Biodiversity

In healthy ecosystems, mosquitoes feed on a wide range of animals, including birds, amphibians, and mammals. But when those ecosystems lose species, mosquitoes are left with fewer choices. New research suggests that in some places where biodiversity is shrinking, humans are becoming the preferred target.

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s large tropical rainforest, covering roughly 2.7 million square miles. It comprises more than half of the world’s remaining rainforests. It is crisscrossed by thousands of rivers, including the huge Amazon River, and is famed for its biodiversity. It is comparable in size to the United States and extends into nine South American countries. Most of it is in Brazil. Colombia contains only a small fraction of the Amazon rainforest – roughly 6% of it – but the rainforest there makes up 40% of the country.

Deep-sea mining is the extraction of minerals from the seabed in the deep ocean. Most of the interest is in what are known as polymetallic nodules, which are potato-sized mineral deposits that have built up in layers over thousands of years. Found miles below the ocean’s surface, these nodules contain valuable metals used in batteries and electronics, but mining them could harm fragile and largely unexplored deep-sea ecosystems.

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is examining the role of biodiversity in preventing pandemics. On a recent virtual discussion, two disease…

As humanity marches on, causing mass extinctions and destabilizing the climate, the future of Earth will very much reflect the stories that Homo sapiens…

WAMC's Dr. Alan Chartock discusses reports that President Trump is prepared to impose more tariffs on China, and that Chinese spies obtained and used the…

A new study published this week and led by a Bard College biology professor shows catastrophic flooding can be mitigated by protecting biodiversity.…

Studying the DNA of the ancient Amborella flower is opening up new insights into the evolution of certain plants and animals.The University at Buffalo's…

Rising temperatures are threatening the biodiversity of the Arctic.Dr. Hans Meltofte, senior scientist at Denmark's Aarhus University, describes the…