)

Condensation

A tornado does not necessarily need to be visible; however, the extremely low pressure caused by the high wind speeds and rapid rotation usually causes water vapor in the air to condense into a visible condensation funnel. The tornado is the vortex of wind, not the cloud condensation.

Tornado family 

A single storm may produce multiple tornadoes and mesocyclones. Tornadoes produced from the same storm are referred to as a tornado family. Sometimes multiple tornadoes from distinct mesocyclones occur at the same time.

Tornado outbreak 

Occasionally, several tornadoes are spawned from the same very large storm. If there is no break in their activity, this is considered a tornado outbreak, although there are various definitions. A period of several successive days with tornado outbreaks in the same general area (spawned by multiple weather systems) is a tornado outbreak sequence, occasionally called an extended tornado outbreak.

Severe tornado outbreaks 

Sometimes, tornadoes happen in groups. 148 tornadoes struck on the same day in April 1974. Many towns in Midwestern America and Canada were destroyed. More than 300 people died. They were hit by flying wrecks, buried under houses, and thrown by powerful winds. That day, students in Xenia, Ohio were practicing for a play in the auditorium stage. One girl looked out the window and saw the tornado. The students ran into the hall, covering their heads. A few seconds later, all the school buses flew right onto the stage.

 

A man in another town hid under the couch in his living room. He held onto one couch leg. The tornado struck his house, and winds blew around him. When the tornado left, he was outside. There was no house. The couch had disappeared, and he was only holding onto one couch leg.

Tornado Watch

A "tornado watch" is given when the weather conditions look like a tornado could form. A 'PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation)' watch is given when a likely tornado outbreak is to start, many strong tornadoes will form in the area, or an ongoing tornado outbreak is in the works in the area.

Tornado Warning

 A "tornado warning" is given if somebody has actually seen a tornado or if a tornado 'signature' (usually the storm has a 'hook' or 'U' echo) has shown up on radar.

Tornado Emergencies

Tornado emergencies are a special weather statement saying that a powerful tornado is about to hit an area with a lot of people in it (cities like Nashville, TN), a tornado has been spotted, and the tornado is expected to cause deaths.

Safety tips

To keep safe in a tornado, here are some tips you can follow:

• Go to the lowest floor of the building. Stay close to the center of the building and away from windows, for example a bathroom with no windows and get in to the bath tub.
• Find a piece of strong furniture or a mattress to go under or hide in a closet and wait until it is over.
• If you are in a school, do not go to the gymnasium or any other place that has a high ceiling. Squat near the wall, placing your hands on the back of your head.
• If you cannot find shelter, find the lowest, most protected ground and cover your head with your hands.

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Flood

What is Flood?
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is normally dry. The European Union (EU) Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering by water of land not normally covered by water.In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river or lake, in which the water over-tops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries,or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an areal flood. While the size of a lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, these changes in size are unlikely to be considered significant unless they flood property or drown domestic animals. 
 

About Flood

Floods can also occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine flood damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, people have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry.

Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods, can develop in just a few minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins.

Effects

Primary effects

The primary effects of flooding include loss of life, damage to buildings and other structures, including bridges, sewerage systems, roadways, and canals. 

Infrastructure damage also frequently damages power transmission and sometimes power generation, which then has knock-on effects caused by the loss of power. This includes loss of drinking water treatment and water supply, which may result in loss of drinking water or severe water contamination. It may also cause the loss of sewage disposal facilities. Lack of clean water combined with human sewage in the flood waters raises the risk of waterborne diseases, which can include typhoid, giardia, cryptosporidium, cholera and many other diseases depending upon the location of the flood.

Damage to roads and transport infrastructure may make it difficult to mobilise aid to those affected or to provide emergency health treatment.

Flood waters typically inundate farm land, making the land unworkable and preventing crops from being planted or harvested, which can lead to shortages of food both for humans and farm animals. Entire harvests for a country can be lost in extreme flood circumstances. Some tree species may not survive prolonged flooding of their root systems.

Secondary and long-term effects

Economic hardship due to a temporary decline in tourism, rebuilding costs, or food shortages leading to price increases is a common after-effect of severe flooding. The impact on those affected may cause psychological damage to those affected, in particular where deaths, serious injuries and loss of property occur.

Flood Watch

Anticipating floods before they occur allows for precautions to be taken and people to be warned so that they can be prepared in advance for flooding conditions. For example, farmers can remove animals from low-lying areas and utility services can put in place emergency provisions to re-route services if needed. Emergency services can also make provisions to have enough resources available ahead of time to respond to emergencies as they occur.

