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2 weeks ago | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
In the Mexican port city of Acapulco, in southwestern Guerrero state, human activities have put so much pressure on the most important lagoons that the mangrove areas in this city have been severely damaged by urbanization and made more vulnerable to damage from hurricanes. Some mangroves are even on the path to disappearing, according to a 2024 study published in the journal Comunicación Científica.
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3 weeks ago | 
southafricatoday.net | Morgan Erickson-Davis
The Torricelli Mountain range in northern Papua New Guinea holds a staggering amount of biodiversity in a tiny area. A recent analysis suggests that the threat of extinction to species living in the Torricellis if the land were cleared of its forests would be among the highest on Earth.
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3 weeks ago | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
Millions of years ago, as the Indo-Australian plate pushed into the Pacific plate, a volcanic arc of islands began to emerge near the modern-day island of New Guinea that would one day form the Torricelli Mountains. And in this ancient, slow-motion reordering of Earth’s crust, life inevitably layered on top of the substrata to form one of the most species-rich spots on the planet.
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1 month ago | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
In March 1995, a few wolves cautiously exited their pens into the melting snow of Yellowstone National Park, returning there 70 years after guns, traps and poison had wiped them out. The dramatic return of these top carnivores was watched around the world, the culmination of twists and turns rivaling any Hollywood blockbuster. Now, a new documentary film, Mollie’s Pack, tells the story in a new and emotional way.
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1 month ago | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
The communities around Lake Chad have always lived by its water rhythms. Now, as climate change impacts intensify, they must find new ways to adapt. The Lake Chad Basin lies in the Sahel, on the southern edge of the Sahara. The basin is enormous, covering 2.5 million square kilometers (965,255 square miles), or 8% of the African continent, straddling eight countries. Lake Chad sits at the end point of this drainage basin, an unexpected bounty of water in a dry land.
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1 month ago | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
The Kimberley, the northernmost region of Australia’s largest jurisdiction, Western Australia, is remote and difficult to access due to its rugged terrain. With a permanent population of just 40,000 in an area roughly the size as California, it has become internationally renowned for its dramatic landscapes: researchers say the Kimberley houses the largest, most intact savanna on Earth, and is bounded by some of the most pristine oceans in the world.
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2 months ago | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
Pangolins, the world’s most trafficked mammals, hit the headlines more often for the illegal trade in their scales and meat than for their cherished role in their environment. As insectivores, these scaly anteaters feast on termites and ants and keep their numbers in check. By digging burrows with their powerful claws, they turn soil and cycle nutrients. Their abandoned burrows become home for many reptiles, birds and other small mammals.
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2 months ago | 
southafricatoday.net | Morgan Erickson-Davis
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, became an overnight sensation online. Videos of her were watched by millions. But conservationists say that popularity hasn’t resulted in any change on the ground for wild pygmy hippos, which are down to fewer than 2,500 animals in the wild. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo, where Moo Deng is housed, says it is working on a partnership with a conservation group to support research in the wild. See All Key Ideas2024 was a chaotic year.
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Dec 14, 2024 | 
envirolink.org | Morgan Erickson-Davis
Argan oil cooperatives in Morocco. Regreening Niger. Revitalizing a national park in Madagascar. Wildlife conservancies in Namibia. Cashew plantations in Burkina Faso. Beach management in Kenya. Agroforestry in Ghana. These are but a smattering of the many initiatives that have tried to reverse land degradation in Africa while improving people’s lives. Some succeeded, others failed, and as a recent study finds, the outcomes are devilishly difficult to predict.
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Dec 13, 2024 | 
news.mongabay.com | Morgan Erickson-Davis
Land degradation across Africa impacts the lives of rural Africans, who depend heavily on natural resources. Reversing land degradation while improving livelihoods can be tricky, and not all initiatives succeed. A recent Sustainability Science study examined 17 initiatives in 13 African nations to tease out what factors contribute to success or failure.
