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A report into the global status of ladybirds reveals the threats they face and lays out a roadmap for conservation. These vital pest controllers for farmers and gardeners are considered to be in decline globally due to human activities, and species are poorly understood. View the full article

A multi-year study in the tropical forests of the Panama Canal found that the species most frequently damaged by lightning tended to be the most capable of surviving it. View the full article

A new analysis of a beaver anklebone fossil found in Montana suggests the evolution of semi-aquatic beavers may have occurred at least 7 million years earlier than previously thought, and happened in North America rather than Eurasia. View the full article

After a comprehensive study of plants across the United States, researchers have arrived at the unexpected conclusion that plants able to fix atmospheric nitrogen are most diverse in arid regions of the country. This finding runs counter to the prevailing assumption that nitrogen-fixers should be comparatively most diverse in environments where nitrogen in the soil is in limited supply. View the full article

For the first time, researchers have completed threat assessments for all 881 native tree species in the contiguous United States, resulting in a comprehensive checklist and synthesis that will serve as a critical baseline to guide future tree conservation efforts. View the full article

New study proves that single introduction of 24 animals shipped from England in 1859 caused the infamous invasion and argues that wild genetic traits gave these rabbits a devastating advantage over earlier arrivals. View the full article

A new study investigates how different mammals react to climate change. Animals that live for a long time and/or produce less offspring -- like bears and bison -- are more resilient than small animals with a short life -- like mice and lemmings. View the full article

The flash of lightning and the dance of auroras contain a fourth state of matter known as plasma, which researchers have harnessed to produce a gas that may activate plant immunity against wide-spread diseases. View the full article

While researchers predict that climate change will have an adverse effect on most staple crops, including rice, corn and soybeans, a new study finds that breadfruit -- a starchy tree fruit native to the Pacific islands -- will be relatively unaffected. To conduct the study, the researchers first determined the climate conditions required to cultivate breadfruit. Then, they looked at how these conditions are predicted to change in the future (between the years 2060 and 2080). They found that the suitable area for growing breadfruit decreased by a modest 4.4 to 4.5%. View the full article

A new framework for classifying the positive impacts of non-native species will allow conservationists and policymakers to make better-informed management decisions, according to a new article. View the full article

A deep dive into bird survey data has found that some of Australia's favorite backyard visitors considered 'common' are actually on the decline as cities and suburbs opt for less greenery. The study used citizen science data to examine the prevalence and diversity of bird species across Greater Brisbane, Greater Sydney, Greater Perth and Greater Melbourne. The team found that introduced species, historically prominent in Australian urban bird communities, were decreasing in prevalence in all four regions, while a small group of native urban exploiters were becoming more prevalent. View the full article

How can biodiversity be preserved whilst securing the economic livelihood of smallholder farmers growing vanilla in Madagascar? There is a way, according to a new study. The research team shows that vanilla plantations established on fallow land do not differ in terms of yield from those established in the forest. Cultivation on fallow land also increases biodiversity there. View the full article

Even relatively modest climate warming and associated precipitation shifts may dramatically alter Earth's northernmost forests, which constitute one of the planet's largest nearly intact forested ecosystems and are home to a big chunk of the planet's terrestrial carbon. View the full article

Climate change has led to warming temperatures in the Pacific Northwest, leading some insect species to expand their range into more northerly oak savannas, according to new research. View the full article

Scientists have explored how to improve the PERSAM model used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in pesticide regulation. They have analysed the risks posed by four pesticides on two types of soil organisms in northern, central and southern Europe. View the full article

An online database which documents pollinator-plant interactions, could help the public understand how to plant for pollinators, and support biodiversity. View the full article

Scientists are proposing management changes on western federal lands that they say would result in more wolves and beavers and would re-establish ecological processes. View the full article

New research sheds light on how climate change will impact the distribution of great whales in New Zealand waters. Researchers used a complex modelling approach to project the regional range shift of blue and sperm whales by the year 2100, under different climate change scenarios. View the full article

The restoration of grassland ecosystems may need more of a guided, hands-on approach over time, according to a new review of global conservation efforts. View the full article

Scientists have long tried to introduce genetically engineered bacteria into the gut to treat diseases. In the past, these attempts have focused on engineering common lab strains of E. coli, which cannot compete with the native gut bacteria that are well adapted to their host. Now, a group of researchers successfully engineered E. coli collected from both human and mice gut microbiomes and showed that they have the potential to treat diseases such as diabetes. View the full article

Researchers generated rat sperm cells inside sterile mice using a technique called blastocyst complementation. View the full article

Beaver fur was a symbol of wealth and an important trade item in 10th Century Denmark, according to a new study. View the full article

A dramatic decline in the bee population at fruit farms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania has scientists wondering whether it is a natural phenomenon or a warning about a future threat to the world's food supply. View the full article

Urban gardens can be hotspots for biodiversity in cities but little is known about what drives the biodiversity of species existing at the smallest frequencies, or rare biodiversity. Rare plant species in urban gardens attract rare bee and bird species, according to a new study examining urban garden sites in northern California. The results show that women, older gardeners and those who live near the gardens tend to curate more rare plants. View the full article

Larger fishes are more likely to experience oxygen deficiency in warming water than smaller species. The same applies to fish with large cells, note researchers. In addition, marine fishes are less tolerant of oxygen-depleted water than freshwater fishes. Based on these insights, the researchers ultimately aim to predict which aquatic species are at risk due to changes in their habitat caused by global warming and human activities. View the full article