Recent studies highlight a significant transformation in China’s urban landscape, where the greening of city cores is compensating for vegetation loss in expanding urban areas.
Tag: Biodiversity
Gardeners can help identify potentially invasive plants
The critical role of gardeners in identifying ‘future invaders’ – ornamental plants that could become invasive species – has been revealed by researchers from the University of Reading and the Royal Horticultural Society.
Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems, but this “dilution effect” can vary strikingly in magnitude
This study uses forest inventory data from over 25,000 plots to show that the prevalence of tree pests is jointly controlled by the diversity and phylogenetic composition of forests.
New study shows improved rangeland grazing management leads to substantial sequestration of carbon
CarbonSolve, leading global developer of rangeland carbon credits, announces results of a long-term study that presents the first evidence that improved grazing practices implemented at the scale of traditional pastoralist migrations can remove a significant volume of greenhouse gases to soil carbon.
NSU Researcher Helps International Team Create Plan to Protect the Biodiversity of U.S. Waters
Studying the world’s oceans can be difficult – an NSU researcher lead a team that is working to do just that.
Online digital data and AI for monitoring biodiversity
The random information posted online could be used to generate information about biodiversity and its conservation.
Climate change has brought forward the flowering period in Doñana National Park by 22 days
A team at the University of Seville has studied trends in the flowering date of around fifty plant species over the last 35 years in Doñana National Park.
Is the Amazon forest approaching a tipping point?
Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it towards partial or total collapse.
Two new freshwater fungi species in China enhance biodiversity knowledge
Researchers have discovered two new freshwater hyphomycete (mould) species, Acrogenospora alangii and Conioscypha yunnanensis, in southwestern China.
NUS scientists develop novel method to estimate biodiversity loss in Singapore over the past two centuries
Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) employed novel statistical methods to reveal the extent of biodiversity loss in Singapore over the past two centuries.
MSU’s ‘Robin Hood’ approach for tracking biodiversity
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a framework that can help scientists understand trends in biodiversity by using data from well-characterized species to provide insights on data-deficient species. The framework is published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, which provides a how-to guide for researchers and practitioners to implement.
Roughly one in seven species are classified as data deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN.
That means these species lack sufficient data for the IUCN to assert a conservation status and, consequently, their need for conservation interventions. With the new framework, researchers and their partners in conservation and wildlife management could better identify which data-deficient species are threatened and in need of help.
AI models identify biodiversity from animal sounds in tropical rainforests
Tropical forests are among the most important habitats on our planet. They are characterised by extremely high species diversity and play an eminent role in the global carbon cycle and the world climate.
Explosion in fish biodiversity due to genetic recycling
Scientists show the extraordinary diversity of cichlid fish in Africa’s Lake Victoria was made possible by ‘genetic recycling’ – repeated cycles of new species appearing and rapidly adapting to different roles in the ecosystem.
UTA research: Wildlife loss five times slower in protected areas
Protecting large areas of land from human activity can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss, especially for vertebrates like amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, according to a new study in Nature.
Protecting lands slows biodiversity loss among vertebrates by five times
Protecting large swaths of Earth’s land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss—including for vertebrates like amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, according to a new study published in Nature Sept. 27.
New Research Reveals Dynamic Factors Shaping Biodiversity at Small Scales
Researchers studying arboreal ants in a Florida forest explore the fundamental question of how resource availability and competition shape biodiversity.
Insights into the biodiversity of annelids in the world’s largest deep-sea mineral exploration region
The demand for rare raw materials, such as cobalt, is fuelling the exploration of the deep-sea floor for mining.
The pace of climate-driven extinction is accelerating, a UArizona-led study shows
Climate change is causing extinctions at an increasing rate, a new study by the University of Arizona researchers shows. They surveyed populations of the Yarrow’s spiny lizard in 18 mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona and analyzed the rate of climate-related extinction over time.
Ohio State leads new global climate center on AI for biodiversity change
The Ohio State University will lead a new multimillion dollar international center devoted to using artificial intelligence to help understand climate impacts on biodiversity.
