Just deserts? The plight of ignored biodiversity loss in the Sahara
When asked to picture an area of high biodiversity, you might imagine a rich, tropical rainforest or a vibrant coral reef. Maybe even an African savannah but certainly not a […]
Why is there a rhino in the freezer?
In the basement of the Natural history museum there is a rhino in the freezer. Packed in custom designed vials, tissue and blood samples from endangered species across the globe […]
Biodiversity monitoring: risks and rewards?
In ecology Big data, like the Prime Minister’s much derided ‘Big society’, is neither the whole story nor the whole answer… Ecology has a data collection obsession; I could even be […]
Why Biodiversity is Good for your Health
‘Ecosystem services’ is a phrase readily used when discussing conservation measures. It refers to the benefits that we receive from the natural world such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, pollination […]
Whose ecosystem services? People and the future of biodiversity
Nature is in crisis, and humans are responsible. In September, WWF’s Living Planet Report announced that global vertebrate wildlife populations have declined by over 50% since 1970. A shocking statistic, yet […]
A land of Vegetarian Dragons
There was a time when we could have looked out into a forest and as the gentle breeze wafted through the trees with the leaves rustling, we might have been […]
Past, present and future of an endangered species: the Przewalski’s horse.
Przewalski’s horses, Equus ferus przewalskii, are the only true wild horses currently remaining on Earth. In contrast to feral horses, which actually represent the descent […]
