#biodiversity

#biodiversity

The Royal Parks has transformed the former brownfield site into a 8,000 sq metre paradise for flora and fauna, bringing about an estimated 184% increase in biodiverse wildlife habitat.

Fungi are some of the most important things in the world. They feed 90% of terrestrial plants. Without them, there is no life on the Earth.

Peat bogs provide huge value to humans and the environment. When healthy, they store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests, reducing global emissions.

Conservation efforts along the 153 miles of the River Thames have delivered mixed results for wildlife, according to a new report that finds improvements in some species and habitats alongside emerging threats from climate change and pollution. Researchers recorded increases in several wading bird species, marine mammals and restored natural habitats, including intertidal areas that act as nurseries for many fish. The river continues to support a surprising range of wildlife, with seahorses, eels, seals and even sharks - including tope, starry smoothhound and spurdog - now documented in the Thames.

You have probably heard about voluntary carbon offset-if not from elsewhere, from buying plane tickets, where, after you have paid for the ticket, the tax, the seats, maybe the luggage fee, and the priority boarding, you have an option to also pay to offset your carbon footprint. Companies get to do this, too, and, unlike you, they get to brag about it.

I felt that this is something that I could do personally, in order to address the problem of biodiversity decline and global warming, he said.

These specially designed bricks provide nesting space for declining bird species like swifts, and new government guidance now expects them in all new homes. Understanding how this policy works, how it could affect your planning application, and what it actually means in practice could save you headaches - and ensure your build ticks the ecological boxes planners are increasingly looking for.

Using pollen data from six lake sediment cores, researchers reconstructed 4,000 years of plant diversity in the western Lake Constance region. Their analysis shows a 48% rise in plant richness between 500 and 1000 CE, during which the number of estimated plant taxa increased from around 27 to 40. Shannon's Diversity Index - a standard measure of ecological diversity - increased by 23%, which corresponds to a 65% rise in the effective number of taxa.

Streets look better with trees. Sure, some might drop sap on your motor, but there's no denying that a road framed by leafy greens is much nicer on the eyes (not to mention better for the lungs). One of London's poshest retail destinations is the latest part of the capital to benefit from a green makeover. Sloane Street, a one-kilometre stretch which runs between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square, has been transformed with new trees, plant beds and wider pavements.