Articles for category: Conservation, Ecology

A team of anti-poaching guards

The Threat of Poaching and What is Being Done to Combat It

Poaching, often referred to as the illegal hunting, capturing, or killing of wildlife, has been a significant threat to biodiversity across the globe. It involves the unlawful harvest of animals or plants and infringes upon the rights of wildlife, often leading to severe ecological imbalances. From iconic elephants and rhinos to rare orchids and marine ...

Australia’s Tree-Kangaroo: A Gravity-Defying Marsupial That Shouldn’t Exist, But Does

Australia’s Tree-Kangaroo: A Gravity-Defying Marsupial That Shouldn’t Exist, But Does

Annette Uy

Imagine a kangaroo, but instead of bounding across sunburnt plains, it’s leaping through the treetops, defying gravity with every move. That’s the tree-kangaroo—a bizarre, cuddly enigma of the Australian rainforests. With its teddy bear face, powerful limbs, and astonishing acrobatics, this marsupial seems more like a character from a fantasy novel than a real-life animal. ...

The Enigmatic Amazon Rainforest

The Tipping Point: How Close Is the Amazon to Becoming a Savanna?

Trizzy Orozco

The Amazon rainforest, often called the lungs of our planet, is teetering on the edge of an ecological cliff. Imagine walking beneath the towering emerald canopy, hearing the chorus of unseen creatures, and feeling the sticky warmth of life itself pulsing around you. Now, picture that same landscape transformed into a dry, open savanna—trees replaced ...

an aerial view of a deforestation in the middle of a forest

How Deforestation Is Threatening Biodiversity: Solutions to Protect the World’s Forests

Annette Uy

Forests are essential to the planet’s health, covering about 31% of the Earth’s land surface and housing approximately 80% of terrestrial animal species. Despite their importance, deforestation— the large-scale removal of forested land—continues to occur at an alarming rate. This process not only removes trees, which are vital for absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, ...

top view of red canyon

The Grand Canyon Is Still Getting Deeper — But Very, Very Sassily

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a place so wild, it can’t help but keep reinventing itself, refusing to just sit still and be admired. That’s the Grand Canyon—a jaw-dropping chasm that’s not only one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders, but also a geological drama queen. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the canyon keeps deepening, ...

A DNA helix.

How DNA Barcoding Helps Identify and Protect Wildlife

DNA barcoding is a scientific technique that uses a short genetic sequence from a standard part of the genome to identify species. Often compared to the way a supermarket scanner uses UPC barcodes to identify products, this method offers an efficient and reliable means of distinguishing between different species, even those that are closely related. ...

deforested area with green trees on brown soil

The Controversial Role of Deforestation in Protecting Human Livelihoods Versus Saving Forest Species

Annette Uy

Deforestation involves the large-scale removal of trees from forested areas. This practice, often driven by the growing demands of agriculture, urbanization, and industry, poses a complex dilemma: balancing the immediate needs of human livelihoods with the long-term necessity of conserving forest species. This duality leads to heated debates among environmentalists, economists, and policymakers alike. The ...