Research has found that when humans modify the environment, fragmenting habitat and reducing species diversity, we are more likely to contract diseases normally confined to wildlife.
A new report warns that climate change is causing shifts in species composition faster than expected. Co-author and Cary scientist Peter Groffman comments, "cold temperatures are a critical regulator of species outbreaks and also of species distributions".
A new report says the effects of climate change are already being felt in bug-infested forests of the Intermountain West, in reduced flows of the Colorado River basin and in the amount of snow that falls in the Rocky Mountains.
Writer and food activist Janisse Ray talks about the loss of heirloom seeds and the role that individuals can play in preserving agricultural diversity.
When we do things in an ecosystem that erode biodiversity — we chop forests into bits or replace habitat with agricultural fields — we tend to get rid of species that serve a protective role.
Drawing from his bestselling book, Bringing Nature Home, Douglas Tallamy discusses how using native plants in the home landscape can help protect and preserve North American wildlife.
Using Lyme disease and West Nile virus as models, disease ecologist Dr. Richard Ostfeld describes how diverse animal populations minimize our exposure to emerging infectious diseases.
