- There are many important conservation and environmental stories Mongabay isn’t able to cover.
- Here’s a digest of some of the significant developments from the week.
- If you think we’ve missed something, feel free to add it in the comments.
Tropical forests
Cash convinces forest dwellers to cut down fewer trees, a new study in five developing countries finds (University of Colorado at Boulder/EurekAlert).
The loss of Central Africa’s elephants could fundamentally alter the makeup of the region’s forests (Duke University/EurekAlert).
“Major” biodiversity reports will headline Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services meeting in Colombia beginning March 17 (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)/EurekAlert).
A study of some 80,000 plants and animals finds that climate change could wipe out local populations of half of species (University of East Anglia/EurekAlert, The Hindu, The Guardian).
The growing role of zoos and aquariums in safeguarding the world’s biodiversity documented in a new book (Arizona State University/EurekAlert).
New study looks at the impact of climate change on yellow fever in Africa (PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases/EurekAlert).
Fragmenting forests in Costa Rica are a bigger problem for native plants than monkeys (Phys.org).
Other news
Angola’s elephants need “active protection” if they’re going to survive, new study finds (PLOS One/EurekAlert).
Ticks and Lyme disease on the rise in Canada as a result of climate change (Mother Jones/Undark).
Mongolia is a land of wet and dry extremes that may not be worsened by climate change (University of Arizona/EurekAlert).
Rising sea levels are imperiling Easter Island (The New York Times).
White House chief of staff axes EPA head’s plans for debates to question climate change (The New York Times).
The war on pollution in China appears to be working (The New York Times).
Climate change panel looks for ways to involve more women in publications (Science Magazine).
Avalanches in the Western Himalayas increase with rising temperatures (Phys.org).
Stephen Hawking’s views on climate change and other threats to life on Earth (BBC News).
Climate change drives extreme conditions in the Horn of Africa, threatening the region’s people with famine (The New York Times).
Krill fishing could destabilize the Antarctic marine ecosystem (The Guardian).
Weighing the costs and benefits of hydropower (Norwegian University of Science and Technology/EurekAlert).
Photos document the effort to save the yellow-eyed penguin (The Guardian).
New research: Stop overfishing and it will cut bycatch in half (Phys.org).
Turtle and tortoise species are sliding toward extinction (The Revelator).
Trash piles up in the Galapagos as ecotourism takes its toll (The Revelator).
The high costs of sustainable aviation fuel (The Economist).
Lazarus hare: A small mammal thought to be extinct in Nepal reappears after more than 30 years (INASP/ScienceDaily).
Microplastics found in 90 percent of bottled water prompts WHO investigation (The Guardian).
Banner image of an African savanna elephant by John C. Cannon.
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