Urgent Action to Protect California Spotted Owls Recommended by Wildlife Biologists
In the Pacific Northwest, the range expansion of Barred Owls has contributed to a conservation crisis for Northern Spotted Owls, which are being displaced from…
Biodiversity
Australian Researchers Fear Platypus on Brink of Extinction – Call for National Action
New UNSW research calls for national action to minimize the risk of the platypus vanishing due to habitat destruction, dams, and weirs. Australia’s devastating drought…
Pancake-Shaped Structures in Hummingbird Feathers Produce Their Iridescent Rainbow Colors
Hummingbirds are some of the most brightly-colored things in the entire world. Their feathers are iridescent—light bounces off them like a soap bubble, resulting in…
Study Traces Evolution of Acoustic Communication Back to 350 Million Years Ago
A study tracing acoustic communication across the tree of life of land-living vertebrates reveals that the ability to vocalize goes back hundreds of millions of…
Human-Caused Biodiversity Decline Isn’t New – It Started Millions of Years Ago
The human-caused biodiversity decline started much earlier than researchers used to believe. According to a new study published in the scientific journal Ecology Letters the…
Climate May Affect Biodiversity in Rainforests Even More Than Deforestation
Small Mammals in South America Help Scientists See Forest-Wide Patterns “Save the rainforests” is a snappy slogan, but it doesn’t tell the full story of…
Saving the Northern White Rhino From Extinction
In December 2019 the team of scientists and conservationists repeated the egg collection from the northern white rhinos in Kenya and was able to create…
Alien Species Invasions in Antarctica Predicted
A new study identifies the non-native species most likely to invade the Antarctic Peninsula region over the next decade. It provides a baseline for all…
Plant Life Expanding Around Mount Everest and Across the Himalayan Region
New research shows plant life is expanding in the area around Mount Everest, and across the Himalayan region. Scientists used satellite data to measure the…
True Identity of Mystery Invader in Florida Waters Uncovered After 20 Years – “Sometimes Scientists Make Mistakes”
Sometimes scientists make mistakes. Case in point is the chanchita, a South American freshwater fish that has been swimming in Florida’s waters for at least…
Biodiversity and Wildlife of Angola Threatened by Illegal Hunting and Bushmeat Trade
Hunting wild animals has been practiced by humans for millions of years; however, the extraction of wildlife for subsistence and commercialization has become a major…
Ancient Wasp-Mimicking Fly Discovered – Named After PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’
A newly discovered species of ancient wasp-mimicking flies was named Buccinatormyia gangnami, after a famous hit by a South Korean singer PSY. It was described…
Rare Species of Animals and Plants Organize in Ghettos to Survive
An international research team in which Spanish experts participate has shown that sparse species are associated spatially in 90% of the animal and plant communities…
Amazon Forest Regrowth Much Slower Than Thought – May Take Well Over a Century to Fully Recover
The regrowth of Amazonian forests following deforestation can happen much slower than previously thought, a new study shows. The findings could have significant impacts for…
Mowing Lawns Less Increases Biodiversity, Reduces Pests and Saves Money
The researchers combined data across North America and Europe using a meta-analysis, a way of aggregating results from multiple studies to increase statistical strength. They…
Gardens Can Be Havens for Soil Animals in Towns and Cities
Soil animal days 2019: Fewer ants but more millipedes, woodlice still on top The fifth edition of the Dutch Soil Animal Days saw earthworms almost…
Move Over Oranges, Star Fruit May Be the New ‘Star’ of Florida Agriculture
It’s not just oranges that grow in Florida. Carambola, or star fruit as most in the United States call it, is gaining popularity. One researcher…
Chinese Plant Biodiversity at Risk Due to Human Activity
With intensifying human activity, many species are threatened with extinction. However, many other species have expanded their range. Is there a general rule to identify…