Fighting Wildlife Crime With Forensic Genetics
How can law enforcement officials help save endangered animals from poachers? Techniques of forensic genetics used in human crime scene analysis are entering the fray.
How War Affects Wildlife
A multi-decade study of wildlife in Africa found that armed conflict—even infrequent, low-level conflict—was enough to cause declines in a wide range of wildlife populations.
Why Scientists Couldn’t Save the Vaquita, the “Panda of the Sea”
It might be the end of the line for the vaquita, the world’s rarest marine mammal. A dramatic last-ditch attempt to capture one has failed.
Why It’s So Difficult to Save Sharks
Will a ban on shark fins help shark populations? Since sharks are slow-growing and long-lived, once shark stocks are depleted, they take a while to rebound.
A Clever Way to Conserve Forests
As climate change looms, scientists seek ways to reduce the release of carbon. Sometimes a low-tech approach is overlooked: conserving forests.
What Does it Mean to Be on the Endangered Species List?
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is a global list of species and their conservation status.
Why Conservationists Shouldn’t Forget About Insects
Insect conservation can be a tough sell. Lots of people simply don’t like bugs, and an endangered bug simply doesn’t pull on the heart strings.
Mountain of Trash: Everest’s Environmental Disaster
Recently, the mountaineering community has been abuzz with the news that Mount Everest’s eponymous Hillary Step may have ...
Is Human Noise Stressing Out Protected Wildlife?
A survey in the United States found that in more than half of protected areas human-caused sounds significantly increased background noise levels.
Will Optimistic Stories Get People to Care About Nature?
Research shows that negative messaging is not the most effective way forward.