Biodiversity
- Siphonophores: The clonal colonies that can grow longer than a blue whalewww.livescience.com Siphonophores: The clonal colonies that can grow longer than a blue whale
Siphonophores are unusual animals made up of individual organisms called "zooids," which each have a distinct function — despite being genetically identical.
The largest animal on Earth is thought to be the blue whale, but these strange sea creatures can grow even longer — reaching up to 150 feet (46 meters) in length.
There are around 175 species of siphonophores living in the deep sea throughout all of Earth’s oceans, although not every species is found in each ocean. Many siphonophores are long and string-like, but some, like the venomous Portuguese man o'war (Physalia physalis), resemble jellyfish.
Although a siphonophore may look like a single animal, it is actually a colony made up of individual organisms called "zooids," which each have a distinct function within the colony despite being genetically identical. Some catch prey and digest food, while others enable the colony to reproduce or swim. An individual zooid cannot survive on its own because they specialize in one function, so they rely on each other to form a "body."
- [SciShow] Where Scientists Keep the World's Most Endangered Animals
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Some successful reintroductions of endangered species from insurance populations.
- How a butterfly invasion minimizes genetic diversityphys.org How a butterfly invasion minimizes genetic diversity
Until a few years ago, the butterfly known as the southern small white could barely be found north of the Alps. That was before a Europe-wide invasion that brought a huge increase in the insect's distribution—at the same time as a rapid decrease in genetic diversity within the species.
- [SciShow] How Leeches Are Helping to Save Endangered Species
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TL;DW: Blood extracted from leeches can be used to track population distribution of some species.
- Fall of the wild: why pristine wilderness is a human-made mythwww.nature.com Fall of the wild: why pristine wilderness is a human-made myth
Even ‘untouched’ natural landscapes bear witness to millennia of human influence, a lyrical book argues — with implications for how we seek to rewild them.
- Winter crabbing strained Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population. It may soon resume
Full Article from NPR
>Blue crabs are perhaps the most iconic species in the Chesapeake Bay. > >The crustacean, which is actually blue, is a favorite among seafood lovers, but pollution, habitat loss and harvest pressure are all threats to its abundance. > >“Years ago, we used to catch what we could sell,” says waterman Billy Rice. “Now we sell everything we can catch.”
>Earlier this summer, a group of Virginia watermen voted to explore the possibility of year-round crab fishery, but conservationists worry what that could mean for the health of the Bay. > >Five years ago, the blue crab population was estimated to be about 600 million. Now officials say it’s closer to half that number.
>Until 2008, Virginia and Maryland used to allow crabbing year-round. But a decline in population led to a 16-year prohibition on winter dredging. > >Chris Moore, a conservationist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, says reinstating winter crab dredging could further jeopardize the blue crab population. > >“Blue crabs migrate throughout the summertime, but during the winter, they actually become kind of semi-hibernative,” Moore says. “And so what that means is they generally kind of stop moving, and they kind of burrow down into the sand or the mud bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.”
>Maryland officials say the species’ recovery can be traced to the 2008 prohibition on winter crab dredging and that the Virginia watermens’ decision could create a rift in the long-standing partnership between the two states when it comes to the Bay.
>Back on the crab boat, Billy Rice — who was born and raised on a Maryland tobacco farm — says he’s against winter crab dredging because it could mean even fewer crabs in the Bay. > >“I think it’s just important to understand that, you know, we have a privilege to crab. It’s not a right to crab,” Rice says. “We have to have respect for the resource…so that we have crabs for future generations.”
- US cave system’s bats and insects face existential threat: discarded Cheetoswww.theguardian.com US cave system’s bats and insects face existential threat: discarded Cheetos
Full bag of snack left in cave occasioned National Park Service to educate public about delicate ecosystems
A full bag of Cheetos, discarded by a subterranean visitor to the Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns national park in New Mexico, has led the US National Park Service to issue a warning that discarded food could have a “huge impact” on the cave’s delicate and at-risk ecosystem.
“At the scale of human perspective, a spilled snack bag may seem trivial, but to the life of the cave it can be world changing,” the park said in its post about the garbage that was recently discovered there, threatening the balance of the unique cave system environment.
“The processed corn, softened by the humidity of the cave, formed the perfect environment to host microbial life and fungi,” officials wrote. “Cave crickets, mites, spiders and flies soon organize into a temporary food web, dispersing the nutrients to the surrounding cave and formations. Molds spread higher up the nearby surfaces, fruit, die and stink. And the cycle continues.”
- The controversial plan to turn a desert green | CNNwww.cnn.com The controversial plan to turn a desert green | CNN
A Dutch engineer wants to transform an expanse of arid land into green, fertile land teeming with wildlife — and in the process, change the weather
- Even desert plants known for their resilience are burning and dying in the heatwww.nbcnews.com Even desert plants known for their resilience are burning and dying in the heat
Agave and saguaro cacti, both heat-tolerant and drought-resistant, are suffering as climate change makes heat waves more frequent and intense.
