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biodiversity

05/17/2018 / By Isabelle Z.

Better than insecticides: Animal grazing more effective at controlling invasive weeds

Reed canary grass is taking over land around the country. It grows surprisingly quickly, choking out the other plants in the areas where it crops up and reducing the biodiversity of area insects and birds. The invasive species is so dense that deer and pheasants won’t eat it, and it clogs up open water patches […]

05/16/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Researchers find that the shape of tropical forests determine their stability; to prevent collapse of these ecosystems we must not alter the contours

To save our forests, we must first save its shape. This is what scientists have come up with after studying how fires on the edge of the forest have affected its shape and stability. The findings, which were published in the journal Ecology Letters, also revealed that when these forests lose their natural shape – usually […]

04/30/2018 / By Janine Acero

A more diverse farm land provides better conditions for pest control

Crop diversity was shown to have a positive impact on the natural predators of aphids, which are common crop pests. Farmers can utilize this insight to keep aphids at bay and reduce the need for pesticides. In addition, greater crop diversity in agricultural landscapes is said to be better for pest control because a varied landscape provides better […]

04/10/2018 / By Janine Acero

Scattered trees throughout active pastures conserve biodiversity

A research paper published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment reports a study conducted by a team from the Federal University of Lavras on how scattered trees in active pastures support the biodiversity of the ecosystems around the area and help promote forest recovery. The research team investigated an area of 618.59 hectares (ha) in Southeastern Brazil […]

04/05/2018 / By Lance D Johnson

Arkansas court rules with Monsanto, grants farmers right to spray toxic Dicamba herbicide that causes horrific crop damage to nearby farms

Millions of acres of U.S. crops were damaged in 2017 by a dicamba-based herbicide, manufactured by Monsanto and BASF SE. Dicamba herbicide is specifically designed to be sprayed on genetically modified, dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton. These GM crops have been genetically engineered to withstand dicamba; however, the herbicide is very volatile. Dicamba drifts in the wind and can […]

03/31/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Small fish found to be essential to coral reef health by keeping them clean, according to new study

If human communities have health professionals, coral reefs have small fish called “cleaner fish” that keep them healthy. A Canadian-led study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences says their veterinarian-like services help ensure the health of the marine communities they live in, reported ScienceDaily. According to the study, coral reef fish suffering […]

03/25/2018 / By Tracey Watson

Working with nature to reduce pesticide use: Farmers around the world are rediscovering the increased yields offered by biodiversity

The face of agriculture has changed dramatically over the past century. Instead of working with what nature has provided, encouraging biodiversity and companion planting to ward off pests, farmers have been encouraged to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with disastrous results. Despite being promised greater crop protection and increased yields, the results have been low-yielding […]

03/21/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Species devastated by human depletion of rainforests found to make a comeback as forests regrow

The massive depletion of tropical rainforests have driven many species of tropical flora and fauna into extinction. But a recent study of bat populations in the Brazilian Amazon suggested that displaced survivors from primary forests could potentially recover if there are secondary forests that can take them in, reported Science Daily. This is good news for the […]

03/16/2018 / By David Williams

Study shows that a loss of biodiversity can put an entire ecosystem at risk of extinction

Between the natural order of things and the way that humans have seemingly taken over much of nature, lots of different animal species have already gone extinct. Why exactly this has happened isn’t entirely up to humans, but perhaps more could be done about what happens after an animal species does go extinct. Researchers from […]

02/13/2018 / By David Williams

More proof biodiversity reduces the need for chemicals: Leaving strips of wildflowers across fields of crops reduces pesticide use

It’s a well-established fact that pesticides can have many adverse effects not just to humans but to the very crops that they are supposed to protect as well. And as far as current efforts to reduce pesticide use go, one of the known ways to do so involves planting wildflowers right around the perimeter of […]

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