Selangor’s fireflies, Borneo’s argus pheasant star in BBC Earth’s The Mating Game
Reading Time: 7 minutesCatch the footage in episode 3 of The Mating Game at 8.05pm today via UnifiTV Channel 501 and Astro Channel 554. Link: BBC Player | BBC Earth ANIMALS are not likely to show up for a photocall at the set. It is the filming crew that has to be up and ready and most of all […]
Gene Drives Offer Sustainable Management of Vector-Borne Diseases -Experts
Reading Time: 2 minutesDENGUE and Malaria are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause millions of deaths across the globe every year. Gene drives using genetically modified mosquitoes offer an effective, economical, and less labor-intensive solution to help fight lethal viral diseases. The webinar Can gene drive eliminate vector-borne diseases? was live-streamed via Zoom on July 8, 2021. It was hosted by ISAAA, in partnership with […]
Why the need to conserve our wildlife?
Reading Time: 4 minutesBY MUHAMMAD AZIM HAKIM BIN MOHD AZLI & DR HASMAHZAITI OMAR WILDLIFE – You will probably picture animals and plants, whenever you hear that term. Wildlife species inhabit distinct ecosystems from one another – such as the forests, deserts, oceans, lakes, grasslands, and any other areas. They are also referred to as undomesticated living organisms […]
FAO director-general stresses the crucial role of biodiversity in combating zoonotic diseases
Reading Time: 3 minutesROME: Emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental, animal and human health, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu reiterated FAO’s commitment to continue supporting the mainstreaming of biodiversity across agriculture and food sectors also by the Hand in Hand Initiative. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the close links between human, animal and environmental health, in a context of increased […]
Biodiversity is a bulwark for people, societies, economies and food security
Reading Time: 3 minutesBIODIVERSITY underpins most of the world’s economic activities, particularly in the agri-food sector, so the pace of its erosion must be contrasted with holistic, coherent and collective efforts, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said on Sept 30. “Its loss undermines global efforts to tackle poverty and hunger – no biodiversity, no food diversity,” he said in […]
Human intervention into caves good for fungi biodiversity
Reading Time: 3 minutesHUMAN intrusion into natural habitats of plants and animals is usually frowned upon by society, especially environmentalists. But this is not true when it comes to cave exploration, a leisure activity known as spelunking. According to a local scientist, intrusion of caves by tourists, [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] hobbyists and other enthusiasts is actually […]
A new species of diamond frog from northern Madagascar hops into the spotlight
Reading Time: 2 minutesDESPITE the active ongoing taxonomic progress on Madagascar’s frogs, the amphibian inventory of this hyper-diverse island is still very far from being complete. The known diversity of the diamond frog genus Rhombophryne in Madagascar has increased significantly (more than doubled!) over the last 10 years, but still there are several undescribed candidate species awaiting description. […]
Forests are critical for promoting pollination in agriculture and biodiversity, says FAO report
Reading Time: 2 minutesROME: Forests and trees are critical for promoting pollination by bees, butterflies and other animals, and there is an urgent need to stop their habitat degradation and safeguard biodiversity, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] The report jointly produced by FAO and Bioversity […]
National survey shows different bacteria on cell phones and shoes
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE largest study of its kind in the U.S. shows thousands of different types of bacteria living on cell phones and shoes, including groups that have barely been studied by scientists. “This highlights how much we have to learn about the microbial world around us,” said David Coil, a researcher at the University of California, […]
Mammoth Asian hornets spotted for first time in US
Reading Time: 2 minutesA DEADLY giant insect known as the “murder hornet” has been spotted for the first time in the United States, prompting fears it could decimate the honeybee population and creating a buzz on social media. Two of the wasps — the world’s largest hornet species — were discovered late last year in the western state […]