Sounds affect our daily lives, from birdsong and soothing melodies to jackhammers and jet engines. People who live in urban environments are often affected by noise pollution, but, due to systemic injustice, some are impacted more than others. And it not only affects humans, but wildlife as well. A new study by acoustic ecologists from […]
Researchers from University of California, Davis have published a study that outlines how artificial light pollution from things like city lights and highway traffic is threatening the habitats of mountain lions in Southern California. “Well-lit streets, neighborhoods and commercial areas will reduce and fragment the areas available to mountain lions to move around,” Fraser Shilling, […]
Often when we talk about the health implications of particular chemicals, the conversation tends to focus on the human impact, yet animals also suffer when harmful chemicals accumulate in their bodies and ecosystems. A new map highlights how pervasive the problem is for wildlife around the world by showcasing the scientific evidence linking so-called flame-retardant […]
Quick Key Facts What Is a Drought? A meteorological drought is when there is a severe lack of precipitation in a given area for a notable amount of time. But as the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska explains, whether or not an area is experiencing a drought is “in relation to […]
The threat of extinction and endangerment of species is accelerated by human activity like deforestation, hunting and pollution, as well as climate change and its various impacts like extreme weather and warming temperatures. A species’ importance to an ecosystem often isn’t noticed until it’s gone. When humans encroach on wild territory, we often disrupt the […]
Artificial light has made night streets safer for humans and is a convenience, but at what cost to wildlife? Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt the circadian rhythm of wild animals, interfering with sleep and migratory patterns. It can lead species like moths, sea turtles and frogs dangerously astray and make animals more vulnerable […]
An analysis of crops and croplands has found that 1.6 million acres of grasslands in the Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada were destroyed in just one year, in 2021. The amount of grassland plowed during this time is about the size of Delaware, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported. The new Plowprint Report […]
Quick Key Facts What Is a ‘Nature Reserve’? Nature reserves are large areas of land that have been set aside to protect and preserve natural habitat and ecosystems for common, rare and endangered animal and plants species and their natural processes. Designating areas to be protected from human development ensures everyone will have access to […]
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 […]