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Galapagos Giant Tortoises Prove Their Worth as Ecosystem Engineers

In the late 19th century, whalers, settlers, and pirates changed the ecology of the Galapagos Islands by poaching some native species—like Galapagos giant tortoises—and introducing others, like goats and rats. The latter species became pests and severely destabilized the island ecosystems. Goats overgrazed the fruits and plants the tortoises ate while rats preyed on their […]

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Most Floridians Believe Climate Change is Happening, Survey Finds

Nearly all Floridians believe climate change is happening, per a new survey from Florida Atlantic University. What’s happening: The poll of 1,400 Floridians found that 90% of respondents believe climate change is underway. The intrigue: That’s more than the rest of the country, according to a recent Yale poll that found the American consensus to be about 74%. “Floridians might be […]

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Florida’s Coastal Savior: The Benefits of Mangroves

Mangroves are incredibly beneficial to Florida’s environment, and they wear a lot of proverbial hats. Mangroves play a critical role in a lot of marine ecosystems: they filter the water, act as a nursery habitat, and maintain healthy biodiversity. Mangroves also protect Southwest Florida’s coastlines from storm surge and other harmful impacts from major storms and […]

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Navajo Sheep Herding at Risk From Climate Change. Some Push to Maintain the Tradition

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Whenever Amy Begaye’s extended family butchered a sheep, she was given what she considered easy tasks — holding the legs and catching the blood with a bowl. She was never given the knife. That changed recently. In the pale light of dawn at this year’s Miss Navajo Nation pageant, 25-year-old Begaye and […]

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Toward a Global Scientific Consensus: Identifying Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems Through Imagery

The scientific community is taking a significant step toward establishing a consensus on the designation of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) from imagery data, as highlighted in the new article titled “Towards a scientific community consensus on designating Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems from imagery,” authored by Dr. Amy R. Baco and colleagues and published in PeerJ Life & […]

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Finland Launches Ambitious €50 Million Priodiversity LIFE Project to Combat Biodiversity Loss

In a groundbreaking initiative, Finland is set to embark on its most extensive biodiversity project, Priodiversity LIFE, funded by a remarkable €50 million, with €30 million contributed by the EU LIFE programme. Spanning eight years, this collaborative effort aims to combat the pressing issue of biodiversity loss through innovative approaches, widespread collaboration, and the exploration […]

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Floral Biodiversity Risk of Extinction: Orchids at High Risk

In alarming news, it has been estimated that up to 45% of recorded flowering plant species are threatened by extinction. The new study State of the World’s Plants and Fungi (SOTWPF) 2023 released by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and supported by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, found “plant species are dying out at least 500 times […]

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Climate Crisis: Carbon Emissions Budget is Now Tiny, Scientists Say

The carbon budget remaining to limit the climate crisis to 1.5C of global heating is now “tiny”, according to an analysis, sending a “dire” message about the adequacy of climate action. The carbon budget is the maximum amount of carbon emissions that can be released while restricting global temperature rise to the limits of the Paris agreement. […]

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Drought in the Amazon is Threatening People and Biodiversity

When people think about the Amazon, a picture of a tropical forest, teeming with life, with a network of majestic rivers might come to mind. But a historic drought in the region is putting the lives of hundreds of thousands, especially Indigenous People and traditional communities, at serious risk. Life in the Amazon region is […]

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An Extensive Database for Advancing Mindanao Island’s Biodiversity

The Philippine Archipelago, with more than 7,100 islands, has one of the highest levels of endemism globally and is a hotspot for biodiversity conservation. Mindanao, the second largest group of islands in the country, is a treasure trove of terrestrial species, boasting one of the highest densities of unique flora and fauna on the planet. […]

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