Tag: biodiversity news

Environment 

The UK’s first national assessment of earthworms has revealed that their populations decrease by 2% annually, and overall earthworm population numbers have fallen by a third over the past 25 years. This study, conducted by an ecologist at the British Ornithology Trust (BTO), also concluded that the largest decline in this species has been observed in broadleaf woodland ecosystems. This may now be having detrimental effects on other species, such as woodland birds, who have seen a subsequent population decline of 37% since 1970. Barnes’ study concludes that, if these results are found elsewhere, the long-term decline of this keystone species could affect our ability to grow crops, as worms aid the growth of 140m tonnes of food a year. It may also have catastrophic effects on soil health, ecosystem structure, function, and above-ground wildlife.

Global rainforest deforestation continues at a rate of ten football pitches per minute. Despite widespread efforts to minimise deforestation across the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon, new data has revealed that 37,000 sq km was still removed from previously undisturbed rainforests in 2023. Large increases were noted in Bolivia, Laos and Nicaragua, which has now offset the positive progress made by other countries in the reduction of deforestation. Experts have warned that governments are unlikely to meet their climate and biodiversity commitments due to the continuation of mass deforestation, with many going against the COP28 agreement to halt and reverse the loss and degradation of forests in the next six years. This puts the 2030 zero-deforestation target even further out of reach. 

New research has revealed that national parks are failing to tackle the biodiversity crisis, despite these important areas covering 10% of England and 20% of Wales. Due to lack of government funding, the direct grant set aside for national parks has been cut by 40% since 2010, resulting in poor peatland condition, no change in woodland biodiversity in a 5-year period, and a significant decline in river and lake health. Aside from a lack of funding, national parks are not restoring nature as only 13.7% of the land is publicly owned, with the remaining 86.3% privately owned and often intensely farmed. Campaign for National Parks is calling for a new deal that ensures the government sets a clear mission to increase nature protection and restoration in the UK’s national parks, and subsequently double core national park grants to reinstate this vital funding to its 2010 level. 

Discovery and reintroduction 

One of the world’s most elusive moles has been sighted in Australia. The Northern Marsupial Mole, or Kakarratul, lives in one of the most remote parts of Australia and is only sighted a few times each decade. Due to their rarity, authorities are still unsure of their population size and these creatures remain a mystery to most of the world. However, the Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Martu rangers discovered the rare, blind Northern Marsupial while working in the Great Sandy Desert, making this the second species sighting in six months. 

Progress has been made in the first ever shark translocation project, which aims to reintroduce Zebra Sharks to the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia after the species was declared functionally extinct due to overfishing and habitat degradation. This is the first initiative attempting to translocate shark eggs from an aquarium to a hatchery before releasing them into the wild. Two sharks have recently hatched on the island of Kri and will be kept in tanks until they are strong enough to be released into the wild. The project aims to release 500 Zebra Sharks by 2032 in the hope of creating a genetically diverse breeding population that will aid long-term species recovery. If successful, this rewilding project will set a strong example of how to re-establish endangered species populations in marine ecosystems and would be a breakthrough for future conservation efforts. 

Climate crisis 

A record hot March leads to fears of faster rates of climate change. Last month was the hottest March on record, reaching 1.68°C warmer than in pre-industrial times. This marks the tenth record breaking monthly temperature in a row, and scientists are concerned that they may not temporarily fall, as expected, after the El Niño period due to the warm weather experienced at the end of 2023. Researchers are now trying to ascertain whether the changes in El Niño are a phase shift or just an anomaly in long-term climate trends. Although they are unsure how conditions in the Pacific Ocean will evolve over the coming months, current predictions suggest it could be replaced by a full La Niña cooling phase. 

Conservation

Increasing shortages of early season food threatens bumblebee populations. A new study published by the Universities of Oxford and Exeter has revealed that pollinator-friendly plant species are now flowering up to a month too late to aid bee conservation, resulting in low colony survival rates and reduced queen production. The reduction in pollen and nectar availability during the March to June period, which is critical during the early stages of colony formation, can have catastrophic effects on colony populations, with research suggesting that a two week gap in pollen supply reduces the production of daughter queen bees by up to 87%. To combat this decline, it is recommended that existing hedgerows should be populated with early blooming species such as Ground Ivy, cherry, and Hawthorn, which would increase colony success rates from 35% to 100%. 

A pioneering translocation project aimed at saving a rare species of fungus in now underway in Cumbria. The Willow Glove fungus is a critically endangered species that can now only be found in two woodlands in Scotland, with the majority of it living on a single fallen tree. Scientists have recently removed sections of dead wood that the fungus is living on and relocated it to three receptor sites in an attempt to prevent the species’ impending extinction. The fungus is being transported to protected sites of special scientific interest where the fungus was last recorded before it became extinct in England 50 years ago. Host trees have been selected due to their plentiful supply of willow glue, a parasite that the Willow Glove depends on for survival. The success of this relocation technique will be monitored by volunteers from Cumbria Fungi Group for the next five years.

RHS Rosemoor aims to rediscover lost, native apple varieties to help the fruit survive climate breakdown. This spring, horticulturalists are searching for lost varieties of apple trees that used to be abundant in ancient orchards, with the goal of discovering the genetic traits of those species that are still thriving today. The University of Bristol and Sandford Orchards will each receive the genotypes of apple species that have been deemed important from across England and plan to investigate the rare ‘survivor varieties’ that have not been propagated, collected or recorded before. The hope is that their genetic code can be preserved for future use in an attempt to safeguard biodiversity and boost the UK apple industry’s resilience to climate change, particularly for those species that are native to this country. This project will play a vital role in the sustainability of the UK’s commercial orchards, 80% of which have been lost since 1900.

