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Article
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FSC-certified forest management benefits large mammals compared to non-FSC
Camera-trap images of 55 mammal species in 14 logging concessions in western equatorial Africa reveal greater animal encounter rates in FSC-certified than in non-certified forests, especially for large mammals and species of high conservation priority.
- Joeri A. Zwerts
- , E. H. M. Sterck
- & Marijke van Kuijk
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Where I Work |
Digging in: last chance to save a native forest
Dario Sandrini hikes, plants and digs to save a threatened and diminishing ecosystem.
- James Mitchell Crow
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Article |
Jurassic shuotheriids show earliest dental diversification of mammaliaforms
A newly described fossil mammaliaform from the Jurassic period of China shows that the shuotheriids are allied to the docodonts, and provides details on the processes of tooth evolution in early mammals.
- Fangyuan Mao
- , Zhiyu Li
- & Jin Meng
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Article
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Revealing uncertainty in the status of biodiversity change
This study presents an approach to deal with spatial, temporal and phylogenetic non-independence in large-scale analyses of biodiversity change, improving trend estimation and inference across scales.
- T. F. Johnson
- , A. P. Beckerman
- & R. P. Freckleton
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Article |
Heat and desiccation tolerances predict bee abundance under climate change
A 16-year dataset of abundance patterns of a diverse assemblage of bees in New Mexico, USA predicts declines for many bee species and indicates that drought-tolerant taxa will prevail in a warming and drying climate.
- Melanie R. Kazenel
- , Karen W. Wright
- & Jennifer A. Rudgers
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Editorial |
Deep-sea mining plans should not be rushed
Why are companies and governments determined to start commercial-scale mining for rare metals, when so little is known about its wider impacts?
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Comment |
How a tree-hugging protest transformed Indian environmentalism
Fifty years ago, a group of women from the villages of the Western Himalayas sparked Chipko, a green movement that remains relevant in the age of climate change.
- Seema Mundoli
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Article
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Mutualisms weaken the latitudinal diversity gradient among oceanic islands
The effect of the latitudinal diversity gradient on plants on oceanic islands is weakened by classical abiotic physical drivers of island biogeography and, to a greater extent, by mutualism with other species.
- Camille S. Delavaux
- , Thomas W. Crowther
- & Evan M. Gora
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Article
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Latitudinal patterns in stabilizing density dependence of forest communities
An analysis of tree survival data from forest sites worldwide shows that in the tropics, rare tree species experience stronger stabilizing density dependence than common species, wheras no correlation of stabilizing density dependence and abundance exists in the temperate zone.
- Lisa Hülsmann
- , Ryan A. Chisholm
- & Florian Hartig
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Correspondence |
Train young scientists in taxonomy to help solve the biodiversity crisis
- Dasheng Liu
- , Julian R. Thompson
- & Henglun Shen
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News |
Why citizen scientists are gathering DNA from hundreds of lakes — on the same day
Massive environmental DNA project will take a record-setting snapshot of biodiversity worldwide.
- Lydia Larsen
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Editorial |
It’s time for countries to honour their million-dollar biodiversity pledges
Promises to safeguard biodiversity need to be translated into money in the bank.
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Correspondence |
Build global collaborations to protect marine migration routes
- Jianguo Du
- , Bin Chen
- & Wenjia Hu
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News |
Largest genetic database of marine microbes could aid drug discovery
A trove of more than 300 million gene groups from ocean bacteria, fungi and viruses has been made freely available online.
- Carissa Wong
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Editorial |
Norway’s approval of sea-bed mining undermines efforts to protect the ocean
The decision to permit exploratory deep-sea extraction of valuable minerals breaks a promise to the other nations on the Ocean Panel and to scientists.
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Article
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Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities
Inventory data from more than 1 million trees across African, Amazonian and Southeast Asian tropical forests suggests that, despite their high diversity, just 1,053 species, representing a consistent ~2.2% of tropical tree species in each region, constitute half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees.
- Declan L. M. Cooper
- , Simon L. Lewis
- & Stanford Zent
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World View |
How a surge in organized crime threatens the Amazon
The global community needs to break the web of transnational crime networks and corruption threatening one of the world’s largest carbon sinks.
- Bram Ebus
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Article
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Disproportionate declines of formerly abundant species underlie insect loss
An analysis of more than 500 sites distributed worldwide finds that declines in the abundance of terrestrial insects are attributable mainly to decreases in species that were formerly abundant, rather than being the result of losses of rare species.
- Roel van Klink
- , Diana E. Bowler
- & Jonathan M. Chase
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Research Highlight |
The Tree of Life, emoji version
What about the worms? Analysis of the 112 official emojis that represent organisms shows that there is a bias against invertebrates.
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News |
Eat less meat: will the first global climate deal on food work?
A declaration on reducing the eye-watering emissions from food production is a start, say researchers — but it sidesteps contentious issues in the role of food production in global climate change.
- Carissa Wong
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News & Views |
California wildlife pays the cost of megafires
Increasingly intense wildfires in the United States could have profound impacts on natural habitats — potentially leaving hundreds of animal species struggling to recover.
- Holly Smith
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Editorial |
Swathes of Earth are turning into desert — but the degradation can be stopped
The latest United Nations data paint a grim picture. But countries that are getting land-restoration measures right provide some cause for hope.
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News |
How AI can help to save endangered species
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to fight biodiversity loss by analysing vast amounts of data, monitoring ecosystems and spotting trends over time.
