Bird populations are in decline across the world, with a 2022 study finding that 48% of existing species are known or suspected to have declining numbers. The main drivers are habitat loss and degradation and overexploitation of many species. A new study finds similar trends among garden birds in the United Kingdom, owing in part […]
Tag: pesticide
The California Condor Has A Lead Problem, And Here’s How We Fix It
The California condor is one of the largest flying birds in North America, with a wingspan that stretches nearly 10 feet, helping it reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. This majestic bird once ruled the skies of the Pacific coast, long before European settlers arrived. Since then, indiscriminate poaching, habitat destruction, lead […]
Farmers in England to be allowed to use ‘lethal force’ on beavers
Farmers in England will be allowed to shoot beavers if they threaten their crops, the government has revealed. Conservationists have opposed the move, saying the animals are an “ally to farmers”, helping conserve water in times of drought, and are an endangered species that should be treasured. The rodents became extinct in the UK 400 […]
Warming Waters Challenge Atlantic Salmon, Both Wild and Farmed
Whether roaming wild or enclosed in floating feedlots on the ocean, Atlantic salmon are cold-water fishes. But as the climate crisis warms the world’s oceans and waterways, cold water is becoming harder to find, which means these long-endangered fish are facing perhaps their biggest challenge yet. Atlantic salmon are anadromous, moving between freshwater and saltwater […]
Tiny new tree frog species found in rewilded Costa Rican nature reserve
Nestled in a valley between two volcanoes, Donald Varela-Soto heard something unfamiliar. For six months, he searched for the source of a shrill frog call along the edge of a wetland in Tapir Valley Nature Reserve, a former cattle ranch in northern Costa Rica. “I kept hearing this different sound in the wetland but was […]
Get to Know the Good and Bad Garden Reptiles (and How to Humanely Handle Them)
For some sad reason, many people shiver at the thought of reptiles. Some have fear of snakes, tagging all of them as dangerous. Others’ minds go to prehistoric assassins like crocodiles and alligators. My mom is screaming, stand-on-something afraid of lizards, regardless of how small they are. Then, there are gardeners, and reptiles are more […]
Ants can be better than pesticides for growing healthy crops, study finds
Ants can be more effective than pesticides at helping farmers produce food, according to new research. They are better at killing pests, reducing plant damage and increasing crop yields, according to the first systematic review of ants’ contributions to crop production. Ants are generalist predators and hunt pests that damage fruits, seeds and leaves, leading […]
‘Generally ignored’ species face twice the extinction threat, warns study
Plants and animals that do not have enough data to be properly assessed appear to be at twice the risk of extinction as those that have been evaluated, meaning more species may face being wiped off the planet than previously thought, a study has warned. Researchers looked at the extinction risk of species assessed on […]