The Cactus

The image conjured by the cactus is a plant covered in thorns that grows in the desert. And it is true; cactus species are adapted to survive in situations of extreme dryness, though this trait is not enough to ensure they will survive in the modern world.

On the Internet, information about cacti appears in relation with "succulent plants", which encompass a wider variety of species adapted to scarcity of water. The cactus is indeed a succulent, though it has its own family, the cactaceae, which according to the Cactusland portal, covers approximately 2,500 species.

Succulents, meanwhile, are much broader, with 30 families and some 10,000 species, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). This international group has proposed an action plan for preventing the environmental depredation that endangers some 2,000 species within that group.

The main threats are related to loss of habitat. But another important danger is the illegal trafficking in rare and attractive cactus species, which is feeding a global market.

Many individuals have made cacti their hobby, growing them and creating special gardens, a growing phenomenon that is apparent in the numerous cactus-related web sites, in which some use the term "cactomania".

These plants possess special characteristics that allow them to better take advantage of and store water. The most obvious are the thorns, adapted leaves that protect the plant from other water-seekers..

While water may not be abundant, Internet sites dedicated to the cactus sure are. There are directories with links to questions and answers about these plants, illustrations, photographs and how-to for cactus gardening, and even recipes.

Portal: Cactusland
Smithsonian: Cactacea Illustrated
Cactus Q&A
Classification: cactaceae
Directory: Cactus Mall
IUCN: Conservation Action Plan for the Cactus

Ecotourism Summit

Ecotourism, or ecological tourism, is a phenomenon of modern times that combines the passion for travel with concern for protecting the environment. It has become an important economic activity, to the point that it has prompted a global summit devoted to the issue.

The World Ecotourism Summit, taking place in Canada (May 19-22), is the highlight of the International Year of Ecotourism, convened by the United Nations for reflection on the best ways to promote this activity.

Ecotourism provides an opportunity to generate economic alternatives for communities located in some of the world's most beautiful areas without harming the environment. However, if tourist activity takes place without adequate planning, it could have devastating ecological effects.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which organized the summit in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization, cites the World Conservation Union's definition of ecotourism: environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features - both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local populations.

The summit was convened in order to discuss the key aspects for developing ecotourism, including the challenges of sustainability, regulation, the required institutional frameworks, marketing strategies and oversight.

"Ecotourism is in essence tourism that is sustainable, that does not cause harm" and should therefore provide benefits both for nature and for the local communities, says the website of the Ecotourism Association of Brazil, one of the countries that holds major attractions for environmentally-minded visitors.

There is a great deal of information on the Internet about ecotourism, much of it aimed at promoting excursions and locations for potential travelers. But there are also web sites dedicated to studying the development and impact of this activity, as is the case of the enormous portal of the International Ecotourism Society.

The Ecotourism Summit has caused an increase in material available on the subject, such as the publication of documents and books about environmental tourism in a world in which hundreds of millions of people travel each year.

World Ecotourism Summit
UNEP-WTO: International Year of Ecotourism 2002
UNEP: World Summit on Ecotourism
UNEP: What is ecotourism?
International Ecotourism Society
Ecotourism: principles, practices and polices for sustainability
Ecotourism portal

Deserts

Deserts evoke images of uninhabited arid lands in which the phenomenon of life seems to be a complicated undertaking. But the truth is that they are ecosystems with their own flora and fauna and cover more than a fifth of the Earth's land surface.

"The desert is a land of extremes," according to the web site Desert Topics. One example of this is the abrupt change in temperatures between hot days and frigid nights. And rainfall is noteworthy for its absence.

Dryness is the main characteristic of a desert. They are arid places, regardless of whether they are cold or hot, or if they are dominated by mountains or plains, rocks or sand. Of course sand is the image we most closely associate with deserts, but it covers just 20 percent of the territory worldwide that is classified as such.

The plant and animal species that live in deserts are numerous. However, they all share one trait: the ability to survive with little water. This means they have a special capacity to find and store liquid, and possess biological mechanisms that prevent water loss or evaporation.

On the Internet, deserts are present throughout the many web sites that attempt to explain the unique nature of these ecosystems, or that reflect the influence of these mysterious lands on human activity, for example, in literature.

Scientific evidence shows that deserts date back more than 100 million years. The arid conditions that caused them to appear are closely linked to climate. Today, the expansion or growth of deserts is a serious environmental problem, known as desertification.

Deserts can be found in diverse places around the world, though their sizes can vary greatly. The most extensive are the Sahara, Arabian, Gobi, Kalahari and Australian deserts.

Deserts: geology and resources
Desert Topics: What is a desert?
United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification
Deserts: A literary adventure
The world's deserts
Principal deserts of the world
Digital desert library