Job accomplished – last Vietnamese rhino poached – annamiticus subspecies extinct

When we speak of biodiversity decline we usually prefer to zoom out to get the big picture. Sometimes however reality forces you to stand still and take time to commemorate an individual case. Once Rhinoceros sondaicus or the Javan rhinoceros … Continue reading

Quantifying the invasive species problem, Florida´s case: 137 non-native reptiles & amphibians

Last week we took a look at the slowness of species migration before the age of the 747. Today we speed up time by a thousand – to get to the ecological reality of globalisation.

Biodiversity feedback: loss of amphibian species further increases threat of deadly fungus infections

Worldwide amphibians are the most threatened class in the animal kingdom. In recent years Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a fungal pathogen, has caused havoc among many species of frogs, toads and salamanders, decreasing populations and wiping out others.

Nature: climate change leads to 67-84 percent intraspecific biodiversity loss by 2080 – Holocene Mass Extinction within this century

The better we define the richness of life on Earth, the larger the percentage we are going to lose becomes. Life won’t go extinct. The number of domains and kingdoms will very-very likely remain the same. But as we go … Continue reading

Extrapolating lab study on yeast: species may evolve around deadly environmental change within 50-100 generations

If however survival conditions are optimal, like a gradual increase of the environmental stressor, ‘modest’ inter-population contact – and indeed if such extrapolation from a microorganism to a blue whale would be as legitimate as the researchers in their Science … Continue reading