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[Commentary] Reinforcing open access to biodiversity data in the Hindu-Kush Himalayas

We are losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment highlighted irreversible loss in the diversity of life on earth 16 years ago. The 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report warned that around 1 mil ...

Researcher describes four new species of sponge that lay undiscovered in plain sight

The ocean is a big place with many deep, dark mysteries. Humans have mapped no more than 20% of the sea, and explored less. Even the kelp forests of Southern California – among the best studied patches of ocean on the planet – hide species not yet described by science.

Tree species diversity is no protection against bark beetle infestation

Ecologist from Freiburg investigates pest infestation in forests with mixed and monoculture tree stands. Their findings are published in Journal of Ecology.

Two biodiversity refugia identified in the Eastern Bering Sea

Scientists from Hokkaido University have used species survey and climate data to identify two marine biodiversity refugia in the Eastern Bering Sea—regions where species richness, community stability and climate stability are high.

'Crazy botanist' safeguards biodiversity along Yangtze River

In the mountains along China's longest river, the Yangtze, about 1,256 species of rare plants have entered botanist Huang Guiyun's rescue radar in the past three decades.

New tech could help bring threatened species back from the brink

Nearly 1 million species face extinction — and humanity is largely to blame. However, a new tool provides a clear picture of where species are at the greatest risk of extinction — and helps guide conservation actions to protect them.

Atlantic invader threatens to wipe out Croatia river delicacy

For decades, tourists have enjoyed the Neretva river eel in restaurants in southern Croatia but now another gastronomic delicacy is threatening the river delta’s biodiversity and traditional eel fishing economy.

Study confirms sightings of endangered blue whale in Philippine waters

A solitary whale frequently spotted in the Bohol Sea in the southern Philippines has long had a nickname: Bughaw, or “blue.” Now, thanks to recently published research, the whale also has a confirmed species and subspecies, knowledge that could shift understanding about the distribution of whale ...

Differently endangered: Why the lions are most vulnerable to Covid

Over the past month, reports have trickled in of lions testing Covid-positive—as many as eight Asiatic lions in Hyderabad zoo (April 29) and two at the Etawah Safari Park in Uttar Pradesh (May 6). According to officials, tests are on at other zoos and the number of cases of Covid among wildlife ...

A new approach to identify genetic boundaries of species could also impact policy

A new approach to genomic species delineation could impact policy and lend clarity to legislation for designating a species as endangered or at risk. Evolutionary biologists model the process of speciation, which follows population formation, improving on current species delineation methods.

Mexican paleontologists identify new 'talkative' dinosaur species

Paleontologists identified a new species of dinosaur after a specimen from about 73 million years ago was found in northern Mexico, the country's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said Thursday.

New 'freaky' fanged frog species discovered hiding in plain sight in Mindoro

Scientists have found a new fanged frog species hiding in plain sight by studying their unique mating calls and genomic data. Fanged frogs belong to the genus Limnonectes, a group of about 75 known species of frogs with unusually large teeth that are small or absent in other frogs. Eleven of the ...

What we’re getting wrong about the threat to bees

Think honey bees are disappearing? Or that the more hives we have the better? This DW Planet A video challenges us to think again.

To keep tabs on ecosystem health in Borneo, follow these birds: Study

To improve ecosystem management in Borneo, look at the population trends of key bird species on the island, researchers say.

In Zimbabwe they are using deep learning to identify giraffes and understand why their population is declining

The giraffes They are one of the most emblematic animals on the African continent, but their population continues to decline. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, from 1980 to now, the giraffe population has decreased from 155,000 animals to 117,000, 30%. There are six subspecies an ...

How to develop the urban forest

Nature is in trouble. A keynote research report, The State of Nature 2019 identified that 58 per cent of UK species have declined since 1970 (by which point nature had already been depleted).

