Conservation scientists meeting in Mexico are warning that planned expansion of industrial monocultures in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula poses a threat to traditional agricultural practices that help maintain biodiversity and ecosystem…
When most people think of Bangladesh's native ecosystems, the Sundarbans — the world's largest mangrove forest — are probably the first thing that come to mind. But the Sundarbans aren't…
Asia's burgeoning demand for wildlife is decimating wild populations around the planet, hastening the demise of biodiversity already under threat from habitat destruction and climate change, warned scientists meeting last…
While Europe has shown early leadership in pushing the palm oil sector toward less damaging practices, European politicians and business leaders need to do more to improve the sustainability of…
The world's largest body of tropical scientists and conservationists is urging the U.S. government to honor a decades-old commitment to clean up a bombed out Hawaiian island. The Association for…
Wildlife market in Togo. The world's largest association of tropical biologists and conservationists is urging African leaders to step up efforts to protect wildlife from poaching. In a resolution released…
by 7 July 2015
Samuel M. 'Ohukani'ōhi'a Gon, III speaking at TEDx Maui Dr. Samuel M. 'Ohukani'ōhi'a Gon, III is the Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor for The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i, and a…
by 19 June 2015
Cuscus being sold as meat in the Wamena market in Indonesian New Guinea. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Dr. Richard Corlett is the current Director of the Center for Integrative…
A group of scientists have expressed 'strong concerns' about mounting threats to wilderness and wildlife in Cambodia. In a resolution issued at the conclusion of their annual gathering in Phnom…
An interview with Zuzana Burivalova, a part of our on-going Interviews with Young Scientists series. The path to finding a career often involves twists and turns. Serendipity is important —…
Some amphibian species, like this Fringe leaf frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus), are particularly affected by heavy logging. Ecologists may be underestimating the impact of logging in old-growth tropical forests by failing…
Fan palms in the Daintree rainforest in Far North Queensland. Photos by Rhett A. Butler. Last week, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), the world's largest organization devoted…
This nadir true-color image was acquired by the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) instrument on August 26, 2000, and shows part of the southern portion of the reef adjacent to the…
Satellite image of PNG. Courtesy of Google Earth The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), the world's largest group of tropical researchers, is calling on the government of Papua…
Australia's native mammals have fared poorly since the arrival of Europeans. On Tuesday a prominent group of conservation scientists condemned the Australian government's recent moves to eliminate protections for native…
Birds are providing a valuable ecosystem service on coffee plantations in Costa Rica, finds a new study that quantifies the pest control benefits of preserving tree cover in agricultural areas.…
A body representing hundreds of biologists and conservation scientists has urged the government of Costa Rica not to jeopardize its reputation as an environmental leader by allowing carve-outs from protected…
A group of biologists and conservation scientists meeting in Sumatra warned that potential changes to Aceh's spatial plan could undermine some of the ecological services that underpin the Indonesian province's…
Limonade River in French Guiana. The French government has approved a new gold mine near the river, which locals depend on. Photo by: Sébastien Brosse. Tensions have risen in the…
Industrial timber plantation in Borneo. Photo by Rhett A. Butler. Indonesia's ambitious targets for boosting pulp and paper production to make it the world's lowest-cost producer are at odds with…
Belo Monte protest. Photo credit: Atossa Soltani/ Amazon Watch / Spectral Q. The Brazilian government is putting its global environmental leadership at risk by ignoring scientific concern on large infrastructure…
Belo Monte protest. Photo credit: Atossa Soltani/ Amazon Watch / Spectral Q. Brazil's ambitious plans to build 30 dams in the Amazon basin could trump the country's efforts to protect…
Jaguar. Small farmers are less likely than large landowners to maintain required forest cover on their property in the Brazilian Amazon, worsening the environmental impact of their operations, reported a…
Fire in the Peruvian Amazon. The risk of fire could increase across large parts of the Amazon rainforest due to increasing incident of drought, expansion of road networks, and rural…
Red Fruit (Pandanus conoideus), a traditional fruit known by Papuans as kuansu. Harvesting of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is failing to meet lofty goals for combining conservation and poverty alleviation,…
Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal. Live jaguars can be worth considerably more for ecotourism than they livestock they kill, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the…
Giant lizards in Malaysia are real but customary beliefs in "cryptids" — creatures whose existence hasn't been proven — has motivated conservation in some parts of the world. Cultural practices…
WARNING: Graphic photos below. Hunter in the Colombian rainforest. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. Protected areas in the world's tropical rainforests are absolutely essential, but one cannot simply set up…
Kivu giant pouched rat caught on camera trap eating a seed of Carapa grandiflora. Photo by: Aisha Nyiramana. Rats are rarely thought of as heroes. In fact, in many parts…
Beach below Para Falls, Caura River. Photo by Kike Arnal One of the planet's most beautiful landscapes is in danger. Deep in southern Venezuela, among ancient forested tabletop mountains known…