V is for Vespid
The fact that a close eye is being kept out for any invasion of V. velutina in this country is down to the potential threat to commercial pollination services and native wildlife, not because of any human health risk.
Articles & Blogs - Page 38
Bringing you the latest articles, opinion and analysis in the conservation world
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Save the Nautilus
When their numbers are depleted it will take a long time for populations to recover. Better education on the consequences of purchasing Nautilus shells, more research and better regulation appears to be essential for their survival. We can only hope that it is not too late.
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Cool Koalas Hug Trees
Scientists believed that koalas hugged trees because that is where they eat and sleep but, as acacia leaves are inedible to the koala, they were actually leaving eucalyptus trees and hugging acacia trees in order to cool down.
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Forest Degradation Overlooked in the Amazon
Research discovered that selective logging and wildfires resulted in an annual loss of 54 billion tonnes of carbon from the Brazilian Amazon in 2010. This is the equivalent of 40% of the yearly carbon loss from deforestation.
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Blue-footed Boobies Stop Breeding
New research indicates that large numbers of these birds in the Galapagos has fallen in the past 20 years, because they have stopped breeding.
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When Birds and Buildings Collide
It is not that birds are unaware of their surroundings; they are simply not primed, via learning or evolution, to detect hazardous man-made structures that extend into their airspace.
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“The Sea is not a Rubbish Bin”
Floating plastic debris is ingested either directly, because the birds believe them to be food items, or indirectly by eating prey that has plastic in their stomach. The result of plastic ingestion is entanglement, ulcers, infections and death to many marine animals.
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U is for Urticae
A good crop of nettles may well be followed by a spectacular crop of butterflies – so switch off that strimmer, put down that weedkiller, and let them fly free.
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The introduction of alien species to Antarctica
Biological invasions of non-native species can create serious problems. Millions of pounds have been spent on the removal of species such as Rhododendron ponticum, Himalayan balsam and signal crayfish just in the UK.
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T is for Typhaeus: Minotaur Beetle
This is a Minotaur beetle, and despite appearances it is a gentle, dung-munching giant.