Tag Archives: biodiversity
Feedback between organisms and the environment shape biodiversity
How does the environment shape biodiversity? This is a central question for both the scientific understanding of ecosystems and for practical initiatives in sustainability. Previous work has shown that a heterogeneous environment promotes diversity. For example, variation
Rethinking how we pay for conserving global biodiversity
In our article in Science, “How to pay for saving biodiversity”, my co-authors and I argue that it is time to rethink the global approach to saving the world’s remaining biodiversity and habitats. Twenty-five years after establishing
Cyanobacteria: microbial factories for drug discovery
Cyanobacteria, the only prokaryotes that perform the oxygen-producing photosynthesis, are ancient organisms that shaped the atmosphere of our planet. In colonizing most waters and soils, where they face various environmental challenges and competition with many biological organisms,
Marine and estuarine decapod crustaceans from Ceará, northeast Brazil
The evaluation of world’s biodiversity has always been of major concern, especially when undertaking conservation measures or establishing protected areas. Species lists play an important role in this context, not only providing tools for conservation purposes, but
Also the least abundant species matter for human wellbeing! The role of rare species on grasslands
An increasing body of research supports the necessity of biodiversity to maintain the ecosystem services we humans depend on, such as the provision of food and water, or the control of pests or climate. However, it remains
Look after your compost—it’s more than garden fertiliser
Biologists look upon a pile of compost first of all as an extraordinary habitat of a wide range of different organisms: a microcosm of its own within the garden landscape. Gardeners in Europe are proud of “their”
Species are always important
This review is based on the premise that all species are important to life on earth even if the exact role or value of a species has not been formally documented. Recently, many surprising and unexpected roles
Maximising the frog biodiversity surveys in looking at tadpoles
Amphibians are organisms very sensitive to environmental changes such as habitat lost, appearance of new pathogens, pollution and climatic changes among others. Facing these threats efficient conservation plans must be worked out to protect this fauna (as
