Colombia orchid sanctuary collects and clones endangered species
Deep in Colombia's northwestern forests, an orchid enthusiast has gathered a colorful collection of nearly 25,000 specimens, some of which he is cloning to protect them from extinction......»»
Protecting just 0.7% of world"s land could help save a third of unique and endangered species
Conservation efforts directed towards just 0.7% of the world's land mass could help protect one third of the world's threatened and unique tetrapod (four-limbed vertebrate) species, new research by Imperial College London, On the Edge, and ZSL has sh.....»»
Tagged fish help scientists improve restoration efforts
NOAA scientists are collaborating with some unique partners to learn more about how several Chesapeake Bay species use natural and restored areas near Poplar Island, on Maryland's Eastern Shore......»»
New firmoss species found in Guizhou, China
Huperzia is a genus of lycophyte plants, sometimes known as the firmosses or fir clubmosses. It contains about 25 species that mainly occur in temperate and boreal climatic zones of the world......»»
Islands are engines of linguistic diversity, study shows
Islands drive language change and generate language diversity in similar ways to how they drive species diversity, according to research from The Australian National University (ANU) that analyzed languages from over 13,000 inhabited islands. The res.....»»
Andean "Viagra": Peru seizes hundreds of frogs used as aphrodisiacs
Peruvian authorities said Thursday they had seized hundreds of endangered frogs from Lake Titicaca that were illegally captured to be used for their purported aphrodisiac properties......»»
"Some pterosaurs would flap, others would soar"—new study confirms flight capability of these giants of the skies
Some species of pterosaurs flew by flapping their wings while others soared like vultures, demonstrates a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology......»»
State-by-state data boosts bird conservation planning
New data summaries from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird platform will help state wildlife planners assess the status of bird populations that live in or pass through their state—a crucial tool in protecting species......»»
Aquatic invasive species are more widespread in Wisconsin than previously thought
A report on more than 40 years of research on Wisconsin lakes is highlighting some of the lessons scientists have learned about aquatic invasive species, including that far more ecosystems are playing host to non-native species than previously though.....»»
BOLT-1B hypersonic experiment soars and collects vital data
The Boundary Layer Transition 1B (BOLT-1B) experiment, a joint research project of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), blasted off from Andøya Spac.....»»
Aggressive seagrass species discovered in Biscayne Bay
An invasive species of seagrass has been on a steady march across the world, taking over ecosystems well beyond its native waters of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Scientists have long wondered when it would reach the waters off the coas.....»»
Conservative governments protect more land while socialists and nationalists label more species as "threatened"
The dire state of biodiversity across the globe suggests that not all governments are willing to act decisively to protect nature. Why is that the case, and is a country's political ideology a factor?.....»»
Critically endangered California condor shot and killed in Colorado
A rare California condor passing through southwestern Colorado was shot and killed this year, and state and federal authorities on Wednesday asked the public to help track down those responsible......»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
Plankton mark seasons in the sea, just like leaves and flowers on land
Britain's seas are rich in wildlife, but many of its species can only be seen with a microscope. These are the plankton—tiny algae and animals found throughout the ocean that are the foundation of the entire marine food web......»»
City light pollution is shrinking spiders" brains, new study finds
As darkness falls, the nocturnal half of the animal kingdom starts its day. Nocturnal species are perfectly adapted to navigate and survive the dark of night that has existed for countless millions of years......»»
Japanese island eradicates rabbit-killing mongoose
Japan has wiped out all mongooses on a subtropical island, officials said, after the animals ignored the venomous snakes they were brought in to hunt and preyed on endangered local rabbits instead......»»
Under US pressure, Mexico probes loggerhead sea turtle deaths
Scientists in Mexico are investigating the deaths of hundreds of loggerhead sea turtles in recent years, a species considered at risk of extinction in the wild, according to officials......»»
UK conservationists and eBay team up against plant poaching
UK conservationists on Wednesday announced a collaboration with e-commerce giant eBay to combat the illegal plant trade, which is threatening the existence of some species......»»
Thousands of jellyfish clones are multiplying in British Columbia lakes
An invasive, freshwater jellyfish is popping up in B.C. waters in the thousands and future sightings could increase rapidly, according to UBC research......»»
Hawk defies expectations in the face of habitat decline
Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) that spend their winters in California seem to be going up in number, yet their preferred grassland habitat has been declining for over 20 years. Most other grassland bird species are, sadly, doing the expected: plum.....»»