Organisms of all sizes are tempted by plastic and they mistake it for food. ( . . . ) Fortunately, a few organisms that can actually digest plastic have been discovered. … More 10 Plastic Eating Organisms
Sacred groves can help us expand how we think about conservation because there is no definitive ‘system’ of nature-worship in India. Yet, when viewed collectively, the benefits for the preservation of biodiversity in the region are immense. … More Lessons from the Sacred Groves of India
I feel a stranger here, not just to the culture, but also to the living creatures around me. I want to learn their names. I wish to live a life like the naturalists Thoreau or Nabokov who spent time chasing streams or butterflies when they weren’t writing. I want to spend time walking, collecting, and observing. On top of that, I want to have an archive of my journeys, too. It may sound like a lot to ask for, but I’ve recently come across an app called iNaturalist that will help me with all of this. … More Record and understand local biodiversity with iNaturalist app
My dream of lounging in a hammock surrounded by the flora of the Brazilian rain forest in a luscious botanical garden is now supported by biodiversity experts. A seminal study on ex situ conservation was recently published in Nature. It found that 30% of all plant species biodiversity is present in botanic gardens including 41% of threatened plant species, a total of 105,634 species. While the numbers are certainly promising, much of the remaining work to be done lies in the tropics. … More Tropical botanical gardens: both a fantasy and a necessity
Recently, the field of study known as “Political Ecology” has caught my attention. Have I found the perfect hybrid of a field for my line of inquiry? I can’t help but wonder who are these thinkers, why and how are they interested in ecology, and how do they define themselves? This blog post documents my process of learning about political ecology. … More What is Political Ecology?
Originally posted on Roberto Cazzolla Gatti:
May 15, 2017 Tomsk (Russia) ? Biological diversity is what makes the Earth an extraordinary planet, in every sense. Life itself is the most extra-ordinary thing may exist. There is nothing ordinary about her. In the universe, as far as we know, or at least in our galaxy, life…
The path toward extinction for much of Indonesia’s biologically diverse and exquisitely unique multitude of mammals, birds, and flora appears likely, if not inevitable. Indonesia has found itself in a double bind because of its own poverty and need for global investment paired with the global demand for the production of an extremely versatile commodity: palm oil. … More Palm Oil’s Threat to Biodiversity in Indonesia