- Who wins from nature’s genetic bounty? The billions at stake in a global ‘biopiracy’ battlewww.theguardian.com Who wins from nature’s genetic bounty? The billions at stake in a global ‘biopiracy’ battle
As multinationals and researchers harvest rare organisms around the world, anger is rising in the global south over the unpaid use of lucrative genetic codes found on their land
- 'Rare species' not seen in the area for 50 years spotted on Arizona trail cameraphys.org 'Rare species' not seen in the area for 50 years spotted on Arizona trail camera
To ensure her trail cameras would stay operational during the hot Arizona summer, researcher Kinley Ragan trekked to 23 of them.
- Ealing: First baby beavers born in urban London for 400 yearswww.bbc.co.uk Ealing: First baby beavers born in urban London for 400 years
Ealing Beaver Project says it shows the beavers are "happy" with the habitat.
- Bringing Back the World’s Most Endangered Catwww.sapiens.org Bringing Back the World’s Most Endangered Cat
A social scientist goes behind the scenes at a breeding center in Portugal to explore the challenges of reintroducing the Iberian lynx.
- Great news for the endangered tiger: A 250% increase in tiger numbers recorded in Thailandphys.org Great news for the endangered tiger: A 250% increase in tiger numbers recorded in Thailand
There's phenomenal news for the Endangered tiger: There's been a 250% increase in tiger numbers in Thailand's Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) over a 15-year period from 2007 to 2023.
- Air pollution makes it harder for bees to smell flowersknowablemagazine.org Air pollution makes it harder for bees to smell flowers
Contaminants can alter plant odors and warp insects’ senses, disrupting the process of pollination
- How decline of Indian vultures led to 500,000 human deathswww.bbc.com Indian vultures: Decline of scavenger birds caused 500,000 human deaths
A new study links the vulture decline in India to deadly bacteria spread, causing about 500,000 deaths.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17971473
I see this was talked about a few months back in a different article here, but it looks paywalled.
I've made a brief summary here of a new BBC article, and also included some photos of the birds.
> BBC: How decline of Indian vultures led to 500,000 human deaths 25 JUL 2024 > > >More than two decades ago, India’s vultures began dying because of a drug used to treat sick cows. > > > >By the mid-1990s, the 50 million-strong vulture population had plummeted to near zero because of diclofenac, a cheap non-steroidal painkiller for cattle that is fatal to vultures. Birds that fed on carcasses of livestock treated with the drug suffered from kidney failure and died. > > >The unintentional decimation of these heavy, scavenging birds allowed deadly bacteria and infections to proliferate, leading to the deaths of about half a million people over five years, says the study published in the American Economic Association journal. > > >“Vultures are considered nature’s sanitation service because of the important role they play in removing dead animals that contain bacteria and pathogens from our environment - without them, disease can spread,” says the study’s co-author, Eyal Frank, an assistant professor at University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. > > > >“Understanding the role vultures play in human health underscores the importance of protecting wildlife, and not just the cute and cuddly. They all have a job to do in our ecosystems that impacts our lives.” > > >The authors estimated that between 2000 and 2005, the loss of vultures caused around 100,000 additional human deaths annually, resulting in more than $69bn (£53bn) per year in mortality damages or the economic costs associated with premature deaths. > > > >These deaths were due to the spread of disease and bacteria that vultures would have otherwise removed from the environment. > > >“The vulture collapse in India provides a particularly stark example of the type of hard-to-reverse and unpredictable costs to humans that can come from the loss of a species,” says Mr Sudarshan, an associate professor at the University of Warwick and co-author of the study. > > It is amazing to see what a difference these birds most take for granted contribute to our success as a species. > > Many find vultures to be creepy, but after learning about some of their amazing abilities and understanding why they've evolved to become what they are, they are superbly designed animals that excel at doing a very important job. > > White-rumped vulture (Population loss since 2000: 98%) > > ! > > Indian vulture (Population loss since 2000: 95%) > > ! > > Red-headed vulture (Population loss since 2000: 91%) > > !
- Stick-nest rats are being re-introduced to mainland areas after thriving on an Australian islandwww.abc.net.au How this tiny native rat on the brink of extinction is thriving on an island infested with snakes
A rat which became extinct on mainland Australia by the 1930s is staying safe from predators on an island off SA by living in one of Australia's worst invasive weeds.
> A tiny native rodent that was on the brink of extinction on the mainland has bounced back in the most unlikely of places — an island infested with death adders and tiger snakes. > >The rat's survival on the South Australian island, which it was introduced to more than three decades ago, has been the result of one of Australia's worst invasive weeds, the African boxthorn.
> Co-author of the study, Flinders University associate professor Vera Weisbecker, said invasive weeds were damaging to Australia's biodiversity so it was good news a threatened mammal was thriving in that habitat.
>However the researchers cautioned against perceptions that invasive weeds weren't as bad as they seemed. > > "We completely agree that it is a damaging weed that needs to be controlled," Ms Kraehe said.
