Tag Archives: biodiversity

Humans driving species to extinction 1,000 times the natural rate

[ According to a paper published in Science the current rates of extinction are 1000 times the background rate. This estimate is higher than previous estimates is due to a more sophisticated analysis. Other extinction news: 2017-1-18 World’s primates facing … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Humans driving species to extinction 1,000 times the natural rate

Vines are taking over forests

Laurance, W. October 5, 2013. Planet of the vines: Climbing plants are taking over. NewScientist. Giant vines are beginning to strangle Earth’s tropical forests, and it’s not just due to climate change. Gaze out over a tropical rainforest and the … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, BioInvasion, Climate Change | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Large animals driven extinct by human hunters still affect ecosystems today

Below is an excerpt/paraphrased of Michael Marshall’s 14 August 2013 NewScientist Ecosystems still feel the pain of ancient extinctions, the abstract of the original Nature Geoscience article, and future losses of large animals will affect tropical forests in the future. … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Soil | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Large animals driven extinct by human hunters still affect ecosystems today

E. O. Wilson to save humanity from extinction, get rid of religion

[ Below is an excerpt, out of order, from New Scientist’s 21 Jan 2015 interview with E.O. Wilson “Religious faith is dragging us down“. The extinctions we cause will kill us too, says the sociobiology pioneer – the best thing … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction, Scientists Warnings to Humanity, World's Best Scientists | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Nearly a third of cacti threatened with extinction

Illegal trade contributes to placing cacti among world’s most threatened species – IUCN Red List 05 October 2015 | International news release Gland, Switzerland, 5 October 2015 (IUCN) – Thirty-one percent of cactus species are threatened with extinction, according to … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nearly a third of cacti threatened with extinction

Cost of Invasive Species in the United States

[ My note: It’s been 15 years since this paper was written, yet it is so thorough and well-written that it stands up well today and still cited by thousands of other papers as the best estimate of what invasive … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, BioInvasion | Tagged , | Comments Off on Cost of Invasive Species in the United States

Aquatic Invasive species

Allegra Cangelosi. 9 Jan 2003. Blocking Invasive Aquatic Species. Federal law must be updated to stop introductions of nonnative organisms, especially by ships. Issues in science and technology. National Academy of Sciences. Examples of invasive aquatic species Voracious snakehead fish … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, BioInvasion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Aquatic Invasive species

Humanity will need 27 planet Earths by 2050, a new study estimates.

Stephen Leahy. 3 Aug 2011.  Data Shows All of Earth’s Systems in Rapid Decline. Inter Press Service. Overpopulation is causing huge losses in biodiversity, and ‘protected areas’ such as national parks aren’t working. UXBRIDGE, Canada, Jul 29 (IPS) – Protecting … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Overpopulation | Tagged , | Comments Off on Humanity will need 27 planet Earths by 2050, a new study estimates.

Fungi destroy bees, bats, amphibians, trees, etc

Attack of the Killer Fungi: Rising Threat Worries Scientists Wynne Parry, LiveScience   11 April 2012 An unprecedented number of diseases caused by fungi have been causing some of the most severe die-offs and extinctions ever witnessed in wild species and … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity Loss, Extinction | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Fungi destroy bees, bats, amphibians, trees, etc

Ocean BioInvasion

 January 2016. Potential invasive species identified in S. Gulf of Mexico. November 2015. Marine invasive species benefiting from rising carbon dioxide levels Territories changing due to ocean acidification. March 2013. Invasive species: Understanding the threat before it’s too late. 7 … Continue reading

Posted in 2) Collapse, BioInvasion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ocean BioInvasion