Mangroves-A forest that would not vanish across the globe Mangroves have long been considered one of the planet’s most threatened ecosystems. These dense forests along tropical and subtropical coastlines were steadily being lost to urban expansion, shrimp farming, agriculture, pollution and climate change. Each year thousands of hectares were lost, threatening wildlife, fisheries and coastal…

Pearly razorfish begin life as females before some naturally transition into males.- National Geographic photo Fishing is known to reduce fish populations and change the size and age of fish found in the wild. But a new study suggests that the effects may go much beyond.Researchers have found that heavy fishing may be changing the…

Unwritten social rules, not government oversight, help keep forest land sustainable Slash-and-burn farming was blamed for destroying rainforests, but a study of 18,000 forest patches found community rules can limit clearing and allow trees to return.Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research shows that unwritten social rules in small communities…

A new waterscape has been created on the Holnicote Estate in Somerset (National Trust photos) Just one year after work completing a river restoration project in south-west England, researchers say the restored landscape has reduced flood peaks downstream, improved water quality and created new habitats for many species.The project took place on the National Trust’s…

According to the research, a birdsong is shaped by both evolution and the environment. (Nature TTL) Birds may sound different depending, but scientists have now found that many of their songs are built from the same basic set of sound patterns. A new global study has identified eight recurring motifs that appear in the songs…