Calgary named 1 of 4 bird-friendly cities by Nature Canada

Calgary has been named one of the country's four bird friendly cities by the group, Nature Canada. The designation came into effect in Calgary on May 7 — along with Toronto, Vancouver and London, Ont. — one day ahead of World Migratory Bird Day.

Ulsan’s Taehwa River to be Listed as Flyway Habitat for Migratory Birds

he Taehwa River, Woehwang River, Hoeya Lake, Seonam Lake, and Ulsan Bay, all located in the southeastern city of Ulsan, will be listed on the Flyway Network Site (FNS), designed to protect migratory waterbirds.

Idaho is going to kill 90% of the state’s wolves. That’s a tragedy – and bad policy

Nothing embodies wildness like wolves, our four-legged shadow, the dogs that long ago refused our campfire and today prefer freedom and risk over the soft sofa and short leash. The dogs that howl more than bark, add music to the land, and – if left alone to work their magic – make entire ecosyst ...

‘There were tears’: Death of newborn tiger cub a painful loss for Toronto Zoo staff

Zookeeper Ryan Hegarty chokes up as he talks about the newborn Amur tiger cub that had to be euthanized this weekend at the Toronto Zoo after becoming ill.

Liberia Forest Elephants Number 450 or Less

The Elephant Research and Conservation (ELRECO), a conservation project with support from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, has released a research report on Forest Elephants in Liberia putting existing forest elephants between 350 and 450.

The world needs a standard tool to compare species conservation efforts. An international team just built one.

In 2010, the Convention on Biodiversity proposed a list of 20 targets aimed at preserving global biodiversity—from increasing public awareness to preventing species extinctions. The targets were part of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020.

A study reveals genetic structure of snail ‘Xerocrassa montserratensis’, an endemic species to Catalonia

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals the genetic structure of the land snail Xerocrassa montserratensis and it provides new scientific tools for the improvement of the conservation of this endemic and threatened species in Catalonia.

How insect hotels and honey highways are helping bee populations in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter after the US, 75% of food crops and more than 85% of wild plants are reliant on them. But across the globe they’re declining – and more than half of the Netherlands’ 360 bee species have come under threat as areas of wildflower ...

Migratory birds: Global ambassadors of nature

The conservation of migratory birds is a collective endeavour, and it is important to recognise the intricate link between migratory bird species and the well-being of the people.

Forest-dwellers, global community must address tropical wildlife hunting risks

Increasing demand for food and traditional medicines, multiplying local wars and conflicts, an expanding legal and illegal market trade have exacerbated the wildlife crisis in recent years, damaging ecosystems and driving many species to the verge of extinction.

Nepal’s vultures: Between existence and extinction

On the grounds of a college campus in Nawalparasi, the great brown birds lay as if asleep. Strangely, the vultures were all lying in an almost a perfect circle around an animal carcass.

Gorilla among 200 endangered species threatened by conflict-- conservationists

Civil unrest and military exercises pose heightened risks to more than 200 threatened species, including elephant populations and the critically-endangered Eastern gorilla, conservationists warned Wednesday.

Types of Lions: 5 Lions That Are Endangered and Extinct

The signature mane, the predatory stealthy movement, the fierce roar-it appears fitting to discover that there is just one species of lion (Panthera leo). However, there are several subspecies, which are different in appearance and other specific traits.

Mediterranean turtles recovering at different rates

Numbers of two Mediterranean turtle species have risen in the last three decades—but in Cyprus the recoveries are happening at different rates, new research shows.

The formation of the Amazon Basin influenced the distribution of manatees

All three species of manatee now present on Earth share a common ancestor from which they split some 6.5 million years ago, when a huge lake in Amazonia, then linked to the Caribbean, was cut off from the sea.

World Migratory Bird Day (May)

8 May 2021, Online, Bonn, Germany

United States: Change Is In The Air: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, The Endangered Species Act And The Biden Administration

The Biden Administration has signaled that it will be rolling out significant changes related to the interpretation and enforcement of key provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Unprecedented regulatory changes to both the MBTA and the ESA were t ...

