Deforested areas bleed heat to nearby forests, drive local extinctions

Deforested areas bleed heat to nearby forests, drive local extinctions

Areas cleared of forests bleed heat to neighboring forests, and this fuels increases in temperatures there, new research has found. Average temperatures in forests around the world are already rising because of climate change; this leaked heat exacerbates the problem and accelerates local extinctions of forest-dwelling species. “The warming is happening from global climate change […]

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Trump administration sabotages major conservation effort, defying Congress

Trump administration sabotages major conservation effort, defying Congress

Scientists and officials around the US have told the Guardian that the Trump administration has withdrawn funding for a large, successful conservation program – in direct contradiction of instructions from Congress. Unique in scale and ambition, the program comprises 22 research centers that tackle big-picture issues affecting huge swaths of the US, such as climate […]

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POLL: Should legislation be introduced to protect giraffes before it’s too late?

POLL: Should legislation be introduced to protect giraffes before it’s too late?

Giraffes might be one of the most recognizable and beloved species on the planet, but over the past few decades they’ve suffered catastrophic population declines in Africa, which has led to concerns they may disappear forever. Widespread attention was finally drawn to their plight, which has been dubbed a “silent extinction,” in 2016 when the […]

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Salt fiends: Search for sodium puts Rwanda’s gorillas in harm’s way

Salt fiends: Search for sodium puts Rwanda’s gorillas in harm’s way

A sodium craving may be the reason endangered mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) from Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda leave the park to raid nearby eucalyptus plantations, according to a recent paper published in Biotropica. Tourists from around the world pay $1,500 for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend just an hour with these majestic great […]

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