Biodiversity

Researchers from the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences (APES) have contributed significantly to a major African-led study revealing that sub-Saharan Africa has already lost 24% of its biodiversity since pre-industrial times. This means that, on average, the populations of diverse plants and animals across the region have declined by nearly a quarter.

The world needs a new approach to environmental crises threatening the health of people and the planet by adopting policies to jointly tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, according to a U.N. report released Tuesday.

Farmers plant or preserve riparian buffers for various reasons, such as improving water quality, controlling erosion, or maintaining hunting habitat. Now, a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign underscores the benefits of riparian buffers to terrestrial biodiversity, finding that for every 10% increase in forest cover, an additional species is present.

When I, Erik Meijaard, worked as a wildlife consultant for a timber concession in Borneo, I often chatted with the logging truck drivers—and quickly realized that some of them knew far more about local wildlife populations than the company's own biodiversity teams.

Meadows once teeming with buzzing insects and colorful plants are quietly losing their diversity. But how fast is this change happening and can we detect it before species disappear? A German-Swiss research team led by Professor Dr. Lena Neuenkamp of Bielefeld University has found an answer.

An international team has published the first comprehensive study on the seamounts of the Cape Verde archipelago, their biodiversity, ecological functionality and socio-economic relevance in the journal Progress in Oceanography. The team was led by Covadonga Orejas, a researcher at the Gijón Oceanographic Center of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC); Veerle Huvenne, a researcher at the UK National Oceanography Center (NOC); and Jacob González-Solís, professor at the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona.

A new analysis published in the journal BioScience challenges conventional conservation approaches by demonstrating that traditional livestock grazing on rangelands represents a crucial but often overlooked strategy for protecting global biodiversity.

A new study published in People and Nature by the Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the Landscape Conservation Association Northwest Saxony shows that whether farmers participate in EU-funded measures for biodiversity conservation strongly depends on their personal contacts.

Company targets metabolic, immunological and neurological diseases via combination of genetic, environmental and microbiome factors. Sau Paulo-based biotech Nintx has … Continue reading "Nintx lands $10m to harness Brazilian biodiversity against ‘multifactorial diseases’" The post Nintx lands $10m to harness Brazilian biodiversity against ‘multifactorial diseases’ appeared first on Longevity.Technology - Latest News, Opinions, Analysis and Research.

Rebecca Stup '23, MS '26, is a master's student in the lab of Antonio DiTommaso, a weed ecologist and associate dean and director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES). DiTommaso's lab has been exploring planting wildflower strips along farmland as a strategy to increase biodiversity, attract pollinators and combat weeds.

Mad Agriculture, a nonprofit organization that supports regenerative agriculture, has reached its $1 million fundraising goal to launch their new biodiversity initiative, the Wilding Pilot. 

Helping communities manage green spaces by understanding how they use and value the area could be an effective way for local governments to tackle the biodiversity crisis, according to a new study from the University of Exeter.

Human influence across centuries continues to define biodiversity and carbon storage in the world's largest rainforest, according to a new international study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by the University of Amsterdam and Florida Tech.

One of the major realizations of the Anthropocene era has been the importance of biodiversity for the functioning of the Earth system, as well as for human societies.

New research has shed light on the vast and largely unmonitored trade of wildlife around the world, revealing alarming threats to biosecurity and the survival of many species.

New research has shed light on the vast and largely unmonitored trade of wildlife around the world, revealing alarming threats to biosecurity and the survival of many species.

Grassland degradation fundamentally reshapes how biodiversity supports ecosystem multifunctionality, shifting it from being plant-dominated to being mediated by soil microbes, according to a new study led by Prof. Yang Yuanhe from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS).

In a groundbreaking study that advances our understanding of ecosystem dynamics, researchers have revealed how moderate degradation of grasslands can paradoxically reshape the complex interdependencies between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. This investigation, conducted across the vast expanse of Tibetan alpine grasslands, utilized an extensive dataset comprising 792 sampling quadrats from 44 distinct sites along a […]

Over the past 50 years, Brazil has emerged as one of the world's agricultural giants. Becoming a leading global exporter of soybeans, beef, coffee and sugar has significantly boosted its economy and placed the country at the center of the global food system. This agricultural development, however, has come at a cost.

Biodiversity startups, which are tackling challenges ranging from disappearing pollinators to vanishing coral reefs, raise less capital than other startups but attract a broader coalition of investors, according to a new analysis that used machine learning to sift through venture capital databases.

