Category Archives: Conservation
THE PANDA REVEALED
For many people, the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleura, is synonymous with conservation. This gentle, bamboo-munching animal is down to around 2,500 individuals, and a combination of small population size and man-made environmental change, means that it is probably doomed to … Continue reading
Filed under Conservation, Genetics, Mammals
BATS DO BETTER UNDER BRIDGES
In many parts of the world, urban development is providing new roosting sites for bats. Concrete road bridges seem to be a favourite place that bats congregate and rear their young. You might expect that what with toxic fumes, heavy-metal … Continue reading
Filed under Conservation, Mammals, Uncategorized
WHY MOLECULAR GENETICS IS IMPORTANT
November 2007 Article from earlier in the year using mtDNA to track the number of whales being sold in markets in Korea They discovered that the number actually being consumed was far greater than the number that was officially reported. … Continue reading
Filed under Conservation, Genetics, Mammals
OVERFISHING AND GEOLOGY
November 2007 Two items on this week’s excellent The Material World (Radio 4). Both items look at the past, present and future of their subjects. There’s also a brief reminder of last week’s discussion of bombardier beetles. Click on “listen again”.
Filed under Audio files, BBC, Conservation
HERO TRIES TO SAVE DOLPHINS
November 2007 This video from Jena Saffery (Final Year): Hayden Panetierre (the cheerleader from Heroes) tries to save some dolphins from Japanese fishermen.
Filed under Conservation, Mammals
COUNTING TIGERS
November 2007 How do you count tigers? This BBC online article suggests the hard way. What about estimating population size through population genetics? Different level of accuracy, I suppose. Nature magazine article about attempts to preserve the Siberian tiger (Uni/Athens needed to … Continue reading
Filed under Conservation, Mammals
FISHERMEN SEE THE LIGHT
November 2007 Without succumbing to national or professional prejudices, I’m sure you’ll agree that the last place you’d expect to hear a call for sustainable fishing would be from a Spanish fishing village. Fishermen from the Gallician village of Lira have realised that … Continue reading
Filed under Conservation
CLIMATE THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY
October 2007 You’d never have guessed – climate change can have terrible effects on biodiversity levels! This study from York looks back in time at previous periods of rapid climate change and the impact they had on the planet. (It wasn’t good.) BBC … Continue reading
Filed under Climate change, Conservation
MADAGASCAR MINE MENACES LEMURS
October 2007 Depressing story about mining in Madagascar, and its detrimental effects on the local lemur population. To learn more about lemurs, go to this “Quick Guide” in Current Biology.
Filed under Conservation, Mammals, Quick Guides
PRIMATES IN DANGER
October 2007 Research presented to the International Primatological Society suggests that around 1/3 of all primate species are in imminent danger of extinction, thanks to human activity. BBC summary; picture guide to the endangered species; brilliant Radio 4 programme about orang-utans (click … Continue reading
Filed under Audio files, Conservation, Primates
