biodiversity

Citizen scientists and researchers, collaborating through Taxon Expeditions, have discovered and documented a new beetle species, Clavicornaltica mataikanensis, in Borneo’s rainforests, showcasing the significant, yet largely uncharted, biodiversity of tropical forests. Credit: Taxon Expeditions – Holm FriedrichThe undiscovered small beetles in the tropical rainforest are probably endless. But that did not discourage citizen scientists on expeditions to the Ulu Temburong forest in Borneo to keep adding them to scientific…

Scientists have discovered a new species of giant anaconda, the northern green anaconda, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The discovery was made during an expedition invited by the Waorani people. The team’s findings highlight the genetic uniqueness of the species and the ecological threats facing the Amazon, underscoring the urgent need for conservation efforts. Credit: Jesus RivasA team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda.Professor…

Diversity hotspots, centers of phylogenetic endemism, and conservation gaps for Malagasy vascular plants. Credit: IBCASResearch on Madagascar’s vascular plants reveals crucial conservation priorities, identifying areas of high endemic and phylogenetic diversity and pinpointing significant conservation gaps in the island’s arid and semi-arid regions.Despite the importance of biodiversity and the urgency to conserve it, assessing what aspect of biodiversity requires the highest priority has proven complex, especially when…

Boreal forests contain diverse fungal endophytes essential for plant health and ecosystem resilience, with new research revealing their unique biodiversity and climate sensitivity, emphasizing the importance of understanding and preserving these fungi amidst changing climates.Spruce, pine, fir, and additional varieties of trees dominate the chilly expanses of territory that stretch across North America, northern Europe, and Russia, forming a vast circumpolar belt around the globe. These boreal forests represent the most…

As It Happens6:13More than 100 possible new marine species discovered in a single deepsea expeditionDuring a research expedition off the coast of Chile, Erin Easton says her colleagues were constantly showing her some amazing new sea creature they'd just discovered."It would just be, like, 'Erin, Erin, Erin, look!'" Easton, a marine scientist at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal."It is beyond my wildest dreams of what we could have expected. It felt like every time we went…

Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle hatchling taken along the Chandragiri river in Kerala, India. Credit: Ayushi JainBiologists have identified a breeding group of Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtles during conservation initiatives in southern India.Local communities have provided essential knowledge leading to the first-ever discovery of nesting evidence and a breeding population of an extremely rare turtle species in India.The Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is native to the rivers of South and Southeast…

A study from the University of Kansas proposes that the neutral theory of biodiversity, which suggests species extinction is largely random, provides a more accurate explanation than the traditional Red Queen theory. This insight has profound implications for biodiversity conservation, highlighting the unpredictability of species extinction and the potential for understanding community-level patterns. Credit: SciTechDaily.comA new study led by the University of Kansas might resolve a mystery in the “aging process” in…

The discovery of two potential new lamprey species in California by UC Davis researchers highlights significant biodiversity and ecological importance, urging further exploration into these ancient, jawless fish. Above is a picture of a Pacific lamprey resting in a river. Credit: Jeremy Monroe, Fresh Waters IllustratedThese jawless fish play a crucial role in the ecosystem.A study from the University of California, Davis, has identified two potential new species of lamprey fish in the waters of California. The research is…

Scientists have uncovered unexpected biodiversity in deep-sea environments, particularly around hydrothermal vents and manganese nodules, through detailed collection and DNA analysis of marine species. The findings, indicating isolated and unique species as well as potential reproductive habitats within nodules, underscore the ecological importance of these areas. Marine ecologist Sabine Gollner stresses the need for caution in considering deep-sea mining, given the high extinction risk to these unique species. Field of…

During its nesting season, the marbled murrelet, known affectionately among bird watchers as a "strange, mysterious little seabird," lays a single egg in the thick mosses that grow on the branches of British Columbia's old-growth forest canopy.With some of those forests under threat from logging, the small black-and-brown mottled seabird is considered threatened, too.The marbled murrelet is among a growing number of migratory species animals facing a perilous future, a new UN report found.  "The solution for the marbled …