British Isles Cup Redux - League B - Jersey vs Marwell

[TeaLovingDave]

As with the other match which has just started, this one covers the nice broad topic of GRASSLANDS AND DESERTS and I anticipate quite a bit of potential for discussion within so let's see what arguments and points people can make for/against the two collections at hand!

 

[pipaluk]

I'm going to have to look into this, but I suspect this is a good one for Marwell and another bad one for Jersey!!

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Very reluctantly had to give this one to Marwell as they do just undeniably have more species from these biomes than Jersey.

Jersey focuses predominately on island ecosystems and species and tropical rainforest and dry forest ecosystem and species both in-situ and ex-situ.

That said, I'll add that I prefer Jersey's contributions to conservation and their zoo infinitely more than Marwell (despite never having visited either).

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Any breakdown or arguments people can provide?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I gave one above already for my reluctant case for Marwell.

I would add that the in-situ / ex-situ conservation of desert species like the Arabian and Scimitar horned oryx, the addax, Dorcas gazelles, the Grevy's zebra, the Somali wild ass, Egyptian tortoises and sand cat make this biome a particularly strong point for Marwell.

This is unfortunately just not a biome or biogeographical region that Jersey specialize in at all so it is another cup that isn't in Jersey or the Durrell trusts favour in terms of deserts.

In terms of grasslands things are slightly better as Jersey has historically had maned wolves and Przewalski's horse and once again their ex-situ / in-situ work with the pygmy hog in the grasslands of India gives them a point up.

However, Marwell still has the trump card on grasslands with sheer amount of species from this biome and ex-situ / in-situ conservation with Bactrian camel, Przewalski's horse and many East African ungulates (whether this conservation work is in the league of Jersey with the pygmy hog though, I dont know, but I would tend to think that it wouldn't be anywhere near it).