Rémy Cointreau’s Post

🌿 Drawing on the dedicated work of the BSBI Plant Atlas 2020, contributed to by #TeamRBGE, the newly released #StateOfNature reports that Scotland has a Biodiversity Intactness Index of just 45%, compared to the global average of 77%. Since 1970, 47% of our flowering plants and 62% of bryophytes (mosses and related groups) in Scotland have been lost from areas they used to thrive in. A worrying 15% of Scotland's plants are threatened with extinction.   We know that both conservation action and policy can have an impact on these figures. In the run up to the global biodiversity conference COP15 last year, we shared a series of articles introducing Scotland's leaders in Biodiversity Conservation Science, working to combat the current state of nature across a wide variety of projects. Read more: https://rbge.cc/3ZJAz9t   From conservation geneticist Dr Aline Finger's work combining genetics and ecology to save species from extinction, as part of the Net Zero Scotland's Nature Restoration Fund with NatureScot, to Dr Rebecca Yahr's focus on the protection of nature's under-sung heroes, the plants, fungi and lichens that underpin ecosystems, teams at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh are playing a vital part in efforts to conserve and protect Scotland's biodiversity for the future.   Over 60 organisations, including the Botanics, have come together to produce the UK's most comprehensive nature report. Read more in the #StateOfNature report: https://lnkd.in/eXzkW3mR

It's pretty common knowledge (even outside of biodiversity circles) that earthworms are important for both soil and decomposition. However, what is less commonly understood is that different earthworms play different roles in this process, with some species breaking down animal and plant waste material into soil (formed from earthworm casts) and others breaking this soil down further. As we go down through the soil profile, more species get involved in the decomposition process. In the UK we have 30 different species of earthworm. Only a handful of them are reasonably well-studied when it comes to their ecology - and these are pretty much exclusively the species that you find in agricultural soils, so we still have a lot to learn about the roles that different species play.

It's pretty common knowledge (even outside of biodiversity circles) that earthworms are important for both soil and decomposition. However, what is less commonly understood is that different earthworms play different roles in this process, with some species breaking down animal and plant waste material into soil (formed from earthworm casts) and others breaking this soil down further. As we go down through the soil profile, more species get involved in the decomposition process. In the UK we have 30 different species of earthworm. Only a handful of them are reasonably well-studied when it comes to their ecology - and these are pretty much exclusively the species that you find in agricultural soils, so we still have a lot to learn about the roles that different species play.

the Hidden World of Black Coral forests https://rdcu.be/dE7yG Black corals play a crucial role in mesophotic environments between 50 and 200 m depth, where they form forests that host high biodiversity, most of which is composed of tiny creatures named epifauna. Amphipods, small crustaceans, are abundant in several marine habitats but no studies have yet focused on amphipods associated with black corals. We studied a black coral forest at 70 m depth off the Canary Islands, focussing on the epifaunal communities living among the black coral colonies of Antipathella wollastoni, and we found that 98% of epifaunal community is composed of amphipods belonging to six distinct taxa. But the real excitement arrived when we stumbled upon a brand-new genus and species of amphipod, Wollastenothoe minuta which resulted by far the most abundant amphipod living on Antipathella wollastoni colonies. For the first time, we've uncovered the special bond between an amphipod species and black corals, revealing a strong link between coral colony size and amphipod abundance. This groundbreaking study sheds light on the mysterious world of mesophotic black coral forests and underscores the need for further exploration and conservation efforts.  Check out our new paper at this link https://rdcu.be/dE7yG CNRS ECOAQUA Sorbonne Université UNDER THE POLE DYNAMICNORD Bigblue Dive Lights Fondation BNP Paribas

