— the permian basin petroleum association and other oil and natural gas industry groups sued the agency, claiming the designation was too strong. environmental groups also sued, claiming the government did not go far enough and that the lesser prairie chicken should have been listed as “endangered” instead of “threatened.” read article : lesser prairie chicken removed from endangered species list
art ecology science & animals
From July, 2016
THESE ARE PRIMITIVE WORLDS?
— the research teased out these details by using 21,946 fossil specimens from areas of nevada in the us and the yukon in canada that were once ancient sea beds to paint a picture of graptolite evolution. the analysis found that as ocean circulation patterns began to shift hundreds of thousands of years before the ordovician extinction, graptolite communities that previously included a rich array of both shallow- and deep-sea species began to lose their diversity and complexity. read article : zooplankton warn us, extinction has a tipping point
SUED BY THE OIL INDUSTRY
— “we’re here to continue to work with our partners and try to enhance the conservation actions that are occurring on the ground. our endgame is the conservation of species.” read article : lesser prairie chicken removed from threatened and endangered species list
A GENTLE GIANT’S NEXT LEVEL
— the iucn is the most comprehensive and recognized listing of the status of species in the world. the list categories range from least concern (lu), meaning the species is still widespread and abundant, to extinct (e), meaning there are no known individuals still existing, whether in the wild or in captivity. the whale shark was previously classified as vulnerable (vu), this next level, endangered (en), kicks this status up to a high risk of extinction. read article it’s official: ‘butanding’ an endangered species
WELL DONE SMALL ONE
— thanks to the powerful conservation tools provided by the esa and the work of countless dedicated people, plovers are steadily recovering. hardly are plovers alone in their slow but encouraging return. that important point was driven home by a new study by the center for biological diversity showing that a remarkable 85 percent of all u.s. continental birds currently protected by the endangered species act are increasing or stabilized. read article : rebound of great lakes plovers a sign that endangered species act works
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
— the baird’s sparrow, the horned grebe and the buff-breasted sandpiper were listed as species of special concern under the species at risk act (sara). eight other wildlife species in other provinces were also added, while a handful of others that were already on the list received new designations.the additions stem from recommendations made by the committee on the status of endangered wildlife in canada (cosewic). read article : manitoba birds listed as species at risk
THE ANNIVERSARY
— “if you’re in research work you’re an optimist, you have to be. sometimes natural optimism makes us be too hopeful about what can be achieved. i think perhaps we are slowly learning to be more realistic and not make the same mistake again.” read article : dolly the sheep creator calls for biobank to save endangered animals more : twenty years on from dolly the sheep
LOCKING UP NATURE TO KEEP IT WILD
— shallower than rain pits, the clustered dimples in soft sand are rendered almost flat by the harsh desert light. yet christine ellis reads the ground as she walks. “look here, it went that way” she says. “we always follow the freshest tracks, some cats are smarter than other cats … we follow them till they get tired, maybe get blisters on their feet. then we hit them with a crowbar.” read article : the feral-proof fence
TRANQUIL TRANSITIONING
— known as a vacancy chain, it’s a term originally used by social scientists to describe a way that people trade resources. you can see it all unfold in this wonderful bbc1 video, consider it a lesson from the crustacean world. read article/watch video : hermit crabs swapping shells is a crazy remarkable thing
MIND-BLOWINGLY COOL
—tiny wings entombed in amber reveal that plumage (the layering, patterning, coloring, and arrangement of feathers) seen in birds today already existed a hundred million years ago. a study published in nature communications and funded in part by the national geographic society’s expeditions council, indicated they most likely belonged to enantiornithes that became extinct at the end of the cretaceous period. read article : rare dinosaur-era bird wings found trapped in amber more : bird wings from age of dinosaurs found trapped in amber
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