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NATIVE SPECIES
New Zealand planted millions of pines for timber more than 175 years ago, but today scientists are spending millions trying to stop them from overrunning native mountainsNew Zealand's high country is battling an invasion of non-native pine trees, introduced generations ago for forestry. These 'wilding conife...
Portugal in the 20th century planted millions of Australian eucalyptus trees for the paper industry, but scientists now say the country's forests are more fire-prone and far less biodiverse than native woodlandsPortugal's widespread eucalyptus plantations, established for industry, are now fueling devastating wildfires. These fast-growing trees, im...
South Africa, in the mid-1800s, planted millions of Australian acacias as a dune fix; 180 years later, that decision is costing the country its rivers and ecosystemA 19th-century solution to coastal erosion in South Africa, planting Australian Acacia trees, has become a major environmental crisis. Thes...
Chile in the 1970s planted millions of Monterey pine and eucalyptus trees for timber, but scientists now say many native forests have been replaced, while streams and wildlife have declinedChile's biodiversity hotspot has witnessed a dramatic native forest decline since 1960, replaced by fast-growing pine plantations. Driven b...
Britain in the 1920s planted millions of Sitka spruce trees for timber, but scientists now say the country's forests support far fewer birds, plants, and insects than native woodlandsBritain's vast Sitka spruce plantations, while economically vital, host a surprisingly limited number of species compared to native trees. ...
In the 1990s, escaped pet Burmese pythons established themselves in Florida's Everglades; by 2012, road surveys found raccoons down 99.3%, opossums 98.9%, and rabbits effectively goneGiant Burmese pythons, introduced to Florida's Everglades as pets, have caused a dramatic wildlife collapse. Road surveys reveal staggering...
Against all odds, one of nature’s most colorful little survivors just made an incredible returnA vibrant blue gecko, once threatened by the pet trade and habitat loss, is making a remarkable comeback in Tanzania. Conservation efforts,...
Greece has placed a bounty on the head of the world's most toxic pufferfish, paying fishermen €5.33 per kilo to hunt the invasive predatorGreece is incentivizing fishermen with a generous bounty to hunt the dangerous silver-cheeked toadfish, an invasive species from the Indian...
Blue crabs were first found in Italy's Adriatic in 1949; 74 years later, they exploded, cut clam output 90%, and pushed 160 km up the Po RiverAmerican blue crabs, famed for their presence in coastal cuisine, are now making an alarming, unprecedented journey deep into Italy's Po Ri...
500 plants, 100 birds, 25 butterfly species: At 23, Delhi boy turns home terrace into lush urban forest. How a childhood love for birdwatching sparked a mission to protect urban wildlifeAman Sharma, a 23-year-old Delhi resident, has transformed his 15,000 sq ft terrace into a thriving urban forest, a testament to his passio...
PM Modi visits tortoise enclosure, joins Seychelles president in tree plantation ceremonyDuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent trip to Seychelles, he enjoyed an unforgettable experience interacting with giant tortoises. T...
In 1985, the first invasive lionfish was spotted off Florida after aquarium releases; within decades, it had spread across much of the Caribbean and US Atlantic coast, devastating reef fish that had no natural defense against itA single lionfish spotted in Florida in 1985 has spiraled into one of the most alarming marine invasions. These venomous, fast-reproducing ...
In the 1940s, the brown tree snake reached Guam hidden in post-WWII cargo and set off a chain reaction that scientists are still measuring today; birds gone, tree seedlings down by up to 92%, and spiders multiplying up to 40-fold on an island that once had neitherAn invasive brown treesnake on Guam has decimated native bird populations, leading to a silent forest. This loss has crippled the island's ...
A nearly 200-year-old cemetery comes alive after dark, where the dead share space with frogs, toads, and the scientists listening to themCitizen scientists are lending their ears to a crucial cause, listening for frog calls in Cambridge's historic Mount Auburn Cemetery. This ...
In 1859, English settlers released 24 wild rabbits; in 2024, scientists were shocked to find that the DNA of almost all the rabbits in Australia descended from those 24A seemingly simple request for hunting rabbits in 1859 by Thomas Austin in Australia unleashed a continental plague. While rabbits were int...
Lost world of birds and frogs: Scientists open a million-year-old cave time capsule in New Zealand, where 12 bird species and four frogs reveal a lost world reshaped by volcanoes and climate long before humans arrivedA remarkable fossil discovery in a New Zealand cave has unveiled a lost world of ancient birds and frogs, dating back one million years. Th...
Aravalli Biodiversity Park helps Delhi retain 3 million litres of rainwater, reduce flooding: StudyDelhi's Aravalli Biodiversity Park is a vital green lung, retaining nearly three million litres of rainwater annually and significantly red...
Italy planted Norway spruce across the Alps in the 1930s, a deliberate-but-naive reforestation drive, but 90 years on, plant diversity is 50% lower than in native forestsA 90-year-old reforestation project in Italy's Prealps planted Norway spruce. A new study reveals this decision drastically reduced plant d...
Burmese pythons in Florida are changing Everglades in a surprising way: Study reveals giant snakes are spreading seedsBurmese pythons in Florida's Everglades are now understood to be indirectly spreading plant seeds by consuming birds and mammals that eat f...
In 1960, Spain planted an invasive tree thinking it was a great idea, and now it's hammering local birdlife because the ecosystem can't keep upNew research from Spain reveals a stark difference in birdlife between native forests and eucalyptus plantations. While species numbers rem...