Conservation – Page 5

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Dead trees and utility poles partially offset the impacts of deforestation on birds

July 1, 2019June 30, 2019 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments biodiversity, birds, Conservation, habitat restoration, land use, Trees

Mature trees serve as important habitats for a variety of species including insects and birds. Birds use trees for many purposes including nesting, perching, and foraging. Conservationists are exploring strategies to maintain bird populations in areas where mature trees are being lost due to agricultural expansion, wood production, and increased urbanization. In a recent study, scientists in Australia measured how utility poles and erected dead trees impacted the number and abundance of bird species in urbanized regions. The results suggest that artificial structures can offset some, but not all, of the bird loss due to deforestation.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Backyard Biodiversity: Urban Schoolyards Can Play an Important Role in Conservation

June 28, 2019 Olivia Box 0 Comments biodiversity, cities, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology

Biodiversity matters. Not just in the Amazon, but in your backyard, too. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) took the world by storm; the biodiversity crisis is here, and plants and animals across the globe are facing extinction, ultimately transforming ecosystems as we know it. Since the report, there has been a public outcry about what we can do to slow the impending biodiversity crisis, covered everywhere from scientific journals to media outlets worldwide.

While there are many pathways to address the crisis, a paper from a team of African researchers published in Urban Forestry and Urban Greening points to the importance of addressing a big problem on a small scale, suggesting urban schoolyards can positively impact local biodiversity for both native and exotic species.

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

Can We Save Our Corals? Using Investment Planning to Conserve Coral Reefs

June 19, 2019June 20, 2019 Jessica Espinosa 0 Comments bleaching, Climate Change, Conservation, coral, investment, Modern Portfolio Theory, Paris agreement, reef

By now, most of us have heard the news that climate change is threatening our oceans. Rising carbon dioxide levels due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions into the earth’s atmosphere are warming our oceans and causing a multitude of other adverse effects on our planet. In particular, these changing environmental conditions are wreaking havoc on the world’s coral reefs. Meanwhile, conservationists around the world have been working to mitigate coral reef degradation, with little overall success. However, a recent study describes a new approach taken from investment theory that could shed a hopeful light on coral conservation efforts.

Climate Environmental Science

In a climate crisis no one is safe, but marine species are getting hit twice as hard

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019 Aleksandra Dolezal 0 Comments climate crisis, Conservation, Global Warming, marine species, terrestrial species

Our world is undergoing a climate crisis, which threatens every living thing on the planet. A study by Pinsky et al. (2019) has found that marine species are more vulnerable to warming than terrestrial species which may change the course of conservation management and deployment of conservation resources.

Climate Environmental Science

Melting Moves Marine Mammals

June 4, 2019June 4, 2019 Riley Lovejoy 0 Comments Conservation, glaciers, marine life

As glaciers melt, the species who live there are faced with a dilemma – retreat into the little remaining habitat or find some way to adapt. Movement data from populations of ringed seals and white whales before and after a major sea-ice decline provides insight on how each species has responded to habitat loss. One of these species has chosen retreat, while the other has learned to adapt.

Case Studies Ecosystems Environmental Science

Can we increase agricultural production without threatening biodiversity?

June 3, 2019 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments agriculture, biodiversity, Conservation, crop production, land management, land use

The world population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. This increase in population will put pressure on agriculture to produce more food. Many studies have reported that land-use changes, such as cutting down forest to make new farmland, can lead to a loss in the number of species living in an area, known as the biodiversity. It is important to maintain biodiversity because it supports healthy ecosystems and ultimately a healthy planet. A recent analysis of previously published scientific articles suggests that when farming efforts are intensified, agricultural production increases but the number of species supported by the farm decrease. This means that increasing agricultural production comes at a cost.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Warblers out of the Woods: Savanna Restoration Creates Bird Habitat

May 30, 2019September 18, 2022 Abigail Bezrutczyk 0 Comments birds, Conservation, disturbance, ecosystem, forest ecology, habitat, Restoration, savanna, woodland

Savannas and woodlands are being restored in the Midwest– but how is that restoration affecting birds? The new habitat can be a good thing for bird conservation.

Environmental Science

Aquariums to the rescue? The role of zoos and aquariums in conserving aquatic biodiversity

May 22, 2019September 19, 2022 Riley Lovejoy 0 Comments aquatic, Conservation, coral, fish

The primary goal of conservation is to protect species in their natural habitats, but this can be extremely challenging. Captive breeding in zoos and aquariums may play a vital role in conserving endangered species, but good data must be readily available.

Environmental Science

The Future of Seafood: Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture

May 20, 2019September 19, 2022 Lauren Bonatakis 0 Comments aquaculture, Conservation, Ecology, Sustainability

Aquaculture has long been revered as a benefit to the seafood industry by increasing food availability for developing nations and taking pressure off of overexploited wild fish stocks. However, aquaculture has also been cited for its negative environmental impacts. Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a solution that combines species of different trophic levels to be grown together in the same aquaculture setting, reducing environmental impacts and increasing overall production.