Biodiversity

Things related to the web of life; ecology; wildlife; endangered species

"A Collapse of the Amazon Could Be Coming ‘Faster Than We Thought’"

"Up to half of the Amazon rainforest could transform into grasslands or weakened ecosystems in the coming decades, a new study found, as climate change, deforestation and severe droughts like the one the region is currently experiencing damage huge areas beyond their ability to recover."

Source: NYTimes, 02/15/2024

Horseshoe Crabs, Living Fossils Of The Sea, Draw Endangered Species Petition

"Environmental groups on Monday petitioned the U.S. government seeking endangered species protection for the American horseshoe crab, a "living fossil" under threat from commercial harvests for bait and biomedical use as well as from habitat loss and climate change."

Source: Reuters, 02/14/2024

"The Planet Needs Solar Power. Can We Build It Without Harming Nature?"

"For pronghorn, those antelope-like creatures of the American West, this grassland north of Flagstaff is prime habitat. It gives the animals the food and conditions they need to survive fall and winter. But for a nation racing to adopt renewable energy, the land is prime for something else: solar panels."

Source: NYTimes, 02/13/2024

Nearly Half Of The World’s Migratory Species Are In Decline: UN Report

"Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday. Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and other migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change."

Source: AP, 02/13/2024

"Feds Weigh Protections For Tiny Snail Near Massive Lithium Mine"

"The Fish and Wildlife Service has launched an in-depth study of whether a teensy-tiny snail that inhabits springs in a small slice of lithium-rich Nevada desert should enjoy federal protections under the Endangered Species Act."

Source: E&E News, 02/09/2024

"Monarch Butterfly Numbers Are Down Sharply at Wintering Areas in Mexico"

"The number of monarch butterflies at their overwintering areas in Mexico dropped precipitously this year to the second-lowest level on record, according to an annual survey." "Scientists said the decline appeared to be driven by hot, dry conditions in the United States and Canada that reduced food supply."

Source: NYTimes, 02/09/2024

Seafood Firm Wants To Farm Octopus. Activists Say They're Too Smart For That

"Octopuses are capable of sophisticated tasks, from solving puzzles to decorating their dens to remembering people's faces. So when a company in Spain announced that it wanted to commercially farm octopuses to harvest them for seafood, the plan sparked an uproar."

Source: NPR, 02/08/2024

"Another Major Legal Battle Is Brewing Over The Killing Of Gray Wolves"

"A coalition of environmental and animal protection groups said Wednesday that it will sue to overturn the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove Northern Rocky gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act."

Source: HuffPost, 02/08/2024

Images Raise Hopes Of Return Of Wild Jaguars To The US

"Jaguars once roamed throughout the American south-west, but they were hunted to local extinction by the 1960s. In the 1990s, the elusive cat began to occasionally reappear in the rugged Sky Islands mountain ranges in New Mexico and Arizona. Now, a series of sightings in the region over the past year marks the endangered predators’ tentative return."

Source: Guardian, 02/07/2024

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