Although flowing water is fundamental to river ecosystems, temporary streams are distinctive landscape features that support surprisingly diverse communities, writes Rachel Stubbington. However, the biodiversity of these dynamic ecosystems needs greater recognition and protection.
… in the frequency, intensity, and duration of droughts. Predictions of future changes in drought occurrence are uncertain and vary … densely populated countries such as the UK, droughts typically collide with peaks in …
Prince Charles has called UK peatlands ‘Britain’s tropical rainforests’ – and like rainforests worldwide, ours are in decline. Trevor Critchley reports on the devastating consequences for global warming
… warns, however, that UK peatlands damaged by drought, fire and erosion could actually emit … change increases periods of spring and summer drought, followed by heavy rain. Human … as a primary issue: ‘The frequency of summer drought and wildfire is certainly increasing. …
The world we inhabit is a miracle of billions of years of evolution as life has unfolded in its full beauty and diversity, writes Grant A. Mincy. But human activities - deforestation, mining, urbanisation, pollution, climate change - are tearing away at the functioning fabric of the living biosphere. A mass extinction is under way, and it must be halted, and reversed. But how?
… for the entire ecosystem. And now, the drought ... The Amazon region is currently in the midst of a large drought . This drought is causing the forest to transpire …
Large areas of rainforest degraded or destroyed due to human activity and climate breakdown - leading to carbon loss.
… and forest fires. Climate events, such as droughts, further increase tree mortality. … than in 2015, when extreme El Niño droughts led to increased tree mortality and …
Ogeto Mwebi, a senior research scientist at the Department of Zoology of the National Museums of Kenya and Nduhiu Gitahi, the chief technologist at the Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology based at Nairobi University are attempting now to uncover the mystery behind two man eating lions from more than a century ago. CURTIS ABRAHAM investigates
… could also have been a decisive factor. Drought and famine conditions in the following … also played a prominent role. The Mwakisenge Drought and Famine of 1897-1900 was the worst …
The mammals were hunted to extinction for their meat, fur and scent glands in the UK by the beginning of the 16th century but have since been reintroduced.
… even more protection against flood and drought, and provide homes for loads of other …
May this new collection of John Muir's writings reach us now and inspire another generation to fall in love with wild nature, to care for it, to know that wilderness is not optional but central to our survival in the centuries to come, writes Terry Tempest Williams - and remind us how to embrace this beautiful, broken world once again with an open heart. If we do approach the mountain, it is we who are moved.
… has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand …
Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson, authors of Walking Thunder, explain why the survival of the elephant is critical for our own future
… hunter-gatherers of Kenya that in times of drought elephants helped humans to find water … in the late 1990s, as they witnessed drought, fire and floods around the world. …
In the battle to save America's real wild west of unlogged forests, grizzly bears, mountain goats, Bull trout, free flowing streams and roadless wilderness, a single person stands out, writes Jeffrey St Clair, for her dedication, courage and remarkable success: Arlene Montgomery of Friends of the Wild Swan, Montana.
… species, such as whitebark pines, prolonged droughts and intensified wild fires. It is a …
Almost three quarters of Australia's landmass is 'outback', writes John Woinarski, making it one of our planet's greatest natural areas. Yet it has many of the hallmarks of a 'failed state': its native peoples live on the margins, and its biodiversity is under threat. Now a new conservation model shows a way forward for both: Indigenous Protected Areas.
… to track shifting resources, the interplay of drought and flood, the large-scale workings of …
Deep in rural Sussex at Wakehurst Place, in a large nature reserve of 500 acres of National Trust woodlands and lakes, stands the Kew Gardens Biological Research Centre. Sixty feet beneath is a nuclear bunker. This is the British National Doomsday vault, home to the UK’s Millennium Seed Bank (MSB). If apocalyptic disaster strikes, this bunker will hold key bio-scientists and all remaining plant life.
… and provided back-up when wars, typhoon and drought have wreaked havoc. The increasing …
For a generation the nature of warfare in Africa has evolved due to technological advances. The scale of destructiveness in modern warfare has increased. This has had a negative impact on wildlife and its habitats, which had traditionally protected wild animals and environments. CURTIS ABRAHAM reports.
… the Laikipia Nature Conservancy in Kenya’s drought-stricken Laikipia region. Herders fleeing severe drought had invaded private land with tens of …
Australia's rainforest state, Queensland, is destroying well over 100,000 hectares of native vegetation a year, and rising, write Martine Maron, Bill Laurance & colleagues, including 'at risk' habitats and Koala bear forests. This is more than reversing the entire nation's eco-restoration programs and pushing endangered species ever closer to extinction.
… threatened species. Clearing, along with drought (which is also made worse by …
Precious World Heritage Sites that protect vital biodiversity and human cultures are at risk from oil decelopment and other industries. Under threat are not just nature, wildlife, land and water but the 11 million people who depend on the 114 sites' environmental quality for their livelihoods.
… and operation of Glen Canyon Dam. If the drought continues and water demand out of the …
With a new coalition government the opportunities for fresh thinking about managing the UK countryside are vast, reports Dan Box. And the Stiperstones nature reserve is providing plenty of inspiration...
… changes such as a harsh winter, pollution or drought. Discussing the progress made on …
Cyril Christo and Marie Wilkinson’s stunning images highlight the luminous beauty of Africa’s elephants, says Ruth Styles, and show why ending the ivory trade is more important than ever
… threats, a difficult political situation, drought and climate change, Goldman Prize …