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.
Cameras that photograph insects overnight and AI that identifies them are among a new generation of tools that could finally allow scientists to track whether the world's plan to save nature is working for its most overlooked ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 18, 2026
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41
The cactus on your windowsill may grow slowly, but new research shows that cacti are surprisingly fast at creating new species. Biologists have long thought that pollinators and specialized flowers drive the formation of ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2026
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39
Plants are usually seen as stationary life forms, quietly supporting environments. But plant communities and populations are far from static. They are constantly being shaped by the world around them.
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2026
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13
As we move through the world, we leave behind invisible traces of ourselves encased in the hair, skin, and other bodily matter we shed. These tiny pieces of DNA—known as environmental DNA or eDNA—have major conservation potential. ...
Ecology
Mar 12, 2026
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Mangrove forests protect tropical coasts from storms, store large amounts of carbon and provide vital habitats for plants and animals, serving, for example, as nurseries for fish and crabs. They also supply local communities ...
Ecology
Mar 12, 2026
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107
New genetic testing from the University of the Sunshine Coast has uncovered the extraordinary lengths a group of Queensland seabirds will travel to keep love blossoming on their little island. It's a common complaint for ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 11, 2026
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80
The first camera survey ever conducted on Truwana/Cape Barren Island off Tasmania has recorded two rarely seen animals—white-footed dunnarts and blonde echidnas. A vulnerable shorebird—the Latham's snipe—was also photographed.
Plants & Animals
Mar 11, 2026
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21
170 species of wild bees live on the Hubland Campus of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU). This is the result of a study carried out by the Chair of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology at the JMU Biocentre from ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 9, 2026
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15
Payments that enable landowners to rewild ecologically degraded land—in the form of biodiversity credits bought by investors wishing to offset their impact on nature—could be an effective component of the emerging market ...
Environment
Mar 8, 2026
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27
When it comes to research on habitats for pollinating insects, villages have so far received relatively little attention. The project Summende Dörfer (Buzzing Villages), based at the Chair of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 6, 2026
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