Deforestation Ecology Global Health

Destruction of habitat and loss of biodiversity are creating the perfect conditions for diseases like COVID-19 to emerge

As habitat and biodiversity loss increase globally, the novel coronavirus outbreak may be just the beginning of mass pandemics Author: John Vidal Top photo: Illicit Endangered Wildlife Trade in Möng La, Shan, Myanmar, courtesy of Dan Bennett from Wikimedia (CC BY 2.0). This article originally appeared at Ensia.com and is reproduced here under Creative Commons […]

Disease Ecology Global Health Wildlife Trafficking

Conservationists set the record straight on COVID-19’s wildlife links

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been characterized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. As the virus spreads, so too does misinformation about its origins. Rumors that COVID-19 was manufactured in a lab or that we know with full certainty which animal host passed the disease to humans are unfounded. Given the clear […]

Ecology Economy Environment

What price tag would you put on a walk in the woods?

Ecosystem services such as pollination and carbon storage are increasingly factored into land management decisions. But what about less tangible benefits? Author: Olivia McRae Top Photo: Ben Lybarger This article originally appeared at Ensia.com and is reproduced here under Creative Commons licensing (CC BY-ND 3.0) Ecosystem services such as pollination and carbon storage are increasingly […]

Citizen Science Climate Change

Spring is arriving earlier across the US, and that’s not always good news

Cover Photo: Yellow trout lily flowers nearly a week earlier now than in previous decades in the Appalachian Mountains. Katja Schulz/Wikipedia, CC BY Author: Theresa Crimmins, University of Arizona Across much of the United States, a warming climate has advanced the arrival of spring. This year is no exception. In parts of the Southeast, spring […]