- Tosin Thompson
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Nature Podcast |
Sounds of recovery: AI helps monitor wildlife during forest restoration
System aids researchers measuring biodiversity levels in Ecuador, and how people can follow basic instructions while fast asleep.
- Benjamin Thompson
- & Shamini Bundell
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Article |
Assessing the illegal hunting of native wildlife in China
Analysis of a database of convictions for illegal hunting in China reveals the scale of the threat to biodiversity posed by illegal hunting in China.
- Dan Liang
- , Xingli Giam
- & David S. Wilcove
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Article
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High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation
Satellite data used to generate high-resolution maps across Southeast Asia show that rubber-related deforestation is at least twofold to threefold higher than suggested by estimates used for setting policy.
- Yunxia Wang
- , Peter M. Hollingsworth
- & Antje Ahrends
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Correspondence |
Making conventional farming more biodiversity friendly
- Tobias Kuemmerle
- , Patrick Meyfroidt
- & Florence Pendrill
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News |
Australia’s feral horses need ‘urgent’ control: scientists welcome latest report
Ecologists have praised government recommendations, but some say more concrete action — including a cull — is needed.
- Dyani Lewis
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Nature Index |
Where is the strongest research focus on the environment?
The alignment of high-quality research to Sustainable Development Goals on climate and conservation varies widely between the world’s regions.
- Simon Baker
- & Bec Crew
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Where I Work |
My quest for hidden treasures in Sri Lanka’s flora
Sri Lankan taxonomist Bhathiya Gopallawa tapped into a network of early-career researchers to unearth a botanic gem in the tropical forest undergrowth.
- Manasee Weerathunga
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Article
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Ongoing declines for the world’s amphibians in the face of emerging threats
The second Global Amphibian Assessment finds that the status of amphibians is continuing to deteriorate globally, driven predominantly by climate change, disease and habitat loss.
- Jennifer A. Luedtke
- , Janice Chanson
- & Simon N. Stuart
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Editorial |
Seize the moment: researchers have a rare opportunity to make progress in protecting global biodiversity
A quiet revolution is taking place to incorporate the costs of biodiversity loss into economic planning. It needs researchers to be engaged.
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Where I Work |
How damaged are coral reefs? I dive to investigate climate change
Marine biologist Long Ying studies how warmer, more-acidic oceans are affecting these ‘trees of the seas’.
- Nic Fleming
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Article |
Protected areas slow declines unevenly across the tetrapod tree of life
An analysis of 2,239 terrestrial vertebrate populations shows that they decline more slowly in protected areas than outside protected areas, but the benefits vary across vertebrate classes and depend on the regional context of the protected area.
- A. Justin Nowakowski
- , James I. Watling
- & Luke O. Frishkoff
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Article |
Weather explains the decline and rise of insect biomass over 34 years
Insect biomass data covering 27 years were reanalysed using sample-specific information on weather conditions during sampling and weather anomalies during the insect life cycle, finding that biomass is driven by complex weather conditions.
- Jörg Müller
- , Torsten Hothorn
- & Annette Menzel
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News |
World recommits to 2030 plan to save humanity — despite falling short so far
United Nations secretary-general António Guterres proposes US$500-billion annual stimulus package to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Jeff Tollefson
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News |
Colombia considers ban on most research and education using live animals
A bill and a constitutional amendment that seek to extend the rights of animals could jeopardize ecological studies.
- Amanda Heidt
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Editorial |
Hypocrisy is threatening the future of the world’s oceans
A few powerful nations are undermining progress towards global ocean sustainability. Scientists can help hold them to account.
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Article |
Marine heatwaves are not a dominant driver of change in demersal fishes
Of 248 marine heatwaves between 1993 and 2019 in North American and European seas, the effects on fish biomass were often minimal, and the heatwaves were not consistently associated with tropicalization or deborealization.
- Alexa L. Fredston
- , William W. L. Cheung
- & Malin L. Pinsky
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Article |
Landscape-scale benefits of protected areas for tropical biodiversity
Protected areas across mega-diverse Southeast Asia are associated with elevated vertebrate biodiversity inside their boundaries and in surrounding areas.
- Jedediah F. Brodie
- , Jayasilan Mohd-Azlan
- & Matthew Scott Luskin
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Career Q&A |
What whale falls can teach us about biodiversity and climate change
Anaëlle Durfort shares her experience quantifying oceanic carbon sinks.
- Magali Reinert
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News |
Global map of wildlife trade reveals true cost to the planet
By assessing traded animals’ unique traits and their role in ecosystems, researchers can gauge the potential impact of losses.
- Sara Phillips
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World View |
I’ve witnessed the wonders of the deep sea. Mining could destroy them
Deep-sea mining could wreck more than just the ocean floor in ways we have no idea how to repair.
- Beth N. Orcutt
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Where I Work |
I sample Antarctica’s seaweed to improve human health
Fisheries engineer Ekrem Cem Çankırılıgil probes the chemical make-up of aquatic creatures to determine their possible health benefits for humans.
- Nic Fleming
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News |
Oil from the Amazon? Proposal to drill at river’s mouth worries researchers
Energy firm Petrobras says any leaked oil would not reach the Brazilian coast, but scientists are concerned about a vast reef nearby.
- Meghie Rodrigues
Hybrid speciation driven by multilocus introgression of ecological traits