NewsBot

Humans are having a highly detrimental impact on biodiversity worldwide. Not only is the number of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. This is one of the largest studies ever conducted on this topic.View the full article

Understanding bee distributions is essential to protecting these vital pollinators. Since conservation efforts and policies are often made at the state level, maintaining state-specific bee species lists can aid conservationists and policy makers. Ecologists have documented 1,167 bee species in the state of Utah.View the full article

A new model suggests that timber production in Minnesota could decrease by half as windstorms intensify with climate change.View the full article

The introduction of exotic species can pose significant challenges in the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, yet researchers have found that Pacific oysters introduced to the Port River in Adelaide have influenced surprising benefits.View the full article

To understand why kangaroos hop -- a rarity among animals -- researchers have studied the musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus), a diminutive marsupial that weighs only 500 grams but is the last living representative of its family and part of a lineage that extends back to before kangaroos evolved their distinctive hopping gait.View the full article

Insect predators found in the United States could help keep spotted lanternfly populations in check while potentially reducing reliance on chemical control methods, according to a new study.View the full article

It is commonly assumed that as forest ecosystems age, they accumulate and store, or 'sequester,' more carbon.View the full article

For the first time, scientists described a hummingbird chick potentially mimicking a poisonous caterpillar to avoid getting eaten.View the full article

The only iguanas outside the Americas, Fiji iguanas are an enigma. A new genetic analysis shows that they are most closely related to the North American desert iguana, having separated about 34 million years ago, around the same time that the islands emerged from the sea. This suggests that the iguanas rafted 5,000 miles across the Pacific from western North America to reach Fiji -- the longest known transoceanic dispersal of any land animal.View the full article

Recovered grasslands need more than 75 years of continuous management to regain their biodiversity because specialized pollinators are slow to return. A new finding underscores the importance of preserving old grasslands as reservoirs of biodiversity, even if it is just as ski slopes.View the full article

Social media can help scientists track animal species as they relocate in response to climate change, new research shows.View the full article

A critically endangered new species of killifish sampled from an ancient forest in Kenya in 2017 and 2018 has now been described. Nothobranchius sylvaticus, from the Latin meaning 'pertaining to the forest', is also the first known endemic killifish to persist in a forest.View the full article

Feral cats have long been suspects in killing native species reintroduced into Australian conservation areas. DNA testing of the carcasses puts felines firmly in the frame.View the full article

A new analysis reveals that nearly half of the genus Heliconia, a group of tropical plants popular for their bright, beak-shaped flowers, are threatened with extinction.View the full article

'Forests are among the most important ecosystems in nature, constantly evolving, yet their monitoring is often delayed,' says an expert. Climate change, pests, and human activity are transforming forests faster than we can track them -- some changes become apparent only when the damage is already irreversible.View the full article

Tropical rainforests play a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. However, a major new study reveals that forests across the Americas are not adapting quickly enough to keep pace with climate change, raising concerns about their long-term resilience.View the full article

Satellite images from space are allowing scientists to delve deeper into the individual functions of different tropical forest canopies with new and surprising results. Understanding tree traits and functional diversity in the tropics is crucial for biodiversity, ecosystem modelling, and conservation.View the full article

A study of Asian hornets has found about 1,400 different species in their guts.View the full article

Sado Island, Japan, is inhabited by seven species of snakes, the largest number in any isolated island in Japan, except for the subtropical Ryukyu Archipelago. Researchers conducted a 5-year field study to investigate the ecology of each snake species. Their results showed that differences in feeding habits, as well as differences in activity times and locations, are critical factors in the coexistence of multiple snake species.View the full article

Climate change poses a particular risk to pine trees growing in dry areas, a new study conducted in an urban recreational forest in Helsinki shows.View the full article

Bark beetle-infested spruce trees begin to dry out already before any visible signs of tree mortality appear, a recent study shows.View the full article

The reason why so many tree species can coexist in species-rich forests has long been a subject of debate in ecology. This question is key to understanding the mechanisms governing the dynamics and stability of forests. An international team of scientists has now discovered unexpected patterns in the spatial distribution of tree species. Their results suggest that tree species in tropical and temperate forests manifest contrasting coexistence strategies as a result of differences in the patterns of tree clustering and the abundances of tree species.View the full article

Researchers report on the influence of an endophytic fungus of the genus Cladosporium on the defense of black poplars against herbivorous insects. The fungus, which lives inside the leaves, not only increases the production of defensive substances in the trees, but also produces an alkaloid itself that protects the trees from feeding damage. The research team has also shown in field studies that the presence of the fungus influences the composition of insect communities in young black poplars. For example, aphids living on the trees may excrete the fungus's defense substance in their honeydew and therefore be visited less by ants.View the full article

A new species of manzanita -- a native California shrub famous for its twisted branches and wildfire resilience -- has been discovered on the central coast, but its survival is already threatened by urban development that could destroy much of its fragile population.View the full article

An intriguing native Australian rat-kangaroo, thought to be probably extinct, may still be running around in the inhospitable remote Sturt Stony Desert -- and researchers have discovered new details about its feeding habits that might help to find it. The experts in marsupial evolution and ecology have compared the biting ability of different small animal skulls to understand the kinds of food the desert rat-kangaroo (Caloprymnus campestris) ate, thus narrowing down the best areas to monitor for the little animal.View the full article