Biodiversity, as a biological phenomenon, denotes the variability and complexity of life across genes, species, populations, communities, and ecosystems, including their functional traits and phylogenetic relationships. It emerges from evolutionary processes such as mutation, selection, gene flow, and drift, and is structured by ecological interactions, environmental gradients, and spatiotemporal dynamics. Biodiversity influences and reflects ecosystem functioning, stability, and resilience through mechanisms like complementarity, redundancy, and trophic interactions. It is quantitatively characterized using metrics of richness, evenness, turnover, and functional or phylogenetic diversity, and its patterns are central to understanding biogeography, ecosystem processes, and responses to environmental change.
When most people imagine scientists discovering new species, they probably still picture an expedition into the unknown.
Ecology
Jun 4, 2026
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Today (May 22) is United Nations International Day for Biological Diversity, drawing attention to a critical resource for developing crops that are resilient or resistant to extreme weather and other threats to their health, ...
Plants & Animals
May 22, 2026
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Aligning with the International Day for Biological Diversity's theme of "Acting locally for global impact," researchers have released a comprehensive blueprint for building a robust, globally adaptable network of DNA barcoding ...
Ecology
May 22, 2026
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A new article in the journal BioScience argues that the stewardship practices of Indigenous Peoples and other place-based knowledge holders have been systematically underrepresented in both conservation research and international ...
Plants & Animals
May 19, 2026
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To effectively protect biodiversity in an era of climate change, ecologists first have to know where animal and plant species are located and then be able to predict what habitats will be available to them in the future. ...
Ecology
May 14, 2026
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An international research team led by National Taiwan University has developed a new analytical framework based on Empirical Dynamic Modeling. This framework can quantify how response diversity varies over time using time-series ...
Ecology
May 13, 2026
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Describing new species can take decades. But scientists are working to identify new ways to speed up our understanding of this hidden biodiversity. By looking at the genetic data of thousands of beetle species, our researchers ...
Ecology
May 13, 2026
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Soils are home to some of the most diverse animal communities on Earth. These animals—including nematodes, springtails, mites, earthworms, spiders and other arthropods—drive decomposition, regulate microbial communities and ...
Plants & Animals
May 12, 2026
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Scientists from Trinity and Technical University of Denmark have developed a new radar-based technique that could address a critical gap in global conservation efforts, by transforming how we identify and track the insects ...
Ecology
May 9, 2026
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Each May, nature lovers get out of bed early to experience the seasonal wonder of birds singing, as the sun rises above the horizon to take part in International Dawn Chorus Day.
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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