News tagged with habitat changes

Hunters, not climate change, killed giant beasts 40,000 years ago

The first Australians hunted giant kangaroos, rhinoceros-sized marsupials, huge goannas and other megafauna to extinction shortly after arriving in the country more than 40,000 years ago, new research claims.

Biology / Ecology

created Mar 22, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (12) | comments 25 | with audio podcast

Study documents widespread extinction of lizard populations due to climate change

A major survey of lizard populations worldwide has found an alarming pattern of population extinctions attributable to rising temperatures. If current trends continue, 20 percent of all lizard species could ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created May 13, 2010 | popularity 2.8 / 5 (10) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

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

'Modern Portfolio Theory' optimizes conservation practices: study

While climate change is likely to alter the spatial distributions of species and habitat types, the nature of those changes is uncertain, making it more difficult for conservationists to implement standard ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 15, 2012 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study: Demise of large animals caused by both man and climate change

Past waves of extinctions which removed some of the world's largest animals were caused by both people and climate change, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Their findings were reported today, 05 ...

Biology / Ecology

created Mar 05, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Unexpected crustacean diversity discovered in northern freshwater ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems in northern regions are home to significantly more species of water fleas than traditionally thought, adding to evidence that regions with vanishing waters contain unique animal life.

Biology / Ecology

created Mar 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Climate change models may underestimate extinctions

Predictions of the loss of animal and plant diversity around the world are common under models of future climate change. But a new study shows that because these climate models don't account for species competition ...

Biology / Ecology

created Jan 04, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (8) | comments 6 | with audio podcast

Biodiversity can promote survival on a warming planet

Whether a species can evolve to survive climate change may depend on the biodiversity of its ecological community, according to a new mathematical model that simulates the effect of climate change on plants ...

Biology / Ecology

created Nov 04, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Man and the last great wilderness: Human impact on the deep sea

The oceans cover 71% of our planet, with over half with a depth greater than 3000 m. Although our knowledge is still very limited, we know that the deep ocean contains a diversity of habitats and ecosystems, ...

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Aug 02, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

NY biologists map strategy to save spruce grouse

Genetic analysis at the state museum confirms what biologists squishing through Adirondack bogs already knew: New York's population of the spruce grouse, a chicken-like bird of the boreal forest, is nearing extinction.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jul 04, 2011 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Cutting fishing could buy time for coral reefs

Stopping people fishing around Caribbean coral reefs by designating them legally protected marine reserves could help some of them survive the effects of a changing climate by more than 50 years.

Space & Earth / Environment

created Jun 29, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Evolution to the rescue: Researchers offer hope that species may adapt quickly to rapid environmental change

Evolution is usually thought to be a very slow process, something that happens over many generations, thanks to adaptive mutations. But environmental change due to things like climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, ...

Biology / Evolution

created Jun 22, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Planting trees arrests koala decline, study finds

(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Sydney researchers have gained a rare insight into the habits of koalas, discovering simple tree planting may be the solution to expanding their habitat and allowing their populations ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 02, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Rainforest collapse drove reptile evolution

(PhysOrg.com) -- Global warming devastated tropical rainforests 300 million years ago. Now scientists report the unexpected discovery that this event triggered an evolutionary burst among reptiles -- and ...

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Nov 29, 2010 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (12) | comments 16 | with audio podcast

Latest suspect in colony disorder: Australian honeybees

Disease-carrying honeybees imported from Australia may be responsible for a mysterious disorder that's decimated bee hives around the country, and federal regulators say they'd consider import restrictions if necessary.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jun 22, 2010 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (6) | comments 8