The global crisis of diminishing biological diversity is challenging our current ability to monitor changes in ecosystems.

In the face of an unprecedented convergence of crises—ranging from climate change to biodiversity loss—global challenges are mounting at an alarming rate. These crises, deeply intertwined with unsustainable practices such as industrial agriculture, call for a radical rethink of land use on a global scale. The pressing need for a strategy that simultaneously conserves biodiversity, […]

A lot of attention has been paid to how climate change can reduce biodiversity. Now MIT researchers have shown that the reverse is also true: Loss of biodiversity can jeopardize regrowth of tropical forests, one of Earth’s most powerful tools for mitigating climate change. Combining data from thousands of previous studies and using new tools…

Safeguarding biodiversity is not simply an environmental concern but a foundational element of preventive and clinical care.

A new study published in PNAS shows that tree diversity consistently promotes productivity through fostering greater canopy structural complexity (CSC). Species complementarity is the main driver, with its positive effects strengthening over time.

Intensive forest management weakens biodiversity and reduces the amount of forests valuable for biodiversity worldwide, including Finland. Research carried out at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) investigated the extent of harvest in forests of different biodiversity values in Finland. The study is published in the European Journal of Forest Research.

In a groundbreaking study titled “Biodiversity pressure from fruit and vegetable consumption in the United Kingdom, India, and South Africa varies by product and growing location,” researchers have embarked on an exploration that sheds light on the intricate relationship between our dietary choices and the state of global biodiversity. The consumption of fruits and vegetables—the […]

From an alien-looking flat-faced longhorn beetle to an abandoned baby rhino, images at London’s Natural History Museum show what we stand to lose from the decimation of global biodiversity

HomeScienceVol. 390, No. 6769EU’s global investments put biodiversity at riskBack To Vol. 390, No. 6769 Full accessLetter Share on EU’s global investments put biodiversity at riskClara Grilo, Pedro Beja, [...] , Joana Bernardino, Nuno Ferrand, [...] , William F. Laurance, and Anthony P. Clevenger+3 authors +1 authors fewerAuthors Info & AffiliationsScience9 Oct 2025Vol 390, Issue 6769p. 138 PREVI…

The Global Crisis of Mountain Vegetated Landscapes: A Dire Warning for Biodiversity Conservation Mountains have long been revered as vital bastions of biodiversity, harboring some of the most unique and irreplaceable ecosystems on Earth. These rugged landscapes not only provide a sanctuary for countless species but also offer indispensable ecosystem services to human populations worldwide. […]

The Natural History Museum has deployed a network of sensors across its newly revamped gardens, which are on course to make it one of the most intensely monitored urban spaces in the world

A series of submersible surveys to nearly 10 kilometers in the deepest parts of Japan's ocean trenches have revealed seafloor biodiversity is shaped by depth, food supply, seismic activity and the seafloor's structure.

Nature is the foremost international weekly scientific journal in the world and is the flagship journal for Nature Portfolio. It publishes the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions. Nature publishes landmark papers, award winning news, leading comment and expert opinion on important, topical scientific news and events that enable readers to share the latest discoveries in science and evolve the discussion amongst the global scientific community.

Human-caused biodiversity loss has accelerated over the past 50 years. An opinion article published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by a team of international authors, including Anne Larigauderie, former Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), concludes that stopping biodiversity loss is contingent on transformative social and cultural changes across multiple scales.

Uniform and intensive forest management approaches threaten European forest biodiversity. There are many different ways to manage forests, but the effects of different combinations of approaches are not well understood.

In the face of escalating environmental challenges, maintaining European forest biodiversity demands innovative management approaches that reconcile ecological preservation with economic imperatives. Recent research spearheaded by an international consortium of scientists from the University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Jyväskylä in Finland brings fresh insight into this quandary through an expansive evaluation […]

Improving biodiversity and maintaining yields at the same time? For many, this sounds like a contradiction in terms. However, a new study by the University of Würzburg shows that both are possible under the right conditions.

