Against Common Belief – Invasive Species Are Often Beneficial
A Brown University biologist calls for a more balanced view of invasive species. Invasive species, also known as non-native species, have become much more well-known…
Biodiversity News
Highly Threatened New Species of Owl Discovered in the Rainforests of Príncipe Island, Central Africa
A new species of owl has just been described from Príncipe Island, an island lying off the west coast of Central Africa that is part…
Poorly Defined Land Rights Increase Deforestation Rates
Poorly defined land rights increase deforestation, but private land rights must be combined with strict environmental policies. Tropical deforestation causes widespread degradation of biodiversity and…
A Biodiversity Crisis: Food Webs Worldwide Are Collapsing
The scale of the biodiversity crisis is shown by recreating 130,000 years of mammal food webs. A recent study, published in the journal Science, provides the clearest…
American Forests Are Being Overrun by Invasive Species
A recent plant survey discovered that numerous invasive non-native species are prospering in Ohio. Invasive species that have been introduced to the United States over…
Experts in Marine and Coastal Systems Predict Top 15 Emerging Impacts on Ocean Biodiversity Over Next Decade
Lithium extraction from the deep sea, overfishing of deeper-water species, and the unexpected ocean impacts of wildfires on land are among 15 issues experts warn…
Clinging to Life: Scientists Rediscover Oak Tree Thought To Be Extinct
One Quercus tardifolia found clinging to life in Big Bend National Park. Botanical researchers have discovered an oak tree once thought to be extinct, and…
Missing for Decades: Researchers Identify Over 500 Species As “Lost”
A new study has identified 562 lost species An international study provides the first worldwide assessment of all terrestrial vertebrate species that have not been…
First Animals Formed Complex Ecological Communities Before the Cambrian Explosion
Metacommunity analysis suggests succession, not mass extinction, explains the Ediacaran diversity drop. Early animals developed complex ecological communities more than 550 million years ago, setting…
Major Step Forward in Monitoring Ocean Health Through “DNA Soup”
Autonomous technology uses eDNA to survey biodiversity. In a major step forward for monitoring the biodiversity of marine systems, a new research study published on…
Satellite Monitoring of Biodiversity Advances To Protect Threatened Ecosystems
Internationally comparable data on biodiversity is needed to protect threatened ecosystems, restore destroyed habitats and counteract the negative effects of global biodiversity loss. Current biodiversity…
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…
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…
