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…
Tag: pollinators
Western Bumblebee Population Drops Up To 93% Over the Last 20 Years
The western bumblebee is one of around 30 bumblebee species in the western U.S. and Canada. Now a federal review “unveils an alarming trend for the western bumblebee population, which has seen its numbers dwindle by as much as 93% in the last two decades,” reports the Associated Press: The find by the U.S. Geological Survey will help inform a species…
Gorgeous images of Australian ‘rainbow’ bees will blow your mind
One of the top plant pollinators in the country, these colorful bees likely originated in tropical regions of Australia. Source: https://www.livescience.com/gorgeous-rainbow-bees-australia.html
Check out this sloth robot
SlothBot is a slow-moving and energy-efficient robot that can linger in the trees to monitor animals, plants, and the environment below. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/sloth-robot-video…
Bees stab plants to make them flower
When pollen is scarce, bumblebees pierce the leaves of plants in order to force them to produce flowers more quickly, according to new research. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/bumblebees-stab-plants-to-make-them-flower…
Murder hornets? 5 questions answered about Asian giant hornets in North America
Are ‘murder hornets’ from Asia invading North America? An entomologist who lived among them in Japan explains what’s true about the predatory insects. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/what-are-asian-giant-hornets-dangerous…
Moths Have ‘Secret Role’ As Crucial Pollinators, Research Finds
New research suggests moths play a vital role as overnight pollinators of a wide range of flowers and plants. The BBC reports: The study says that the moths’ transport networks are larger and more complex than those of daytime pollinators like bees. The authors believe there is an urgent need to stem declines in moth numbers. “There’s this big misconception that…
‘Murder Hornet’ Meme Inspires Stupid Americans To Kill Pollinators En Masse
An anonymous reader writes: You really can’t make this stuff up, but Americans across the country, out of fear of “murder hornets,” have begun killing all kinds of bees en masse. According to Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist for the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside, a national panic has led to the needless slaughter of native wasps and bees, beneficial…
Insects have declined worldwide since 1925
A new study has offered the clearest indication yet of how insects all over the world are faring. The researchers studied data on the numbers and total weight of insects and arachnids (spiders and mites) sampled in 41 countries on five continents. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/insects-declined-worldwide-since-1925…
Melting Glaciers: Effects on the Environment, Humans, and Biodiversity
Recently, the temperature in the Arctic appears to have hit a new continental high, close to 70 degrees. That’s leading to continued melting of glaciers in the Arctic and around the world. But how will that impact the world’s ecosystems? Dr. David Hik is an Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science as well as […]
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