Researchers Start First-Ever Global Initiative to Map Ungulate Mammal Migrations

An international team of 92 scientists and conservationists has joined forces to create the first-ever global atlas of ungulate (hoofed mammal) migrations. It has been developed in partnership with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a UN treaty.

New alpine lizard species uncovered in South Island

An intensive hunt for lizards in the South Island has led to the discovery of what could be several new skink and gecko species.The exciting finds were made this summer in remote mountain areas in Fiordland, Mount Aspiring and Nelson Lakes national parks, and the Hooker/Landsborough Wilderness A ...

Big cat comeback? Florida strikes bipartisan deal to help endangered panthers

In a political culture where bipartisan legislation is a rare species, lawmakers in one state have come together to agree major new conservation efforts that will help that other endangered animal – the Florida panther.

We need to rethink the way we measure environmental impact

Biodiversity loss is a global phenomenon. Driven by habitat degradation, climate change, the introduction of invasive species and other anthropogenically induced factors, around 1 million of the 8 million plant and animal species on earth are threatened with extinction. Increasingly, biodiversit ...

The African wild dog: Ambassador for the world's largest terrestrial conservation area

The world's largest terrestrial conservation area is located in southern Africa and covers 520,000 square kilometers spanning five countries. A study from the University of Zurich now shows that the endangered African wild dog mostly remains within the boundaries of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfron ...

Madrid begins the capture and extermination of 90% of the parrot population

The Madrid City Council has already started its plan to wipe out almost the entire population of Argentine and Kramer’s parrots. During the next two years, 90% of the population of these invasive alien species will be reduced through the capture of specimens with the help of cages and nets as we ...

Statement by Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day, “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!”

Statement by Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day, “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!”

New Miniature Trap-Jaw Ant Ant Species Discovered – Named in Recognition of Gender Diversity

A newly discovered miniature trap jaw ant from the evergreen tropical forests of Ecuador bears the curious Latin name Strumigenys ayersthey, among hundreds, which are also named in honor of people, but end with -ae (after females) and -i (after males). This makes the newly described ant perhaps ...

Tobago fisherman: Eat lionfish to save the reefs

Lionfish, an invasive species in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, is a threat to the marine ecosystem. Native to the Indo-Pacific, the lionfish devours over 80 types of prey who do not recognise it as a predator.

Apple, Conservation International introduce mangrove carbon credit

There’s a fresh nature-based carbon project in town, and she’s getting attention from corporations with ambitious net-zero goals. Her name? Mangroves, a type of tree species and coastal forest ecosystem native to the tropics and subtropics.

The ants, bees and wasps of Canada, Alaska and Greenland - a checklist of 9250 species

Knowing what species live in which parts of the world is critical to many fields of study, such as conservation biology and environmental monitoring.This is also how we can identify present or potential invasive and non-native pest species.

New species of pelomedusoid turtle found in Madagascar

A team of researchers from Universität Freiburg, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Université d'Antananarivo and Stony Brook University has discovered a new species of pelomedusoid turtle in Madagascar.

Migratory songbirds climb to extreme altitudes during daytime

Great reed warblers normally migrate by night during its month-long migration from northern Europe to Sub-Saharan Africa. However, researchers have now discovered that during the few occasions when it continues to fly during daytime, it flies at extremely high altitudes (up to 6300 meters).

73rd meeting of the Standing Committee (SC73) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

5 - 7 May 2021, Online

Aussie Scientists Urge To Protect Frog Species To Support Ecosystems, Biodiversity

Australian scientist found most of the country's frog species examined were vulnerable to housing, agriculture, roads and recreation, and needed to be protected.

Light pollution at night affects the calls of migratory birds

When investigators in the UK recorded the calls of migratory birds called thrushes at night, they found that call rates were up to five times higher over the brightest urban areas compared with darker villages.