A new study finds that mountain-dwelling species may move to higher elevations to escape human pressure, which could reduce their extinction risk. The research suggests that these high-elevation areas tend to have more intact land for species due to reduced human activity.
A study reveals that 70% of East African reefs have depleted fish stocks, affecting food production and reef ecology. Rebuilding fish biomass is key to long-term sustainability.
A year-round acoustic study in the northern Bering Sea recorded over 30,000 calls from whales, walruses, and seals, providing valuable insights into climate change's effects on these species. The study supports previous scientific knowledge with a finer-scale resolution, revealing consistent seasonal distribution and movement patterns.
A new study found that 85% of terrestrial vertebrate species are under intense human pressure, with 16% entirely exposed. Threatened species and those with small ranges are disproportionately affected.
A new social-ecological systems monitoring framework has been implemented to uncover drivers of coral reef conservation success, incorporating both social and ecological indicators. The framework, developed from Elinor Ostrom's work, sheds light on local coral reef management contexts, resource use, and stakeholders' perceptions.
A new study by Russian and American scientists reveals that female tigers face significant challenges balancing work and family life. After giving birth to their cubs, tiger mothers must reduce their home range size, spend less time moving, but move faster when needed to keep their young safe from predators.
A new study reveals that Glacier National Park's iconic mountain goats are under threat from climate change, as they seek out dwindling snow patches to cope with heat stress. The researchers found that breathing rates decrease by up to 15% when goats rest in these patches.
A new study reveals that intact tropical forests have a significantly higher carbon impact than previously thought, with losses between 2000 and 2013 resulting in a 626% increase. This translates to two years' worth of global land-use change emissions and underscores the urgent need for conservation.
A recent study found that coral bleaching in the Indo-Pacific is driven by a variety of stressors, with each region responding differently to excess heat. The research suggests that coral responses to global climate change are changing, requiring management and policies to be aligned with location and type of stresses.
New maps reveal that over 3 million square kilometers of wilderness have been lost since the 1990s, threatening species extinction. However, conserving these areas can halve the world's extinction risk, according to a recent study published in Nature.
A community-based wildlife mortality surveillance system has been implemented in Republic of Congo to detect Ebola outbreaks early. The program, developed by WCS and NIH, reaches over 6,600 people and covers an area of 50,000 km2.
A new study reveals that functioning coral reefs still exist and can be saved through three management strategies: protect, recover, and transform. These strategies aim to safeguard reef ecologies and ecosystem services into the future, prioritizing 'cool spots' with functioning coral communities.
Camera trap surveys reveal 28 mammal species in protected forest and 21 in fragmented habitats, including critically endangered species like Sunda pangolin and Sumatran tiger. These findings suggest conservation value for small patches of remnant forest and the importance of further research.
A new study documents the impacts of selective logging on Congo's intact forest landscapes, highlighting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem health. Researchers found that logged habitats have lower tree densities and reduced ape resources, while IFLs retain higher tree densities and more abundant ape populations.
A study published in Oryx highlights 85 conservation projects protecting the critically endangered South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa) in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. These efforts have successfully protected over 147,000 female turtles across the basin.
Researchers developed a new approach to estimate population abundance from simultaneous counts of unmarked individuals over multiple sites. The methodology works best in scenarios with few sites, large variation in abundance among sites, and individuals moving between sampling sites.
Magellanic penguins exhibit no lateralization in stepping up, swimming, and thermoregulation. However, they display dominance through aggression, favoring their left eye in most confrontations.
The world's protected areas are failing to conserve biodiversity due to inadequate resources, with only 4-9% of species represented within adequately resourced PAs. The study recommends using simple indicators to measure PA effectiveness and prioritizing conservation actions to address the growing biodiversity crisis.
A new study found that rain-filled tracks of Asian elephants provide temporary habitat for breeding and connect frog populations. The tracks can persist for a year or more, serving as stepping stones for the frogs during the dry season.
Researchers developed a new metric called The Last of the Wild in Each Ecoregion (LWE) to quantify ecologically intact ecosystems. However, testing LWE against another method found neither to accurately capture the abundance of large mammal species sensitive to human disturbance.
Analyzing data from 3,000 devices on 62 species in 167 projects worldwide reveals that satellite telemetry performance has improved over time. Despite 48% premature unit deployments, the study provides recommendations for users and manufacturers to enhance conservation efforts
Subsistence hunters face threats from fragmented habitats, modern hunting methods, mining, and tourism, impacting local food security and species persistence. WCS suggests banning large species, shifting to smaller ones, strengthening protected areas, and diversifying income sources.
In April 2016, a mass mortality event occurred in two bat species in Cambodia due to extreme heat. The investigation suggests that the heat stress hypothesis is consistent with clinical signs and gross pathology findings.
Researchers have identified six threatened tenrec species out of 31, categorized as Vulnerable or Endangered due to habitat loss and hunting. The conservation status of tenrecs is expected to improve by integrating research into broader sustainable development objectives.
Researchers studied skeletal stress bands on corals to reconstruct bleaching history and understand thermal thresholds of reef communities. The study found thermally tolerant reefs experienced more stress than the least resistant ones, highlighting historical climate impacts on coral reefs.
