Biodiversity

As a recipient of a TomKat Graduate Fellowship for Translational Research, PhD student Lauren Gillespie develops tools for estimating biodiversity in ecosystems.

Bioengineering professor Michael C. Jewett shares how Stanford researchers are working with the building blocks of biology to produce greener chemicals, more climate-resilient agriculture, and new ways to repurpose food waste.

Factors affecting the survival of the California native trees are more complex than previously understood, with deer and seedling-supporting “nurse plants” playing unexpected roles.

The newly renovated space offers Stanford researchers the rare opportunity to study the cellular and molecular structures of marine organisms that hold clues to the evolution of life, right on the shores of the ocean where it all started.

Expanding Indigenous stewardship of public lands and understanding how one of the American West’s most drought-resilient forests will respond to climate change are among the goals of a collaborative project involving university researchers, tribal nations, and government agencies.

A new study shows that while Colombia is protecting biodiversity and cultural diversity, both remain mostly inaccessible to tourists.

Natural Capital Project scientists share thoughts on the growing global coalition aiming to sustain nature and a livable planet, and its intersections with climate change.

Kabir Peay wants to leverage the relationship between plants and the beneficial fungi that colonize their roots to help ecosystems weather climate change.

A Stanford fraternity is restoring native California coastal habitats and redefining what it means to be part of Greek life, one plant at a time.

A new book by ecologists at Stanford and the National Autonomous University of Mexico advocates for earlier detection and mitigation of threats to ward off population extinction.

Stanford researchers are working to reveal secrets of a massive, intricate underground fungal network. The resulting knowledge could help scientists engineer fungi-plant interaction to store large amounts of carbon underground and break down toxins, such as plastics and pesticides, among other advances.

New research provides the clearest evidence to date that a rapid burst of evolution 540 million years ago could have been caused by a small increase in oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere and shallow ocean waters.

Leaders and experts from across sectors and countries show how investing in nature is an antidote to local and global crises and the foundation of a better future.

Combining a deep curiosity and “recreational biology,” Stanford researchers have discovered how a simple cell produces remarkably complex behavior, all without a nervous system. It’s origami, they say.

With support from a Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator seed grant, an interdisciplinary team has developed a groundbreaking optical sensor that measures DNA and other key molecules in seawater using light, potentially revolutionizing the study of biodiversity in the enigmatic depths below the ocean’s surface.

A new report looks back at the most impactful environment and sustainability research from Stanford scholars in 2023.

New research shows the diversity of plant and animal life in 14 tropical reserves in Mesoamerica has plummeted since 1990 as roads and cattle ranches have expanded into protected areas. Large mammals, birds, and reptiles are disappearing, while disease-carrying insects and rodents are on the rise.

Analysis reveals imported earthworm species have colonized large swaths of North America, and represent a largely overlooked threat to native ecosystems. The researchers warn of the need to better understand and manage the invaders in our midst.

A recent workshop made progress toward centralized tracking of how ecosystem protection and restoration are linked with climate and socio-economic progress in Belize.

A new white paper from Planet, Microsoft, the Natural Capital Project, and the Gund Institute shares approaches for companies to meet environmental reporting requirements.