In a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the University of Würzburg in collaboration with the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture, new insights have emerged regarding the role of biodiversity in enhancing pollinator populations and stabilizing crop yields. Focusing on sunflower fields in northern Bavaria, the research team explored how different farming practices and landscape […]

In a groundbreaking study spanning nearly three decades, scientists have uncovered starkly contrasting trends in freshwater fish biodiversity across the thermal gradients of rivers and streams in the United States. This comprehensive analysis, empowered by harmonizing federal biomonitoring datasets encompassing 389 fish species from almost 3,000 sampling sites between 1993 and 2019, reveals a troubling […]

Colossal Biosciences has just had a major breakthrough in its attempt to revive the dodo bird. What are the ethical concerns? The post Resurrecting the dodo: an ethical dilemma or chance at restoring biodiversity?  appeared first on Labiotech.eu. © Labiotech UG and Labiotech.eu. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Labiotech UG and Labiotech.eu with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Our Wondrous Planet – Melbourne Museum’s most expansive science and biodiversity gallery to date, spanning 1,800 square metres – is now open. The breathtaking multisensory gallery will showcase four different biomes: reef, rainforest, ice and soil – ecosystems which all play a major role in the vitality of the living,... The post Our Wondrous Planet: Multisensory Biodiversity Gallery Opens in Melbourne appeared first on green magazine.

Old-fashioned economic thinking is driving biodiversity loss, according to a new international study led by Aberystwyth University academics, which calls for a fundamental shift in how nature is valued.

A new study published in Ecological Applications demonstrates that commercial fisheries function much like an investment portfolio: diversity brings stability. The research shows that when different fish species in the Chesapeake Bay peak at different times, a dynamic known as "asynchrony," the overall fishery becomes more resilient and watermen are better protected from boom-and-bust cycles.

Grazing is regarded as one particularly beneficial practice to biodiversity on farms, especially if it is practiced on natural pastures in traditional ways.

RALEIGH, N.C. — A new study from North Carolina State University researchers finds that attraction to biodiversity, also known as biophilia, may vary broadly between individuals rather than being a consistent trait that all people share. As biodiversity declines around the world and global climate goals are often left unmet, researchers have begun to look […] The post Messy Backyard Gardens Could Help Save Biodiversity appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.

Strips of land planted with flowers between fields are the most popular environmental measure in agriculture. They attract pollinators such as butterflies and wild bees, look beautiful and can be achieved quickly. However, the goal of creating and maintaining a structurally diverse and therefore particularly species‐rich landscape will not be achieved if flower strips are the only measure taken.

GÖTTINGEN, Germany — Strips of land planted with flowers between fields are the most popular environmental measure in agriculture. They attract pollinators such as butterflies and wild bees, look beautiful and can be achieved quickly. However, the goal of creating and maintaining a structurally diverse and therefore particularly species-rich landscape will not be achieved if […] The post Biodiversity Needs More Than Just Flower Strips appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.

A new white paper: "From Knowledge to Solutions: Science, Technology and Innovation in Support of the UN SDGs," published in the journal Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO), brings together leading voices from Europe's biodiversity and data science communities to deliver a clear message: protecting biodiversity is not just an environmental issue. It is essential for food security, public health, climate stability, and the global economy.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), ratified in 2022 by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, sets out a new global agenda for safeguarding nature.

The 19th-century American naturalist Henry David Thoreau described the small freshwater lake at Walden as "Earth's eye"—a measure of the complexity of ecological interactions.

A new study from North Carolina State University researchers finds that attraction to biodiversity, also known as biophilia, may vary broadly between individuals rather than being a consistent trait that all people share.

The Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology within the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is helping lead a national effort to transform how scientists access and use biodiversity data by digitizing tens of thousands of mammal specimens from its Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections.

HomeScienceVol. 389, No. 6765Bolivia must prioritize biodiversityBack To Vol. 389, No. 6765 Full accessLetter Share on Bolivia must prioritize biodiversityOswaldo MaillardAuthors Info & AffiliationsScience11 Sep 2025Vol 389, Issue 6765p. 1098 PREVIOUS ARTICLEBehind the scenes of scientific fraudPreviousNEXT ARTICLESafe food: A human right amid climate changeNext NotificationsBookmark ContentsRef…

Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology joins national effort to digitize mammal collection specimen data The post Texas A&M expands scientific access to biodiversity data appeared first on AgriLife Today.

Scientists at the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku, Finland, looked at the insect biodiversity of Kibale National Park in Uganda. The study, published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity, is based on long-term collecting and gives new information that is useful for conserving dark biodiversity, showing how the diversity is distributed in different habitats.

