Island Conservation
Long-term study of Azores arthropods proves rich for research and practical for conservation. The Azores make up an archipelago about 800 miles off the coast of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. Of all the things you might notice about the Azores, the presence of arthropods is probably not the first. But, for researchers conducting a […]
Research finds important ecological linkages between the terrestrial and marine environments of the Line Islands. The Line Islands are positioned approximately 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, which also serves as the nearest land mass. With notable contrast to the surrounding barren open ocean, the modest sprinkling of isolated atolls is bursting with life. Though remote, the islands and […]
Invasive predators have contributed to hundreds of extinctions. Island species are some of the most vulnerable to impacts from invasives. A report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, edited by Island Conservation Board Member Daniel Simberloff, sheds light on native wildlife deaths amassed by invasive predators. The New Zealand native Stephens Island Wren is […]
A new report released in the journal Nature examines never before seen self-medicating behavior in Galápagos Finches. Galápagos Finches served as inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in the 19th century. Today, these iconic birds, commonly referred to as “Darwin’s finches”, have drawn the attention of scientists once again–but this time it’s not because of the size and shape […]
A paper published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences details how invasive species removal can restore island ecosystems and protect native species. Ecosystems around the world suffer from the presence of invasive species. Invasive species, when introduced to a foreign environment, can cause sudden and disastrous shifts in the ecosystem. Although invasive species erode ecosystem vitality around […]
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that invasive predators have contributed to close to 60% of extinctions of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature classified 596 species listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered due to invasive species. The actual number is believed to be higher […]
New research finds that some islands arise out of deep earth material containing diamonds. Some islands exist due to the breaking apart of larger land masses. Other islands are created by a process that can take more than two and a half billion years. A new study published in Nature by researchers at Columbia University sheds […]
Snails, though not exactly a widely celebrated species, have much to offer. They may not be as popular or charming as the world’s widely-recognized endangered megafauna (tigers, elephants, rhinos, pandas, etc), but snails are important for ecosystems functioning around the world. Snails are decomposers–they break down natural material into smaller parts–and as such help to uphold nature’s cycle of life […]
Native plant extinctions caused by invasive plants occur over a long period of time and are difficult to detect. Research indicates a need for tracking plant decline and instating measures to prevent extinctions. A new research paper by Paul O. Downey and David M. Richardson, published by Oxford University Press, tackles the problem of measuring threats that invasive plants pose […]
Most island vertebrate extinctions could be averted, concludes new study Control and eradication of invasive species could prevent as much as 75 percent of all island-level extinctions predicted for globally threatened vertebrates. Eight of every ten species extinctions have occurred on islands, and invasive mammals are the leading reason for those losses. Currently, forty percent […]