And their extinction is a direct threat to humanity.

United Nations: One million species are poised to go extinct

Natural Death

A massive new report by the United Nations concludes that a million species are under threat of extinction — and humans are to blame.

United Nations: One Million Species Are Poised to Go Extinct

"This loss is a direct result of human activity."

It's twice the size of the planet's oceans and teeming with life — and it could help us discover aliens.

Massive underground ecosystem could help us find alien life

Deep Dive

Earth's underground ecosystem is massive, roughly twice as big as all its oceans combined, and it could contain clues in the hunt for extraterrestrials.

Massive Underground Ecosystem Could Help Us Find Alien Life

We might want to look down before we look up.

"Passive recovery should be considered as a first option."

To save the Earth, we should just leave it alone

Earth & Energy

A study finds that attempting to actively repair a damaged ecosystem may not be the best solution. Often, just removing the disturbances will do the trick.

To Save the Earth, We Should Just Leave It Alone

A new study suggests that in many cases, the best way to help restore damaged ecosystems is to do nothing at all.

"Interactions between species are important for ecosystem stability."

Losing biodiversity could lead to "extinction cascades"

New research shows that a loss of biodiversity puts the entire ecosystem at risk of a domino effect, where a single extinction could cause countless others.

Losing Biodiversity Could Lead to "Extinction Cascades"

Losing just a single species could create a domino effect. 

Losing Biodiversity Could Lead to “Extinction Cascades”

We can’t sacrifice people for a cleaner environment.

The Amazon’s hydroelectric projects are destroying local populations

The Belo Monte Dam and other massive hydroelectric projects are wreaking havoc on Brazil's indigenous populations and animal species.

Hydroelectric Projects Are Displacing Indigenous Groups in the Amazon

"When they close the river, it will be like they are destroying our lives."

Artificially cooling the planet would have profound impacts on regional ecosystems.

Reversing climate change with geoengineering could leave the planet worse off

A new study assesses the potential impacts of rolling out global geoengineering programs, only to switch them off abruptly.

Reversing Climate Change With Geoengineering Could Leave the Planet Worse Off

The consequences for biodiversity could be more severe than those of climate change itself. 

Plants and animals that form the foundation of our food supply are endangered, but get almost no attention.

World food supplies threatened by sixth mass extinction

Climate change, habitat destruction, and overconsumption threaten our food supply, which is dominated by a small group of low-diversity plants and animals.

World Food Supplies Threatened by Sixth Mass Extinction

About 75 percent of the world's food comes from 12 crops and five animal species — and that's a problem.

Now, rapidly reading DNA anywhere, at will, is possible.

The team is now exploring the feasibility of rapidly generating a reference sequence database from the incredibly diverse collection of plants help in Kew's living collection and herbarium as well as applications for monitoring plant health.

Scientists Sequence a Whole Genome to Identify a Plant Species Within Hours

New opportunities are now available with portable, real-time DNA sequencing.

Global warming is threatening to destroy humanity’s backup plan.

$4.4 Million Is Being Spent to Protect the Global Seed Vault From Global Warming

But will that be enough to keep the “doomsday vault” safe?

The potential of modern biotechnology could do a lot more than bring back extinct species—it could be the answer to the world’s dwindling biodiversity.

/Biodiversity

Natural Death

United Nations: One Million Species Are Poised to Go Extinct

Deep Dive

Massive Underground Ecosystem Could Help Us Find Alien Life

Earth & Energy

To Save the Earth, We Should Just Leave It Alone

Earth & Energy

Losing Biodiversity Could Lead to “Extinction Cascades”

Earth & Energy

Hydroelectric Projects Are Displacing Indigenous Groups in the Amazon

Earth & Energy

Reversing Climate Change With Geoengineering Could Leave the Planet Worse Off

Earth & Energy

World Food Supplies Threatened by Sixth Mass Extinction

Earth & Energy

Scientists Sequence a Whole Genome to Identify a Plant Species Within Hours

Earth & Energy

$4.4 Million Is Being Spent to Protect the Global Seed Vault From Global Warming

Earth & Energy

There’s More to De-Extinction Than Just Making Jurassic Park a Reality

Load More