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 Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:05:01 EDT Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:05:01 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/2008/09/080905153803.htm Captive breeding colonies of a critically endangered vulture, whose numbers in the wild have dwindled from tens of millions to a few thousand, are too small to protect the species from extinction, a new analysis shows. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080905153803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143245.htm The growing number of dams and other impoundments is increasing the number of invasive species and the speed at which they spread, putting natural lakes at risk, says a study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902095117.htm Two black-footed ferrets at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have each given birth to a kit that was sired by males who died in 1999 and 2000. These endangered ferrets were artificially inseminated in May with frozen semen from the two deceased males, each giving birth on June 20 and 21 respectively. Successful inseminations with frozen semen are extremely rare -- until now only three black-footed ferret kits have been born from this method. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902095117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830191841.htm Nine Baltic sea states all scored failing grades in an annual WWF evaluation of their performance in protecting and restoring the world's most damaged sea. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830191841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120326.htm Biologists have discovered surprisingly large populations of two globally threatened primates in a protected area in Cambodia. The report counted 42,000 black-shanked douc langurs along with 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, an estimate that represents the largest known populations for both species in the world. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080828120326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826173227.htm It's no secret that humans are having a huge impact on the life cycles of plants and animals. UC Santa Barbara researchers decided to test that theory by studying the world's far-flung islands. Their research sheds surprising light on the subject of extinction rates of species on islands. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826173227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110125.htm A new species of fish has been discovered -- a grouper that reaches more than six feet in length and can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds. This newly discovered species can be found roaming the tropical reefs of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164644.htm Common tree species in the Amazon will survive even grim scenarios of deforestation and road-building, but rare trees could suffer extinction rates of up to 50 percent, predict scientists in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813102725.htm One in five of Germany's plant species could lose parts of its current range, a new study reveals. Species distributions will be rearranged as a result of climate change; this could have a dramatic impact particularly on the vegetation in southwestern and eastern Germany. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813102725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135654.htm Devastating declines of amphibian species around the world are a sign of a biodiversity disaster larger than just frogs, salamanders and their ilk, according to researchers from the University of California, Berkeley. The researchers argue that substantial die-offs of amphibians and other plant and animal species add up to a new mass extinction facing the planet. Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213816.htm Burmese Pythons may have chosen Florida as a vacation destination, but are unlikely to expand further, according to a new study. Although the United States Geological Survey earlier this year released "climate maps" indicating that the pythons could inhabit up to 32 states in the US, new research indicates that the snakes are unlikely to expand out of Florida. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200016.htm Microbial biologists may not have Jimmy Buffett's music from 1977 in mind, but they are changing attitudes about evolutionary diversity on Earth, from oceanic latitudes to mountainous altitudes. They are showing that temperature primarily drives the richness of bacterial diversity in oceans, and that life, plant and microbial, by altitude in the Rocky Mountains may be close, but not exactly, to what biologists have theorized for years. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813144405.htm Human activities are cumulatively driving the health of the world's oceans down a rapid spiral, and only prompt and wholesale changes will slow or perhaps ultimately reverse the catastrophic problems they are facing. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813144405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807080832.htm The current U.S. population of red imported fire ants--which infest millions of acres across the southern states -- can be traced back to nine to 20 queens in Mobile, Alabama. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807080832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811195627.htm Amphibians, reigning survivors of past mass extinctions, are sending a clear, unequivocal signal that something is wrong, as their extinction rates rise to unprecedented levels, according to a new paper. Humans are exacerbating two key natural threats: climate change and a deadly disease that is jumping from one species to another. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811195627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200020.htm A multi-pronged approach is the only way humanity can preserve biodiversity, say Stanford biologists Paul Ehrlich and Robert Pringle. While many people have gotten the impression that only government-level action can have a significant impact, many small effective efforts are already under way. What is needed, they say, is for these small-scale efforts to be implemented more broadly and scaled up dramatically and for academics to leave their Ivory Towers and do outreach work. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806113316.htm Ecologist are studying how woody vines, or lianas, are affecting tropical forests and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Through a comprehensive community-level study on liana-tree interactions in Panama, researchers are untangling how lianas survive -- and whether they are really threatening trees. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806113316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806122418.htm Experts have described three major marine biodiversity hotspots in the last 50 million years, from the oldest, peaked in southwest Europe and northwest Africa, to the modern Indo-Australian Archipelago hotspot. The birth, evolution and death of such hotspots are a product of ecological processes operating over geological time scales of millions of years. To what extent is human activity speeding the evolutionary process of the focus with the highest level of biological diversity, the coral reef ecosystems? Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806122418.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805074603.htm Environmental conservation efforts have traditionally focused on protecting individual species or natural resources. Scientists are discovering, however, that preserving the benefits that whole ecosystems provide to people is more economically and environmentally valuable. Ecologists will explore the application of ecosystem services approaches to conservation. Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805074603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100143.htm Scientists have long pointed to physical changes in the Earth and its atmosphere as indicators of global climate change. But changes in climate can wreak havoc in more subtle ways, such as the loss of habitat for plant and animal species. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804222912.htm Mankind's closest relatives -- the world's monkeys, apes and other primates -- are disappearing from the face of the Earth, with some literally being eaten into extinction. The first comprehensive review in five years of the world's 634 kinds of primates found that almost 50 percent are in danger of going extinct, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804222912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080801094258.htm Aeroecology is the emerging discipline for studying how airborne organisms -- birds, bats, arthropods and microbes -- depend on the support of the lower atmosphere that is closest to the Earth's surface. Called the aerosphere, it influences the daily and seasonal movements, development traits, such as size and shape, and evolution of behavioral, sensory, metabolic and respiratory functions of airborne organisms. Understanding how they respond to altered landscapes and atmospheric conditions can also help mitigate adverse effects. Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080801094258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192930.htm Just three years after it was discovered, a new species of monkey is threatened with extinction according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which recently published the first-ever census of the endangered primate. Africa's 'kipunji' hovers at 1,100 individuals. Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722225339.htm Ice age climate change and ancient flooding -- but not barriers created by rivers -- may have promoted the evolution of new insect species in the Amazon region of South America, a new study suggests. The Amazon basin is home to the richest diversity of life on earth, yet the reasons why this came to be are not well understood. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722225339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080727225420.htm A global change in climate could explain the explosion in marine biodiversity that took place 460 million years ago. Researchers have now found evidence of a progressive ocean cooling of about 15°C over a period of 40 million years during the Ordovician. Until now, this geologic period had been associated with a "super greenhouse effect" on our planet. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080727225420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723162113.htm Wealthy nations willing to collectively spend about $1 billion annually could prevent the emission of roughly half a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year for the next 25 years, new research suggests. It would take about that much money to put an end to a tenth of the tropical deforestation in the world, one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, researchers estimate. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723162113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080725094039.htm Resisting pressures to convert wetlands for agriculture, bio-fuels and hydro-electricity is vital to avoid destroying ecosystems that provide a suite of services essential to humanity, including safe, steady local water supplies, preserving biodiversity and the large-scale capture and storage of climate warming greenhouse gases, according 700 leading world experts concluding a week-long meeting in Cuiaba, Brazil. Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080725094039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722131657.htm The adage that your enemies know your weaknesses best is especially true in the case of plants and predators that have co-evolved: as the predators evolve new strategies for attack, plants counter with their own unique defenses. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722131657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721173757.htm Mangrove destruction not only comes with ecological cost, but monetary as well: $37,500 per hectare each year, researchers say. Mexican mangroves, trees that form forest ecosystems at the land-sea interface, demonstrably boost fishery yields in the Gulf of California. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080721173757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715125924.htm A type of wild rice that only grows in a small stretch of the San Marcos River is likely so rare because it plays the sexual reproduction game poorly. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715125924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722072025.htm Researchers in Madagascar have confirmed the existence of a population of greater bamboo lemurs more than 400 km from the only other place where the critically endangered species is known to live, raising hopes for its survival. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722072025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717110241.htm Borneo (Kalimantan) is the third largest island in the world. Borneo's rain forests are also home to some extremely rare species of orchids, all highly valued for their exotic aromas and aesthetic beauty. Borneo's orchids are also endangered, a result of the loss of natural habitat from fire, forest damage, and illegal logging. Increased exploitation of the forests of West Borneo, including gold mining and illegal burning, has led to the certain extinction of hundreds of orchid species. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717110241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080720150209.htm There is growing concern among environmental scientists that evaporation and ongoing destruction of world wetlands, which hold a volume of carbon similar to that in the atmosphere today, could cause them to exhale billows of greenhouse gases. Warming world temperatures are speeding both rates of decomposition of trapped organic material and evaporation, while threatening critical sources of wetlands recharge. