Articles tagged with Habitat Diversity
A new study found that establishing a wildflower meadow in the historic grounds of King's College, Cambridge increased species richness and abundance by three times compared to adjacent lawn. The meadow also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1.36 tonnes CO2-e per hectare per year.
Current measures to protect grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are damaging the ecosystem and should be stopped. Small burrowing mammals, like the plateau pika and zokor, play crucial ecological roles in maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity.
A new study reveals Homo species' preference for diverse habitats over the last 3 million years. Early African hominins like H. habilis and H. ergaster lived in open grasslands, while H. erectus adapted to temperate forests and colder habitats.
A global survey of 1000 forest areas reveals how past climate change has impacted tree species diversity and distribution. The study found that temperature changes since the last ice age have had a significant impact on today's biodiversity.
A recent study found that temperature and extreme drought drive movement among herds of Plains bison, posing challenges for managing the iconic species. The team analyzed GPS-backed evidence from 33 Plains bison across two sites in Oklahoma, revealing a strong link between air temperature and bison movement.
A study found that urbanization favors winged insects over web-builders, with flies and spiders increasing in urban areas while web-building spiders decrease. This suggests an advantage of winged arthropods in cities due to their ability to move between isolated green spaces.
A three-year effort to conserve bee populations showed positive effects, with increased bee abundance and diversity in studied areas. However, quality of the habitat played a key role in these positive effects, and its impact on maintenance over time was also significant.
Scientists have recorded two new caddisfly species in Thailand, expanding the country's known fauna by 10 documented representatives. The newly discovered species are Diplectrona erinya and Diplectrona extrema, both belonging to the genus Diplectrona.
A new study analyzing a two-decade long grassland experiment found that plant species complement each other to produce stable biomass at the community level. This 'compensatory' effect is more pronounced in diverse communities, which also show increased stability and resilience over time.
A recent study by University of Washington researchers found that climate 'presses' and 'pulses' have equal importance on Magellanic penguin population survival. The team analyzed nearly four decades of data at Punta Tombo, Argentina, revealing a decline in breeding pairs from 400,000 to 150,000 between the 1980s and 2019.
A new study reveals that bat diversity is highest in old deciduous forest stands on river banks in Eastern Ukraine. The research found that mature forests older than 90 years improve breeding activity and abundance of bats, with species richness increasing up to 22% of all forests in the region.
Research finds most Asian countries have failed to protect at least 17% of land by 2020, and the outlook for achieving 30% protection by 2030 is bleak. To meet targets, Asian countries need to increase their rate of establishing protected areas by up to six times faster.
A new report reveals that animals are key to forest recovery by carrying a wide variety of seeds into deforested areas. Animals disperse over 80% of tree species in the tropics, and their presence near old-growth forests can improve restoration efforts.
Researchers at Göttingen University found that removing vegetation in small areas led to a significant increase in ground nests, especially with nearby flowering plants. The removal of vegetation proved to be a simple measure to promote ground-nesting wild bees on calcareous grasslands.
A study analyzing historic habitat mapping data in Hamburg found a decline of species-rich habitats due to urbanization, while also revealing the colonization efforts of certain plant species. The research highlights the potential of these datasets for biodiversity research, with trends observed across Germany and Europe.
A new study reveals that losing endangered fruit-eating animals in the Atlantic Forest could severely disrupt seed-dispersal networks, leaving plants without an effective means to regenerate. Nearly 55% of specialist plant species rely solely on these frugivores for seed dispersal.
Researchers analyzed 170,000 vegetation plots from all climate zones to find that small areas can have high biodiversity, like Eastern European steppes and Siberia. This challenges the idea of large-scale conservation, as smaller protected zones may be more effective in preserving ecosystems.
Research reveals that heat-escape behaviors vary among frog species due to functional changes in thermal sensors. The study suggests that perception of noxious heat plays a crucial role in the evolutionary adaptation, while heat tolerance is relatively less important.
A team of researchers at the University of Hawaii collected over 3,000 microbial samples from Waimea Valley's watershed, discovering that microbes follow the food web and are maintained within soil and stream water. The study also found that local distribution of a microbe predicts its global distribution.
