biodiversity

The main driver of the extinction of plant and wildlife species around the world is habitat loss. In the U.S. alone, approximately 650 species have become extinct or are “missing in action,” according to the National Wildlife Federation. This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) removed 21 species from the Endangered Species Act […]

Quick Key Facts What Are Invasive Species? Whether an animal, a plant or a microbe, an invasive species generally describes a living thing that has not historically lived in a given region. An invasive species by definition has a decidedly negative ecological or economic impact on the habitat it has entered, according to the U.S. […]

The loss of pollinator insects is putting some of the most popular tropical crops in the world — like cocoa, coffee, mango and watermelon — at risk, a new study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Natural History Museum has found. The research team looked at how climate change and land […]

A new State of the World’s Plant and Fungi report from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), presents the current conditions of Earth’s plants and fungi. Based on more than 25 scientific papers and the work of 200 researchers from around the world, the report looks at global biodiversity patterns and drivers, as well as […]

Many plant and animal species that originate from warmer regions are able to acclimate to more northern climates as temperatures increase due to climate change. A new study by an international team of researchers has concluded that, as climate change continues, the likelihood of alien plant species from regions nearer to the equator being introduced […]

In a race to catalog endangered species of the U.S. before it’s too late, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week a biobanking initiative in partnership with the nonprofit Revive & Restore. The new project is the first systematic biobanking initiative for endangered species in the U.S. The program will involve collecting live […]

Oysters are essential for ocean health, filtering and cleaning the water and providing habitat and sustenance. Oyster reefs can also serve as storm and tidal barriers, prevent erosion and protect estuaries. One conservationist group, the UK’s Wild Oysters Project, has released 10,000 native oysters onto a human-made reef off the North East Coast of England […]

The weather is getting cooler, the air is feeling crisper, the leaves are turning yellow and red falling from their trees — and this year, leave those leaves be!  It’s a common misconception that leaves always kill the grass they fall on. Aside from the fact that it’s time to ditch our lawns in the […]