Biodiversity: How a rodent’s fear of big cats shapes a Central American rainforest

As rodents called agoutis avoid areas where ocelots prowl, they spread fewer of the palm seeds they eat, which could lead to a cascade of changes in biodiversity throughout Panama’s forests Life 8 March 2022 By Jake Buehler An agouti gnawing on a palm seed Steven Paton A game of cat and mouse is playing … Read more

Amazon rainforest nears tipping point that may see it become savannah

More than three-quarters of the world’s largest rainforest has become less resilient to drought since the early 2000s, with areas near humans and with lower rainfall being the worst hit Environment 7 March 2022 By Adam Vaughan An area deforested for gold mining, along the Interoceanic highway linking Peru and Brazil in the Amazon region … Read more

Amazon Rainforest Nearing Tipping Point Faster Than Predicted, Scientists Warn

Hammered by climate change and relentless deforestation, the Amazon rainforest is losing its capacity to recover and could irretrievably transition into savannah, with dire consequences for the region and the world, according to a study published Monday.   Researchers warned that the results mean the Amazon could be approaching a so-called “tipping point” faster than … Read more

We need to count every tree on the planet – here’s why

Planting trillions of trees won’t replace the 10 million hectares of forest ecosystems lost each year, but documenting them could prevent further losses Environment | Comment 2 March 2022 By Jingjing Liang Michelle D’urbano SINCE the 13th century, forests have been managed as sources of trees that can be processed into timber. More recently, with … Read more

A controversial train heads for the Maya rainforest | Science

Every day at sunset, a 3-million-bat whirlwind emerges from a cave and floods the night sky of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. The cave—El Volcán de los Murciélagos (the Bat Volcano)—hosts at least seven bat species and is a pillar of the region’s ecosystem. Ecologist Rodrigo Medellín Legorreta of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), … Read more

Fossils: Spider remains shed light on Australia’s ancient rainforest ecosystem

A suite of plant and animal fossils from a site in New South Wales date back about 16 million years to a time when the region was blanketed in lush rainforests Life 7 January 2022 By Chen Ly Fossil of a mygalomorph spider from the McGraths Flat, Australia Michael Frese An immaculately preserved fossil of … Read more

Amazon rainforest: Brazil approves gold mining exploration in pristine region

Gold mining in the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira would drive deforestation and increase mercury pollution, say ecologists Environment 16 December 2021 By Luke Taylor An Indigenous village in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Brazil Paulo Lopes/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News The Brazilian government has approved gold exploration in a pristine expanse of Amazon rainforest that … Read more

The Amazon is turning into savannah – we have 5 years to save it

We have been hearing warnings about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest for decades, but experts say a catastrophic tipping point is now just over the horizon. Are they right? And if so, what can we do to pull things back? Environment 8 December 2021 By Graham Lawton The Ecuadorian Amazon Tropical Herping IT IS … Read more

‘Fantastic’ warty frog found in Madagascan rainforest | Science

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