Through the federal Building Canada Act, "projects of national interest" are being fast-tracked while hundreds of major resource projects are already under construction or planned in the next decade.

The accelerating expansion of urban areas around the globe poses significant challenges to biodiversity, but a particularly alarming trend, often overlooked until now, is the spread of urban development across hillside environments. These steep terrains, traditionally considered more difficult and less desirable for urban growth, are increasingly becoming focal points for human settlement and infrastructure. […]

As climate change and human activity threaten freshwater ecosystems like lakes and rivers, it's more important than ever to know how the species who inhabit them are being impacted. But traditional methods of monitoring species, such as catching animals, are challenging to implement and can miss rapid changes.

What happens when a national park or conservation area is created next to a business that emits toxic substances into the environment?

To protect biodiversity, a meta-analysis finds that agriculture should use a combination of biodiversity-friendly approaches and protected areas. For decades, scientists have debated how agriculture can both feed the world and safeguard biodiversity.

For decades, the global scientific community has wrestled with an urgent question at the heart of sustainable development: how can agricultural landscapes be managed to simultaneously maximize food production and conserve biodiversity? This fundamental dilemma has polarized researchers, policymakers, and practitioners into two camps advocating for distinct land-use philosophies. The “land sparing” approach champions intensive […]

There is strong support for the global 30–30 target on biodiversity, which means that one-third of Earth's surface should be protected by 2030. This is shown in a study from the University of Gothenburg that measured public opinion in eight countries on five continents.

Herbaria, or "museums for plants," house millions of samples collected over centuries. Stanford biologist Barnabas Daru shares how modern technology can unlock this treasure trove, providing scientists with vital insights into plants and the ecosystems they support.

The uplift and outward growth of Asia's three great plateaus is a major driver of changes in the Asian landscape and biodiversity, according to a new study led by Prof. Wang Wei from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS).

Cocoa is one of the world’s most valuable agricultural commodities, with global production exceeding 5.2 million metric tons in 2023....

Tropical rainforests still represent a treasure trove of undiscovered species. While many species of plants, animals, and insects have been identified over the years, some parts of these tropical ecosystems are difficult to access and pose challenges for researchers. In particular, the high canopies of tropical forests can be hard—and often expensive—to study without causing local damage.

Insufficient monitoring leaves gaps in our knowledge of Antarctica’s unique lifeforms and ecosystems, and their global significance. Continue reading Antarctica’s Biodiversity at Risk Amid Research Gaps on Tech Explorist.

Pollinators receive considerable interest due to their fundamental role in ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Unlike farmlands, studies of urban pollinator-promoting interventions have only started to grow rapidly recently and have not yet been synthesized, hampering all the related policies.

Biodiversity credits designed to incentivize the conservation and restoration of natural habitats need better transparency and regulation to be effective and credible.

Wyke Farms has unveiled a pioneering project that uses artificial intelligence to listen to birdsong and turn it into hard data – aiming to ...

Despite growing concern about biodiversity loss due to the ongoing biodiversity and climate crises, scientists have relatively little understanding of the pace and complexity of biodiversity change over the preceding millennia.

A study published in June reveals that fragmented communication and coordination undermine the effectiveness of Europe's leading biodiversity research infrastructures (BioRIs). The research led by Allan T. Souza, Tomáš Martinovič, Carrie Andrew, Yi-Ming Gan, and Erik Kusch, examined the communication strategies of four major European BioRIs, uncovering issues that hinder scientific collaboration and data integration across the continent.

Islands are natural laboratories where evolution can run rampant as plants and animals adapt to new environmental conditions and vacancies in the ecosystem.

Researchers at CSIRO are working to safeguard more than 13 million irreplaceable biodiversity specimens and support vital research to better understand and manage the natural environment. Diversity, a new state-of-the-art facility containing the National Research Collections Australia unites the Australian National Wildlife Collection and the Australian National Insect Collection with cutting-edge laboratories to drive scientific discovery. The collections have quietly underpinned Australian science, policy, agriculture, biosecurity, and biodiversity conservation for more than a century – supporting everything from tracking pest incursions to discovering new species and understanding the genetic diversity of Australia’s native ecosystems.

