Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth, including diversity within species (genetic), between species, and among ecosystems. It is unevenly distributed, with the highest richness typically found in tropical regions. Biodiversity is shaped by evolutionary processes, ecological interactions, and historical events such as mass extinctions, and it underpins the functioning and resilience of ecosystems.

Image: selection of the more than 2,000 cotton underwear items in various stages of decomposition that were buried in fields, meadows, and gardens
Buried underwear shows land use is key to soil healthScience

Buried underwear shows land use is key to soil health

Five years ago, 1,000 volunteers across Switzerland buried more than 2,000 pairs of cotton underwear. The unconventional citizen science project, led by the University of…
SourceSourceAugust 26, 2026 Full article
Image: tropical forest on a rainy day (Daintree Discovery Centre in Australia)
Natural regeneration is a cheaper way to restore tropical forestsScience

Natural regeneration is a cheaper way to restore tropical forests

As nations race to restore ecosystems and curb climate change, research has shown that letting nature do the work is a cost-effective and viable solution…
SourceSourceAugust 22, 2026 Full article
Image: A white egret gracefully perches on a solar panel amidst a natural setting
The biodiversity price of China’s solar boomScience

The biodiversity price of China’s solar boom

Washington, United States | AFP | Muser NewsDesk The global push for solar energy expansion could carry hidden biodiversity costs, according to a study on China…
SourceSourceAugust 21, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA (28 October 2021)
New method makes satellite data easier to use in biodiversity researchScience

New method makes satellite data easier to use in biodiversity research

These scientists are lowering barriers to big data from space Summary: Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have created an open workflow designed to help…
SourceSourceAugust 9, 2026 Full article
Image: Butterfly on a yellow flower in macro
Climate change is reshaping butterfly ranges worldwideScience

Climate change is reshaping butterfly ranges worldwide

A new global study shows butterflies are on the move as the climate warms, with far more species expanding their ranges than contracting Summary: Butterflies…
SourceSourceAugust 5, 2026 Full article
Image: Scientists monitor a deep-sea sampling dive from Mission Control aboard OceanXplorer
OceanX expedition maps Roo Rise deep-sea ecosystemsNews

OceanX expedition maps Roo Rise deep-sea ecosystems

SINGAPORE | OceanX | Muser NewsDesk Expedition maps more than 12,800 square kilometers of seabed and documents deep-sea biodiversity across a little-studied high seas region…
SourceSourceAugust 4, 2026 Full article
Image: Moments on-board Polarstern. Waves (s. Southern Ocean)
EU launches project for Southern Ocean observing systemNewsScience

EU launches project for Southern Ocean observing system

The EU is funding the SYNCHRONY project, involving 27 international partners, to carry out coordinated observations, to harmonise data, and to improve our understanding and…
SourceSourceAugust 3, 2026 Full article
Image: A black and white warbler
Canadian wildfire smoke linked to changes in New York bird sightingsScience

Canadian wildfire smoke linked to changes in New York bird sightings

UB study compared air quality data with birdwatching reports, including during historic 2023 wildfire season Summary: Smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires may make many breeding…
SourceSourceJuly 17, 2026 Full article
Image: Tree-lined avenue
Trees for hotter cities: new approach can bolster community input in meeting targetsNews

Trees for hotter cities: new approach can bolster community input in meeting targets

Efforts to plant more trees in cities could be boosted thanks to a new tool for planners and community groups, published by an international group…
SourceSourceJuly 13, 2026 Full article
Image: Colorful meadow
Order of species loss shapes grassland stabilityScience

Order of species loss shapes grassland stability

The resilience of grassland ecosystems is dependent more on which species are lost and in what order, rather than the total number of species lost…
SourceSourceJuly 3, 2026 Full article
Image: European fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)
Temperate species found more vulnerable to climate change than previously thoughtClimate

Temperate species found more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought

Researchers analyzing more than 5,100 species worldwide found local extinctions linked to climate change occur more often in temperate regions than previously believed Summary: Local…
SourceSourceJune 22, 2026 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, nature)
France launches biodiversity mapping project using satellites and AINews

France launches biodiversity mapping project using satellites and AI

The Occitanie Region in southern France has launched a three-year biodiversity mapping programme that will combine satellite observations, field surveys and artificial intelligence to create…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJune 15, 2026 Full article
Image: Iceberg, observed from Polarstern on 10-08-2022 near 71.18°N and 25.21°W
Arctic iceberg traffic has surged since 2000, reshaping deep-sea biodiversityScience

