Species diversity is a multidimensional ecological concept describing the variability of species within a community, typically quantified through measures that integrate both species richness (the number of species) and evenness (the relative abundances of those species). It underpins community structure, ecosystem functioning, and resilience by influencing processes such as resource use, trophic interactions, and stability against perturbations. Species diversity is often assessed using alpha diversity (within-community), beta diversity (turnover among communities), and gamma diversity (regional diversity), and is commonly measured with indices such as Shannon, Simpson, or Hill numbers, each emphasizing different aspects of richness and evenness.
Meadows once teeming with buzzing insects and colorful plants are quietly losing their diversity. But how fast is this change happening and can we detect it before species disappear? A German-Swiss research team led by Professor ...
Ecology
Nov 26, 2025
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27
An international team has published the first comprehensive study on the seamounts of the Cape Verde archipelago, their biodiversity, ecological functionality and socio-economic relevance in the journal Progress in Oceanography. ...
Ecology
Nov 25, 2025
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14
A team of international researchers led by the University of Vienna have investigated the development of shark and ray biodiversity over the past 100 million years. Their surprising results show a continuous decline in diversity ...
Ecology
Nov 20, 2025
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26
Droughts are having a major impact on Europe's forests—and climate change could make them even more frequent—but diversity helps.
Ecology
Nov 13, 2025
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21
A decade-long study recently published in the journal Northeastern Naturalist found that 352 wild bee species call Vermont home, with 60% of those species likely in need of conservation action.
Plants & Animals
Nov 4, 2025
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23
A new study led by Prof. Chen Hongsong from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed that calcium-rich bedrock can reshape the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) within karst ...
Ecology
Nov 4, 2025
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12
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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54
A new study published in PNAS shows that tree diversity consistently promotes productivity through fostering greater canopy structural complexity (CSC). Species complementarity is the main driver, with its positive effects ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 15, 2025
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21
A series of submersible surveys to nearly 10 kilometers in the deepest parts of Japan's ocean trenches have revealed seafloor biodiversity is shaped by depth, food supply, seismic activity and the seafloor's structure.
Plants & Animals
Oct 7, 2025
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31
Scientists from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, as part of an international research team, have studied the land snail and slug fauna in northern Vietnam's Cuc Phuong National Park. The now-published findings document an ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 30, 2025
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31
