Biology: Botany Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Small urban greening projects can dramatically increase number of insect species in cities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

By increasing the diversity of indigenous plants in urban areas, researchers have seen a seven times increase in the number of insect species in just three years, confirming the ecological benefits of urban greening projects.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Fire, disease threatening sanctuary plants for Australian wildlife      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has revealed Australia's iconic grasstrees -- known as 'yaccas' -- play a critical role in protecting wildlife from deadly weather extremes, thereby ensuring their survival. But the grasses themselves are under threat due to back burning, clearing and disease.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Hundreds of Andean bird species at risk due to deforestation: New research shows how to protect them      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Birds native to the tropical Andes are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study combines a meta-analysis of papers on birds across the Andes with five years of fieldwork in Peru, revealing that open farmlands result in up to a 60% decline in the number of species in an area. The study documents how specific species are affected and provides tailored guidance for conservationists trying to protect them.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Detecting a vast diversity of rainforest animals by swabbing their DNA from leaves      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers demonstrate that a vast multitude of birds and mammals can be detected by simply swabbing the DNA left behind by animals from leaves. They showcased the power of this approach in an ecosystem that hosts a ton of wildlife and where detecting animals has historically proven extremely challenging -- the tropical rainforest.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Marine Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

The modern sea spider had started to diversify by the Jurassic, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An extremely rare collection of 160-million-year-old sea spider fossils from Southern France are closely related to living species, unlike older fossils of their kind.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Pollutants are important to biodiversity's role in spread of wildlife diseases      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Conventional wisdom among ecologists holds that the more species there are inhabiting an ecosystem, the less vulnerable any one species will be to a threat like a parasite. A new study of tadpoles illustrates how overlapping biological and environmental factors can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities. The researchers found that environmental pollutants like road salt influence whether increased biodiversity helps or hinders disease outbreaks in wildlife, which can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities.

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Harnessing big data reveals birds' coexisting tactics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Birds likely hold smart insights about coexisting in popular habitats -- especially as climate change looms. Scientists peel back layers of big data to tease out real-life answers.

Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

App-based tool quantifies pesticide toxicity in watersheds; identifies mitigation opportunities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pesticides are a leading source of chemical hazards in aquatic environments. Researchers have introduced a new tool to help evaluate toxicity at high resolution and suggests that targeting a small number of pesticides in a few watersheds could significantly reduce aquatic toxicity in California's agricultural centers.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Top fish predators could suffer wide loss of suitable habitat by 2100 due to climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study of 12 species of highly migratory fish predators -- including sharks, tuna, and billfish such as marlin and swordfish -- finds that most of them will encounter widespread losses of suitable habitat and redistribution from current habitats in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA) and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by 2100. These areas are among the fastest warming ocean regions and are projected to increase between 1-6°C (+1-10°F) by the end of the century, a sign of climate-driven changes in marine ecosystems.

Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Classroom environmental education doesn't change attitudes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of conservation educational activities in the Cape Verde Island of Maio.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Marine protected areas overwhelmingly manage with climate change in mind      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientific findings don't always translate neatly into actions, especially in conservation and resource management. The disconnect can leave academics and practitioners disheartened and a bit frustrated.

Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

City-dwelling wildlife demonstrate 'urban trait syndrome'      (via sciencedaily.com) 

City life favors species that are adaptable and not too fussy about what they eat, among other characteristics. A worldwide consortium of scientists calls the resulting collection of traits an 'Urban Trait Syndrome.'

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Managing domestic and wildcats is likely to remain fraught, new research warns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Current efforts to protect and restore native biodiversity is being threatened by difficulties in identifying wild and domestic cats, and categorization is likely to remain fraught for the foreseeable future, experts have warned.

Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New Antarctic extremes 'virtually certain' as world warms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Extreme events in Antarctica such as ocean heatwaves and ice loss will almost certainly become more common and more severe, researchers say.

Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Bat activity lower at solar farm sites      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The activity level of six bat species was significantly reduced at solar farm sites, researchers have observed.

Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Study reveals successful strategies for removing invasive caimans from Florida Everglades      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study reveals how a succession of strategies can take control of an invasive species population.

Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Kordofan giraffes face local extinction if poaching continues      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Poaching of two Critically Endangered Kordofan giraffes per year could result in extinction in just 15 years within Cameroon's Bénoué National Park without intervention.

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Tropical trees use social distancing to maintain biodiversity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tropical forests can harbor hundreds of species of trees in one square mile. Researchers reveal key factors in the spatial distribution of adult trees.

Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Wildfires
Published

Scientists dig into wildfire predictions, long-term impacts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Wildfires are an ancient force shaping the environment, but they have grown in frequency, range and intensity in response to a changing climate. Scientists are working on several fronts to better understand and predict these events and what they mean for the carbon cycle and biodiversity.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Sea level rise shifts habitat for endangered Florida Keys species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A newly published study describes the response to sea level rise by the silver rice rat, an endangered species only found in the Florida Keys.