News tagged with biodiversity

Rapid coral death by a deadly chain reaction

(Phys.org) -- Most people are fascinated by the colorful and exotic coral reefs, which form habitats with probably the largest biodiversity. But human civilisation is the top danger to these fragile ecosystems ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 6 | with audio podcast

Top 10 new species list draws attention to diverse biosphere

The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and a committee of scientists from around the world announced their picks for the top 10 new species described in 2011. This ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created May 23, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Managing biodiversity data from local government

Local governments around the world have a new tool to help share and use vast amounts of biodiversity knowledge collected in the course of their work.

Biology / Ecology

created May 25, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

The killer dinosaurs of south-eastern Australia

(Phys.org) -- At least seven different killer dinosaurs once lived in what is now south-eastern Australia, a new study has found.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 17, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New tool for visualizing the distribution of vascular plants in Belgium

The Belgian Biodiversity Platform has just released a new website "IFBL Data Portal, Explore Flora Checklists of Belgium". It aggregates about 23,000 checklists of vascular plants in Belgium, compiled since 1939 ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 23, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Warming affects ecosystems not just biodiversity

The four-degree rise in temperature predicted by the end of this century could change the way ecosystems work even if it doesn't affect biodiversity.

Biology / Ecology

created May 09, 2012 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Plant diversity is key to maintaining productive vegetation

Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, a new University of Minnesota study shows. The unprecedented long-term study of plant biodiversity ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 03, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

The absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests

The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. With the help of Spanish ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 11, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

'Walking cactus' rewrites arthropod odyssey

Fossils of a bizarre animal dubbed the "walking cactus" have shed light on the evolution of crabs and spiders, Chinese researchers reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Feb 23, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (19) | comments 7

Study finds logging of tropical forests needn't devastate environment

Harvesting tropical forests for timber may not be the arch-enemy of conservation that it was once assumed to be, according to a new study led by a University of Florida researcher.

Space & Earth / Environment

created May 10, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Rock-paper-scissors tournaments explain ecological diversity

According to classical ecology, when two species compete for the same resource, eventually the more successful species will win out while the other will go extinct. But that rule cannot explain systems such as the Amazon, ...

Biology / Evolution

created Mar 14, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 11 | with audio podcast

Report casts world's rivers in 'crisis state'

(PhysOrg.com) -- The world's rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, according to a new global analysis.

Space & Earth / Environment

created Sep 29, 2010 | popularity 4 / 5 (12) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Biodiversity declines as global consumption reaches all-time high

Our ever-growing demand for resources is putting huge pressure on the planet’s biodiversity according to the Living Planet Report 2012, released today by WWF in collaboration with the Zoological Society ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 15, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Prehistoric Fish Extinction Paved the Way for Modern Vertebrates

A mass extinction of fish 360 million years ago hit the reset button on Earth's life, setting the stage for modern vertebrate biodiversity, a new study reports.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 17, 2010 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (13) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Plants disappear as a result of climate changes: study

Climate changes mean that species are disappearing from European mountain regions. This is shown by new research involving biologists from the University of Gothenburg, the results of which are now being publishing ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 08, 2012 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 1

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species, which is the product of nearly 3.5 billion years of evolution.

For more information about Biodiversity, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Related topics: species , ecosystems , climate change