biodiversity

A new study of tree biodiversity estimates that Earth boasts 14 percent more tree species than previous efforts have identified.

The movements of so-called jumping genes can generate the genetic diversity needed to drive evolutionary change in populations over time.  

The famous ecologist was a lifelong champion for conservation.

The naturalist was recognized for his work on social behavior and pheromones in ants and as a champion of wildlife conservation.

The offspring of crosses between related species can sometimes fill a new environmental niche, and such hybridizations may even lead to speciation.

The species include the first reptile to be listed and the Christmas Island pipistrelle, a bat last seen in 2009.

Scientists who work with foreign biological specimens face a patchwork of permits that threaten to block their projects, with potentially harmful consequences for the ecosystems they study.

Scientists who study the marine ecosystems have frequently failed to involve local researchers in projects, a study finds.

An analysis of museum data and naturalists' observations finds that the number of bee species recorded has been declining since the 1990s. The first global, long-term study of bee trends adds to mounting evidence that the pollinators are in trouble worldwide.

University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner speaks with The Scientist about his biggest concerns for global insect populations and recommendations for actions to help save these tiny but important creatures.

Images from a Cold War spy satellite help researchers piece together the effects of land-use decisions in Kazakhstan.

Flycatchers, warblers, and more were spotted in a biodiverse region known as Wallacea.

Plants, fungi, and bacteria likely contributed to insect diversity.

Plants use two different strategies to photosynthesize underwater.

The discovery of ancient clades of brittle stars at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean adds to concerns that commercial exploitation of the area could destroy numerous taxa before they’ve even been identified.

A frog performs a balancing act in a region where amphibians are threatened.

Population reductions in species such as sparrows and blackbirds reflect a concerning pattern of declining biodiversity across the continent, researchers find.

A six-year study across the Tanzanian mountain’s slopes hints at how land-use practices will interact with a changing climate to influence ecosystems around the world.