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.
Microbes include bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae and archaea (single-celled microorganisms with a bacteria-like structure). They are invisible to the human eye, but they play a huge role, shaping ecosystems, producing food ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2025
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The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), ratified in 2022 by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, sets out a new global agenda for safeguarding nature.
Ecology
Sep 15, 2025
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From pollinating flowers to enabling decomposition and supporting nutrient cycles, insects' abundance and biodiversity are critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems. However, recent studies showing population declines have ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 11, 2025
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In a study published in the New Phytologist, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences synthesized decades of research on fungicides through a global meta-analysis, ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 10, 2025
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Scientists at the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku, Finland, looked at the insect biodiversity of Kibale National Park in Uganda. The study, published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity, is based ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 10, 2025
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Through the federal Building Canada Act, "projects of national interest" are being fast-tracked while hundreds of major resource projects are already under construction or planned in the next decade.
Plants & Animals
Sep 9, 2025
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When individuals from two different species interbreed, hybrid organisms may emerge that display characteristics from both genetic lineages. While hybridization is a common natural phenomenon, it is often seen as a challenge ...
Evolution
Sep 5, 2025
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A long-term study spanning more than 50 years illustrates how the beavers that have returned to the Evo region in southern Finland have increased habitat biodiversity. This speaks to their significant role as ecosystem engineers, ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 5, 2025
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Biodiversity is disappearing at an alarming rate and is driven by human activity: contamination, greenhouse gases and extreme temperatures. But how exactly do these factors affect the reproduction and survival of species?
Ecology
Sep 4, 2025
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What happens when a national park or conservation area is created next to a business that emits toxic substances into the environment?
Environment
Sep 3, 2025
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