The largest botanical dataset ever has been created by scientists, who discovered that nearly 40% of land plant species are classified as ‘exceedingly rare’. And these species are found in areas that will be impacted by climate change.
Placing LED lights along the top of floating gillnets (fishing nets that have notoriously high levels of bycatch) reduces the chances of dolphins and turtles being caught accidentally. And, they do not reduce the catch for fishermen.
New research shows that the greatest boost to the survival of killer whale calves is their grandmothers who are no longer breeding, because they are free to focus their time and resources on them. As salmon populations decline, the grandmothers will play an increasingly important role in killer whale population.
The koloa, the only endemic duck remaining on the main Hawaiian Islands, is threatened by inbreeding with feral mallards. But a new study has found that its genetic diversity is high and conservation efforts have been successful.
DNA samples from museum specimens have again proved useful in discovering what conservation actions can help endangered species. For the critically endangered regent honeyeater, the answer is to protect its Australian habitat.
An international team of researchers has documented the decline of insects in Germany, in many areas it is by one third. The decline is mainly in grasslands near to farmland, but is also in forests and protected areas.
Scientists trying to save endangered species are finding help in museum collections. It has been shown that using DNA specimens from old specimens to understand evolution and threats to their survival.
White-tailed sea eagles in Germany were tested for the stress hormone corticosterone, levels of which were particularly high in birds nesting close to roads and paths. This has implications for tourist use in areas of high eagle density.
Over the past 300 years, 79 plants have been confirmed extinct from three of the world’s biodiversity hotspots located in South Africa – the Cape Floristic Region, the Succulent Karoo, and the Maputuland-Pondoland-Albany corridor.
A study of large freshwater animals between 1970 to 2012 has revealed that populations throughout the globe have fallen by 88%, with large fish species being particularly affected. Conservation action for freshwater biodiversity is urgently required.