It's LAUNCH day! So we're marking the occasion by releasing this free list of the top 50 most common British #trees 🌳 🌲 🌴 . We analysed 3 MILLION records from the National Biodiversity Network Trust to provide this resource. Here's a rundown of the top 10: #1 - Hawthorn Thorny hedgerow bush which can also grow as a small tree, and does well in exposed areas - it is resistant to goats and salt spray. #2 - Ash Fast-growing deciduous tree which is prone to Ash dieback fungus. Comes into leaf late, allowing plants beneath to flower in spring. #3 - Sycamore (non-native) Fast-growing invasive non-native with large leaves which shade out the forest floor below, and helicopter seeds. Often grown in parks. #4 - Elder Resilient small tree with gnarly bark which can survive harsh conditions and produces abundant berries and flowers in summer. #5 - Hazel Fast-growing small tree which coppices readily, producing straight rod-like stems with silver bark and edible hazelnuts in autumn. #6 - English Oak Culturally-important and biodiverse large, slow-growing tree with densely-grooved bark and acorns - grows best in open grassland. #7 - Holly Small, slow-growing evergreen tree with prickly leaves which lose their prickles higher up. Red berries are ideal for birds in winter. #8 - Blackthorn Fast-growing, thorny hedgerow bush which can also be grown as a small tree, and is resilient to harsh conditions but spreads vigorously. #9 - Alder Fast-growing river and pond edge tree with similar appearance to Hazel, but seeds instead of nuts. Susceptible to drought and heat. #10 - Common Sallow / Grey Willow Fast-growing small tree of wet ground, with a silver sheen to the leaves and a round, bushy form. High value to biodiversity. You can see the full list here: https://lnkd.in/eCRhTWY7 Members get access to not only more trees (180 in all), but more information, too - including timber and edible fruit information. The list was created by analysing total NBN records for each species. There are some things to note with this approach: - These records go back more than a century - Some species have increased or decreased in abundance over that time - Recent years are overrepresented, which helps to control for this effect - Rarer native trees are of more interest to ecologists than commercially-grown crops, which may cause crops to be underrepresented in the data Overall, we found that the results were fairly consistent with our expectations. But what do you think? #ecology #rewilding #biodiversity #gardening #environment

In our new paper we explore trends in floristic similarity between 15 sites, on 13 South Pacific islands over the last 5000 years https://lnkd.in/dsWEJb8n Our analysis shows that floristic homogenisation began earlier than previously thought, with initial human settlement, ~3000 & ~700 years ago. Some higher elevation sites exhibit less homogenisation. These findings add context to our understanding of large-scale island biodiversity patterns & how humans have & continue to alter the ecosystems they inhabit.

The article, published in a well-reputed journal, delves into the field of melissopalynology, which is the study of pollen contained in honey. It investigates the pollen diversity in various honey samples from different geographic regions, providing insights into the floral sources utilized by bees. The study highlights the importance of melissopalynology in understanding bee foraging behavior, biodiversity, and the authenticity and quality of honey products. The findings contribute to broader ecological and agricultural research, emphasizing the role of bees in pollination and the maintenance of biodiversity. #Melissopalynology #Honey_bees_interaction #Pollination

Spotlight on #NewSpecies2023 🐟 Indian Cave Mahseer 🧑🔬 Researchers: Dahanukar N, Sundar RL, Rangad D, Proudlove G, Raghavan R 📍 Location: Caves in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, Northeast India The world's largest known cavefish likely hadn't met humans before, so approached the team that discovered them and ate cookies straight out of their hands 🍪 Read all about this new species, and the 242 more described in 2023: https://buff.ly/3iGq5CU The New Species Report is an annual report from SHOAL, compiling newly discovered and described freshwater fish species to help raise awareness and increase the chances of freshwater biodiversity conservation receiving much needed funding before it is too late. The report is created with the support of IUCN SSC, Freshwater Fish Specialist Group and the California Academy of sciences. #NewSpecies #FreshwaterConvservation

Non-native species likely to continue spreading in North America, Australia and Europe Naturalized species, which are not native but have established themselves in new locations, have the potential to spread even further to suitable habitats in many parts of the world, reports a new study by Henry Häkkinen, Dave Hodgson and Regan Early at the University of Exeter, UK, publishing November 14thin the open access journal PLOS Biology. Understanding and predicting where introduced species will spread is one of the key conservation and ecological challenges of the 21st century. However, we know little about what causes one species to spread rapidly, while another species remains in small, isolated populations for years. In … Read More » Naturalized species, which are not native but have established themselves in new locations, have the potential to spread even further to suitable habitats in many parts of the world, reports a new study by Henry Häkkinen, Dave Hodgson and Regan Early at the University of Exeter, UK, publishing November 14thin the open access journal PLOS Biology. Understanding and predicting where introduced species will spread is one of the key conservation and ecological challenges of the 21st century. However, we know little about what causes one species to spr...

Don’t miss this webinar on the Global Biodiversity Standard! In my vision, standards help us measure and implement. Moreover, one of the outcomes of regenerative agriculture is precisely the increase in biodiversity.