Study shows replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings accelerates restoration
Satellite observations of one of the world’s biggest ecological experiments on the island of Borneo have revealed that replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings can significantly accelerate their recovery. The results have been published today in the journal Science Advances.
Plant-based food alternatives could support a shift to global sustainability
Replacing 50% of meat and milk products with plant-based alternatives by 2050 can reduce agriculture and land use related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 31% and halt the degradation of forest and natural land, according to new research.
Discovering the unexpected way protected areas contribute to biodiversity
A study published in Nature found that, while protected areas in Southeast Asia were shown to be good for animals inside their borders, as expected, that protection also extended to nearby unprotected areas, which was a surprise.
Pollutants are important to biodiversity’s role in spread of wildlife diseases
Conventional wisdom among ecologists holds that the more species there are inhabiting an ecosystem, the less vulnerable any one species will be to a threat like a parasite. A new study of tadpoles at the University of Wisconsin–Madison illustrates how overlapping biological and environmental factors can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities. The researchers found that environmental pollutants like road salt influence whether increased biodiversity helps or hinders disease outbreaks in wildlife, which can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities.
Hidden moles in hidden holes
Scientists have identified two types of mole which they believe have been living undiscovered in the mountains of eastern Turkey for as many as 3 million years.
Meet the Persian Gold Tarantula: a new species discovery just on time for Tarantula Appreciation Day 2023
The Persian Gold Tarantula (Chaetopelma persianum) is a newly described species recently discovered in northwestern Iran. In fact, the “woolly, golden hairs” the scientists observed and examined on a single specimen, were one of the features so unique that it was not necessary for additional individuals to be collected and physically studied.
Two thirds of the world’s biodiversity lives in the soil
Soil is the most species-rich habitat on earth. This is the conclusion of an overview study by a Swiss research team. According to the study, two thirds of all known species live in the soil.
Tropical trees use social distancing to maintain biodiversity
Tropical forests often harbor hundreds of species of trees in a square mile, but scientists often struggle to understand how such a diversity of species can coexist.
Small-winged and lighter colored butterflies likely to be at greatest threat from climate change
Butterflies with smaller or lighter coloured wings are likely to be ‘losers’ when it comes to climate change, with the Lycaenidae family, which contains over 6,000 species of butterflies, the majority of which live in the tropics, found to be particularly vulnerable.
Shell game: Researchers find an uncommon wild bee thriving by nesting in a localized bonanza of old snail shells
Biologists at McMaster University studying the local abundance of a typically uncommon wild native bee have found a clear link between the unusual population spike and the concentration of a non-native snail in the same area.
Why there are no kangaroos in Bali (and no tigers in Australia)
If you travel to Bali, you won’t see a cockatoo, but if you go to the neighbouring island of Lombok, you will. The situation is similar with marsupials: Australia is home to numerous marsupial species, such as the kangaroo and the koala. The further west you go, the sparser they become.
Similar to humans, elephants also vary what they eat for dinner every night
Elephants eat plants. That’s common knowledge to biologists and animal-loving schoolchildren alike. Yet figuring out exactly what kind of plants the iconic herbivores eat is more complicated.
How the use of chemicals and biodiversity loss are connected
Science does not take a deep enough look at chemicals in the environment as one of the causes of the decline in biodiversity.
Study finds human impact on wildlife even in protected areas
By 2030, if the 30 by 30 initiative supported by more than 100 countries is successful, 30% of our land and ocean ecosystems will be designated protected areas meant to safeguard biodiversity and help limit the impacts of climate change.
WCS Media Briefing: Can Humanity Adapt to a Changing Climate? A Roadmap Forward and Lessons From the Field
A panel of experts will hold a WCS media briefing on climate adaptation, presenting the results of a new paper on the need for making ecological integrity a centerpiece of adaptation policy, such as UN frameworks on climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
Previously Overlooked Algae Toxin Widespread in Southern Indian River Lagoon
Pseudo-nitzschia spp., an algae that produces the neurotoxin domoic acid, can bioaccumulate within food webs causing harm to humans and animals. A molecular study of Florida’s Indian River Lagoon shows this algae was present in 87 percent of the water samples collected. All isolates showed toxicity, and domoic acid was found in 47 percent of surface water samples. As a nursery for many organisms that supports a high amount of biodiversity, the presence of domoic acid could negatively impact the lagoon system.
