Biodiversity
Site news
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Kabir Peay wants to leverage the relationship between plants and the beneficial fungi that colonize their roots to help ecosystems weather climate change.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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A new report looks back at the most impactful environment and sustainability research from Stanford scholars in 2023.
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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.
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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.
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A recent workshop made progress toward centralized tracking of how ecosystem protection and restoration are linked with climate and socio-economic progress in Belize.
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A new white paper from Planet, Microsoft, the Natural Capital Project, and the Gund Institute shares approaches for companies to meet environmental reporting requirements.
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One of the most powerful legal forces for protecting and conserving threatened species is 50 years old, and may be in need of an update. Explore Stanford research and insights related to endangered species and the Endangered Species Act.
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New research from Stanford suggests climate change will disrupt many age-old partnerships between aspen trees and fungi that are essential to healthy forests.
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Research shows that slowing biodiversity loss will require more knowledge of sex-specific responses to climate hazards like heat waves and extreme temperature fluctuations.
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A new technique for measuring past topography shows the Himalayas were more than halfway to their summit before a continental collision made them the highest range in the world.
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Researchers have analyzed the shifting patterns of entire dune fields on Earth and Mars, as seen from orbit, and found they are a direct signature of recent environmental change. This new tool can be applied anywhere with dunes, such as Mars, Titan, and Venus.
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Hundreds of students participated in the Stanford Geological Survey, a century-long program that brought undergraduates to the field for extended periods to survey and map the geology of parts of California, Nevada, and Utah. (Source: Stanford News)
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At 12 points around the globe – including one at Stanford – scientists are working to detect when the Anthropocene began. (Source: Stanford Magazine)
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A new method for estimating cliff loss over thousands of years in Del Mar, California, may help reveal some of the long-term drivers of coastal cliff loss in the state. (Source: Stanford News)
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Scientists studied a unique group of Antarctic minke whales and found that these gigantic mammals actually represent the smallest possible body size required for their style of feeding. (Source: Stanford News)
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New findings about how sand deposits form in the deep sea during different climate eras reveal mysterious processes miles beneath the ocean’s surface, and could help future-proof offshore operations like wind farms as the Earth warms and water rises.
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Our health and economic stability depend on biodiversity, but our governing policies often fail to address it coherently. An analysis of the world’s second most biodiverse country, Colombia, highlights how policies that span sectors and actors can fit together to govern biodiversity more effectively. (Source: Stanford News)