Fireball meteor over Western Australia.

Witnesses in Western Australia have reported seeing a bright fireball meteor on Tuesday 28 August 2018. The event happened at about 7.40 pm local time, with the majority of the reports coming from Perth and areas to the east. Many of the witnesses also reported hearing a loud boom. The Desert Fireball Network at Curtin University have reported receiving a large number of photographs of the event, and hope to be able to determine the area where the object broke up, with a view to recovering any fragments that fell to Earth. 

Series of images of the 28 August 2018 Western Australia fireball meteor. ABC News.

Objects of this size probably enter the Earth's atmosphere several times a year, though unless they do so over populated areas they are unlikely to be noticed. They are officially described as fireballs if they produce a light brighter than the planet Venus. The brightness of a meteor is caused by friction with the Earth's atmosphere, which is typically far greater than that caused by simple falling, due to the initial trajectory of the object. Such objects typically eventually explode in an airburst called by the friction, causing them to vanish as an luminous object. However this is not the end of the story as such explosions result in the production of a number of smaller objects, which fall to the ground under the influence of gravity (which does not cause the luminescence associated with friction-induced heating).

 

These 'dark objects' do not continue along the path of the original bolide, but neither do they fall directly to the ground, but rather follow a course determined by the atmospheric currents (winds) through which the objects pass. Scientists are able to calculate potential trajectories for hypothetical dark objects derived from meteors using data from weather monitoring services.

 

Witness reports can help astronomers to understand these events. If you witness a fireball-type meteor over the Australia you can report it to the Desert Fireball Network here.  

 

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Odontochilus putaoensis: A new species of Orchid from Kachin State, Myanmar.

Myanmar is considered to be a hotspot for Orchid biodiversity, with a current estimate of around 800 species, which is probably somewhat lower than the actual figure. Despite this high level of diversity the Orchids of Myanmar have been little studied in recent decades, due to the country's political isolation and instability. The genus Odontochilus curently contains about 40 species of ground-dwelling Orchids found in moist evergreen forests from the Himalayas across South and Southeast Asia to East Asia and the islands of the Pacific.

In a paper published in the journal PhytoKeys on 2 July 2018, Ye Lwin Aung and Aye Thin Mu of the State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany at the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Xiaohua Jin, also of the State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, and of the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, describe a new species of Odontochilus from the Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary in Kachin State, Myanmar.

The new species is named Odontochilus putaoensis, meaning 'from Putao', the northernmost town in Myanmar, and the closest to the area where the species was discovered. The species is an upright terrestrial orchid reaching 40-60 cm in height, with a distinctive bright yellow lip to its flowers.

Habit of Odontochilus putaoensis. Ye Lwin Aung et al. (2018).

The species was found growing in a subtropical montane forest at an altitude of about 1500-2000 m above sealevel. Only a single stand of the Orchids was found, comprising about 200 individual plants, but the area where it was found was remote and not considered to be at any immediate risk, so the species is considered to be of Least Concern under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. 

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Nothobranchius furzeri: Extremely rapid maturation in an African Annual Killifish.

African Annual Killifish are small Cyprinodont Fish found in ephemeral pools on the savannas of Africa. They spend most of their lives as diapausing embryos (embryos in a state of suspended development) buried in dry sediment, emerging when seasonal, but unpredictable, rains lead to the formation of small ponds, which can persist from a few weeks to several months. This has led to the Killifish developing an extremely rapid life-cycle, as they attempt to grow and reach sexual maturity before the pools disappear. One species, the Turquiose Killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri, has been shown in the lab to reach sexual maturity in as little as twenty days, but this is generally thought to be better than they can achieve in the wild, where conditions are likely to be more ideal than they are in the wild.

In a paper published in the journal Current Biology on 6 August 2018, Milan Vrtílek of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Jakub Žák, also of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and of the Department of Zoology at Charles University, Martin Pšenička of the Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, and Martin Reichard, again of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, publish the results of a study in which Turqoise Killifish in ephemeral pools in southern Mozambique were monitored and sampled on a daily basis, to understand their maturation rate in the wild.

Vrtílek et al. monitored eight separate pools across the region, sampling the Fish daily over a three week period from when they first filled with water. They found that, contrary to expectations, the Fish could reach sexual maturity in fourteen days (a week faster than achieved in captivity). The Fish also reached their maximum size (17–43 mm in females and 17–54 mm in males) in 14-15 days, with the largest Fish encountered, at 63 mm, being 17 days old.

