Biodiversity, considered as a biological process, encompasses the dynamic mechanisms that generate, maintain, and modify variation in genes, species, and ecosystems through time. It emerges from evolutionary processes such as mutation, recombination, natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, as well as ecological interactions including competition, predation, mutualism, and succession. These processes interact across spatial and temporal scales to structure community composition, regulate ecosystem functioning, and influence resilience to environmental change. Biodiversity dynamics are further shaped by speciation and extinction processes, dispersal, landscape connectivity, and anthropogenic drivers that alter selective regimes and disturbance patterns.
The global crisis of diminishing biological diversity is challenging our current ability to monitor changes in ecosystems.
Ecology
Nov 1, 2025
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438
Plankton are the invisible engines of life on Earth, producing much of the planet's oxygen and forming the foundation of the oceanic food chain. They are also incredibly diverse, with tens of thousands of species described ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 31, 2025
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49
A former Ph.D. student at the University of York has used records from museum collections and citizen science projects to show long-term patterns in the species richness of tropical butterflies.
Plants & Animals
Oct 29, 2025
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51
A new global synthesis published today in Nature Reviews Biodiversity reveals how seabirds act as powerful connectors between marine and terrestrial ecosystems and why protecting seabirds is a powerful opportunity when tackling ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 27, 2025
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59
A new study shows for the first time that biological invasions don't change ecosystems in a single, uniform way. Some impacts, most notably losses of native plant diversity caused by invasive plant species, are persistent ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 23, 2025
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44
A study led by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Professor Alexandre Rosado has revealed an unusual microbial world in the Hatiba Mons hydrothermal vent fields of the central Red Sea, a site first ...
Ecology
Oct 20, 2025
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77
Negative interactions are impacting on conservation activities as they erode public support for endangered species, driving biodiversity loss.
Ecology
Oct 17, 2025
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29
For most visitors, the Mediterranean is a symbol of summer and sun-scorched landscapes. In reality, however, it harbors one of the world's greatest natural treasures. It is home to tens of thousands of plant and animal species, ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 17, 2025
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33
Earth's vast oceanic biodiversity remains largely unexplored, with only a fraction of an estimated two million total living marine species formally named and described. A significant challenge is the protracted delay, often ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 15, 2025
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52
Intensive forest management weakens biodiversity and reduces the amount of forests valuable for biodiversity worldwide, including Finland. Research carried out at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) investigated the extent ...
Ecology
Oct 15, 2025
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22