In order to make the most accurate flood forecasts for waterways, it is best to have a long time-series of historical data that relates stream flows to measured past rainfall events. Coupling this historical information with real-time knowledge about volumetric capacity in catchment areas, such as spare capacity in reservoirs, ground-water levels, and the degree of saturation of area aquifers is also needed in order to make the most accurate flood forecasts. 

Radar estimates of rainfall and general weather forecasting techniques are also important components of good flood forecasting. In areas where good quality data is available, the intensity and height of a flood can be predicted with fairly good accuracy and plenty of lead time. The output of a flood forecast is typically a maximum expected water level and the likely time of its arrival at key locations along a waterway, and it also may allow for the computation of the likely statistical return period of a flood. In many developed countries, urban areas at risk of flooding are protected against a 100-year flood - that is a flood that has a probability of around 63% of occurring in any 100 year period of time.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) Northeast River Forecast Center (RFC) in Taunton, Massachusetts, a general rule-of-thumb for flood forecasting in urban areas is that it takes at least 1 inch (25 mm) of rainfall in around an hour's time in order to start significant ponding of water on impermeable surfaces. Many NWS RFCs routinely issue Flash Flood Guidance and Headwater Guidance, which indicate the general amount of rainfall that would need to fall in a short period of time in order to cause flash flooding or flooding on larger water basins.

In Control

Flood control

In many countries around the world, waterways prone to floods are often carefully managed. Defenses such as levees, bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are used to prevent waterways from overflowing their banks. When these defences fail, emergency measures such as sandbags or portable inflatable tubes are often used to try and stem flooding. Coastal flooding has been addressed in portions of Europe and the Americas with coastal defences, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier islands.

In the riparian zone near rivers and streams, erosion control measures can be taken to try and slow down or reverse the natural forces that cause many waterways to meander over long periods of time. Flood controls, such as dams, can be built and maintained over time to try and reduce the occurrence and severity of floods as well. In the USA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a network of such flood control dams.

Benefits

Floods (in particular more frequent or smaller floods) can also bring many benefits, such as recharging ground water, making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in some soils. Flood waters provide much needed water resources in arid and semi-arid regions where precipitation can be very unevenly distributed throughout the year. Freshwater floods particularly play an important role in maintaining ecosystems in river corridors and are a key factor in maintaining floodplain biodiversity. Flooding can spread nutrients to lakes and rivers, which can lead to increased biomass and improved fisheries for a few years. 
 

For some fish species, an inundated floodplain may form a highly suitable location for spawning with few predators and enhanced levels of nutrients or food. Fish, such as the weather fish, make use of floods in order to reach new habitats. Bird populations may also profit from the boost in food production caused by flooding.

Periodic flooding was essential to the well-being of ancient communities along the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers, the Nile River, the Indus River, the Ganges and the Yellow River among others. The viability of hydro-power, a renewable source of energy, is also higher in flood prone regions.

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Earthquake

What is Earthquake?


An earthquake (also known as a quake, or tremor) is a violent movement of the rocks in the Earth's crust. Earthquakes are usually quite brief, but may repeat over a long period of time. They are the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust. This creates seismic waves, waves of energy that travel through the Earth.

The Earthquake

There are large earthquakes and small earthquakes. Big earthquakes can take down buildings and cause death and injury. The study of earthquakes is called seismology. Seismology studies the frequency, type and size of earthquakes over a period of time.

When the earth moves offshore in the ocean, it can cause a tsunami. A tsunami can cause just as much death and destruction as an earthquake. Landslides can happen, too. This is an important part of the Earth's cycle.

Earthquake Measure
Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The magnitude of an earthquake, and the intensity of shaking, is measured on a numerical scale. On the scale, 3 or less is scarcely noticeable, and magnitude 7 (or more) causes damage over a wide area.

Causes

Earthquakes are caused by tectonic movements in the Earth's crust. The main cause is that when tectonic plates collide, one rides over the other, causing orogeny (mountain building), earthquakes and volcanoes.

The boundaries between moving plates form the largest fault surfaces on Earth. When they stick, relative motion between the plates leads to increasing stress. This continues until the stress rises and breaks, suddenly allowing sliding over the locked portion of the fault, releasing the stored energy.

Fault earthquake
There are three main types of fault that may cause an earthquake: normal, reverse (thrust) and strike-slip. Normal faults occur mainly in areas where the crust is being extended. Reverse faults occur in areas where the crust is being shortened. Strike-slip faults are steep structures where the two sides of the fault slip horizontally past each other.

