The $670,797 grant will support research on biodiversity in West and Central Africa, with a focus on amphibian and reptile wildlife. The project aims to identify the processes driving high species diversity in the region and develop efficient approaches for maintaining biodiversity.
Researchers at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County have made a groundbreaking discovery of 30 new insect species in a single genus, all from urban Los Angeles. The BioSCAN project, which enlisted local residents as 'site hosts,' yielded an unprecedented biodiversity collection.
New research from the University of Warwick found that zoos and aquariums can increase respondents' understanding of biodiversity and conservation after a visit. The study involved 5,661 respondents at 26 zoos and aquariums worldwide, showing an increase in positive evidence of biodiversity understanding from pre-visit to post-visit.
Researchers found that Reduced-Impact Logging (RIL) has little effect on bird, bat, and large mammal populations in Central Guyanese rainforests. RIL is a cost-effective option for timber companies to ensure long-term sustainability of biodiversity-rich tropical forests.
A study found that diverse small predators, like dragonfly larvae, reduce parasitic flatworm infections in frogs. The research suggests a link between dwindling global biodiversity and increased infectious diseases.
New research reveals interacting and cumulative time lags in biodiversity responses, exacerbating environmental degradation and ecosystem service losses.
The EU and GBIF are launching a €3.9 million project to enhance capacity and mobilize data from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The BID initiative aims to improve biodiversity management in these regions and support human well-being.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) reported a 35% increase in the use of biodiversity data accessed via its open-access infrastructure. Meanwhile, web traffic saw significant annual gains, with over 1.13 million sessions logged by users from 236 countries and territories.
The IPBES conceptual framework offers a new approach to understanding biodiversity loss by incorporating traditional knowledge and social sciences. The framework is built on six main elements: nature, human benefits, anthropogenic assets, indirect drivers of change, direct drivers of change, and good quality of life.
A new policy paper emphasizes the importance of collaboration between scientists and policymakers for effective biodiversity conservation. The paper highlights the HCV approach's potential in protecting tropical biodiversity through sustainable land management schemes.
A new study suggests that assigning a price to nature's services can lead to trade-offs between conservation and economic benefits. While some ecosystems benefit from pricing, others suffer as traditional conservation strategies may not effectively protect the economic value of biodiversity.
A University of Kansas doctoral student proposes using social networks as a source for photo-vouchered biodiversity records, particularly for insects and other organisms in developing nations. The proposed system leverages metadata associated with photos, requiring users to tag posts with terms indicating biodiversity elements.
A study in Diversity and Distributions documents the discovery of 27 new vertebrate species in Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains, including 23 amphibians and reptiles. The region's exceptional biodiversity is attributed to factors such as forest extent, elevational range, and rainfall.
A new study explores how biodiversity is developed and maintained, challenging a long-held theory on ecological niches. Researchers found that species can co-exist by reacting differently to resource fluctuations, but this mechanism may not be evolutionarily stable.
Researchers from Monash University and international collaborators analyzed past 30 years of research to determine the impact of protected areas on biodiversity. The study found that these areas generally have larger plant and animal populations and more species than adjacent non-protected areas.
A recent study found that organic farms support more plant and bee species than conventional farms, particularly in arable fields. However, adding structural elements like woods and hedges can increase habitats and promote biodiversity on farms.
New research reveals that climate change coverage has overshadowed biodiversity issues in media and funding. Biodiversity conservation experts recommend leveraging climate change awareness to secure more funds and attention for critical conservation efforts.
A study published in BioScience examines the decline of biodiversity reporting in favor of climate change coverage. Funding priorities also shift towards climate change, with World Bank and US National Science Foundation investments increasing substantially since 2006.
The EU's Common Agricultural Policy reforms are too weak to positively impact farmland biodiversity, with over half of all farmland exempt from ecological measures. Experts call on member states to take action to address declining biodiversity and intensification of agricultural practices across Europe.
CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre's official journal Studies in Mycology will be published by Elsevier, enabling interactive links to live databases and multimedia. The journal, first launched in 1972, is renowned for its systematic monographs of filamentous fungi and yeasts.
