Meet the nano-chameleon, a new contender for the title of world’s smallest reptile Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/nano-chamelion-smallest-reptile…
Tag: deforestation
Discovery of ‘Cryptic Species’ Shows Earth is Even More Biologically Diverse
A growing number of “cryptic species” hiding in plain sight have been unmasked in the past year, driven in part by the rise of DNA barcoding, a technique that can identify and differentiate between animal and plant species using their genetic divergence. From a report: The discovery of new species of aloe, African leaf-nosed bats and chameleons that appear similar to…
1% of Farms Operate 70% of World’s Farmland
One percent of the world’s farms operate 70% of crop fields, ranches and orchards, according to a report that highlights the impact of land inequality on the climate and nature crises. The Guardian reports: Since the 1980s, researchers found control over the land has become far more concentrated both directly through ownership and indirectly through contract farming, which results in more…
These Drones Will Plant 40,000 Trees in a Month. By 2028, They’ll Have Planted 1 Billion
Earlier this month, on land north of Toronto that previously burned in a wildfire, drones hovered over fields and fired seed pods into the ground, planting native pine and spruce trees to help restore habitat for birds. From a report: Flash Forest, the Canadian startup behind the project, plans to use its technology to plant 40,000 trees in the area this…
Controlling deforestation and wildlife trade could prevent pandemics
Diseases like covid-19 come from wild animals, so reducing unsustainable practices like deforestation could stop future outbreaks from happening, according to a global biodiversity report Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2258527-controlling-deforestation-and-wildlife-trade-could-prevent-pandemics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Chilling Report Suggests 1 Out of 5 Countries Could Be Headed For Ecosystem Collapse
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ScienceAlert: A new insurance index from the Swiss Re Institute has found just over half of all global GDP — nearly 42 trillion US dollars — is dependent on goods and services provided by the natural world. In many places around the world, however, that sturdy foundation is turning to sand. The report, referred…
Theoretical Physicists Say 90% Chance of Societal Collapse Within Several Decades
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Two theoretical physicists specializing in complex systems conclude that global deforestation due to human activities is on track to trigger the “irreversible collapse” of human civilization within the next two to four decades. If we continue destroying and degrading the world’s forests, Earth will no longer be able to sustain a large human…
Fifth of Brazilian beef exports to EU linked to illegal deforestation
Around 20 per cent of the beef and soya the Euopean Union imports from Brazil has been linked to illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2249083-fifth-of-brazilian-beef-exports-to-eu-linked-to-illegal-deforestation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Money-laundering drug cartels are driving deforestation in Guatemala
The practice of “narco-ranching”, in which drug traffickers launder money through cattle ranches, seems to be responsible for swathes of deforestation in Guatemala, according to an analysis of aerial images Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2247431-money-laundering-drug-cartels-are-driving-deforestation-in-guatemala/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Controversial Theory Claims Forests Don’t Just Make Rain — They Make Wind
sciencehabit writes from a report via Science Magazine: With their ability to soak up carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, the world’s great forests are often referred to as the planet’s lungs. But Anastassia Makarieva, a theorist at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute in Russia, says they are its beating heart, too. They recycle vast amounts of moisture into the air…