biodiversity

Gison Morib was home lying in bed, sick from exhaustion after a month-long jungle expedition, when his phone buzzed and a black-and-white photograph appeared. Morib ran outside, jumped on his motorbike and sped through the city of Sentani on Indonesian New Guinea to his colleagues’ expedition and research base—where he broke down in tears. “I cannot believe we found it,” was all he could say, over and over. The photograph showed the first recorded sighting in more than 60 years of an Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, an…

The Rocky Mountains conjure up images of grey rugged peaks capped with white. But within the upper reaches of the harsh mountain landscapes, a rosier hue often blooms.Watermelon snow, also known as glacial blood, is caused by algae that turns the snow a startling shade of red.The algae blooms in summer, forming on the snowfields that linger on glaciers, frozen lakes, rugged peaks and icy valleys in the upper reaches of mountain terrain.The darker the snow, the faster it melts — and new research sheds light on the threat…

Canada is home to the largest boreal forest in the world, a vast expanse of wilderness rich in biodiversity that stretches from coast to coast.But a major new study examining nearly a half century of logging in Ontario and Quebec warns that clear-cutting has left forests in the provinces severely depleted — and puts woodland caribou at risk.The peer-reviewed research, published in the academic journal Land, found that logging practices between 1976 and 2020 have resulted in the loss of more than 14 million hectares of…

A groundbreaking study by UCL and international scientists has discovered that just 2.2% of tree species account for half of the trees in tropical forests globally. This uniform pattern across diverse regions like Africa, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia suggests a fundamental mechanism shaping these ecosystems.Scientists have found that a small number of tree species dominate tropical forests worldwide, challenging previous notions about the diversity of these ecosystems.A major international collaboration of 356…

Key organisms in the Southern Ocean and 21st century ocean acidification in Marine Protected Areas. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44438-x The acidity of Antarctica's coastal waters could double by the end of the century, threatening whales, penguins and hundreds of other species that inhabit the Southern Ocean, according to new research from the Univeristy of Colorado Boulder.…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain An international team of scientists led by Oregon State University researchers has used a novel 500-year dataset to frame a "restorative" pathway through which humanity can avoid the worst ecological and social outcomes of climate change. In addition to charting a possible new course for society, the researchers say their…

A groundbreaking discovery by Griffith University researchers reveals four new algae species in the Great Barrier Reef, reshaping our understanding of their ecological importance and highlighting the urgency of conservation efforts amidst climate change threats.A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the heart of the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef and unique reefs systems of the Coral Sea and Lord Howe Island, leading to a greater understanding of how the world heritage-listed landmark is protected. An…

In Brazil’s Cerrado, Vadim Viviani’s research reveals a concerning decline in bioluminescent beetles, primarily due to agricultural practices and artificial lighting. This loss threatens biodiversity and limits opportunities for scientific and technological applications of bioluminescence. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.comSurveys conducted in the Cerrado since the 1990s show falling biodiversity as the agricultural frontier advances in the vicinity of Emas National Park. Species with biotechnological potential…

A team of University of Queensland scientists conducted a biodiversity survey in their Annerley share house, uncovering 1,150 unique species. This finding significantly exceeded the expected 200 species, revealing a high level of biodiversity in urban environments. The study showcased a variety of species from insects to birds and highlighted the importance of how urban homes and gardens are maintained for fostering biodiversity. Credit: SciTechDaily.comUniversity of Queensland scientists discovered an unexpected…

Ecologists and biologists commonly conduct surveys of the plants, fungi and animals in the environment they study. It’s less common, however, for that environment to be the virtual emojisphere. Emoji, the cutesy digital characters that have become their own mode of communication in text messages and online, are chock-full of representations of the natural world. Yet those representations are seriously skewed, according to a study published recently in the journal iScience.In an analysis of Emojipedia, a comprehensive…