There are about 391,000 plant species known to science. They’re vascular plants, which have a vascular system to conduct water and minerals throughout the plant and include all plants except for algae, moss and hepatics. A recent study has assessed for the first time ever the conservation status of the world’s plants. The report on the state of the world’s plant
Sea is the cradle of life, but Chilean waters have turned into a grave. Unprecedented red tide is killing millions of marine creatures in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Chiloé Island, in Los Lagos region, southern Chile. It is the largest die-off of marine wildlife in the country’s history. What caused the red
Tibetans describe the hills around their place of prayer as a once pristine area, an earthly paradise. But with occupation everything changed. Trees and timber have been exploited for years, wiping out entire forests. As of 18 April, though, the monks of the Dzogchen monastery, in the Sichuan region, along with the local Tibetan community, began
A report has sounded the alarm about the dangers of global warming for the citizens of the United States. The report, The impacts of climate change on human health in the United States, was released by the country’s government in 2016. Climate change is causing a surge in mental and respiratory illnesses, allergies, deaths from
Heavy tourism led Thai authorities to close the Island of Koh Tachai, banning tourists indefinitely as of 15 October. The tiny island is located in the Andaman Sea and is part of the Similan National Park. Thousands of tourists visit it every year, often violating the daily limit of 70 visitors. Considering the enormous tourist
There’s no good news and figures are appalling. The warning comes from scientists, not environmentalists. After the records set in the first quarter of 2016, April was 1.1 degrees warmer than the April average temperatures. It’s a figure too close to the 1.5-degree limit set in the Paris Agreement that signing countries should abide by.
The first lions were finally born in Akagera National Park after close to two decades. African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board were pleased to confirm the news on the 12th of May. The park now counts ten lions, including the three cubs that were spotted one day earlier next to their mother, Shema. The
The connection between digital technology and satellite imagery is revolutionising the way natural resources can be used, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. As countries strive to reduce their carbon footprint by limiting deforestation, it is important they have the right tools. These must be transparent, consistent over time and suitable. To help these countries, the Food
Data coming from the United States is alarming. Between April 2015 and April 2016, US beekeepers lost 44 per cent of their honeybee colonies. The figures emerged from a survey that tracked the number of winter and summer losses across the country. Findings show the trend is getting worse, for the second year in a
“Blow at 2 o’clock!”, shouts a member of the research team onboard the motorsailer Pelagos. For five endless minutes everyone has been scanning the sea in a state of alert silence, looking for a white puff to indicate the blow of a male sperm whale coming to the surface to breathe and rest. The researchers
