Wildlife populations plunge 73% since 1970: WWF
Wild populations of monitored animal species have plummeted over 70 percent in the last half-century, according to the latest edition of a landmark assessment by WWF published on Thursday......»»
Scientists get dung beetles to collect DNA samples for biodiversity studies
Researchers are sequencing the DNA of wildlife using dung beetle stomach contents. Enlarge / The Manu area of Peru contains a number of ecological zones. (credit: Corey Spruit / Wikimedia Commons) Peru’s Manu Biosphere.....»»
Avian influenza virus is adapting to spread to marine mammals
The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of.....»»
Counting rays: Aerial surveys reveal ample populations in southeast Florida
The whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and the giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) are rapidly declining globally. Both species are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered worldwide, and the giant manta.....»»
Native animals are easy prey after a fire. Could artificial refuges save them?
Australia is home to some of the most spectacular and enigmatic wildlife on Earth. Much of it, however, is being eaten by two incredibly damaging invasive predators: the feral cat and the red fox......»»
Ancient DNA reveals children with Down syndrome in past societies. What can their burials tell us about their lives?
After analyzing DNA from almost 10,000 people from ancient and pre-modern societies, our international team of researchers have discovered six cases of Down syndrome in past human populations......»»
Big lemming populations are important for far more than just predators
The number of lemmings (Lemmus lemmus) in the mountains can fluctuate sharply from one year to the next. Years when populations explode are called lemming years. These population explosions are important for many other species. More predators and bir.....»»
Protecting the peppers: Unlocking the potential of the sterile insect technique
For the first time, researchers in Canada have investigated the use of the sterile insect technique for controlling populations of the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii, an economically significant crop pest in North America......»»
Protected lands provide a last stand for critically endangered vultures in West Africa
Among the fastest-declining birds in the world, African vultures battle many of the problems commonly plaguing wildlife today, such as habitat loss, hunting, and poisoning, but they also face a more unique set of obstacles......»»
Can a lone wolf affect the environment? Red wolf researchers have surprising data
As Ron Sutherland guides his Subaru along the roads of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, he keeps his eyes peeled......»»
China issues highest weather alert as temperatures plunge
Severe weather warnings were in place across swathes of China on Wednesday as temperatures plummeted across the south and Beijing shivered in snowy conditions......»»
Ford slashes price of electric Mustang Mach-E after sales plunge
Ford Motor Co. cut the price of its electric Mustang Mach-E by as much as $8,100 after its sales tumbled 51% in January when the automaker had to stop offering tax incentives on the EV......»»
Zombie deer disease is spreading and scientists are concerned that it could jump to humans
In the tranquil expanses of North America's woodlands and grasslands, a silent but concerning phenomenon is unfolding: chronic wasting disease (CWD). The condition, often dubbed "zombie deer disease", is stealthily spreading among deer populations, s.....»»
Video: What does a warming Arctic mean for the future?
The Arctic is experiencing disproportionately higher temperature increases compared to the rest of the planet, triggering a series of cascading effects. This rapid warming has profound implications for global climate patterns, human populations and w.....»»
Developers in England will be forced to create habitats for wildlife—here"s how it works
England's new environmental policy, biodiversity net gain, went live on February 12. Most new developments—everything from a few houses to large solar farms or new roads and railways—will now have to provide a 10% net gain in biodiversity, mainta.....»»
Researchers remotely map crops, field by field
Crop maps help scientists and policymakers track global food supplies and estimate how they might shift with climate change and growing populations. But getting accurate maps of the types of crops that are grown from farm to farm often requires on-th.....»»
"Fortress" conservation policies threaten the food security of rural populations, says researcher
Barriers created by "fortress conservation"—as in the near-total sectioning off of land for conservation without human interference—are threatening important dietary diversity for the up to 1.5 billion people around the world who rely on wild foo.....»»
Viewpoint: Wildlife selfies harm animals, even when scientists share images with warnings in the captions
One of the biggest privileges of being a primatologist is spending time in remote locations with monkeys and apes, living near these animals in their habitats and experiencing their daily lives. As a 21st-century human, I have an immediate impulse to.....»»
Researchers find having good neighbors and few top predators make predatory fish populations more resilient
A regime shift is gradually spreading through the archipelagos of the Swedish Baltic Sea coast, where shallow bays, previously dominated by pike and perch have one by one become dominated by one of their prey species, the three-spined stickleback......»»
Trail cameras track "critically low" New York bobcat population
With thousands of strategically placed cameras covering more than 27,000 square miles in central and western New York, biologists have obtained evidence that bobcat populations remain critically low in central and western New York state......»»
Struggling seabirds thrown a lifeline by new commercial fishing ban in the North Sea—but it may not be enough
With their bright, orange feet and colorful beaks full of glistening fish, puffins are really charismatic seabirds. But puffin populations are in decline, largely due to their struggle to catch enough of these shiny fish: sandeels......»»