Science
The WildForests project studies mammals in plantations
Protected areas around the world are important for halting biodiversity loss, but to conserve them we also need to look at areas altered by human action and understand how to reduce the impacts of our activities on the lives of other species. This was the starting point for the WildForests scientific project, focusing on the presence of mammals in eucalyptus plantations.
Pollen, wind, allergies and biodiversity: how are they related?
Sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, headache… These are some of the most common allergic reactions to pollen. Despite the nuisance pollen causes, it is essential to biodiversity and without the thousands of particles that, especially in spring, are carried by the wind, the continued existence of a large number of flower species would be at risk.
Biodiversity in forests: far beyond our gaze
Most life on Earth is to be found in forests, states the report “The State of the World’s Forests 2022” by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which also points out that biodiversity is at its most extensive in forests, not only in terms of species diversity, but also in terms of genetic and ecosystem variety.
Taxonomy: the way science organises biodiversity
With an estimated 8.7 million species on the planet, a robust system is needed to name, describe and organise so many life forms. For this task, biodiversity relies on taxonomy, a system that helps to identify and study species so that we can recognise and conserve them.