Adult Turquoise Killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) and its natural habitat. (A) Site ‘D’ on 27 January 2016 when it contained at least 27 adult Fish estimated to be 16–17 days old. (B) Two 14-day-old male Nothobranchius furzeri from site ‘A’. Vrtílek et al. (2018).

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Kinosternon vogti: A new species of Mud Turtle from Jalisco State, Maxico.

Mud Turtles, Kinosternon spp., are small freshwater Turtles found throughout the Americas. They reach their maximum diversity in Mexico, where there are currently seventeen described species, compared to only three in the whole of South America. Unfortunately, despite Turtles being one of the most endangered groups of Tetrapod Vertebrates, they have often been overlooked in surveys of Vertebrates in Mexico, which have concentrated on other groups such as Mammals, Birds and Amphibians, with some parts of the country having almost no records of Turtle populations.

In a paper published in the journal Chelonian Conservation and Biology in June 2018, Marco López-Luna of the División Académica de Ciencias Biolôgicas at the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Fabio Cupul-Magña and Armando Escobedo-Galván of the Centro Universitario de la Costa at the Universidad de Guadalajara, Adriana González-Hernández and Eric Centenero-Alcalá of the Colección Nacional de Anfibios y Reptiles at the Ciudad Universitaria de México, Judith Rangel-Mendoza, also of the División Académica de Ciencias Biolôgicas at the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Mariana Ramírez-Ramírez of the División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas at the Universidad de Guanajuato, and Erasmo Cazares-Hernández of the Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Zongolica, describe a new species of Mud Turtle from the area around the city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco State, Mexico.

The new species is named Kinosternon vogti, in honour of Richard Vogt of the National Institute of Amazonian Research, for his work on the freshwater Turtles of the Americas, and mentoring of many younger scientists. The species is described from a series of specimens collected from artificial and disturbed waterways around the city of Puerto Vallarta, its natural habitat is unclear. The species is small for the genus, with the largest known specimen measuring only 101.5 mm in length. The shell of these Turtles is olive-brown with black rims to the scutes (individual plates of the shell) and an orange or yellow underside, the head and limbs are brown and lighter below. The tail is prehensile with a clawed tip.

Kinosternon vogti. (A) Dorsal view. (B) Ventral view. Black line represents 10 mm. Marco López-Luna in López-Luna et al. (2018).

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Alloscorpiops viktoriae: A new species of Burrowing Scorpion from the Magway Region of Myanmar.

Burrowing Scorpions of the genus Alloscorpiops are found across southern and central Thailand, as well as in parts of neighbouring Vietnam and Laos, where they are found in both dry and humid tropical forests. 

In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 17 July 2018, Wilson Lourenço of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, and Ondřej Košulič of the Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management at the Mendel University in Brno, describe a new species of Alloscorpiops from the Magway Region of central Myanmar.

The new species is named Alloscorpiops viktoriae, in honour of Viktorie Košuličová, the daughter of Ondřej Košulič, and the proximity of the site where the species was discovered to Mount Victoria, 'the most impressive peak of Central Myanmar'. It is described from three specimens, two adult females and a juvenile male, found on a sandy riverbank. The species is reddish to dark brown in colour and small for a member of the genus Alloscorpiops, with one of the adult females measuring 50.9 mm.

Alloscorpiops viktoriae, female. Dorsal and ventral aspects. Lourenço & Košulič (2018).

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Assessing the impact of large animal carcasses on plant biodiversity, using data from a Norwegian Reindeer herd killed by lightning.

A total of 323 Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, were killed by a lightning strike during a thunder storm on the Hardanangervidda National Park on Friday 26 August 2016. The Reindeer migrate across the park, which is a mountainous plateau, at this time of year, and are believed to have huddled together during the storm, an action which helps to protect the younger members of the herd (which included 70 calves) from the worst of the elements, but which makes them particularly vulnerable to (rare) lightning strikes. While tragic for the Reindeer, this event provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of large cadavers on a (nutrient poor) tundra environment.

Reindeer killed by lightning on the Hardangervidda Plateau on 26 August 2016. Håvard Kjøntvedt/Norwegian Environment Agency.

