Dr. David Suzuki – The Planet’s Most Dangerous Predator Is Us

Humans are the world’s top predator. The way we fulfill this role is often mired in controversy, from factory farming to trophy hunting to predator control. The latter is the process governments use to kill carnivores like wolves, coyotes and cougars to stop them from hunting threatened species like caribou—even though human activity is the root cause of caribou’s decline. Predation is an important natural function. But …

Can urban gardeners benefit ecosystems while keeping food traditions alive?

When conjuring up an image of a healthy ecosystem, few of us would think of a modern city. But scientists are increasingly recognizing that the majority of ecosystems are now influenced by humans, and even home gardens in urban landscapes can contribute important ecosystem services. “Ecosystem services are the benefits that ecosystems provide to humans. In a natural ecosystem, these …

Increased carbon dioxide levels in air restrict plants’ ability to absorb nutrients

The rapidly rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect plants’ absorption of nitrogen, which is the nutrient that restricts crop growth in most terrestrial ecosystems. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now revealed that the concentration of nitrogen in plants’ tissue is lower in air with high levels of carbon dioxide, regardless of whether or not the …

13 Giants Control 40% Of World’s Most Valuable Fisheries But Don’t Assume Responsibility Of Marine Ecosystems

Just thirteen giant corporations control 19-40% of the largest and most valuable stocks and 11-16% of the global marine catch, finds a new research. This handful of corporations represents 0.5% of 2250 registered fishing and aquaculture companies worldwide. These giant corporations, finds the research, dominate all parts of seafood production, operate through an extensive global network of subsidiaries and are …

Study: Only two intact forests left on Earth

A new study suggests the world’s forests are more fragmented than ever before. Analysis by researchers at North Carolina State University showed that if one were to be dropped randomly into one of the world’s many forests, there would be a 70 percent chance of being within a half-mile of the forest edge. And if forests are fragmented, so are …

Shrinking habitats have adverse effects on world ecosystems

An extensive study of global habitat fragmentation – the division of habitats into smaller and more isolated patches – points to major trouble for a number of the world’s ecosystems and the plants and animals living in them. The study shows that 70 percent of existing forest lands are within a half-mile of the forest edge, where encroaching urban, suburban …

Bark Beetles Are Decimating Our Forests. That Might Actually Be a Good Thing.

There is an eerie feel to this grove of lodgepole pines that I can’t quite put my finger on as entomologist Diana Six tromps ahead of me, hatchet in hand, scanning the southwestern Montana woods for her target. But as she digs the blade into a towering trunk, it finally hits me: the smell. There’s no scent of pine needles, no sharp, …