
The tale of the disappearing vultures
Vulture populations in southern Asia experienced a 99% collapse and for a long time nobody knew why. Then, a historic discovery saved them.
Biodiversity – or biological diversity – is the foundation of nature, defined as the different characteristics of all living organisms. It is Earth’s genetic heritage; the variety of living organisms in terrestrial, marine and water habitats as well as the ecological systems they’re part of. It is diversity both between and within nature’s species. Genetic resources constitute the biological basis for agriculture and farming and, essentially, humans’ present and future sustenance. Unfortunately, this genetic heritage is increasingly being threatened: industrial farming, which favours large quantities and regular harvests, has limited crop varieties to a few thousand; and climate change and human encroachment on natural habitats are threatening the Earth’s biological wealth. The net result is that the natural world is deteriorating rapidly, with dire consequences for many plant and animal species (and beyond), which increasingly face the prospect of extinction. Follow news and updates about nature and biodiversity on LifeGate.
Vulture populations in southern Asia experienced a 99% collapse and for a long time nobody knew why. Then, a historic discovery saved them.
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