This piece was originally published by CSIRO on its research news website. Have you ever tried to chart your fart? Heard a mysterious croak at twilight and thought which frog is that? Gazed up at the sky and dreamed about galaxies far, far away? Good news: you don’t need a lab coat or a PhD to explore the wonders […]

In 2022, numerous countries signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) with the goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Among other things, the framework sets out various targets to be implemented by the signatory states in their national legislation. A core component is the commitment to put at least 30% of the world's land and oceans areas under protection by 2030.

A study led by researchers at the University of Oxford, working closely with colleagues from Duurzame Zuivelketen (DZK), among others, has developed a framework to help agricultural sectors better contribute to global biodiversity targets without causing unintended harms.

A groundbreaking study led by researchers at the University of Oxford, in close collaboration with Dutch sustainable dairy coalition Duurzame Zuivelketen (DZK), has unveiled an innovative framework designed to help agricultural sectors worldwide meet global biodiversity targets effectively, while preventing unintended environmental consequences. Published on August 11, 2025, in the influential journal npj Biodiversity, this […]

In Neurodivergent, By Nature, Joe Harkness examines the promise and reality of working in the conservation sector for neurodivergent people, and tells us why the natural world could use their help

Conservation should focus on protecting natural "processes"—not just specific species, researchers say. Current policies often focus on flagship animals, with priority given to rare and well-known species like pandas and polar bears.

Oceanic islands have long been recognized as natural laboratories for evolutionary processes, fostering unique biodiversity through relative geographic isolation and subsequent speciation. The volcanic archipelagos of Macaronesia—comprising the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, the Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde—represent such hotspots where endemic species have flourished. However, the same isolation that promotes speciation renders these ecosystems particularly […]

Biodiversity is important in every ecosystem. Research has shown having a richer diversity of plant and animal species bolsters ecosystem functioning and stability, making habitats more resilient to the threats of things like pests, disease and climate change.

For decades, scientists and conservationists have been using aboveground plant biodiversity as a metric for conserving ecosystems. Now, a new study finds that there is a major mismatch between aboveground plant diversity and Earth's underground fungal biodiversity.

The system for assessing the health of England's rivers states that just 14% are in good ecological health but an independent report for Defra says this masks improvements in freshwater biodiversity—and has proposed an alternative monitoring standard.

Biodiversity loss ranks among the world's most pressing crises, prompting global action under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity. A key plank of the framework is Target 3, known as the "30x30" goal: protecting at least 30% of the planet's land and oceans by 2030. For nations like China—balancing large populations, economic growth, and conservation—meeting this target requires novel strategies, according to a new study.

A frog croaks from a walking trail. A hiker snaps a photo and uploads it to iNaturalist. That single act—one person, one amphibian and one click—feeds into a growing global dataset that scientists now use to map shifting species ranges, detect invasive threats and even discover new species.

Expanding efforts to measure, monitor and protect soil biodiversity around the world will intensify further with the establishment of the Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory, to be led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and serving as a global reference for scientific collaboration and policy design.

Seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and marine sediments sequester carbon dioxide, mitigating climate change while increasing local marine biodiversity and providing coastal protection. The carbon sequestration capacity of Germany's Blue Carbon ecosystems is relatively small compared to the country's overall greenhouse gas emissions.

A new global atlas of underground fungi suggests that some surprising biodiversity hot spots lie hidden beneath our feet.

A new global atlas of underground fungi suggests that some surprising biodiversity hot spots lie hidden beneath our feet.

A new global atlas of underground fungi suggests that some surprising biodiversity hot spots lie hidden beneath our feet.

Using more than 2.8 billion fungal sequences sampled from 130 countries, scientists map the biodiversity of Earth's underground mycorrhizal fungal communities.

A world-first tool is tracking Australia's progress in sequencing the full genomes—or genetic blueprints—of the country's 250,000-plus known and catalogued species.

A new tool is tracking Australia’s progress in sequencing the full genomes – or genetic blueprints – of the country’s 250,000-plus known and catalogued species. Launched today, Genome Tracker reveals that only two per cent of Australia’s known and catalogued species have at least one genome sequenced. The online dashboard is part of the Australian Reference Genome Atlas (ARGA), a platform for exploring and accessing genomic data.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — From stick bugs to helpful pollinators, the Insect Pavilion at the California State Fair is crawling with discovery! Presented by the California Department of Food and Agriculture in partnership with the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, along with the Bohart Museum of Entomology—this exhibit invites fairgoers to explore the incredible world of insects […] The post CDFA Insect Pavilion Brings Biodiversity and Bugs to the 2025 California State Fair appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.