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ECOSYSTEM DAMAGE
In 2001, NOAA launched a restoration program after a $64 million Montrose settlement. 24 years later, a rebuilt Palos Verdes reef in California had boosted fish biomass by over 150%Two decades after a $64 million settlement funded coastal recovery, California’s Palos Verdes reef is thriving. Engineers placed 70,000 ton...- In 1948, Idaho officials used World War II parachutes to drop 76 beavers into the wilderness in one of America’s strangest conservation experimentsIdaho officials used World War II parachutes to move beavers. Special crates were designed for aerial drops into remote wilderness areas. T...
- Beginning in the 1900s, U.S. hunters imported Eurasian wild boar for sport; today’s feral swine threaten firefly larvae and turtle nests across the SoutheastWild pigs are destroying firefly larvae and turtle eggs in southeastern parks. These invasive animals root up the soil, disrupting delicate...
- Canada’s trade war is forcing a rethink of who its friends areCanada faces a trade war with the United States after imposing significant tariffs. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated Canada was attacked a...
- In 2012, Ray Milewski and students set research plots at Pennsylvania's Tannersville Cranberry Bog. 10 years later, researchers cleared shrubs to help rare native plants return to the bogIn 2012, Ray Milewski and students established research plots at Pennsylvania’s Tannersville Cranberry Bog. A decade later, researchers cle...
- Washington state biologists reintroduced beavers on tributaries, and within years their dams slowed stream flow and rebuilt banks that resist erosionWildlife departments are making strides in reintroducing beavers to rejuvenate damaged stream ecosystems. These industrious creatures help ...
- Teen invents a smart bandage that can tell early when Arizona’s giant saguaro cactus is dyingA 17-year-old Arizona student has developed KáktosPatch, a biodegradable smart bandage designed to detect bacterial necrosis in saguaro cac...
- In 1992, Congress authorized the removal of 2 dams that had blocked salmon for a century. 24 years later, the Elwha River once again flowed freely from the Olympic Mountains to the seaElwha River Restoration changed one of America’s most remarkable river recovery stories. Two dams once blocked salmon from reaching upstrea...
- In the mid-1920s, William R. Angell brought nine white-tailed deer to North Manitou Island for hunting; by the early 1980s, the herd was estimated at 2,000Six deer introduced to North Manitou Island in 1926 dramatically altered its ecosystem. Without predators, the deer population grew to two ...
- In 1968, Hawaii introduced 8 mouflon sheep for trophy hunting. 36 years later, thousands were threatening native vegetationIn 1968, eight mouflon sheep were introduced into Hawaii Island for hunting purposes. By 2004, their numbers soared to over 2,500, causing ...
- In 2017, USGS and MIT researchers dated a magma pulse to 251.9 million years ago. 9 years later, it links to Earth's worst extinctionEarth faced its worst extinction event around 252 million years ago. Volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps is the leading explanation for...
- 10 million years ago, this 23-foot crocodile ruled prehistoric Colombia; its fossilised victims reveal a brutal secretIn Colombia, researchers uncovered fossilized bones indicating that Purussaurus neivensis, an enormous caiman relative, engaged in predatio...
- In 1990s, Samoa released a predatory flatworm as a weapon against giant African land snails. 49 years later, the predator has outlived its original target-control mission and threatens native snails insteadThe introduction of the predatory flatworm, Platydemus manokwari, to Samoa aimed to tackle the invasive giant African snails. However, this...
- Since 1971, Oregon has used a flea beetle against tansy ragwort; 7 years later, the state said the biocontrol had cut infestations by 90%In Oregon, a tiny flea beetle has emerged victorious in the battle against toxic tansy ragwort, a notorious invasive weed that has plagued ...
- In 2001, protected tropical forests entered a global wildfire study spanning 24 years. 23 years later, more than 4 million hectares had been destroyed by fire, twice the size of Wales, with annual losses roughly 9 times higher after 2016Millions of hectares of protected tropical forests were lost to wildfires between 2001 and 2024. Wildfire destruction inside protected area...
- In the 1980s, the richest closed-canopy mangroves covered 77,643 sq km globally. 43 years later, they had grown to 88,772 sq km, helping turn decades of mangrove loss into a net global gainMangroves are far more than trees growing along tropical and subtropical shorelines. They form complex coastal ecosystems that provide habi...
- In the 1990s, a predatory flatworm was released in Samoa to control giant African snails; it later drove native island snails toward extinctionBiological control efforts introduced the New Guinea flatworm to Pacific islands. This predator began hunting native land snails, pushing t...
- In 1992, Congress backed a plan to dechannelize Florida's Kissimmee River and restore its watershed. 28 years later, the project had restored 19 of 44 river miles and 6,500 acres of floodplain wetlands, with wildlife returningFlorida's Kissimmee River underwent a significant restoration after decades of channelization. This project aimed to revive its natural flo...
- In 1500s, Spanish explorers introduced pigs into North America. Now areas where they roam free have fewer invasive speciesAlthough wild pigs have long been viewed as destructive invasive species, recent findings reveal they also play a surprising role in curbin...
- In 2015, Indonesia's devastating El Niño fires burned 2.6 million hectares and sent toxic haze across Southeast Asia. 11 years later, restoration efforts had helped cut burned peatland area by 70% in 2023 compared with 2019, showing the value of rewettingIndonesia is facing renewed wildfire concerns as a strong El Niño brings the prospect of reduced rainfall in 2026. The country’s devastatin...
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