A new study analyzing 72 lakes in four large Neotropical wetlands of Brazil reveals that human impacts on biodiversity compromise wetland multifunctionality. Strong associations between aquatic organism diversity and wetland functioning were found, highlighting the crucial role of species richness in driving ecosystem health.
A UBC research team created a computer modelling program to predict coral reef impact and restoration plans. They found that more diverse communities are most resilient, with species having unique traits contributing to habitat quality.
Research suggests that restoring areas with corals adapted to warmer temperatures is ineffective at helping corals survive climate change. Selectively breeding corals to be more heat tolerant only benefits large-scale efforts over centuries.
A global survey of biodiversity experts finds that more species are threatened with extinction than previously thought, with estimates suggesting 30% of species have been lost since 1500. The study identifies climate change, pollution, and land-use changes as key drivers of biodiversity loss.
A recent study by Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University provides a method to help farmers and policymakers decide whether organic farming is beneficial for the environment. The researchers analyzed international studies to find a threshold where organic farming's biodiversity gain outweighs its land requirements.
New research from the University of British Columbia creates the world's first global map of mammal movement between protected areas. The study reveals that Canada has critical areas for connectivity, which are essential for maintaining biodiversity and animal populations.
A study from Washington University in St. Louis highlights the importance of spatial aspects of biodiversity for healthy forest functioning. The research shows that tree beta diversity, a measure of site-to-site variation in species composition, is stronger than other components of biodiversity at larger scales.
A new study describes a troglobitic clam species from northern Brazil, characterized by lack of pigmentation and reduced size. The discovery highlights the importance of conserving fragile subterranean habitats threatened by recently amended laws in Brazil.
Researchers at the University of Exeter are using satellites and drones to track the availability of flowers for pollinators. This technology could be combined with behavioral studies to better understand the impact of human activity on pollinator habitats, leading to more effective conservation efforts.
Researchers identified glacial refugia for Campanula americana and found that populations nearest the refugia had highest potential for speciation. This discovery highlights the importance of conserving habitats in Southeastern regions.
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification's Global Land Outlook 2 report warns that up to 40% of the planet's land is degraded, threatening half of humanity and roughly 1/2 of world GDP. The report offers hundreds of practical ways to restore land and ecosystem health.
A new study reveals that freshwater habitats have the highest animal species richness per area, with more than 99% of known animal species inhabiting land and 12% ocean habitats. The research suggests that preserving freshwater ecosystems can protect more species and evolutionary history.
New research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that crows and ravens' diverse traits enabled their rapid global expansion. Their intelligence allowed them to adapt to new environments, while their big bodies gave them a competitive advantage.
Human activity on Hainan Island is causing changes in the body shapes and diets of tropical birds, resulting in biotic homogenisation. Despite efforts to protect biodiversity, the island's unique ecosystem is being affected by large-scale economic and land-use changes.
Researchers found varied diversity of gut microbiomes among brown bears at three national parks in Alaska, with Katmai showing the most diversity due to its diverse food sources. The study advances understanding of wildlife habitat, diet, and gut microbiome diversity.
The EuropaBON project aims to develop a unified approach to monitoring Europe's biodiversity and ecosystems. A list of 15 essential variables has been identified for harmonization across countries, but most are not currently being monitored adequately.
A recent study found that bison reintroduction to mixed-grass prairies increases bird diversity and cervid occupancy in riparian areas. Vegetation changes associated with bison grazing promote biodiversity, benefiting multiple species.
Scientists used data from 1 million marine mammal sightings to identify areas of high marine mammal diversity along the US East Coast. The study found that the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument has some of the richest marine mammal diversity, particularly in the northern part of the Atlantic Coast.
Researchers found that soybean plants adjacent to pollinator habitats produce larger seeds due to increased bee visitation. The presence of pollinators also influences the bee communities in soybean fields, with bees leaving for outside flowers less likely.
A 100-million-year-old cockroach fossil provides insights into its sensory organs, which suggest the species lived in bright environments during the day. The study found that the extinct species had well-developed eyes and a unique pattern of receptors on its antenna, indicating it may have used these to communicate between sexes.
A diverse pollen diet and varied landscape contribute to better colony growth and more offspring for young queens. This diversity also reduces the negative effects of infestation with parasitic wax moth larvae.
