Wildlife Conservation and Protection

"Many iconic Australian animals, such as bilbies, potoroos, bettongs and bandicoots, feed directly on soil fungi -- including native truffles. The same pathways are likely to be responsible for their distribution in the environment."

To ensure the long-term survival of species that depend on soil fungi, especially the glossy black-cockatoo, Dr Crowley says conservation efforts need to consider the value of habitats on poor soils.

The study: Geology controls the distribution of a seed-eating bird: Feeding-tree selection by the glossy black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami

Key Ideas

• The red siskin has long been sought out by illegal bird traders and breeders due to its unique red-and-black plumage and cheerful song.

• The endangered species had almost disappeared from tropical South America until 2000, when a population was recorded in the South Rupununi region of Guyana.

• Local Indigenous communities have rallied behind the small bird, successfully maintaining population levels and encouraging a broader conservation movement that focuses on education and deterring poaching.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/12067783

Shark conservation must go beyond simply protecting shark populations—it must prioritize protecting the ecological roles of sharks, according to new research published in Science.

The problem is shark abundance has plummeted by 71% for oceanic species in the past 50 years. Populations of the top five reef shark species have been depleted by 63%.

The issue of shark conservation becomes all the more critical as global temperatures increase, leading some sharks to head into new areas where they can find the temperatures they thrive in.