Arctic iceberg traffic has surged since 2000, reshaping deep-sea biodiversity

A hidden link between Arctic glaciers and life on the ocean floor Summary: The growing flow of icebergs through the Arctic is changing ecosystems on…
SourceSourceJune 11, 2026 Full article
Image: Pongo tapanuliensis female (s. world's rarest great ape species)
Climate change-fuelled storm decimated world’s rarest great ape: studyNews

Climate change-fuelled storm decimated world’s rarest great ape: study

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Climate change-fuelled landslides wiped out nearly one in ten of the world's rarest great ape species on Indonesia's Sumatra…
SourceSourceJune 10, 2026 Full article
Image: Coral reef and small orange fish underwater
Ocean acidification may weaken reef fish survival strategiesClimate

Ocean acidification may weaken reef fish survival strategies

Climate change may be weakening the social structures that help reef fish survive by degrading the habitats that support large shoals Summary: Ocean acidification could…
SourceSourceMay 22, 2026 Full article
Image: Alabatrosses and other seabirds would have to travel longer distances to find suitable homes in a warmer planet
Climate change is driving seabirds farther from their habitatsClimate

Climate change is driving seabirds farther from their habitats

Researchers at the University of Reading found that rapid ocean warming is pushing seabirds to travel farther as the areas where they can survive continue…
SourceSourceMay 19, 2026 Full article
Image: Whale shark
Decade-long study reveals whale shark Indonesia hotspotsScience

Decade-long study reveals whale shark Indonesia hotspots

Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | Muser NewsDesk A decade-long study tracking dozens of whale sharks off Indonesia's coast has revealed the secrets of their migrations and…
SourceSourceApril 30, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Monaco (16 March 2026)
Image of the day: Monaco’s Mediterranean coastlineNews

Image of the day: Monaco’s Mediterranean coastline

Coastal zones are among the most heavily transformed environments, with urban development increasingly replacing habitats that support marine biodiversity. In the Mediterranean, this pressure is…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskApril 27, 2026 Full article
Image: brown owl on brown grass during daytime
One third of animal habitats could face multiple climate extremes by 2085Science

One third of animal habitats could face multiple climate extremes by 2085

Projected exposure to heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods shows rising overlap across ecosystems, increasing risks for terrestrial biodiversity by late century Summary: Exposure to heatwaves,…
SourceSourceApril 27, 2026 Full article
Image: aerial view of a lake and a forest (Little Shuswap Lake Road, Chase, BC, Canada)
Canada’s protected areas miss key regions as climate shifts ecosystemsScience

Canada’s protected areas miss key regions as climate shifts ecosystems

Major new UBCO study maps where climate change is making Canada’s environment most unpredictable Summary: Rising environmental variability across Canada is changing where conservation efforts…
SourceSourceApril 27, 2026 Full article
Image: UZH researchers from the Limnological Station conducting microbial monitoring on Lake Zurich
How soil bacteria move into lakes by gaining or losing genesScience

How soil bacteria move into lakes by gaining or losing genes

Researchers at the University of Zurich have analyzed the genome of bacteria living in Lake Zurich to conclude that microbes employ two different strategies to…
SourceSourceApril 14, 2026 Full article
Image: Shore crab in an intertidal habitat, part of the parasite life cycle examined in the study
Parasites thrive far from the equator, defying biodiversity ruleScience

Parasites thrive far from the equator, defying biodiversity rule

A new FAU study reveals a surprising twist: certain trematode parasites – worm-like organisms that cycle through snails, crabs and fish – are actually more…
SourceSourceApril 2, 2026 Full article
Satellite Image: Mount Elgon National Park, Uganda and Kenya
Image of the day: Mount Elgon’s caldera and forested slopesNews

Image of the day: Mount Elgon’s caldera and forested slopes

Mount Elgon rises along the Uganda–Kenya border as one of East Africa’s largest and oldest volcanic formations, with a base covering 4,000 km² and a…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskMarch 28, 2026 Full article
Image: Lizard, Animal, Reptile
Cold-blooded animals struggle to cope with daily temperature variationScience

Cold-blooded animals struggle to cope with daily temperature variation

How ectotherms respond to everyday temperature changes remains uncertain, and new research suggests their physiological flexibility may be limited Summary: Daily temperature variation may pose…
SourceSourceMarch 20, 2026 Full article