Earthquake sequence
Most earthquakes form part of a sequence, related to each other in terms of location and time. Most earthquake clusters consist of small tremors which cause little to no damage, but there is a theory that earthquakes can recur in a regular pattern.

The aftershock

An aftershock is an earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake, the main shock. An aftershock is in the same region of the main shock but always of a smaller magnitude. Aftershocks are formed as the crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock.

Earthquake series

Earthquake swarms are sequences of earthquakes striking in a specific area within a short period of time. They are different from earthquakes followed by a series of aftershocks by the fact that no single earthquake in the sequence is obviously the main shock, therefore none have notable higher magnitudes than the other. An example of an earthquake swarm is the 2004 activity at Yellowstone National

.
Earthquake storm

Sometimes a series of earthquakes occur in a sort of earthquake storm, where the earthquakes strike a fault in clusters, each triggered by the shaking or stress redistribution of the previous earthquakes. Similar to aftershocks but on adjacent segments of fault, these storms occur over the course of years, and with some of the later earthquakes as damaging as the early ones. Such a pattern occurred in Turkey in the 20th century.

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Deforestation

Deforestation has been described as the cutting down of trees without planting others in their place. It is hard to think that there was a time when 90% of the earth was covered by trees, but this was once the case. If so, one asks, naturally, what happened to all these trees? Why do people cut down trees? 

Deforestation

 

The following are probable reasons:

a) Demand for land for cultivation.

This has been seen both in Kenya and other parts of the world especially countries that have Agriculture as the backbone of their economy. Trees have been cut down to obtain land for cultivation of both subsistence and cash crops, both by governments and individuals.

b) Need for firewood

People, especially those who live in rural areas where electricity and gas

are unavailable, resort to use of firewood as a source of heat. 

c) Need for land to build industries
Industries require a lot of land and while industrialization is important for every country, it is the bane of large tracts of forest. People need jobs in order to provide for their daily needs.

d) Need for land to build houses 

With the worldwide increase in population, land to build houses for people to live in is very much required.

 
e) Need for wood for furniture, pencils, paper etc
Whereas the above needs are important and have to be satisfied, cutting down trees is not the most probable solution to these problems. Why? This is because, most people who cut down trees do not plant others in  their place. Also, if all the above needs are to be met by cutting down of trees, even planting two for every tree cut will not prevent desertification. This is because trees take so long to grow and mature, especially so for hard wood trees.

 

 f) Forest Fire

The only natural cause of fire is lightning, which was responsible for about 45% of all forest fires in the 10 year period from 1990 to 1999. Humans were responsible for the remaining 55% of fires that MNR fire fighters were sent to put out. Re-creationists (campers, anglers, berry pickers etc) and rural residents cause more than half of the human-caused forest fire. About one third of all human-caused fires are started by people who are careless with their campfires.

  

Deforestation has the following dangers: 

  •  Destruction of carbon sinks:

Carbon sinks are huge stores of carbon, e.g. Swamps and forests

  •  Soil Erosion:
Deforestation makes soil prone to erosion by agents such as wind and water. The roots of trees hold the particles of soil together thus, preventing the fertile top soil from being carried away. Soil erosion leads to loss of productivity of the land due to loss of mineral nutrients and soil microorganisms

  •  Destruction of animal habitats:
Apart from domesticated animals and marine and fresh water animals, all other animals need forests as their habitats. These forests do not only provide a place for the animals to roam day but also provide their food and act as a source of protection from predators through camouflage. Destruction of the animals’ habitats literally kills the animals.

  •  Medicinal Plants:
Some trees are used as herbs. Trees such as the Cinchona have been used as treatment against Malaria since time immemorial. Destruction of these forests leads to destruction of medicinal plants that could be used as treatment for various ailments.

  •  Trees act as windbreakers:
Absence of these trees enables strong winds and or storms e.g. Hurricanes and Tornados. I write this in the wake of a Tsunami at the Indonesian coast where about 150 people have just lost their lives. Hurricanes like Katrina are still fresh in our memories. I cannot over emphasize this point.

  •  Greenhouse effect and global warming:
Nature balances the flow of energy and nutrients. Forests plan a very vital role in these cycles e.g. the carbon cycle where deforestation causes carbon dioxide to remain in the atmosphere. Accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a blanket that traps long wave radiation of heat and prevents it from escaping the surface of the earth back into the atmosphere. This phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect. The trapped radiation is converted into heat. This heat causes global warming.
Destruction of forests also causes modification of climate of an area mostly leading to desertification and aridity.

