Bird Populations Are in Meltdown
Humans rely on birds to eat insects, spread seeds, and pollinate plants—but these feathered friends can’t survive without their habitats......»»
Colombia, a global biodiversity hotspot, faces rising threats to bird species from expanding human footprint
A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters used satellite mapping data to analyze how changes in human footprint on the landscape between 1970 and 2018 overlapped with distributions of 1,469 Colombian bird species. The study.....»»
Smarten up your workouts with the Gymera Smart Home Gym
Gymera makes exercise both effective and fun, and if you back it now on Kickstarter, you can get an Early Bird discount......»»
Genetic barriers, a warming ocean, and the uncertain future for an important forage fish
In the vast oceans, one would assume their inhabitants can travel far and wide and, as a result, populations of a species would mix freely. But this doesn't appear to be the case for a vital forage fish called the sand lance......»»
Biologists make case for guiding conservation with a local touch to fight climate change effects
As nature reels towards a hotter, drier, harsher future, new conservation tools—seed banks and frozen zoos, gene editing and assisted gene flow—hold promise to help struggling animal and plant populations. The catch: New approaches must incorpora.....»»
Study finds climate change exacerbates the food gap between North and South Mediterranean countries
The Mediterranean region is widely acknowledged as one of the most exposed in the world to the effects of climate change, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and land degradation, coupled with a nutrition transition of its populations......»»
Indigenous spiritual teaching in schools can foster reconciliation and inclusion
Indigenous education has become an area of growing concern for public schools across Canada. We are living in an era of reconciliation where Indigenous populations are growing and interest in confronting our shared histories continues to develop. Par.....»»
A dangerous pesticide isn"t being monitored in key bird of prey populations. We"re shedding light on that gap
It was once regarded as a miracle chemical to protect against disease and improve global food production. The man who discovered its properties even won a Nobel Prize for medicine. But today, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is best known for it.....»»
Peru slaughters more than 37,000 poultry after bird flu outbreak
Peruvian authorities have culled at least 37,000 birds on a chicken farm due to bird flu, officials said Thursday......»»
Study: To save nature, focus on populations, not species
Human-released greenhouse gases are causing the world to warm, and with that warming comes increasing stress for many of the planet's plants and animals. That stress is so great that many scientists believe we are currently in the midst of the "sixth.....»»
Biology students expose exotic amphibians in the dunes
During the spring of 2021, a group of eight biology students from Leiden set out into the dunes in search of amphibians. Using DNA, they determined the geographic origin of the animals. And guess what? In many cases they discovered exotic populations.....»»
"Earth"s empty quarter": Many Pacific nations now have falling populations
In 1989, distinguished Australian geographer Gerard Ward wrote that the Pacific was emptying out. As people on smaller islands left to seek opportunity elsewhere, the region risked becoming Earth's empty quarter. He wrote:.....»»
Individuals" cognitive transformations key to understanding desistance from crime, argues expert
Much of U.S. criminal justice policy focuses on recidivism, and probation and parole violators make up a considerable share of jail and prison populations. In a new article, a 2022 winner of the Stockholm Prize in Criminology argues that to understan.....»»
New research unlocks clues about the iconic flight of the wandering albatross
Wandering albatrosses, which are an iconic sight in the Southern Ocean, are highly adapted to long-distance soaring flight. Their wingspan of up to 11 feet is the largest known of any living bird, and yet wandering albatrosses fly while hardly flappi.....»»
Bird flu has killed thousands of Florida"s wild birds this year. Is it here to stay?
It was the morning of Jan. 22 when the fears of Florida wildlife biologists became reality......»»
Bird flu kills almost 14,000 pelicans, seabirds in Peru
The highly contagious H5N1 avian flu virus has killed thousands of pelicans, blue-footed boobies and other seabirds in Peru, according to the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR)......»»
To track disease-carrying mosquitoes, researchers tag them with DNA barcodes
West Nile, Zika, dengue and malaria are all diseases spread by bites from infected mosquitoes. To track the threat of such diseases over large populations, scientists need to know where the mosquitoes are, where they've been, and where they might go......»»
Increasing crop yields by breeding plants to cooperate
A simple breeding experiment, combined with genetic analysis, can rapidly uncover genes that promote cooperation and higher yields of plant populations, according to a new study published November 29 in the open access journal PLOS Biology, by Samuel.....»»
Study sheds light on geographic patterns in koala disease fight
University of Queensland virologists are a step closer to understanding a mysterious AIDS-like virus that is impacting koala populations differently across state lines......»»
Study reveals genomic potential of active soil microbial populations under simulated winter conditions
Scientists estimate that northern peatlands contain one third of the Earth's soil carbon. This makes them important ecosystems for carbon storage, which keeps carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and controls climate change. In northern peatlands, ca.....»»
Research identifies "danger zones" for wandering albatrosses
Over half of wandering albatrosses breeding on Bird Island, in the sub-Antarctic, encounter fishing vessels when feeding, putting them at risk of being accidentally caught or killed in fishing gear, according to new research led by British Antarctic.....»»