> "If it continues to spread, it may displace too much of the native vegetation and lead to a collapse of the island's ecosystem, ultimately affecting the greater stick-nest rats themselves," Dr Hill said.
- World’s rarest whale may have washed up on New Zealand beach, possibly shedding clues on speciesapnews.com World’s rarest whale may have washed up on New Zealand beach, possibly shedding clues on species
Spade-toothed whales are the world’s rarest, with no live sightings ever recorded. No one knows how many there are, what they eat, or even where they live in the vast expanse of the southern Pacific Ocean.
- The Mysterious, Deep-Dwelling Microbes That Sculpt Our Planetwww.nytimes.com The Mysterious, Deep-Dwelling Microbes That Sculpt Our Planet
Earth’s crust teems with subterranean life that we are only now beginning to understand.
- Scientists find desert moss ‘that can survive on Mars’www.theguardian.com Scientists find desert moss ‘that can survive on Mars’
Moss that grows in Mojave desert and Antarctica may help establish life on the red planet, researchers say
- Millions of mosquitoes released in Hawaii to save rare birds from extinctionwww.theguardian.com Millions of mosquitoes released in Hawaii to save rare birds from extinction
Conservationists hope insects carrying ‘birth control’ bacteria can save honeycreeper being wiped out by malaria
- Meet Sauron: New Piranha-Like Species Named After Ultimate Villainwww.sciencealert.com Meet Sauron: New Piranha-Like Species Named After Ultimate Villain
A new vegetarian piranha-like species discovered by scientists in the Brazilian Amazon has been named Sauron after the Lord of the Rings villain, Britain's Natural History Museum said on Tuesday.
- Sounds of the Forest: Audio from Forests Around the Worldtimberfestival.org.uk Sounds of the Forest - Soundmap :: Timber Festival
Explore the first ever forest soundmap of the world.
- Sleep deprivation disrupts memory: here’s whywww.nature.com Sleep deprivation disrupts memory: here’s why
Study in rats shows that a key brain signal linked to memory formation deteriorates after broken sleep.
- This tiny fern has the largest genome of any organism on Earthphys.org This tiny fern has the largest genome of any organism on Earth
In a new study published in the journal iScience, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB-CSIC) in Spain present a new record-holder for the largest amount of DNA stored in the nucleus of any living organism on the planet.
- Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’ | Quanta Magazinewww.quantamagazine.org Most Life on Earth is Dormant, After Pulling an ‘Emergency Brake’ | Quanta Magazine
Many microbes and cells are in deep sleep, waiting for the right moment to activate. Biologists discovered a widespread protein that abruptly shuts down a cell’s activity — and turns it back on just as fast.
- The Dual Nature of Japanese Knotweedworldsensorium.com The Dual Nature of Japanese Knotweed
Gav~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0 The Dual Nature of Japanese Knotweed By Gayil Nalls Sign up for our monthly newsletter! J apanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), also known as Polygonum cuspidatum and Fallopia japonica, is a robust herbaceous perennial belonging to the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. ...
- How worms shaped Earth's biodiversity explosionphys.org How worms shaped Earth's biodiversity explosion
One of Earth's most consequential bursts of biodiversity—a 30-million-year period of explosive evolutionary changes spawning innumerable new species—may have the most modest of creatures to thank for the vital stage in life's history: worms.
- Spots, stripes and more: Working out the logic of animal patternsknowablemagazine.org Spots, stripes and more: Working out the logic of animal patterns
More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity. Scientists are still using his model — and adding new twists — to gain a deeper understanding of animal markings.
- The War On Weeds | NOEMAwww.noemamag.com The War On Weeds | NOEMA
Pesticides and herbicides made from fossil fuels that are freely available to unwitting consumers poison our land, our bodies and life all around.
- The Iberian lynx doubles its population in just three years and reaches 2,000 individualsenglish.elpais.com The Iberian lynx doubles its population in just three years and reaches 2,000 individuals
Despite the good data, 344 more breeding females are still needed for the species to reach a favorable status
- The Trees That Miss The Mammoths - American Forestswww.americanforests.org The Trees That Miss The Mammoths - American Forests
Trees that once depended on animals like the wooly mammoth for survival have managed to adapt and survive in the modern world.
- Enough With Saving the Honeybees/The Truth About the Beeswww.theatlantic.com The Great Honeybee Fallacy
For years, people have understood them to be at imminent risk of extinction, despite evidence to the contrary. Why?
Without paywall: https://archive.ph/SJGvM
- Sumatran Orangutan Spotted Treating Wound with Medicinal Plant | Sci.Newswww.sci.news Sumatran Orangutan Spotted Treating Wound with Medicinal Plant | Sci.News
Primatologists in Indonesia have observed a wild male Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) who sustained a facial wound.
- Haunting Sounds From The World's Largest Living Thing Recordedwww.sciencealert.com Haunting Sounds From The World's Largest Living Thing Recorded
We can now hear one of the largest and most ancient living organisms on Earth whisper with the tremble of a million leaves echoing through its roots.