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080720150209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717140445.htm Many species must move to new areas to survive climate change. Often, this seems impossible. Species stranded on mountain tops in southern Europe that are becoming too hot for them, for instance, are unlikely to be able to reach northern Europe unaided. So should humans step in to help? The journal Science reports that conservation scientists are calling for new conservation tactics, such as assisted migration, in the face of the growing threat of climate change. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717140445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714114714.htm The United States should follow Canada's lead and adopt standards identical to those proposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, says a new report from the United States' National Research Council. Both nations should ensure that only vessels adhering to these standards gain access to the lakes, and binational surveillance measures should be in place to monitor the presence of aquatic invasive species. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714114714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710200232.htm Climate change could have a major impact on the environment of Costa Rica, upsetting delicate mountain cloud forests, and causing a decrease in plant and animal species in a region famous for its biodiversity. Regional climate models predict that the area will become warmer and drier as climate change accelerates. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710200232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080711125733.htm Millions of pounds of lead used in hunting, fishing and shooting sports wind up in the environment each year and can threaten or kill wildlife, according to a new scientific report. Lead is a metal with no known beneficial role in biological systems, and its use in gasoline, paint, pesticides, and solder in food cans has nearly been eliminated. Although lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting in 1991, its use in ammunition for upland hunting, shooting sports, and in fishing tackle remains common. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080711125733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080713183039.htm Climate change is happening, and we must develop ways for all life to be able to cope, environmental advocates urge. WWF Vietnam Programme is looking at this through the development of resilient multifunctional landscapes that also work as forest corridors, assisting with species dispersal and adaptation, by changes in land-use practices. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080713183039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708171536.htm Brightly colored beetles or butterfly larvae nibbling on a plant may signal the presence of chemical compounds active against cancer cell lines and tropical parasitic diseases, according to researchers. Such clues could speed drug discovery and provide insight into the ecological relationships between tropical-forest plants and insects that feed on them. Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708171536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710142935.htm A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status, published in Science. Climate change and human-induced destruction have been cited as causes. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710142935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708200621.htm Rising demand for palm oil will decimate biodiversity unless producers and politicians can work together to preserve as much remaining natural forest as possible, ecologists have warned. A new study of the potential ecological impact of various management strategies published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology found that very little can be done to make palm oil plantations more hospitable for local birds and butterflies. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708200621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707112641.htm A comprehensive survey of coral biodiversity in Panama's Las Perlas Archipelago has resulted in clear conservation recommendations for a new coastal management plan. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707112641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080706194253.htm A new study has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. The frequency of these mammals, collectively known as cetaceans, found stranded on beaches in Cornwall has increased with a sharp rise in the last eight years. After analyzing nearly 100 years of data, the researchers believe this could, in part, be due to more intensive fishing. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080706194253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701221452.htm Researchers investigated children's perceptions of rainforest biodiversity by asking young museum visitors to draw their ideal rainforest, as part of a competition, and found that while children have a sophisticated understanding of rainforest ecosystems, they tend to overestimate the relative numbers of some taxa (mainly "cuter" mammals, birds and reptiles) while underestimating the proportions of less charismatic taxa, such as insects and annelids. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701221452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703140725.htm In a new article in the journal Science, a group of former senior federal officials call for the establishment of an independent Earth Systems Science Agency to meet the unprecedented environmental and economic challenges facing the nation. They propose forming the new agency by merging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Geological Survey. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703140725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703140706.htm Countering a perception that establishing nature reserves in developing nations drives away local communities, a new study finds that human settlements are actually drawn to protected areas in Africa and Latin America. Unfortunately, the researchers also found a link between high rates of human population growth and illegal harvesting of timber, bushmeat hunting and species extinction. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703140706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701165021.htm Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam suggest that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region's rich and varied biodiversity and putting the primary health care resource of millions at risk. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701165021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703113628.htm Endangered wild orangutan populations are declining more sharply in Sumatra and Borneo than previously estimated, according to new findings. Although other threats to orangutan survival exist, such as hunting in agricultural areas where human-orangutan conflicts exist, the biggest by far is forest destruction associated with the burgeoning palm oil industry in Indonesia and Malaysia. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703113628.htm