biodiversity loss
Credit: Don Henderson/Flickr
Protecting species from extinction is not enough
The loss of species abundance poses a serious threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functionality.
In short:
- Abalone populations have collapsed due to overfishing and environmental changes, including a marine heatwave and a sunflower sea star epidemic.
- The concerning issue is not species extinction but the collapse of wildlife populations, disrupting ecosystems.
- The decline of species like abalone signifies a broader biodiversity crisis driven by human activities such as pollution and habitat destruction.
Key quote:
"The more we slow climate change, the more evolutionary storylines can reach into the future. In other words, climate policy is biodiversity policy."
— John Reid, founder, Conservation Strategy Fund.
Why this matters:
The decline in species abundance affects ecosystem stability and human cultural heritage. Addressing this crisis requires comprehensive conservation strategies that go beyond preventing extinction to ensure the health and abundance of wildlife populations. Read more: The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought.
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Credit: VectorMine/BigStock Photo ID: 444259331
Silence of the natural world signals a biodiversity crisis
Studies reveal that natural soundscapes are diminishing due to loss of species and ecosystem degradation.
In short:
- Ecoacoustics research indicates a global reduction in the natural sounds of ecosystems due to declining species diversity and abundance.
- Declines in the diversity and intensity of natural sounds have been documented across North America and Europe over the past 25 years.
- Experts emphasize that sounds like bird calls and insect hums are vanishing, warning of "acoustic fossils" if protective measures are not taken.
Key quote:
"The changes are profound. And they are happening everywhere."
— Bernie Krause, U.S. soundscape recordist
Why this matters:
The disappearance of natural sounds not only signifies a loss of biodiversity but also marks a concerning trend in environmental health, affecting global ecosystems and human wellbeing. Read more: The health of wildlife is inseparable from our own.
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Credit: CIFOR/Flickr
Amazon rainforest at risk of significant transformation by mid-century, study indicates
The critical balance between human activity and the Earth's natural climate regulators is beginning to tip — and not in a good way.
In short:
- A recent study predicts that by 2050, 10% to 47% of the Amazon rainforest could undergo severe ecological changes due to deforestation and climate change, potentially transitioning into savanna grasslands.
- The Amazon, a critical carbon sink for 65 million years, faces threats from global warming, extreme droughts, and fires, risking the release of stored carbon and accelerating global warming.
- Researchers emphasize the urgency of maintaining "safe" ecological thresholds, including limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and reducing deforestation to below 10% to avoid catastrophic ecosystem degradation.
Key quote:
"At the end of this process, our planet will reorganize itself, find a new equilibrium... humans and other species will have to readapt to very unpleasant conditions."
— Bernardo M. Flores, lead author of the study.
Why this matters:
The Amazon's potential collapse into a degraded ecosystem not only threatens biodiversity and Indigenous communities but also diminishes its role in carbon sequestration, exacerbating global warming. The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought.
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Newsletter
Credit: USAID Ethiopia/Flickr
Unlikely allies want to bar JBS, the Brazilian beef giant, from U.S. stock markets
Environmentalists and American meat producers alike are asking regulators to keep JBS, the world’s biggest meatpacker, off the New York Stock Exchange.
Top Story
Credit: Lula Oficial/Flickr
Optimism dries up in Amazon as Lula drifts from climate priorities
Brazil’s president inspired hope a year ago but approval of a new highway shows he remains a concrete-and-oil state builder.
Credit: CAL FIRE_Official/Flickr
Book Review: ‘The Last Fire Season,’ by Manjula Martin
In a new book, Manjula Martin explores her accommodation to life in Northern California in an era of increasingly extreme weather.
Newsletter
Photo by Simone Millward on Unsplash
Reversing progress, Indonesia pulp & paper drives up deforestation rates again
Reversing years of progress, deforestation caused by Indonesia’s pulp and paper industry is on the rise, increasing fivefold between 2017 and 2022, according to a new analysis.
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