What then should be recommended as solutions to these problems?

a) For every tree that is cut, three, not two should be planted in its case. We have reached such a critical point that to prevent the desertification of the world that many more trees need to be planted. 
b) Unless it is necessary, water catchments areas should strictly be left alone 

c) Quick growing varieties of soft wood trees should be grown for commercial uses e.g. making of furniture, pencils and paper. 

d) We should carry out consistent mass education on a worldwide scale, on the importance of reforestation and the dangers of deforestation.

e) We need to enact and enforce strict laws against deforestation, worldwide. 

f) It is high time that we reduced our dependence on charcoal as a source of fuel and make use of wind and solar energy.

Nature works as a whole cycle. This is seen not only in animals where predator and prey work together but also in the different energy and nutrient cycles. As already explained earlier, forests play a crucial role in this equation. The knowledge of how to conserve our environment could be our greatest guarantee for survival on this earth and the perpetuation or our species

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Little Dodo Bird

The disappearance of the dodo bird from the face of the earth almost 400 years ago is one of our most well-known extinction stories. It’s an infamous case in the history of humankind’s relationship with wildlife because it marks one of the first, confirmed instances in which our species completely obliterated another species.

However, the Manumea bird (Didunculus strigirostris), a smaller, lookalike dodo relative—it is also called the tooth-billed pigeon —still remains in existence on two islands in Samoa. The Manumea’s genus name, Didunculus, means “little dodo,” and like it’s larger, extinct cousin, the bird is also a member of the pigeon family. Unfortunately, another thing the Manumea may soon have in common with the dodo bird is extinction.

The Little Dodo Bird (Raphus cucullatus)

The little dodo lives only on the Samoan islands of Upolu and Savai’i. Between the two populations, as many as 7,000 of the birds were thought to exist in the 1980s; since then, due to habitat destruction and hunting by humans, numbers have collapsed to a few hundred individuals. Conservationists currently are trying to learn more about the species in order to come up with an effective recovery plan before it’s too late. Captive breeding of the little dodo is one of the measures being considered.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the little dodo as Endangered, and is considering changing the bird’s status to Critically Endangered.

The extinct dodo was a large—one meter, or 3.3 feet tall, and from 10–18 kg, or 22–40 pounds in weight—and flightless bird that lived on the Island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Europeans received their first reports of the dodo bird around 1600—and in less than 100 years, they were gone, having been killed for food by the crews of visiting sailing vessels.

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Northern Right Whale

The Northern Right Whale (Eubalena glacialis) numbers around 350 individuals is the most endangered of all the world’s whale species that travel the Atlantic coasts of Canada and the US. During the whaling days of the 19th century, the right whale got its name because whalers considered it the “right” whale to kill, as it not only was full of valuable whale oil, but it floated after it was dead, which made it easy to handle and process. As a result, it was driven to near extinction. 

North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalena glacialis)

Although the right whale is now protected, its small remnant population continues to suffer losses due to entanglements in commercial fishing gear: Whales drown after becoming wrapped in nets, lines and other equipment. Global climate change, which can affect the availability of the tiny crustaceans on which right whales feed, may prove to be another serious threat to their recovery.

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Western Lowland Gorilla

The Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) is found deep within lowland tropical rainforests. Gorillas are mainly active in the morning, and they are peaceful and very social and prefer to live together in family groups or troops with 2 to 20 individuals. The troops consist of one dominant male or silverback and several females and their offspring. Some males become solitary after becoming adults until a troop is formed when other females join the male. In the wild, gorillas are herbivores and feed only on fruits, plants, leaves, and tree bark. Captive gorillas may eat meat, bananas, dry cereal, and raisins. Breeding occurs year round, and the female gives birth to one infant after a gestation period of eight to nine months. The baby rides on the mothers back until it reaches 3.5 to 4 years of age.

Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)

 Gorillas are threatened by illegal hunting by humans mainly for their meat, and some young gorillas are captured and sold. Destruction of habitat due to logging and over-collection by zoos and research institutes also pose a threat. Some gorillas are shot when they attack humans after being provoked. Conservationists have also discovered in a recent study (2007) that a number of these gorillas are infected with the Ebola virus which is depleting populations in protected areas to a point where it may be impossible for them to recover.

The now worldwide effort to protect the species has had some success, as there has been a decline in international trade of gorillas. Also, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has established the Great Ape Survival Project (GRASP), which aims to identify the conservation initiatives required to save the species and to obtain political support and funding for its preservation.

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Chinese Giant Salamander

The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianas) is the world’s largest amphibian, growing to lengths of up to 6 feet. It used to be common throughout central, southwestern and southern China, where it lives in streams in the forested hills and lays up to 500 eggs at a time in underwater burrows guarded by the male.

Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianas)

However, the Chinese giant salamander is disappearing due to its over-exploitation as a food source. The building of dams in China over the years has also changed the natural river flow in some areas where the Chinese giant salamander is found. It is now protected from international trade and more than 355,000 hectares of habitat have been set aside for the preservation of one of the planet’s most amazing amphibians.

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Kakapo Parrot

The Kakapo parrot (Strigops habroptilus) of New Zealand is a unique creature in several ways. Not only is it the world’s heaviest parrot, weighing up to 9 pounds (4 kilograms) but it is the world’s only only flightless parrot, as well as the only nocturnal one. It is the world's rarest and only flightless parrot, with only 93 in existence today. Found in New Zealand, the parrot has an average life expectancy of 90 years, but breeding is slow, often taking two to four years, depending on key food supplies.

Kakapo Parrot (Strigops habroptilus)

The bird was once common on both of New Zealand’s main islands. However, by the early 1970′s it was thought to have been driven into extinction by such prolific human-introduced invasive predators as rats and cats, which killed the helpless young birds in their nests on the ground. Tiny populations were later found on a couple of smaller, more remote islands. Despite an intensive program of breeding and protection by the New Zealanders, currently there are fewer than 100 kakapos left in the wild—so few that almost all of them have names given to them by conservationists.

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Northern Sportive Lemur

This species of Northern Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis) is nocturnal, and therefore has large front-facing brown eyes. They are also arboreal (tree based) and move by jumping around from tree to tree. The “Sportive” aspect of their name is derived from their “boxing” stance when they feel threatened. They have pale brownish-grey backs, including a dark line that travels across the spine.

A recent report released at the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in the Indian city of Hyderabad said lemurs in Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, are severely endangered due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting.

 

Northern Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis)

The Northern Sportive Lemur is a niche species with several very specific conditions that must be met in order to survive or call their perfect habitat. While they may have survived as a highly specialized species before, it is now their own downfall as their precious small habitat is destroyed through deforestation. A native species of Boa is also known to take some Northern Sportive Lemurs from their daytime resting places. The species is also extremely vulnerable to local bush-meat hunters.

At this point not much can be done to save this species. It is unlikely that changes to Madagascar’s policies and enforcements will happen quickly enough.

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Black Rhinoceros

Conservation efforts have seen gradual population increases after a long and devastating period of hunting and poaching.

Even so, black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) remain critically endangered, with strong demand for rhino horn posing a constant threat to small populations.

Rhinos are one of the oldest groups of mammals, virtually living fossils. They play an important role in their habitats and in countries like Namibia, rhinos are an important source of income from ecotourism. The protection of black rhinos creates large blocks of land for conservation purposes. This benefits many other species, including elephants.

Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)

 WWF launched an international effort to save wildlife in 1961, rescuing black rhinos—among many other species—from the brink of extinction. Conservation efforts have helped the total number of black rhinos grow from 2,410 in 1995 to 4,880 in 2010. WWF work to stop poaching, increase rhino populations, improve law enforcement and tackle illegal rhino trade.

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The Ivory Billed Woodpecker

The ivory-billed woodpecker scientifically named (Campephilus principalis) is among the world’s largest woodpeckers. Only the imperial woodpecker of Mexico, now thought by many to be extinct, was larger than the ivory-bill.

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)

Southeastern part of the US as well as Cuba. This huge woodpecker was considered extinct until 2004, when a handful of tantalizing reports of sightings in Arkansas and Florida began to trickle in. However, definitive proof for the ivory-bill’s continued existence has remained elusive, and if a population does exist, it is likely to be tiny and extremely vulnerable. The ivory-billed woodpecker owes its near- or complete extinction to habitat loss (logging) as well as over-exploitation by humans, who hunted it for its feathers.

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Amur Leopard

Due to extensive habitat loss and conflict with humans, the situation concerning the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is critical. However, the fact that its more eminent cousin – the Amur tiger – recovered from a precarious state of fewer than 40 individuals some 60-70 years ago gives conservationists hope. It is believed that the Amur leopard can be saved from extinction if the present conservation initiatives are implemented, enhanced and sustained.

Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)

In 1998, the Russian government adopted astrategy for the conservation of the Amur leopard. WWF is supporting anti-poaching activities in the Barsovy wildlife refuge, as well within the whole leopard habitat in the Russian Far East.

WWF implements programmes to stop the traffic in Amur leopard parts and to increase the population of prey ungulate (hoofed) species in the leopard's habitat. WWF staff continue to monitor the Amur leopard population and its habitat.

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