A new study by UBC researchers found that larger farms lead to a 15% decrease in bird diversity in the farmland bordering the former Iron Curtain. Maintaining diverse habitats within agricultural landscapes is crucial for conserving bird diversity.
Researchers have discovered a new genus of tarantulas that live exclusively in bamboo stalks, found exclusively in high hill forests in northern Thailand. The new genus, Taksinus bambus, is unique due to its association with bamboo and can only be found at an elevation of about 1,000 m.
Researchers observed diverse aquatic biota in post-flood communities, with changes in flow dynamics and water chemistry supporting biological adaptation. The study highlights the role of floods in shaping floodplain ecosystems.
Eukaryotic plankton are highly diverse taxonomically, phylogenetically, and ecologically. The study found that ocean currents significantly influence their biogeography, with smaller organisms being more sensitive to local environmental conditions.
Researchers found that in dry years, birds funnel into riparian environments due to increased greenness, leading to overcrowding and decreased bird populations. The study highlights the importance of understanding how birds respond to climate change for conservation purposes.
A new study found that birds and mammals evolved into new species at higher rates where the land has risen most over the past three million years. This effect was found to be greater than historical climate change, present-day elevation, and temperature in driving speciation.
A new study by the University of Liverpool warns that safe passages for species adapting to climate change are often not being protected. The researchers found that important connecting patches were left out of existing networks of protected areas, resulting in a 13.6% shortfall in connectivity.
A team of researchers from NUS developed an integrative approach to boost accuracy in mosquito surveillance by including larvae and species identification using mini-barcodes. This approach improves overall diversity estimates by 38% compared to adult-only data, contributing to baseline knowledge on potential vectors in Singapore.
Researchers found that lizards with sticky toepads prevail in the arboreal environment, accessing new resources unavailable to padless lizards. This evolutionary advantage enables them to stay in trees and rarely leave, whereas padless species often transition to ground life.
Researchers found that semi-natural habitat patches complement existing flower strips in protecting pollinators, attracting a greater number of species and providing year-round flowers. These small structures, such as hedgerows and overgrown fences, offer potential retreats and nesting sites for overwintering bumblebees.
Research reveals that cocoa agroforestry systems can support diverse bird populations by maintaining canopy cover from native trees. Intensified, low-shade cocoa monocultures lead to sharp declines in bird diversity. The study emphasizes the need for sustainable agroforestry practices to conserve habitats and biodiversity.
A new angiosperm, Gansufructus saligna, has been discovered in Northwest China, providing valuable insights into the evolution of flowering plants. The fossil specimens show characteristics of a small, terrestrial herbaceous eudicot with paniculate infructescences.
A Northern Arizona University ecologist is studying pollinators in utility rights-of-ways to improve ecosystem health and biodiversity. The research project aims to evaluate the impact of different vegetation management treatments on plant and pollinator abundance in Arizona's electric power delivery lines.
Researchers found that Yosemite's Spotted Owl numbers and nesting rates remained stable after the Rim Fire, which burned one-third of their habitat in 2013. The owls' ability to thrive despite the fire can be attributed to the park's unique history and management strategy.
The extinction of mites, crucial to ecosystems worldwide, is occurring at an alarming rate, threatening environmental health and species survival. Human activities such as habitat destruction and climate change exacerbate the issue.
Increasing crop diversity in landscapes with high proportions of semi-natural habitats increases the diversity of beneficial insects like pollinators and ground beetles. This benefit was only observed in landscapes with both high crop diversity and semi-natural habitat cover.
A study found that urban community gardens can be a rich habitat for diverse pollinators, with higher pollination rates compared to other park types. Community gardens showed similar levels of visitation as rural sites, while recreational parks had lower visitation rates.
Insects are moving northwards in response to climate change, but often find no suitable habitats for settlement. Habitat availability plays a crucial role in determining expansion rates, with some species thriving in certain conditions while others struggle.
A study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that conserving a wide range of coral habitats is the best approach to protect these ecosystems from climate change. This strategy recognizes that corals can adapt rapidly to changing conditions, but also emphasizes the importance of protecting diverse habitats to provide future refug...
A global database of regional plant life has been developed to document and understand global plant diversity. The Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT) collates information about the plant species composition in nearly 2,900 regions, covering about 79% of the global land surface.