Uncertainty in measuring biodiversity change could hinder progress towards global targets for nature
Insect populations are widely influenced by weather anomalies, with decreasing numbers observed during unfavorable conditions and a spike in normal periods, according to a new study. The study published in Nature tries to resolve a debated topic: Are insect populations declining? Several studies have reported a decline in insect populations and diversity while others have questioned this. (Nature)
Here is an expert from McGill University who can provide comment on this issue:
When natural habitats are cleared to make way for cities, roads and agriculture, this often leaves behind “islands” of fragmented habitat that can place species at risk of extinction. Species are at risk when they find it hard to move among habitat patches to find resources and reproduce.
One of the few species that was found to be resistant to severe glyphosate contamination was Scapholeberis mucronata, a freshwater zooplankter commonly found in Québec and elsewhere in North America. CREDIT: Marie-Pier Hébert
As the global community is called to re-examine our relationship to the natural world, one thing is certain: despite all our technological advances, humans are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for water, food, medicines, clothes, fuel, shelter, and energy, just to name a few. The 2021 theme, “We’re part of the solution”, was chosen to be a continuation of the momentum generated last year under the over-arching theme, “Our solutions are in nature”, which served as a reminder that biodiversity remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges.
The Group on Earth Observations - Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), a global research network and community of practice dedicated to improved monitoring of Earth’s biodiversity, announces the relocation of its headquarters from Leipzig, Germany, to Montreal, Canada.
GEO BON responds to the urgent need for the best possible data and knowledge to support decisions to avoid unsustainable biodiversity loss. The information it provides will support international and national actions to meet biodiversity targets and Sustainable Development Goals.
The glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup has been found to trigger the loss of biodiversity among phytoplankton communities in freshwater ponds. In their experiments, scientists found that while some populations developed resistance to the herbicide and were able to survive exposure at high levels, this came at a cost, with a 40 percent loss in biodiversity.
"The ubiquitous presence of glyphosate in the environment has sparked concerns over its potential health and ecotoxicological effects," Andrew Gonzalez, from Canada's McGill University, said.
One of the world’s most widely used glyphosate-based herbicides, Roundup, can trigger loss of biodiversity, making ecosystems more vulnerable to pollution and climate change, say researchers from McGill University.
Partout au monde, l’extension des villes transforme le paysage et fragmente les écosystèmes. Selon l’écologue montréalais Andrew Gonzalez, 70% des forêts de la planète sont à moins d’un kilomètre d’activité humaine, elles sont donc interrompues par des routes, ou des villes. Ce scientifique cherche à présent le meilleur moyen pour reconnecter les forêts urbaines.
Ecosystems are a complex web of interactions. These ecological networks are being reorganized by extinctions and colonization events caused by human impacts, such as climate change and habitat destruction. In a paper published this week in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers from McGill University and University of British Columbia have developed a new theory to understand how complex ecological networks will reorganize in the future.