A new study analyzes climate change impacts on biodiversity across different regions, revealing severe threats to species adapted to specific climates. The tropics face novel climatic conditions and extreme events, while polar regions experience shrinking habitats.
Researchers from SISSA and Polytechnic University of Turin used a mathematical model to study the effect of migration on biodiversity. They found that higher migration rates can actually increase genetic variability, contradicting previous common assumptions.
The European Biodiversity Observation Network (EU BON) aims to provide integrated biodiversity information to support decision-making in various sectors. EU BON integrates disparate databases and online sources to improve monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity.
Researchers have identified a new yeast species that travels the globe with beetles, offering hope for developing renewable fuels. Preserving biodiversity is crucial to unlock the microbial life's potential solutions to global challenges.
A team of biology students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Naturalis Biodiversity Center discovered a new spider species during their Tropical Biodiversity field course in Malaysian Borneo. The students created a makeshift taxonomy lab, wrote a joint publication, and sent it to a major taxonomic journal for review.
Climate change poses an existential threat to Arctic wildlife and ecosystems, with unique species at risk of extinction. The Arctic is home to over 21,000 species, many of which are highly adapted to the harsh environment.
The construction of an environmental data-logger using Arduino platform enables wider access to cutting-edge technology in biodiversity science. This innovation fosters new collaborations between electronics hobbyists and engineers with interest in biodiversity.
A team of researchers from Curtin University has developed an approach to identify potential refugia in declining rainfall environments, essential for conservation efforts. They found that areas with great water run-off below granite outcrops and deeper soil may provide safe havens for biodiversity.
The study found that DNA barcoding increases the accuracy of monitoring marine mammal biodiversity, allowing for earlier detection of impacts from climate change and human activities. By using DNA barcoding in conjunction with a stranding network, researchers can better track species distribution and abundance.
A new study reveals that biodiversity is higher in the tropics due to increased genetic diversity among subspecies, which are more likely to arise in harsher environments typical of higher latitudes. This counterintuitive finding suggests that species turnover and extinction rates may be balanced near the equator.
A Clemson University scientist is studying the impact of environmental changes on lucinids, a common species of clam found in Southern coastal marine sediments. The research aims to understand how these clams contribute to coastal biodiversity and develop strategies to manage natural resources.
Researchers will investigate how flowers use scent to attract pollinators and predators, driving the evolution of diverse plant species. The five-year project aims to understand the dynamics among plants, mutualists, and enemies to conserve biodiversity.
A three-day meeting of international experts highlighted the need for countries to develop relevant expertise in assessing biodiversity and ecosystem services. The UN's new IPBES platform aims to strengthen national capacities in this area, crucial for informed policy decisions.
A new study reveals that carbon storage in re-growing tropical forests recovers faster than plant biodiversity following major disturbances. Despite this, even after 80 years, these forests tend to have less carbon than old-growth forests due to the dominance of small, fast-growing trees.
The constructive conservation framework combines strategies for preserving biodiversity in both natural and designed landscapes. By prioritizing ecologically viable habitats, actively creating new ecosystems, and accepting novel ecosystems as natural landscapes, researchers aim to maximize the effective use of resources. This approach ...
Researchers from five institutions will investigate biological mechanisms driving biodiversity in American Limenitidini butterflies. The project aims to reveal if diversification can be explained by biotic interactions, accelerating adaptation and species evolution.
A recent study by Ben-Gurion University researchers found that divers are willing to pay to improve aspects of reef biodiversity, with respondents ranking biodiversity as the most desirable value. The study's findings may help inform conservation efforts and direct the design of future marine reserves.
Research by scientists at The University of Manchester and Lancaster shows maintaining healthy soil biodiversity can play a key role in optimising land management programmes. The study found consistent links between soil organisms and ecosystem functioning on a large scale, across European countries.
Researchers develop fast and accurate method to monitor biodiversity changes using crushed insect 'soup', comparable to traditional labor-intensive approaches. This breakthrough enables rapid detection of environmental shifts and endangered species, informing policy and conservation decisions.
Researchers create 'insect soup' by crushing insects and sequencing their DNA, which accelerates biodiversity monitoring and cataloguing. This breakthrough allows for more efficient and reliable detection of endangered species and environmental changes.
