South Africa's Succulent Karoo, a global biodiversity hotspot, is under severe threat from a sophisticated international plant trafficking operation. What was once dismissed as niche plant collecting has evolved into organised environmental crime, with millions of rare, endemic succulents illegally harvested and sold globally, pushing species like Conophytum to functional extinction. Efforts to combat this crisis face challenges from porous borders, limited resources, and socio-economic drivers, but coordinated enforcement and new forensic tools offer hope.

As nations race to restore ecosystems and curb climate change, research has shown that letting nature do the work is a cost-effective, viable solution. A study from the University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle found that natural forest regeneration delivered substantial carbon and biodiversity benefits and could be up to 96% cheaper than traditional tree-planting programs. The work is published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Quote of the Day by David Attenborough: “No one will protect the natural world we dont care about...” highlights a fundamental truth about human conviction: care stems from direct engagement, not abstract policy. Beyond global mandates, lasting environmental conservation requires firsthand experience with the living world. When people grow distant from nature, responsibility fades. True ecological stewardship emerges only when individuals build a meaningful relationship with the outdoors. Attenborough reminds us that preserving global biodiversity begins not with guilt, but by fostering active curiosity and shared wonder in everyday life.

The global push for solar energy expansion could carry hidden biodiversity costs, according to a study across China published in the journal Science on Thursday.

Rest of World News: Discover the evolution of the Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA) in Mexico, where life-size human statues submerged in the Caribbean Sea foster coral growth and biodiversity, creating a unique underwater ecosystem and art installation.

Europe's major rivers are reaching record lows following sustained heat and drought — a warning sign of an increasing global water crisis. Australian rivers are also losing water, with serious consequences for the environment, biodiversity and people.

UK News: In 2011, planning began for a solar farm on the Broxted Estate in Suffolk, and by December 2013, the site was generating electricity for the first tim.

Author summary Identifying genetic variants in human and non-human species is important across agriculture, biotechnology, ecology, and evolution. However, sequencing machines are not perfect, and they often produce errors that look like real mutations. A key challenge is to develop computational workflows that reliably filter out these errors and find true genetic variations. Here, we report that standard workflows are largely optimized for human genomes and introduce systematic biases when applied to non-human species. To solve this, we developed a simple and portable workflow called “pseudo-database” (pseudoDB). Instead of relying on external information, this approach uses the raw sequencing data to build its own internal benchmark, allowing it to reduce technical noise without needing any prior genomic knowledge. We find that the pseudoDB workflow outperforms existing approaches across a diverse range of species, including brown bear, swan goose, and stevia. Notably, we uncovered tens of thousands of variants in overlooked regions that control how genes are regulated. This work levels the playing field for non-human research and enables the optimal use of genomic technology for biodiversity conservation and improving global food security.

Nature provides resources to society, and the diversity of species (think of pollinators, for example) is expected to underpin human economies. So why are the poorest countries also those richest in wildlife, containing a high number of different species? The reason, according to new research, is that colonial exploitation of that biodiversity by now-rich countries created poverty legacies that persist today.

Pune’s Agharkar Research Institute discovers two new Psammophaga foraminifera species in Rajapuri Creek, boosting insight into Konkan marine biodiversity.

The Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) is preparing to issue Thailand’s second sustainability-linked bond (SLB), aiming to raise 15 billion baht through a 15-year issuance tied to the country’s climate and biodiversity goals.

Portugal’s 400-year-old Buçaco Forest has joined a rare group of certified therapeutic forests, recognised for its unique landscape, biodiversity, microclimate and potential benefits for health and wellbeing., Travel, Times Now

Fin octobre, LFI reproposera l’interdiction de l’acétamipride à l’Assemblée. Mathilde Panot dénonce la réintroduction de pesticides néfastes pour la biodiversité et la santé humaine, jugée contraire à l'« intérêt général ».

Activist Catherine Murupenga-Ikenn discusses food sovereignty, Māori leadership and challenging colonial frameworks in an interview with Agroecology Now!

Recent record-breaking sea temperatures in Europe have been primarily driven by human-caused climate change, posing severe risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. These high temperatures, which have been unprecedented in recorded history, threaten biodiversity and coastal livelihoods, altering ecosystems relied upon for nutrition and economic stability.

According to a study by Brazilian scientists published in the journal npj Biodiversity, most new mammal species described over the past 35 years are housed in institutions in countries of the so-called Global North, even though the vast majority were discovered in poor or developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

Convertir 1 million d’hectares de terres céréalières à l’agriculture de conservation d’ici 2030 est l’un des objectifs de la stratégie Génération Green.

"The connection to Wales is very real... global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse pose risks to national security and prosperity, including our food, water, health, economy and supply chains"

Rest of World News: In the 1960s, Juan Guillermo Garcés, a teen rancher, shifted from cattle farming to conservation in Colombia after a near-fatal fire. Discover how he established a 7,400-acre wildlife refuge supporting biodiversity in the Río Claro region.

Scientists identified a new underground eel species in Bihar after tracing a fish seen in a TikTok video. The find marks the first recorded subterranean fish from the Ganga Basin and underscores gaps in knowledge of underground biodiversity.