ASU establishes ʻĀkoʻakoʻa, a new collaborative effort to seed renewed connection between human and coral communities in Hawaiʻi
With a group of core partners, Arizona State University is creating a new $25 million collaboration to preserve and restore vitality to Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs and the health of its coastlines.
Nature is changing as land abandonment increases
A new perspective piece in Science shows that abandoned lands could be both an opportunity and a threat for biodiversity, and highlights why abandoned lands are critical in the assessment of global restoration and conservation targets.
Large animals travel more slowly because they can’t keep cool
Whether an animal is flying, running or swimming, its traveling speed is limited by how effectively it sheds the excess heat generated by its muscles, according to a new study led by Alexander Dyer from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany published April 18th in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
Citizen scientists discover new ‘snug’ in Brunei forest, name it after retiring field centre manager
Semislugs, or ‘snugs’ as they are affectionately known among mollusc researchers, are like the squatters of the snail world: they do carry a home on their back but it is too small to live in. Still, it offers a sort of protection, while not getting in the way of the worm-like physique of the slug.
Stripped to the bone
Natural disasters can devastate a region, abruptly killing the species that form an ecosystem’s structure. But how this transpires can influence recovery. While fires scorch the landscape to the ground, a heatwave leaves an army of wooden staves in its wake. Storm surges and coral bleaching do something similar underwater.
Rutgers Expert: On Preserving the High Seas and the Life Within
Climate change. Overfishing. Seabed floor mining. These are some of the epic challenges that would be addressed by a historic United Nations treaty protecting ocean biodiversity that gained backing in early March when a significant majority of nations agreed on language supporting it. Covering the “high seas,” the enormous belt of brine spanning nearly half of the globe, the U.
Two striking new species of carnivorous plants discovered in the Andes of Ecuador
A team of botanists from Ecuador, Germany, and the United States has described two new species of carnivorous plants with striking appearance.
Coffee plantations limit birds’ diets
A new study led by researchers at the University of Utah explores a record of birds’ diets preserved in their feathers and radio tracking of their movements to find that birds eat far fewer invertebrates in coffee plantations than in forests, suggesting that the disturbance of their ecosystem significantly impacts the birds’ dietary options.
U.S. birds’ Eastern, Western behavior patterns are polar opposites
Avian functional diversity patterns in the Western U.S., where species and functional richness are both highest during the breeding season, are the polar opposite of what is seen in the East, where functional diversity is lowest when species richness is high, according to new research.
Flower power: Research highlights the role of ants in forest regeneration
Ants play a key role in forest regeneration, according to a new paper from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Sea stars able to consume kelp-eating urchins fast enough to protect kelp forests, research shows
A research team including a scientist from Oregon State University has provided the first experimental evidence that a species of endangered sea star protects kelp forests along North America’s Pacific Coast by preying on substantial numbers of kelp-eating urchins.
WashU great ape, biodiversity research informs decision to expand Congolese park
This month, the Republic of Congo agreed to protect a 36-square-mile area called Djéké Triangle by making it part of the adjacent Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park — the only habitat in the world home to habituated groups of both gorillas and chimpanzees.
Multistate project aims to diversify Corn Belt
With a five-year, $10 million federal grant, a team of researchers from Iowa, Indiana and Illinois are working to plant the seeds for greater crop diversity in the Midwest.
Current Antarctic conservation efforts are insufficient to avoid biodiversity declines
Existing conservation efforts are insufficient to protect Antarctic ecosystems, and population declines are likely for 65% of the continent’s plants and wildlife by the year 2100, according to a study publishing December 22nd in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
Biological Alternatives Offer Hope for Restoring Biodiversity
This week, the United Nations is meeting in Montreal for the UN Biodiversity Conference. The conference brings together leaders from around the world to discuss how to prevent loss of biodiversity and how to restore habitats that are already hurting.