Protected Conservation Areas Saw Dramatic Spikes in Fires During COVID Lockdowns
The number of fires inside protected conservation areas across the island of Madagascar shot up dramatically when COVID-19 lockdowns led to the suspension of any…
Biodiversity
Unchecked Global Emissions on Course To Trigger Mass Extinction of Marine Life
As greenhouse gas emissions continue to warm the world’s oceans, marine biodiversity could be on track to plunge within the next few centuries to levels…
Climate Change Will Reshuffle Marine Ecosystems in Unexpected Ways – “Like Putting Marine Biodiversity in a Blender”
Sophisticated model reveals how predator-prey relationships affect species’ ranges. Warming of the oceans due to climate change will mean fewer productive fish species to catch…
Hundreds of “Hidden” New Mammal Species Waiting To Be Found
Research suggests where these species may be “hidden.” At least hundreds of so-far unidentified species of mammals are hiding in plain sight around the world,…
Forest Loss in India “Worse Than Feared” Due to Climate Change
Forest loss from temperature and rainfall alterations adding to deforestation issue. Forest loss in India could become an even bigger problem than anticipated in the…
Agricultural Research Shows Global Cropland Could Almost Be Cut in Half
In the context of trade-offs between land use and biodiversity, LMU geographers have simulated land saving potentials for agriculture. With rising global demand for agricultural…
What Brain-Eating Amoebae Can Tell Us About Life on Earth and Evolutionary History
By providing new insight into how Naegleria divides, an international team of researchers, led by UMass Amherst, adds to fundamental knowledge of life. An international…
Earth’s Coldest Forests Are Shifting Northward With Climate Change – Biodiversity and Wildfire Risks
New research from Northern Arizona University shows rising temperatures are causing Earth’s coldest forests to shift northward, raising concerns about biodiversity, an increased risk of…
Hidden Diversity: Undiscovered Species Are Hiding Right Under Our Noses
Advanced genetic techniques reveal several look-alike parasitoid wasps previously grouped as one species. A common refrain among biologists holds that the majority of Earth’s plant…
Earth May Have 9,000 Tree Species That Haven’t Been Discovered Yet
Our planet might be hosting approximately 9,000 tree species yet to be discovered. A third of these are rare species with a population that is…
The Abyssal World: Dark and Hostile Environment Is the Last Terra Incognita of the Earth Surface
The deep-ocean floor is the least explored ecosystem on the planet, despite covering more than 60% of the Earth surface. Largely unknown life in abyssal…
“Alien” Species of Predatory Hammerhead Worms Identified in Europe and Africa
Two new species of potentially invasive hammerhead flatworms from Europe (France and Italy) and Africa (Mayotte) “Alien” species of predatory hammerhead worms – including a…
Huge New Study Estimates There Are 9,200 Tree Species on Earth Yet To Be Discovered
Number of Earth’s tree species estimated to be 14% higher than currently known, with some 9,200 species yet to be discovered. A new study involving…
Even Remote Areas Are Not Safe Havens for Biodiversity
An international research team led by Associate Professor Giovanni Strona from the University of Helsinki has identified a general macroecological mechanism that calls for a…
Why Lost Birds and Mammals Spell Doom for Some Plants
Animal-dispersed plants’ ability to keep pace with climate change reduced by 60%. In one of the first studies of its kind, researchers have gauged how…
Sixth Mass Extinction of Global Biodiversity Is Already in Progress
The history of life on Earth has been marked five times by events of mass biodiversity extinction caused by extreme natural phenomena. Today, many experts…
Zoo Air Is Filled With Enough DNA To Identify the Animals Inside
The air in a zoo is full of smells, from the fish used for feed to the manure from the grazing herbivores, but now we…
DNA From Air Could Revolutionize Our Ability To Monitor Animal Biodiversity
Two independent research groups detect the presence of animals by collecting DNA from air. Two new studies published today (January 6, 2022) in the journal…
