A Walk in the Park: Green Space in Childhood Good for Mental Health

Teaser: Parks and other green spaces have long been known to benefit general physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Recent research shows that having green space around one’s home in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders as an adult. This finding shows the importance of residential green space in promoting lifelong mental health.

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The value of a species: the whooping crane conservation paradox

The endangered whooping crane is one of the world’s rarest species, with only around 600 individuals, including one wild self-sustaining population (French et al., 2018). Reintroduced populations have had limited success, largely due to low hatching success. One multi-year study demonstrates the role that some endemic species of black flies play in Whooping crane nest desertion. This work also illustrates how conservation approaches should evaluate trade-offs and utilize a decision-analysis framework to construct management strategies that incorporate the needs of all endemic species, rather than pining the value of one species above the other.

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Hidden fish populations protect us from ourselves!

We raise cows, chickens, and pigs on farms, but we still commonly hunt wild populations for one type of animal protein- seafood. Many fish populations are overexploited, but scientists found that despite this, Atlantic flounder populations were in better shape than expected. Why? How can we ensure that this stability continues?

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What can sea turtles tell us about the plastics in our oceans?

Some of our best insight into the types of plastic litter in the ocean comes from examining what is ingested by sea turtles. Recent research looks at how the composition of plastic waste changes with ocean depth, as informed by the eating patterns of sea turtles.

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Microplastics take flight—how mosquitoes move microscopic pollutants from water to land

Discarded plastics aren’t only disrupting the ocean, they accumulate in freshwaters too. And the impacts may not end there. Aquatic insects eat microplastics and, when they become adults, carry the polluting particles from water onto land and potentially into the stomachs of their predators.

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The human-leopard conflict in India… who are the victims?

Conflicts between humans and leopards in India have increased in frequency over the past few decades, due to habitat fragmentation and a decrease in human tolerance towards wildlife. To assess the long-term effects of this conflict, researchers studied two distinct regions in India to track the opinions of local communities on leopards. The researchers compared local sentiment about leopards to records and found that local opinions are related to distance from leopard habitat and history of attacks: the region in which humans live in closest proximity to the leopards’ habitat (Pauri), has had many more attacks and people hold much more negative views towards leopards.

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