Biodiversity

"Dust swirls on the dirt roads running through more than 400,000 acres of cactus studded grasslands south of La Junta, Colo. Suddenly, Jessica LaPage spots the reason she's here: A two-toned brown tarantula about the size of an adult's fist, crawling through the scrubby plants".

"In a new initiative announced on Tuesday, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is working with the nonprofit Revive & Restore and other partners to create a “genetic library” of the country’s endangered species—before it’s too late." "Biobanking enables researchers to preserve genetic diversity in wildlife by freezing and storing living cells."

"Earth's amphibians - from the thorny spike-thumb frog to the red knobby newt, West African giant squeaker, ornate tree toad and fire salamander - are being pushed closer to the brink due to habitat destruction, disease and climate change, with 41% of species now threatened with extinction."

"Experts say carbon sequestration projects that don’t prioritize biodiversity may be doing more harm than good, including to the climate."

''Nicolas Tomasi has never laid eyes on it. He has worked these waters for years without seeing one but has heard the tales from old-timers — of a patient predator, hiding under the sand off this French island’s shores, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Mongabay’s Liz Kimbrough spoke with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns about his upcoming documentary, “The American Buffalo,” which premieres in mid-October.

The buffalo was nearly driven to extinction in the late 1800s, with the population declining from more than 30 million to less than 1,000, devastating Native American tribes who depended on the buffalo as their main source of food, shelter, clothing and more.

The film explores both the tragic near-extinction of the buffalo as well as the story of how conservation efforts brought the species back from the brink.

"Aquaculture is bringing jobs and money to rural regions, but a huge escape of farmed fish in August could devastate local salmon populations".

"A new law will make it easier for provinces to cull wolf packs. Will they survive?"

"Abandoned farmland has been increasing, with a billion acres — an area half the size of Australia — lost globally. Ecologists are increasingly pointing to the potential of these lands and of degraded forests as neglected resources for rewilding and for capturing carbon."

"It’s the most wonderful time of the year — Fat Bear Week 2023 is here. The annual competition, hosted by the Katmai National Park and Preserve, pits brown bears against each other in a virtual bracket as they stock up for hibernation."