New Research on Biodiversity and Nature
A round-up of recent work published in scientific journals
Scientists’ urgent call. Mining threat to apes. Costs of invasives. Polycrisis knowledge gaps. Ecotourism emissions. Canadian pollinators. And much more...
Scientists issue urgent warning — and prescription — for sick planet: Scientists have issued a stark warning about the state of the planet. They say a history of imperialism, extractive capitalism and rapid population growth has pushed humanity into a dangerous situation: we are destroying critical ecosystems and triggering irreversible changes in the biophysical systems that allowed human civilization to bloom. They say political will, economic resources and societal values must urgently align around sustainable and equitable development to address interlinked challenges ranging from climate change and biodiversity loss, to diseases, pollution and inequality. They call for urgent decarbonization, kinship with nature, regenerative approaches to natural resource management, an end to harmful subsidies, and transformative financial support for lower income nations. Read the press release or the full paper in PNAS Nexus.
Mining boom for clean energy poses “grossly underestimated” threat to Africa’s apes: The urgent need to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy has sparked a boom in mining for key minerals. But little is known about what this means for biodiversity. This study considered the potential impacts on apes — gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos — in 17 countries in Africa. It showed a significant overlap between mining locations and areas with high densities of apes, particularly in West Africa. Overall, say the researchers, up to one third of Africa’s remaining apes face risks related to mining. These include habitat loss, hunting and noise, light and chemical pollution. The researchers call on the mining sector to share information from their surveys and environmental impact assessments so that threats can be better understood and mitigated. They urge banks to avoid lending for mining operations in areas with high densities of apes. Read the press release or the full paper in Science Advances.
Invasive species cost more to less affluent countries: International trade is a major reason why invasive species can spread to new places and cause problems when they establish populations there. In this study, researchers compared the costs of damage caused by invasive species in 56 countries with how much those countries spend managing such risks. They found that while richer countries are more exposed to invasive species, because of greater trade flows, they experience less costly damage as they spend more on management. Other factors affecting the ratio of damage costs to management costs include corruption and dependency on agriculture. Read the press release or the full paper in Ecological Economics.
Big gaps in research on links between climate, biodiversity and disease: The ways that global heating, biodiversity loss and the emergence and spread of infectious diseases interact have been largely overlooked, say the authors of this study. They reviewed 1.8 million scientific publications published over the past ten years and found only 128 studies that considered the mechanisms linking all three of these pressures. Most of these were about Lyme disease, forest health or infectious diseases in amphibians. The authors of the study suggest ways to correct the knowledge gaps through interdisciplinary research, saying this can identify solutions that simultaneously address all three challenges. Acting in only one area could, they warn, worsen problems in the other areas. Read the press release or the full paper in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Quantifying and reducing carbon emission from ecotourism: In this study, researchers estimated the carbon emissions associated with tourism in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. They say that the annual total equates to more than 1 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide, with an average of 479 kg for each visitor. Most — nearly 90 percent — came from travel to and from the national park. People who flew to visit the park accounted for 72 percent of the transit-related emissions but made up only 35 percent of all visitors. The authors note that Yellowstone stores about 50 percent more carbon than its visitors emit, but say that this is unlikely to be the case for smaller protected areas that are heavily visited. They say their methodology can be used in other areas to evaluate strategies for reducing emissions linked to tourism, such as encouraging a greater proportion of visitors from nearby locations. Read the press release or the full paper in PLOS Climate.
The value of Canada’s wild crop-pollinators: Each year, wild pollinators in Canada help to feed around 24.4 million people and generate an income of nearly CAD$2.8 billion for farmers, according to this study. Both figures could be much higher, it says, because pollinator habitat is lacking and crops are receiving insufficient pollination at the national scale. The researchers say that addressing these gaps could more than double the economic benefits to farmers and number of people supplied with nutrition. As solutions, they discuss protecting and increasing pollinator habitats, promoting sustainable farming practices, and raising awareness of the importance of wild pollinators. They call for a national strategy to safeguard these species. Read the press release or the full paper in Environmental Research Letters.
See also, new papers on:
Nature-based climate solutions in the United States need a better scientific basis
Protected ocean temperatures damage proteins used in octopus vision
As glaciers retreat non-native species soon occupy newly-exposed land (see press release)
Hidden impacts of ocean warming and acidification on biological responses of marine animals
Social media and machine learning reveal sentiments about Brazilian national parks
Evaluation of the United Kingdom’s 25-year Plan to Improve the Environment
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