Biodiversity News

December 7, 2023

Top Headlines

Researchers Develop Grassroots Framework for Managing Environmental Commons

Dec. 6, 2023 — A team of sustainability scientists recently announced that they have developed a community-based framework, founded on extensive local and traditional knowledge, to help assess and respond to the kinds of ecological threats that are widely ...

Top 10 Climate Science Insights Unveiled

Dec. 5, 2023 — A new report equips policymakers with the latest and most pivotal climate science research from the previous 18 months, synthesized to help inform negotiations at COP28 and policy implementation through 2024 and ...

In Hotter Regions, Mammals Seek Forests, Avoid Human Habitats

Dec. 4, 2023 — As the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation, finds a study of North American ...

Rare Ant Species Rediscovered in North Carolina Trees

Nov. 30, 2023 — There's a species of ant that is so rare, only a handful of records exist from across the entire eastern United States. North Carolina State University researcher Michelle Kirchner not only found these ants in the Triangle region of North Carolina, ...

Latest Headlines

updated 9:40pm EST

Public Gardens Contribute to Invasives Problem

Dec. 1, 2023 — Some nonnative plants cultivated in public gardens or arboretums are escaping to become invasive in wild ...

Inoculation Against Diseased Fields

Nov. 30, 2023 — Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve ...

Landscape Dynamics Determine the Evolution of Biodiversity on Earth

Nov. 29, 2023 — A landmark study into the geological timescale distribution of sediment and nutrients over 500 million years shows that species biodiversity on Earth is driven by landscape ...

Flower Power on Indian Farms Helps Bees and Boosts Livelihoods

Nov. 29, 2023 — Planting flowers beside food crops on farms in India attracts bees, boosts pollination and improves crop yield and quality, researchers have ...

Slash-and-Burn Agriculture Can Increase Forest Biodiversity, Researchers Find

Nov. 28, 2023 — The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by many Indigenous societies across the world can actually have a positive impact on forests, according to a ...

Sensitive Ecosystems at Risk from Mine Waste

Nov. 27, 2023 — Nearly a third of the world's mine tailings are stored within or near protected conservation areas, new research has ...

Protect Delicate Polar Ecosystems by Mapping Biodiversity

Nov. 20, 2023 — Concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems and sustainably manage these unique habitats. ...

Nature Photographers Posting to Social Media Help With Protecting Biodiversity

Nov. 17, 2023 — Nature photographers posting to social media are helping improve biodiversity conservation mapping in South Asia, and the method could go ...

Naturally Regrowing Forests Are Helping to Protect the Remaining Old Forests in the Amazon

Nov. 13, 2023 — Secondary forests that have regrown naturally on land abandoned from agriculture are important in counteracting the effects of forest fragmentation ...

New Study Reveals Huge Potential for Future Waves of Invasive Species

Nov. 16, 2023 — Human trade and transport have led to the intentional and accidental introductions of non-native species outside of their natural range globally. These biological invasions can cause extinctions, ...

Earlier Headlines

Summaries
Headlines

Botany Must Feature More Prominently on the School Curriculum to Promote Awareness of Climate Change, Study Warns

Dec. 4, 2023 — Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have ...

Non-Native Species Likely to Continue Spreading in North America, Australia and Europe

Nov. 14, 2023 — Naturalized species, which are not native but have established themselves in new locations, have the potential to spread even further to suitable habitats in many parts of the world, reports a new ...

Diverse Forests Hold Huge Carbon Potential, as Long as We Cut Emissions

Nov. 13, 2023 — New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these results requires ...

Previously Unknown Luminescence Revealed in Ten Deep Sea Species and an Order of Sea Cucumbers

Nov. 14, 2023 — Researchers present evidence of previously unknown luminosity in 10 deep-sea species, suggesting underestimated diversity. These new discoveries include a member of the order Molpadia, which was ...

Found at Last: Bizarre, Egg-Laying Mammal Finally Rediscovered After 60 Years

Nov. 9, 2023 — A long-beaked echidna named after Sir David Attenborough and last seen by scientists in 1961 has been photographed for the first time in an Indonesian tropical forest. An international team of ...

Scientists Caution Against a Reliance on Mechanical Devices to Clear Water Bodies of Plastic

Nov. 9, 2023 — An international group of scientists has called for the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution to focus more on measures to reduce the production and consumption of plastics and the prevention ...

Plastics Treaty Must Tackle Problem at Source

Nov. 9, 2023 — The new Global Plastics Treaty must tackle the problem at source, researchers say. They say the treaty must prioritize 'upstream' issues: cutting total production and consumption of ...

A Fifth of European Red List Flora and Fauna Species May Be at Risk of Extinction

Nov. 8, 2023 — A new analysis of 14,669 threatened species of plants and animals found in Europe reveals that about one fifth face the risk of extinction, and that agricultural land-use change poses a significant ...

'Alien' Wasps Thriving in Tropical Forests

Nov. 8, 2023 — Researchers say they have discovered high diversity of Darwin wasps in a tropical rainforest in Brazil, wasps which were previously thought to thrive more in cooler ...

Feral Horses and Peatland Carbon Emissions

Nov. 8, 2023 — A ground-breaking new study has found carbon emissions from Australian alpine peatlands to be much higher in areas disturbed by feral ...

Southern Alaska's National Forests Key to Meeting Climate, Conservation Goals

Nov. 8, 2023 — Analyses of U.S. national forests shows that increased protections for two Alaskan forests is a key to meeting climate and biodiversity ...

'Biodiversity Time Machine' Provides Insights Into a Century of Loss

Nov. 7, 2023 — AI analysis shows pollution levels, extreme weather events and increasing temperatures devastates biodiversity in freshwater ...

New Algae Species Rewrites Understanding of Reef Systems

Nov. 6, 2023 — An international team of marine scientists has identified and officially named four species of algae new to science, challenging previous taxonomical assumptions within the Porolithon genus. The ...

Threatened Sharks and Rays Caught Off Cyprus

Nov. 6, 2023 — Sharks and rays from threatened species are being caught off northern Cyprus, according to a new study by scientists who are working with local authorities and fishers to protect the ...

Large Herbivores Such as Elephants, Bison and Moose Contribute to Tree Diversity

Nov. 3, 2023 — Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world's protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more ...

Buzz Around New Centralized Pollination Portal for Better Global Bee Data

Nov. 2, 2023 — A powerful new way to fill major gaps in public bee data -- including from Africa, Asia and other under-reported zones -- has been addressed with a centralized tool for consolidating bee pollinator ...

New Map of 20th Century Land Use in Britain Helps Researchers Demystify Biodiversity Change

Oct. 31, 2023 — Researchers have mapped how land use changed across Britain throughout the last century. The new map reveals how and where some 50 per cent of semi-natural grassland was lost, including 90 per cent ...

Australasia's Hidden Pollination Crisis Could Threaten Biodiversity and Food Security

Oct. 30, 2023 — Australasia's hidden pollination crisis, mirroring global threats, could pose a significant risk to regional biodiversity and food security, new research has ...

Amazon Deforestation Linked to Long Distance Climate Warming

Oct. 30, 2023 — Deforestation in the Amazon causes land surfaces up to 100 kilometers away to get warmer, suggests a new study. The research suggests that tropical forests play a critical role in cooling the ...

Amphibians Have One More Thing to Worry About--Mercury

Oct. 30, 2023 — The first widescale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians in the U.S. to date shows that, in amphibians, this toxic compound is common, widespread and, at least for some, can reach very ...

Monday, December 4, 2023