From habitat degradation to squalid animal treatment, our part in allowing “zoonotic” diseases like covid-19 to leap into humans is becoming ever clearer Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933240-800-how-our-abuse-of-nature-makes-pandemics-like-covid-19-more-likely/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: habitat
Is this the world’s tiniest reptile?
Meet the nano-chameleon, a new contender for the title of world’s smallest reptile Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/nano-chamelion-smallest-reptile…
Woolly mammoths were hit by climate change but humans wiped them out
The extinction of woolly mammoths was hastened by a warming climate that shrank and fragmented their habitat, and was then exacerbated by human hunting Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2269131-woolly-mammoths-were-hit-by-climate-change-but-humans-wiped-them-out/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Humans have severely affected fish biodiversity in half of all rivers
Rivers are an important habitat for nearly 18,000 species, but over half of the world’s rivers have been heavily impacted by human activity, reducing their fish biodiversity Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2268348-humans-have-severely-affected-fish-biodiversity-in-half-of-all-rivers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Hundreds of fish species, including many we eat, are consuming plastic
As more and more plastic trash permeates the oceans, microplastics are making their way into fish and shellfish, and potentially into humans. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/hundreds-fish-species-consume-microplastics-including-human-food…
Watch giant pandas frolic in the snow
Watch giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian sliding and rolling around in snow in their habitat at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington in this video. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/watch-giant-pandas-frolic-in-snow-national-zoo-video…
Another terrible year for wildfires and smoke in the US in 2020
Wildfires burned more than 10 million acres in the United States during the 2020 season. It was the worst season on record. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/us-2020-wildfire-season-record-bad…
Monarch butterflies are in trouble: Here’s how to help in your own yard
The 2020 annual count of monarch butterflies in the western United States found shockingly few, confirming fears that the insect is on the brink of extinction. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/monarch-butterflies-of-western-us-nearing-extinction-what-you-can-do…
Opinion: Biden administration must act fast to save migratory birds
On Trump’s way out of the White House, his administration demolished a law that protects migratory birds, putting over 1,000 species at risk. The Biden administration can still salvage it, but only if they act swiftly. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/biden-administration-migratory-bird-treaty-act…
Scientists Use Satellite Imagery To Count Elephants
Scientists from a trio of universities have combined satellite imagery with deep learning to detect elephants from space. The goal is to help protect these endangered species from poachers or habitat destruction. Their study was published in the journal Ecology and Conservation. Interesting Engineering reports: The team’s method proved comparable to human detection accuracy and could help solve a number of…