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A lot of attention has been paid to the decrease in bee populations and other pollinators, but a recent review article makes the case that we should be equally alarmed by the declining numbers of seed-dispersing animals, which are crucial for growing healthy forests. “Both are important and should be taken into account in restoration and conservation projects,” study co-author Mauro Galetti, director of São Paulo State University’s Center for Research on Biodiversity [...]

More than 2,000 terrestrial vertebrate species face a high risk of extinction from natural hazards, including hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, according to a first-of-its-kind study. Nearly 70% of the high-risk species live exclusively on islands, highlighting the particular vulnerability of island ecosystems. Only 15% of high-risk species have specific conservation plans in place, while approximately 30% have their entire known range outside protected [...]

A “remarkably well-preserved” fossil discovered in Brazil, dating back 113 million years, is now the oldest ant to have ever been found by scientists, a new study has revealed. The ancient fossil was found preserved in a limestone and “represents the earliest undisputed ant known to science,” the authors write in the study. The limestone, originating from the Crato Formation, a fossil site in Ceará state in northeastern Brazil, where several prehistoric [...]

A recent study reveals the potential risk of river water flowing underground in Brazil due to high groundwater extraction, which could lead to losses in streamflow. Researchers found a correlation between groundwater use and river flow reductions, particularly in dryland areas. Overexploitation of groundwater could severely affect Brazil’s agriculture, energy production, and ecosystems, with illegal and unregistered wells likely contributing to the problem. Experts stress the [...]

According to a study, global warming will increase droughts in up to 33% of the habitats of frogs, toads and treefrogs; in Brazil, the strongest impacts will be felt on the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest — precisely those with the greatest diversity of amphibians. Drought and amphibians are not a viable combination: These animals depend on water and humidity to survive; without that, they may dehydrate in a few hours and die. The Atlantic Forest is home to more than 700 species of [...]

Ancient Amazonians of the Casarabe culture (500-1400 CE) built an innovative dual water management system of drainage canals and ponds, enabling year-round corn cultivation in what is now modern-day Bolivia. These complex societies created massive earthen mounds, roads and canals, forming “low-density urbanism” across the landscape, which remained hidden until revealed by lidar technology. European diseases killed the majority of Indigenous populations, erasing much evidence [...]

Numerous projects are measuring the impacts of plastics in Brazilian seas; methods range from beach sampling to analysis of mollusk digestive tracts. Brazil discards 3.4 million tons of plastic every year, a third of which reaches the coast; it is estimated that between 86 million and 150 million tons of plastic residue have accumulated in the ocean here. A bill has been introduced in Brazil to promote plastic recycling. On the global level, the Global Plastics Treaty is being negotiated [...]

Across the Amazon, archaeological remains indicate that the human presence in the rainforest is much older, larger and more widespread than previously thought. Researchers in Brazil are lobbying to register archaeological sites as national monuments, which would confer a new layer of protection status to parts of the rainforest. Earthen mounds known as geoglyphs, for instance, have been revealed to stretch from Acre state north into neighboring Amazonas; formally recognizing them under [...]

A study using detailed 3D imagery found that the carbon released by roads, selective logging, fires and natural disturbances in the southern Brazilian Amazon are not fully reflected in the country’s carbon emissions reporting. The high-resolution findings are thought to be unprecedented, offering precision insights into major land use changes that ultimately impact climate change. Indigenous and protected areas in the Amazon show significantly less degradation, highlighting their [...]