Discovery

A newly discovered orchid species boasts the longest nectar spur of any known plant relative to its flower size. The Solenangis impraedicta, found in the forest canopies of central Madagascar, is the first orchid discovered since 1965 that has made extreme adaptations to allow only a certain species to access its nectar and facilitate pollination. Its hyper-long nectar spur, measuring 33cm, makes it the longest of any known plant when compared to its small flower size of only 2cm, and researchers suggest it may only be accessible to the Long-tongued Hawkmoth. The significance of this discovery has been noted due to the similarities between this species and Darwin’s Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale), which is also native to Madagascar. Darwin speculated that only a moth with an exceptionally long proboscis could reach the nectar, while Alfred Russel Wallace further built on this in his predication that a hawkmoth would be the only species able to do so. Finding this rare orchid highlights the urgency of conservation measures in Madagascar that are necessary to combat the rapid rate of deforestation occurring on the island.

An ancient species of river dolphin has been discovered in the Peruvian Amazon. A team of palaeontologists have found a giant fossilised skull on the shores of the Napo River that belonged to the largest-known species of river dolphin in history. This colossal creature, measuring 3-3.5 metres in length, is not related to the native Amazon River (Pink) Dolphins, but rather the South Asia river dolphins who are found 10,000km away. Researchers suggest that the dolphins’ ancestors originally lived in the ocean but ventured into the abundant freshwater ecosystems of the proto-Amazonia, before becoming extinct when new habitats emerged and their prey vanished.

Environment

The earliest-ever sighting of the Asian Hornet suggests they may now be established in the UK. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has recently confirmed that an Asian Hornet was sighted and captured on the 11th March in Kent – one month earlier than the first hornet sighting of last year. Once hornets are established, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them, and with Asian Hornet numbers having skyrocketed in the UK in 2023, scientist are concerned that they are now overwintering in the UK. This may have detrimental effects on wild pollinators emerging from hibernation, particularly Britain’s bee populations which play a key role in agricultural pollination. 

Climate 

The price of bananas is set to rise permanently as a result of climate change, according to experts. This follows a noticeable absence of the much-loved fruit in several UK supermarkets within the past few weeks due to sea storms. Senior economist at the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation states that increasing temperatures are compounding the impacts of fast spreading diseases, including the Fusarium Wilt TR4 infection, which continues to pose an enormous threat to supply chains. Once a banana plantation has been infected with the virus, it kills the trees, therefore halting production. The infection is very difficult to eradicate once present. Increases in more extreme weather conditions, such as widescale flooding and strong winds, allow the virus to spread more easily and may be why it has now been detected across four continents. 

The world’s largest species of tree is thriving in the UK due to the moist climate, and now outnumbers those in their native home of California. A study into Giant Redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) has revealed that those imported to the UK around 160 years ago are growing at a similar rate to those in the US. However, as these trees are still young, they are 39% smaller than their American counterparts. Due to their sheer size, it has also been revealed that they store large quantities of carbon dioxide, with those measuring 45m tall in Wakehurst storing between 10-15 tonnes of carbon per tree. Whilst the trees are flourishing in the UK climate, there is little chance of them invading native forests as they require very specific conditions to seed. 

Environment 

An African project aiming to replace barren lands with wildlife-rich, biodiverse forests has restored more than 41,000 hectares of woodland in ten years. Trees for Future (TREES) is an organisation that aims to restore landscapes in developing communities, while also combating poverty. Following the launch of their mass reforestation campaign in 2015, they have worked with locals to plant tens of millions of trees across nine African countries. They also intend to create 230,000 jobs by 2030 via their ambitious initiative. Working with thousands of smallholder farmers for a duration of four years, they provide training, tools, seeds and grants to allow locals to plant biodiverse woodland and create environments that are self-sustainable for both communities and nature. 

The government has pledged a £25m scheme to restore critically endangered habitats for England’s fastest-declining wildlife. In light of the recent announcement of the EU’s first nature law to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, this government funding will help improve over 3,300 hectares of land, including 49 hectares of wetland around chalk river habitats in south-east England. The ‘species survival fund’ will also support schools, farmers and landowners across mid-Cornwall to ensure woodland, heathland and acidic grassland restoration across the moors, and help to create vital nature corridors across the Medlock Valley, with the collective aim of restoring nature and supporting iconic species such as Water Voles, waxcaps and rare Great-crested Newts. 

Science 

According to a new study, playing healthy reef sounds through underwater speakers could save damaged coral reefs. Fifty percent of the worlds coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s. However, scientists working in the Caribbean have revealed that simulating healthy coral reef environments through soundscape recordings may be the key to recovery. Working across three reefs, each at different stages of degradation, the team of scientists installed speakers at all three sites, but only played recordings taken from a thriving reef at one: Salt Pond reef. Results showed that, on average, 1.7 times more coral larvae settled there than on the other two sites. The rate of settlement decreased further away from the speakers, suggesting that the sounds played an important role in larval retention. Research is now underway to understand whether other coral species respond in the same way, and to find out whether the corals thrive after settling. 

Pollution 

Air pollution levels throughout Europe have continually decreased over the last 20 years, despite increasing threats of climate change. Research conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health studied 1,400 regions across 35 countries and have concluded that the two main forms of overall suspended particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) have been falling annually throughout this period. PM10 has decreased annually by 2.72%, while PM2.5 dropped by 2.45% and NO₂ levels reduced by 1.72%. Even so, according to the WHO, 98% of Europeans are living in areas with unhealthy levels of PM2.5. These tiny pollution particles are known to cause an array of health problems, and are estimated to be linked to over 400,000 premature deaths a year across Europe.