New Research on Biodiversity and Nature
A round-up of recent work published in scientific journals
How birds help corals. Trade in invasive species. Cutting wildlife consumption in Peru. Conservation on private land. Plant diversity as a protective shield. Aquarium trade as a force for good?
Seabirds help corals recover from ocean heating: Some islands in the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Archipelago have invasive rats that eat seabird eggs and chicks. Others are rat-free and have far more seabirds. This difference enabled researchers to show how nutrient-rich seabird droppings are fertilizing the sea and enabling a type of coral called Acropora to thrive. Corals living near islands with seabirds grow at more than double the rate of those living near islands with rats. The corals near seabirds also recovered ten months faster from a ‘bleaching’ die-off caused by high sea temperatures. The authors suggest that eradicating rats and restoring seabird numbers would increase the resilience of coral reefs to global heating. Read the press release or the full paper in Science Advances.
Live wildlife trade and biological invasions: Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity and the global trade in live wildlife increases the risk of biological invasions. This study set out to understand the scale of this challenge, and where such invasions are most likely. Researchers identified nearly 8,000 vertebrate species traded live globally. Most are traded to places where they are not native, and about 12 percent of these species establish populations. Island nations, and countries in North America and Europe, have the most invasive species. The researchers call for policies to mitigate the release or escape of traded animals. Read the full paper in Nature Communications.
Reducing demand for wildlife products in Peru: Researchers surveyed 265 people who shop at the largest open-air market selling wildlife in the Peruvian Amazon. They found that while most people will buy bushmeat or turtle eggs, very few of them do this frequently. More than 90 percent of the interviewees had concerns about the welfare and conservation of wildlife captured for sale. The researchers suggest that demand-reduction messaging is likely to be effective. Read the full paper in Global Ecology and Conservation.
Private lands have a big role in nature conservation: Most countries have agreed to protect at least 30 percent of their land by 2030 to conserve biodiversity. This study shows that privately owned and managed land could make a significant contribution, but that many governments do not include such land when considering the ‘30 by 30’ target. The authors call for action to scale-up the documentation and recognition of effective conservation in privately protected areas. Read the full paper in Frontiers in Conservation Science.
Plant diversity provides a protective shield against climate extremes: The temperature of soil affects important biological, physical and chemical processes. This study shows that increased plant diversity is associated with more stable soil temperatures, protecting against overheating on very hot days and retaining heat at colder times. The data comes from a cool experiment that has been measuring soil temperatures every minute for 18 years on 80 plots of grassland that have between one and 60 plant species. Read the press release or find the paper in Nature Geoscience.
The huge aquarium trade could protect coral reefs: The global marine aquarium trade is worth more than US$2 billion, and involves the sale of some 55 million animals from at least 210 types of invertebrates and 296 species of fish. These are among the conservative estimates in a new assessment of the scale of the trade and its potential impacts on threatened species. The authors outline alternative trajectories for the marine aquarium trade that incorporate levels of coral reef degradation, sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities and growth in aquaculture. Read the press release or the full paper in Science Advances.
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