Igugu leSiqithi

Ubumnyama obuMbala ka-Oktobha
Icandelo 2: Igugu leSiqithi

nguMark J. Spalding

Ngokulandelayo, ndaya kwiSiqithi iBlock, eRhode Island, esikumgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-13 (okanye uhambo lweyure) ukusuka ePoint Judith. Ndibe nethamsanqa ngokwaneleyo ukuba ndiphumelele iraffle ukuze ndizuze iRhode Island Natural History Survey-eyandinika iveki eRedgate Farm eBlock Island kufutshane neNew Harbor. Iveki emva koSuku lukaColumbus kuthetha ukuhla ngequbuliso kwezihlwele kwaye isiqithi esihle sinoxolo ngequbuliso. Enkosi kwiinzame ezidibeneyo zeBlock Island Conservancy, eminye imibutho, kunye neentsapho ezizinikeleyo zeBlock Island, uninzi lwesiqithi lukhuselwe kwaye lubonelela ngohambo olumangalisayo kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zokuhlala zeziqithi.  

Enkosi kubamkeli bethu, uKim Gaffett weOcean View Foundation kunye noVavanyo lukaKira Stillwell, sibe namathuba ongezelelweyo okutyelela iindawo ezikhuselweyo. Ukuhlala esiqithini kuthetha ukuba uhambelana nomoya-ingakumbi ekwindla, kwaye, kwimeko kaKim noKira, ngakumbi ngexesha lokufuduka kweentaka. Ekwindla, umoya wasentla ungumsila weentaka ezifudukayo, kwaye oko kuthetha amathuba ophando.

Usuku lwethu lokuqala olupheleleyo, saba nethamsanqa ngokwaneleyo ukuba sibe khona xa izazinzulu ezivela kwi Iziko loPhando lweBiodiversity babesenza amathegi abo e-raptors. Le nkqubo ikunyaka wayo wesine kwaye ibala phakathi kwamaqabane ayo i-Ocean View Foundation, i-Bailey Wildlife Foundation, i-Nature Conservancy, kunye neYunivesithi yaseRhode Island. Kwincopho yenduli eqhaqhazelisa amazinyo kumazantsi esiqithi, iqela leBRI lalithimba intlaninge yezilwanyana ezixhwila umzimba—yaye safika ngenjikalanga entle. Iprojekthi igxile kwiipateni zokufuduka kweeperegrine falcons kunye nomthwalo onetyhefu we-raptors kummandla. Iintaka esasizijongile zalinganiswa, zalinganiswa, zabotshwa, zaza zakhululwa. Ndibe nethamsanqa elikhulu lokunceda ekukhululweni kwentombazana encinci yasentla (owaziwa ngokuba yi-marsh hawk), kamsinya nje emva kokuba uKim ethabathe ithuba lakhe kunye nendoda encinci yasentla.  

Izazinzulu bezisoloko zisebenzisa i-raptors njenge-barometers yezempilo ye-ecosystem amashumi eminyaka. Ukusasazwa kwabo kunye nobuninzi babo buxhomekeke ngokusondeleyo kwi-webs yokutya ebaxhasayo. UChris DeSorbo, umlawuli wenkqubo, uthi “Isikhululo sophando seBlock Island sesona sisemantla kwaye sikude nonxweme kunxweme lweAtlantiki. Ezi mpawu zidityaniswa neepatheni zokufuduka ezikhethekileyo zeeraptors phaya zenza esi siqithi sixabiseke kuphando lwaso kunye nokubeka iliso kumandla aso.” Isikhululo sophando seBlock Island siye sanika ulwazi oluxabisekileyo apho iiraptors zithwele owona mthwalo mkhulu wemercury, umzekelo, kunye nokuba zikude kangakanani. fuduka.
Iiperegrines eziphawulweyo ziye zalandelwa ukuya kuthi ga eGreenland naseYurophu—zinqumla ulwandlekazi olukhulu kuhambo lwazo. Njengolwandle olufuduka kakhulu olufana neminenga kunye ityhuna, kubalulekile ukwazi ukuba abantu bahlukene okanye intaka enye ingabalwa kwiindawo ezimbini ezahlukeneyo. Ukwazi kunceda ukuqinisekisa ukuba xa sibona ubuninzi bohlobo oluthile, sibala kube kanye, hayi kabini—kwaye silawula inani elincinane.  

Esi sikhululo sincinci sonyaka we-raptor sivula ifestile kunxibelelwano phakathi komoya, ulwandle, umhlaba, kunye nesibhakabhaka-kunye nezilwanyana ezifudukayo ezixhomekeke kwimisinga eqikelelwayo, ukubonelelwa kokutya, kunye nezinye izinto ukuxhasa umjikelo wobomi bazo. Siyazi ukuba ezinye zeeraptors kwiSiqithi saseBlock ziya kuba lapho ebusika, kwaye ezinye ziya kuba zihambe amawaka eekhilomitha emazantsi kwaye zibuye kwakhona, njengoko iindwendwe zabantu zibuyela kwixesha elizayo lasehlotyeni. Sinokuthemba ukuba ngokuwa okulandelayo iqela le-BRI kunye namaqabane abo baya kukwazi ukubuyela ukuze baqhubeke novavanyo lwabo lomthwalo we-mercury, ubuninzi, kunye nempilo yeentlobo ezisibhozo okanye zeentlobo ze-raptors ezixhomekeke kule ndlela.  

Ifoto 1: iBlock Island, Ifoto 2: Umlinganiselo wokhetshe