In a paper published in the journal Biology Letters on 15 August 2018, Sam Steyaert of the Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health at the University of South-Eastern Norway, and the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Shane Frank, also of the Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health at the University of South-Eastern Norway, Stefano Puliti, also of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Rudy Badia, again of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Mie Arnberg, again of the Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health at the University of South-Eastern Norway, Jack Beardsley of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Group at the University of Tasmania, Asle Økelsrud, once again of the Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health at the University of South-Eastern Norway, and Rakel Blaalid of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, describe the results of a study which monitored the site of the 2016 mass Reindeer site for seeds introduced by scavengers, as a way of demonstrating that endozoochory (seed dispersal via ingestion by vertebrate animals) provides a viable means for plants to reach a new nutrient source within an otherwise nutrient poor environment.

The vegetation at the sire of the study was dominated by Dwarf Birch, Betula nana, as well as Heathers, Grasses, and an understory of Mosses and Lichens. A range of Mammals and Birds were seen scavenging at the site, including Corvids (Raven, Corvus corax, and Hooded Crow, Corvus cornix), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Foxes (Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes, and Arctic Fox, Vulpes lagopus), Wolverine (Gulo gulo) and several Rodents (Arvicolidae). In addition a number of small Birds were observed feeding on Blowflies (Calliphoridae) attracted to the carrion.

Steyaert et al. searched the site for feces of mesopredators, Birds and Rodents, finding a particular corelation between Bird feces and carcass density (i.e. there was more Bird erces in areas where the carcasses were most dense). They then examined the Bird feces for seeds of the Crowberry, Empetrum nigrum, keystone species of the alpine tundra with predominantly vegetative reproduction, finding 87.5% of the feces sampled contained viable seeds.

The Crowberry, Empetrum nigrum, an Arctic keystone species shown to be distributed to sites with carrion by scavenging Birds. Wikimedia Commons.

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Indonesian authorities uncover illegal bauxite mine in the buffer zone of Mount Palung National Park, West Kalimantan.

Authorities in West Kalimantan raided an illegal bauxite (aluminium ore) mine in the buffer zone of the Mount Palung National Park, an important Orangutan habitat, in the Ketapang Regency on Monday 20 August 2018. The site was raided by investigators from the Environment and Forestry Ministry and West Kalimantan Police following a tip-off from local residents. The site was allegedly being operated by mining company PT Laman Mining, which has been charged under the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Degradation Act of 2013.

An illegal bauxite mine in the buffer zone of the Mount Palung National Park, raided by Indonesian authorities on 20 August 2018. KLHK.

Dok. Gakkum KLHK

Artikel ini telah tayang di Kompas.com dengan judul "Kementerian LHK Gerebek Penambangan Ilegal di Habitat Orangutan Sungai Tulak", https://regional.kompas.com/read/2018/08/26/12435461/kementerian-lhk-gerebek-penambangan-ilegal-di-habitat-orangutan-sungai-tulak.
Penulis : Kontributor Pontianak, Yohanes Kurnia Irawan
Editor : Kurnia Sari Aziza

Dok. Gakkum KLHK

Artikel ini telah tayang di Kompas.com dengan judul "Kementerian LHK Gerebek Penambangan Ilegal di Habitat Orangutan Sungai Tulak", https://regional.kompas.com/read/2018/08/26/12435461/kementerian-lhk-gerebek-penambangan-ilegal-di-habitat-orangutan-sungai-tulak.
Penulis : Kontributor Pontianak, Yohanes Kurnia Irawan
Editor : Kurnia Sari Aziza

Dok. Gakkum KLHK

Artikel ini telah tayang di Kompas.com dengan judul "Kementerian LHK Gerebek Penambangan Ilegal di Habitat Orangutan Sungai Tulak", https://regional.kompas.com/read/2018/08/26/12435461/kementerian-lhk-gerebek-penambangan-ilegal-di-habitat-orangutan-sungai-tulak.
Penulis : Kontributor Pontianak, Yohanes Kurnia Irawan
Editor : Kurnia Sari Aziza

The Mount Palung National Park is home to an estimated 2500 Borneo Orangutans, Pongo pygmaeus, a species classified as Endangered under the terms of the the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, with a total population of about 54 500, and considered to be particularly at risk due to the rapid rate of deforestation in Indonesia.

Borneo Orangutans, Pongo pygmaeus, in the Mount Palung National Park. Tim Laman/The Orangutan Conservancy.

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