Scientists from Wildlife Conservation Society examine implications of economic development and climate change on conserving Myanmar's biodiversity. Recommendations include strengthening protected area systems and ecosystem-based adaptation strategies to protect unique biodiversity.
The study shows that temporal niches promote frequency-dependent selection, allowing diversity among bacterial phenotypes to persist. Alternating environmental conditions help maintain closely-related phenotypes, resulting in higher biodiversity levels.
A new study finds that adding nitrogen to grasslands initially boosts ecosystem productivity but ultimately leads to a decline due to reduced plant diversity. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights the significant impact of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning.
A new study has identified countries with the worst and best funding for biodiversity conservation, revealing a need for improved global distribution of conservation funds. The research found that underfunded countries often harbor high levels of threatened mammal biodiversity, highlighting opportunities for targeted conservation efforts.
A study identifies 40 countries as most poorly funded for biodiversity conservation, harboring 32% of threatened mammalian species. The researchers suggest how funding should change to achieve the UN's 2020 goals on reducing extinction.
Researchers pinpoint high conservation priority areas worldwide, revealing stark differences with existing protected zones. The study's findings highlight the need to reassess global knowledge of conservation resources to effectively protect vertebrate species.
Research reveals pesticides are responsible for reducing regional biodiversity of invertebrates in streams and rivers by up to 42 percent. The study's findings highlight the urgent need for new concepts linking ecology with ecotoxicology to protect aquatic ecosystems.
New research confirms the 'out of the tropics' model for tropical biodiversity, where most evolutionary lineages started in the tropics and expanded outward. Bridge species, which straddle the boundary between tropics and temperate regions, play a crucial role in this process.
Accelerating species loss threatens human well-being and survival, warns IPBES Chair Zakri Abdul Hamid. Genetic diversity among livestock and crops is declining, with 22% of domesticated breeds at risk of extinction.
A new study by researchers at the University of Leeds and Naturalis Biodiversity Centre found evidence of slowing declines in bee biodiversity between the 1950s and 1980s. The study suggests that conservation efforts, such as agri-environment programs, may be having an impact on reducing biodiversity losses among bees and wild plants.
A comprehensive marine biodiversity observation network could be established within 5 years with modest funding, addressing gaps in understanding global marine organism distribution under climate change threats. The network would help identify threats like exotic species invasions and resolve conflicts over ocean management.
A national marine biodiversity observation network is proposed to track ocean ecosystem health, monitor trends, and facilitate proactive responses to environmental pressures. The study recommends coordination of existing efforts, digitization of historical data, and establishment of regional centers to process and identify specimens.
Researchers have developed a new method for assessing biodiversity using DNA-soup from crushed-up insects and next-generation sequencing technology. This bulk-collected insect goo reveals diverse and poorly characterized insect communities, even in small areas.
A new study finds weak support for the dilution effect, which suggests that higher biodiversity reduces disease transmission from animals to humans. Instead, researchers found variable links between biodiversity and disease prevalence, influenced by disease systems, local ecology, and human social context.
A global approach to monitoring biodiversity loss has been proposed by an international team of biologists. The system aims to improve information feeding into biodiversity policy and stimulate investment in measuring global biodiversity change.
New research uses satellite images to estimate species richness and turnover, achieving nearly 100% accuracy. The method could improve biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts by reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
Researchers discover that evolutionary diversity can be a reliable proxy for measuring biodiversity, including species richness and trait diversity. This finding could help conservation organizations better protect threatened species globally.
Researchers at Ohio State and the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre are collaborating on the development of silvestrol, a tropical tree-derived compound showing promise in treating acute and chronic leukemia. The team aims to isolate and purify the agent for laboratory and animal studies.
Climate change is expected to transform Australia's natural landscapes by 2030, with significant ecological impacts by 2070. The study highlights the need to adapt biodiversity conservation strategies to accommodate changing ecosystems and shifting species.
A study by University of Zurich botanists and ecologists found that higher biodiversity aids stress resistance in ecosystems. Systems with more species can maintain biomass production longer under moderate stress, while those with few species are more negatively impacted as stress increases.