10 Natural Wonders to See Before They Disappear

Happened to browse through the Yahoo! Travel page when I come around to this link: 10 Natural Wonders to See Before They Disappear..

sounds interesting right?let's take a look at these 10 places..

1. Belize Barrier Reef

- One of the most diverse reef ecosystems in the world which is home to whale sharks, rays and manatees.

The Threat: Severe bleaching of corals.

2. The Congo Basin

- Tropical rainforests like the Congo Basin produce 40 percent of the world's oxygen and serve as a vital source of food, medicine and minerals.

- World's second-largest rainforest after the Amazon's.

The Threat: Up to two-thirds of the forest and its unique plants and wildlife could be lost by 2040 unless more effective measures are taken to protect it. As the forest shrinks, less carbon dioxide is absorbed, and rain decreases, adding to climate change.

3. The Dead Sea

- Lowest spot on earth, has 10 times more saline than seawater.

The Threat: In the last four decades, the Dead Sea has shrunk by a third and sunk 80 feet—13 inches per year!

4. The Everglades

- This 2.5 million–acre wetland encompasses cypress swamps, mangroves, sawgrass and pine savannahs.

- The only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators share territory.

The Threat: Pollution from farms, invasive species, and encroaching development, not to mention the fact that 60 percent of the region's water is being diverted to nearby cities and farms.

5. Madagascar

- More than 80 percent of Madagascar's flora and fauna are found nowhere else on Earth, thanks to millions of years of isolation in the Indian Ocean off of Africa.

- World's fourth-largest island

The Threat: Forest ecosystems are being destroyed by logging, burning for subsistence farms, and poaching. The 20 species of lemurs for which Madagascar is renowned are in danger of disappearing.

6. The Maldives

- Rich in coral reefs and endangered fish—like the giant Napolean wrasse, leopard shark, and some 250 manta rays (most with wingspans of 10 feet).

The Threat: If global warming continues to melt the ice caps and raise sea levels. Government would start buying land in other countries, including India, for future homes for citizens displaced by rising waters.

7. The Poles

- Inspiring and unique natural phenomenas: towering icebergs, Aurora Borealis, and majestic animals (penguins, polar bears, whales).

The Threat: The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the world's largest non-profit ocean research group, has predicted that 80 percent of the emperor penguin population of Antarctica will be lost, and the rest in danger of extinction, if global warming continues. In the Arctic, the polar bear is also endangered by the steady loss of sea ice (which has decreased 3 percent per decade since the 1970s). As sea ice disappears at the poles, so do entire ecosystems: the phytoplankton that grows under ice sheets feeds zooplankton and small crustaceans like krill, which are on the food chain for fish, seals, whales, polar bears and penguins. Studies predict that with continued warming, within 20-40 years, no ice will form in Antarctica.

8. Rajasthan, Ranthambore

- One of the best places in the world to see tigers.

The Threat: The big cat may be extinct within our lifetime—possibly in as soon as a dozen years.  Their habitats have been reduced 93 percent, and though there are reserves across Asia, most are small and have no corridors between them for the normally far-roaming felines. It's estimated that a tiger a day is killed for use in Chinese traditional medicine.

 

9. The Tahuamanú Rainforest

- Parrots and macaws feed off of the world's largest salt lick. They share this pristine wonderland with endangered creatures like giant armadillos, ocelots, jaguars, and giant otters.

The Threat: Illegal logging is depleting the rainforest—and the U.S. is responsible for buying 80 percent of the mahogany. A single tree can create as much as $1 million worth of furniture. Loggers build roads, allowing farmers and hunters to enter, further crowding the indigenous people and destroying the delicate ecosystem. In nearby areas, gold mining has released mercury into the air and water.

10. The Yangtze River Basin

- Exotic creatures like giant pandas, dwarf blue sheep, Yangtze finless porpoises, and Siberian cranes call this region home—along with some 400 million people.

The Threat: Danger of losing its most distinctive marine and animal life. Deforestation has occurred from clearing land for displaced farmers, and the reservoir has flooded villages, farms, factories, and mines, adding to the Yangtze River's existing pollution from shipping, industry, agriculture and raw sewage. Landslides have also happened, and seismologists wonder if the water pressure above two fault lines might result in a disastrous earthquake.