Why do farmers care about conservation?
Long-term farm success depends on sustainable practices.
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Conservation
Monogamous Female Sea Turtles? Yes, Thanks to Sperm Storage
Female sea turtles mate multiply to ensure fertilization. A study of nesting loggerhead female sea turtles in southwestern Florida used genotyping to uncover how many fathers were represented in their nests. Surprisingly, scientists found that 75 percent of the female sea turtles had mated singly. No male was represented in more than one female’s clutches. Findings provide insights into the relative numbers of males present in the breeding population, which are hard to get because males never come ashore.
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I spy with my digital eye … a tiger’s breathing, a lion’s pulse
A pilot study undertaken by researchers from the University of South Australia at Adelaide Zoo, has developed a new way to undertake basic health checks of exotic wildlife using a digital camera, saving them the stress of an anaesthetic.
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MSU partners to establish network to help coastal birds
A Mississippi State researcher is co-leading a new network of more than 100 wildlife scientists and land managers from across the U.S. to monitor and aid birds along the Gulf of Mexico.
Read moreIn Cuba, Cleaner Rivers Follow Greener Farming
For the first time in more than 50 years, a joint team of Cuban and U.S. field scientists studied the water quality of twenty-five Cuban rivers and found little damage after centuries of sugarcane production. They also found nutrient pollution in Cuba’s rivers much lower than the Mississippi River. Cuba’s shift to conservation agriculture after the collapse of the Soviet Union—and reduced use of fertilizers on cropland—may be a primary cause.
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Native Americans did not make large-scale changes to environment prior to European contact
Contrary to long-held beliefs, humans did not make major changes to the landscape prior to European colonization, according to new research conducted in New England featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. These new insights into the past could help to inform how landscapes are managed in the future.
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Are sinking soils in the Everglades related to climate change?
Soils releasing carbon as gas lead to challenges on valuable farmland
Read moreLocal, Native Birds Declining Rapidly While Non-native, Invasive Species Thrive
When Israeli conservation scientists looked at trends of common bird populations over the last 15 years, they found that invasive bird species are thriving, and native ones are largely declining. They present the reasons for these changes, and flag the importance of strategies to mitigate the spread of non-native birds.
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Water management grows farm profits
Study investigates effects of irrigation management on yield and profit
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