Researchers studied bushmeat markets in Lao PDR to understand the risks of disease transmission. High contact rates between consumers and bushmeat were found, highlighting the need for integrative approaches to conservation, public health, and rural development.
Researchers found positive correlations between biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in ten of twelve landscapes, indicating a shared benefit. The study suggests that increasing biodiversity can also increase carbon storage, highlighting the interconnectedness of these two goals.
Researchers found that fully linked networks between social actors and ecological resources improve ecological conditions. Building community capacity through communication and trust can also lead to better outcomes for coral reef fisheries.
Scientists studied the impact of fragmentation on Dahl's toad headed turtle populations in Colombia, finding restricted gene flow and genetic erosion. They recommend gene flow restoration via genetic rescue to counteract these threats and provide guidance for this strategy.
Scientists studied Namibian pastoralist attitudes towards human-wildlife conflicts, finding they proposed solutions that suggest tolerance for predators. The findings highlight the complexities of managing human/wildlife coexistence in agricultural areas.
Scientists tracked Mongolian gazelles over vast grasslands using GPS, finding they avoid human disturbance and require large movement corridors. Integrated land use planning prioritizing permeability is advocated to address barriers such as fences and facilitate long-distance movements.
Scientists estimated that 1.177 megatonnes of carbon would be lost if all predicted habitat were colonized by beavers, impacting large terrestrial carbon sinks. Invasive mammals like North American beavers pose a significant threat to carbon sequestration in riparian forests.
A red-shouldered hawk was observed attacking and dismembering a ghost crab on a South Carolina beach. The incident is the first documented case of a raptor consuming any species of crab in North America.
A team of scientists conducted a comprehensive health evaluation on Bronx River turtles, discovering the presence of various environmental contaminants, including PCBs, heavy metals, viruses, and bacteria. The study established a baseline for future comparisons, expanding knowledge of turtle health markers and ecosystems.
The study identifies four major problems with the United Nation's Aichi Target 11, including perverse outcomes and ineffective conservation efforts. The authors argue that outcome-based targets for protected areas are needed to achieve biodiversity goals.
A new census using the IUCN A.P.E.S. database estimates that 52,800 western chimpanzees live in western Africa, primarily outside protected areas. The study highlights the need for conservation efforts to reduce habitat loss and connectivity due to development corridors.
A global wildlife map identifies areas where threatened species can find refuge, but also highlights shrinking refuges and high levels of species richness threatened by human activities. The study provides a roadmap for conservation investment and mitigation strategies to save endangered species.
A study by WCS and other groups found that even the best coral reef marine parks contain less than half of the fish biomass found in remote reefs. Fishing closures had an average biomass of 740 kg/ha, compared to 1,870 kg/ha in offshore reef sites.
Scientists have developed a methodology to assess fish stocks by combining modern underwater surveys with historical records dating back to the 8th Century AD. The analysis found that some previously classified as
The WCS Climate Adaptation Fund has awarded grants to 13 US non-profit organizations implementing on-the-ground projects to help wildlife and ecosystems adapt to climate change. The funded projects, which span various geographies and ecosystems, aim to improve resistance to climate-induced loss of tree canopy, erosion, and invasive pests.
A new WCS study examines the job satisfaction of front-line conservation rangers working in challenging conditions at Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The research reveals that rangers' motivation decreases over time, but provides suggestions for improvement, including better salaries, recognition, and security guarantees.
A new WCS-led study links tiger fate to demographic transition in human populations. The research highlights the importance of urbanization and education in tiger conservation, emphasizing the need for engagement with cities to save tigers.
Researchers found that humpback whale populations in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans share similar song types, with males from different populations coming into contact to learn songs from each other. Over time, shared phrases and themes emerged, with similarities detected across years.
A WCS study finds Tropical Cyclone Winston damaged homes and fisheries in Fiji, with mud crab fisheries particularly vulnerable. The cyclone led to a significant decline in catch rates and local consumption of crabs, affecting women fishers who rely on them for income.
A 30-year-old hydroelectric project in Thailand has caused the local bird population to collapse. The reservoir has inundated a unique habitat rich in biodiversity, leading to deforestation and human-caused fire, resulting in isolated habitat patches dominated by disturbance-tolerant species.
A recent study of 89 fishing communities in East Africa reveals that neighborly agreements are uncommon, highlighting the challenges of sustainable use and the tragedy of the commons dilemma. The researchers found that predictable factors like activities proposed and historical context influence perceptions of costs and benefits.
Conservation scientists find that only 23% of the world's landmass can be considered wilderness, with the rest lost to human activities. Wilderness areas are crucial buffers against climate change and provide refuges for declining species.
A new study maps high-probability hot-spots for human-bear conflicts, helping wildlife managers mitigate mortality as bears expand their ranges. Conservation efforts in the Great Basin have led to an increase in bear population and geography, resulting in conflicts with humans.
The PPR virus poses a significant threat to conservation efforts, with mass mortality events in critically endangered species like the Mongolian saiga. This highlights the urgent need for explicit inclusion of wildlife protection in the global eradication campaign.
A recent study by WCS and WWF suggests that the decline of Grevy's zebras may be linked to competitive displacement by livestock, rather than lion predation. The population of Grevy's zebras is stabilizing with recruitment tripling since 2004.