Most people reading this won’t have much doubt about the reality of global warming. Yes, there is debate about the extent of the human component. But most scientists agree that humans are significantly increasing CO2 levels. The science certainly points to this being a major cause of global temperature increase. Why is a video infographic […]
The BIG Biodiversity Challenge 2016
With construction and development essential for continued economic growth, it is crucial that the current upward trend does not come at the expense of the natural environment. Further awareness of the relationship between natural systems and a strong economy has led to organisations developing plans and strategies that integrate both economic and environmental targets. An […]
Carbon storage vs. biodiversity conservation
Recent research has profound implications for conservation organizations who base their model on carbon storage and sequestration. Up to now, conservationists (and their donors) have assumed that conserving the maximum biodiversity also stores the most carbon. It’s supposedly a win-win. But two new studies turn this assumption its head. In a July 2015 paper in […]
Protecting forest is not enough to prevent deforestation
An article in PhysOrg reports on a study by Biodiversity Professionals member Román Carrasco. The study shows that simply setting aside an area of forest is not an effective conservation strategy. According to the report, a more effective approach would be to monitor and prevent road construction within protected areas. Also, the study showed that […]
Restoration for conservation: toward a new paradigm
The typical conservation approach is to find a piece of land and then get enough money to buy that land. Unfortunately, this “buy and fence” approach has largely failed to offset the losses incurred over the past few decades due to urbanization, forestry, agriculture and other land uses. Conservationists are beginning to look at innovative […]
Paper in Science says loss of species is 1000 times greater than the natural extinction rate
Are we in the middle of a mass extinction, like that of the dinosaurs? By all accounts, yes. In a highly significant paper shortly to be published in the journal Science, a team of conservation scientists has revised current rates of species loss upwards. According to the analysis, species are being lost at least a […]
Read our Biodiversity News online newspaper
We all have trouble keeping up with the news these days! There is so much going on. It can be tough to stay informed with the most recent news related to our profession. To help, here is one-stop shopping for news that you can use. This online newspaper includes topics related to biodiversity, conservation, the […]
Using technology to identify and map biodiversity [VIDEO]
This video is a presentation on using technology to map and identify biodiversity. The seminar is one of the Oxford Martin School‘s seminar series: Blurring the lines: the changing dynamics between man and machine. The video covers a range of issues relevant to biodiversity issues, beginning with global biodiversity challenges such as climate change and […]
New website devoted to the mapping of Earth’s biodiversity
Biodiversity Professionals group member Dr. Clinton Jenkins has created a website Biodiversity Mapping dedicated to mapping Earth’s biodiversity. Renowned for his beautiful maps depicting species diversity of various vertebrate groups, Dr. Jenkins announced the website today. According to the email announcement: “The site was created to provide easy access to maps and GIS data that […]