http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/biodiversity/ Learn about the loss of biological diversity - biodiversity - in forests, rainforests, aquatic environments and open land. What are the biodiversity hotspots? Read about biodiversity conservation efforts. en-us Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/biodiversity/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709201849.htm Southern elephant seals responded rapidly to climate and habitat change and established a new breeding site thousands of kilometers from existing breeding grounds, according to new research. Scientists found that when the Antarctic ice sheets of the Ross Sea Embayment retreated in the Holocene period 8,000 years ago, elephant seals, Mirounga leonina, adopted the emergent habitat and established a new population which flourished. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709201849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709174751.htm The Census Bureau is good at profiling the US population by sampling small groups of people. Biologists, however, lack a good theory of how to estimate the richness of life in large areas like the Amazon from small-plot studies. Ecologists have applied information theory to develop a new and robust theory that does a much better job predicting biodiversity in large biomes and could be a boon to conservation biologists. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709174751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707155827.htm The Amazon River originated as a transcontinental river around 11 million years ago and took its present shape approximately 2.4 million years ago. These are the most significant results of a study on two boreholes drilled in proximity of the mouth of the Amazon River by Petrobras, the national oil company of Brazil. Scientists used this new oceanic record to reconstruct the history of the Amazon River. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707155827.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201216.htm Long-term declines of elephants, giraffe, impala and other animals in Kenya are occurring at the same rates within the country's national parks as outside of these protected areas, according to a study released this week. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200630.htm An international team of scientists warns that accelerating losses of seagrasses across the globe threaten the immediate health and long-term sustainability of coastal ecosystems. The team has compiled and analyzed the first comprehensive global assessment of seagrass observations and found that 58 percent of world's seagrass meadows are currently declining. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170131.htm Intelligent countryside management could improve the survival chances of animal and plant species threatened by climate change. The creation of small heat-shielded habitats and better links between habitats would counteract a moderate temperature increase, and give threatened species more time to adapt better and/or to migrate to cooler regions. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090702170131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132103.htm The potential of forest biotechnology to help address significant social and environmental issues is being "strangled at birth" by the rigid opposition of some groups and regulations that effectively preclude even the testing of genetically modified trees, scientists argue in a new report. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630132103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084636.htm New DNA analysis reveals that corals in one locality are more closely related than previously thought; results have significant implications for coral conservation. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611120746.htm Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611120746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215939.htm Climate change is altering North American winter bird communities in ways that models currently favored by ecologists fail to predict. Current distributions of animals among different climate zones suggest that, as habitats warm, numbers of species will increase and that those species will be smaller in size and restricted to narrower geographic ranges, but only one of those predictions has held for North American birds over the past quarter century. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215924.htm Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been comprehensively "flattened" over the last 40 years, according to a disturbing new study. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618161150.htm Scientists have unearthed striking evidence for a sudden ancient collapse in plant biodiversity. A trove of 200 million-year-old fossil leaves collected in East Greenland tells the story, carrying its message across time to us today. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618161150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618195804.htm The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released reports documenting the status of polar bears and Pacific walrus in Alaska. The reports confirm that polar bears in Alaska are declining and that Pacific walrus are under threat. Both species are imperiled due to the loss of their sea-ice habitat due to global warming, oil and gas development, and unsustainable harvest. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618195804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142358.htm Clearing the Amazon rainforest increases Brazilian communities' wealth and quality of life, but these improvements are short-lived, according to new research published in Science. The study shows that levels of development revert back to well below national average levels when the loggers and land clearers move on. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612203305.htm It is a misinterpretation of the application of the bedrock of scientific naming with regard to the number of moose species that an Alaskan wildlife geneticist seeks to correct. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612203305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612092735.htm Sophisticated sensors that measure leaf wetness, soil moisture and temperature are helping rehabilitate rainforest in the Springbrook World Heritage precinct in southeast Queensland, Australia. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612092735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143837.htm As demands on rural land increase and we are all having to deal with the effects of climate change, we may need to take a fresh look at our priorities, according to leading academics meeting in the UK. Research from the Relu Program will be important for the complex policy decisions about land use that need to be taken at national and regional level. Is it time for a debate on a land use planning system for the countryside? Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608143837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601211429.htm Retaining a network of wildlife conservation areas is vital in helping to save up to 90 per cent of bird species in Africa affected by climate change, according to scientists. Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601211429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604181251.htm A new report provides compelling evidence that paying to conserve billions of tons of carbon stored in tropical forests could also protect orangutans, pygmy elephants, and other wildlife at risk of extinction. The study is one of the first to offer quantitative evidence linking the drive to reduce carbon emissions from forests with the push to preserve threatened mammal biodiversity. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604181251.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601151225.htm Hands wring and teeth gnash over the loss of endangered species like the panda or the polar bear. But what happens to the parasites hosted by endangered species? And although most people would side with the panda over the parasite, which group should we worry about more? Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601151225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091131.htm How do you get governments, businesses and citizens to work together to manage ecosystems? -- You transform from an 'eco geek' into a modern leader and make sure that your project serves multiple objectives, according to researchers. Researchers present new management practices that live up to the demands of today and that curbs the unsustainable tapping into the world's natural resources. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603091131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529112528.htm Climate change can have devastating effects on endangered species, but new mathematical models may be able to aid conservation of a population of bighorn sheep. Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529112528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601090111.htm World scientists have announced the agreement to construct a massive, comprehensive virtual observatory of historic importance for the study and monitoring of biodiversity at a planetary level -- an online information system for life on Earth that will take its place alongside the world meteorology data network that pools information to predict the weather. The system will function as well as a high-tech field guide for citizen scientists, who may then contribute biodiversity-related observations to the global database. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601090111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102021.htm Mass migrations of herbivores like pronghorn, zebra, and wildebeest are in a world-wide decline because of human changes to the landscape. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527073028.htm The rapid expansion of industrial agriculture and the globalization of the food system have favored the decline and deterioration of agro-ecosystems, thus increasing biodiversity loss. A new article analyzes the consequences of the emergence of glyphosate resistance in johnsongrass, a weed that is affecting genetically modified soybeans fields in northern Argentina. Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090527073028.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090524170641.htm Using such diverse sources as old ship logs, literary texts, tax accounts, newly translated legal documents and even mounted trophies, researchers are piecing together images -- some flickering, others in high definition -- of fish of such sizes, abundance and distribution in ages past that they stagger modern imaginations. They are also documenting the timelines over which those giant marine life populations declined. Mon, 25 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090524170641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522122314.htm Biologists have announced the top 10 new species described in 2008. The list includes: pea-sized seahorse, caffeine-free coffee, bacteria that live in hairspray, tiny snake, very long insect, fossilized specimen of live-bearing vertebrate, snail whose shell twists around four axes, palm that flowers itself to death, ghost slug and deep blue damselfish. Sat, 23 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090522122314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521084717.htm A new species of yeast has been discovered deep in the Amazon jungle. Biologist have identified novel characteristics of Candida carvajalis sp. nov. Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521084717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520140613.htm Scientists have used the Guadiana River basin, in which 92% of the species are under threat, as a reference point to measure the loss of aquatic biodiversity and its conservation value. A new study reveals that the state of fragmentation of Iberian river basins is “seriously endangering” the freshwater fish that inhabit them, and highlights the need to create new protected aquatic reserves. Fri, 22 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520140613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519075422.htm A team of researchers, addressing long-standing conflicts in ecology and evolutionary science, has provided key directions for the future of community ecology. The team comprehensively synthesized emerging work that applies knowledge of evolutionary relationships among different species--phylogenetics--to understanding species interactions, ecosystems and biodiversity. Wed, 20 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519075422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513091515.htm Scientists have described a new species of red algae (Leptofauchea coralligena) in the western Mediterranean. This is the only species of the Leptofauchea genus currently known to be in the Mediterranean. Mon, 18 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513091515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511180651.htm Rare and unique ecological communities will be lost if oceanic islands aren't adequately considered in a global conservation plan, a new study has found. Although islands tend to harbor fewer species than continental lands of similar size, plants and animals found on islands often live only there, making protection of their isolated habitats our sole chance to preserve them. Mon, 18 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511180651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517212653.htm Scientists have identified a nesting population of leatherback sea turtles in Gabon, West Africa as the world's largest. The research involved country-wide land and aerial surveys that estimated a population of between 15,730 and 41,373 