Biodiversity News

Trees were already known for cooling and cleaning the air of cities. A Europe-wide, participative science project shows how much their density matters for urban biodiversity. Bastien Castagneyrol, Chercheur en écologie, Inrae Elena Valdés-Correcher, Chercheuse en écologie, Inrae Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Caracals that hunt closer to urban areas where human population density is higher, have higher levels of chemicals in their systems. Gabriella Leighton, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Rhodes University Jacqueline Bishop, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology, University of Cape Town Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Camera traps and acoustic recorders are allowing researchers to take the pulse of the Amazonian forests, as human-impacts such as climate change and logging continue to rage. Oliver Metcalf, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Manchester Metropolitan University Liana Chesini Rossi, Invited User, University of São Paulo State Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Species will endure intolerable conditions long after the global average temperature stabilises. Joanne Bentley, Postdoctoral Researcher in Molecular Ecology, African Climate & Development Initiative, University of Cape Town Alex Pigot, Research Fellow, Genetics, Evolution & Environment Division of Biosciences, UCL Andreas L. S. Meyer, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Cape Town Christopher Trisos, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Change Risks, University of Cape Town Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

An Africa-based conservation expert explains why trophy hunting has not delivered for wildlife in most parts of Africa, and that local communities benefit next to nothing from its continued practice Hans Bauer, Research fellow: Northern Lion Conservation, University of Oxford Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The common eider nests in colonies on islands of the St. Lawrence estuary. The down that the female duck takes to fill her nest has exceptional insulating properties. Jean-François Giroux, Professeur associé, Département des sciences biologiques; écologie et aménagement des oiseaux migrateurs, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Exposure to hot and dry conditions can damage the DNA of nestling birds in their first few days of life – meaning they age earlier and produce less offspring. Justin Eastwood, Postdoctoral research fellow in ecology, Monash University Anne Peters, Professor in Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Protecting green turtles is difficult because they perform some of the longest migrations known in the animal kingdom. Ana Rita Patricio, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Exeter Martin Beal, Research Assistant, ISPA Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

As nations pledge to preserve swaths of ocean within their territorial waters, a marine scientist explains why some marine protected areas shelter ocean life more effectively than others. Kirsten Grorud-Colvert, Associate Professor, Oregon State University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.