female turtles using the nesting beaches. The study highlights the importance of conservation work to manage key sites and protected areas in Gabon. Mon, 18 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517212653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513224124.htm The latest evaluation of the world's birds reveals that more species than ever are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Researchers found 1,227 species (12 percent) are classified as globally threatened with extinction. Thu, 14 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513224124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501201353.htm A first-of-its kind, long-term study of hurricane impact on U.S. trees shows that hurricane damage can diminish a forest's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, from the atmosphere. Researchers examined the impact of tropical cyclones on U.S. forests from 1851--2000 and found that changes in hurricane frequency might contribute to global warming. Sun, 10 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501201353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505061942.htm Between 129 and 221 new species of frogs have been identified in Madagascar, practically doubling the currently known amphibian fauna. The finding suggests that the number of amphibian species in Madagascar, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, has been significantly underestimated. According to the researchers, if these results are extrapolated at a global scale, the number of amphibian species worldwide could double. Tue, 05 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505061942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430091057.htm Researchers have detected common plant toxins that affect human health and ecosystems in smoke from forest fires. The results from the new study also suggest that smoldering fires may produce more toxins than wildfires - a reason to keep human exposures to a minimum during controlled burns. Finding these toxins -- known as alkaloids -- helps researchers understand how they cycle through earth and air. Sat, 02 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430091057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430144532.htm Fertilized grasslands are more productive but poorer in species. Researchers have now identified the mechanisms that lead to loss of biodiversity through fertilization. The new results show that nutrient enrichment of grasslands must be more strongly controlled if plant diversity is to be preserved. Fri, 01 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430144532.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132612.htm A new study shows that some coral reefs off East Africa are unusually resilient to climate change due to improved fisheries management and a combination of geophysical factors. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427115036.htm Britain may not have the ability to stop the spread of so-called 'Sudden Oak Death', a disease threatening the country's trees, woods and heathland. Experts in the UK fear that if the disease took hold and spread rapidly throughout the UK, the impact on ecosystems, biodiversity and the national landscape could be severe. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427115036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427075412.htm The future of Mediterranean forests seems unclear because of the major environmental and social changes now and in the future. However action can be taken to prevent further damage to the forests and to improve their image. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427075412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073907.htm The EU promotes the production of biofuels and has set a target of 5.75% share of biofuels in the transport section for all EU Member States by 2010, and a target of 10% to be reached by 2020. Researchers have developed a new method of assessing biodiversity impacts resulting from changing land use due to the production of biofuel crops in Europe, distinguishing between arable (first generation) and woody (second-generation) crop types. The results indicate that more species might suffer from habitat losses rather than benefit from a doubled biofuel target, while abolishing the biofuel target would mainly have positive effects. Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422191722.htm Conservation experts from 24 world-leading organizations including the WWF, Conservation International and Birdlife International have identified one hundred key scientific questions that, if answered, would help conserve global biodiversity. Scientists say if the questions are answered swiftly, it could stem massive biodiversity loss. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422191722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm Overpopulation is the world's top environmental issue, followed closely by climate change and the need to develop renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels, according to a survey of the faculty at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090416190945.htm Two scientists with the American Museum of Natural History dusted off a number of specimens from Madagascar and used the location information associated with each species to test different ideas regarding the evolution of locally distributed endemism. They found support for alternative hypotheses, suggesting that multiple processes develop local endemism. This result can help to identify priorities in conservation planning. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090416190945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090410101342.htm Paying farmers to protect and establish more hedgerow trees could be crucial to halting the decline in biodiversity in the British landscape, scientists have found. Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090410101342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417195831.htm Scientists have established a new conceptual framework which identifies the indicators of the fishing and tourist industry, evaluating the effectiveness of the Protected Marine Areas. The model applied to three marine zones reveals the existence of many deficiencies, due to legal loopholes and the lack of scientific information. Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417195831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415141217.htm A lichen expert has discovered a new species of lichen, and named it after President Obama. He discovered the new species while doing a survey for lichen diversity on Santa Rosa Island, Calif. He made the final collections of Caloplaca obamae during the suspenseful final weeks of President Obama's campaign for the United States presidency. He completed the final draft of his research paper on the day of President Obama's inauguration. Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415141217.htm