ALERT Conservation Blogs — ALERT

Do forests function like 'biotic pumps' for rainfall?

RainforestsBill LauranceFebruary 10, 2014climate, rainfall, forests, deforestation, biotic pump, evapotranspiration, water vapor Comment

Conservation corridors: a hot topic

Conservation, Editors PicksBill LauranceFebruary 7, 2014conservation corridor, wildlife corridor, habitat fragmentation, wounded landscapes, extinction, Stuart Pimm, deforestation, faunal movement, forest carbon, REDD, climate changeComment

China acknowledges role in global elephant slaughter

Conservation, Most PopularBill LauranceFebruary 7, 2014elephants, illegal ivory, ivory, China, illegal wildlife trade, blood ivory, poaching, Chinese government, African elephant, Asian elephantComment

Australia called 'most hostile' to the environment

PoliticsBill LauranceFebruary 5, 2014environmental protection, Australia, Tony Abbott, Liberal-National Coalition, protected areas, national parks, Great Barrier Reef, sharks, illegal loggingComment

ALERT helps lead efforts to protect 'Heart of the Jungle'

ConservationBill LauranceFebruary 4, 2014one-horned rhinoceros, Indian rhinoceros, Chitwan National Park, Nepal, poaching, rhino horn, railroad, roads, habitat fragmentation, endangered species, Heart of the JungleComment

Will Australia back-slide on its illegal logging bill?

ConservationBill LauranceJanuary 31, 2014illegal logging, illegal logging bill, Australia, conservative government, anti-illegal logging bill, deforestation, illegal trade, organized crime, LNP government, Tony Abbott, Lacey Act, FLEGTComment

Massive oil palm project threatens biodiversity in Cameroon

Infrastructure ExpansionBill LauranceJanuary 30, 2014oil palm, Cameroon, primates, Herakles, deforestation, buffer zones, protected areas, national parks, drivers of deforestationComment

For populations of endangered species, how small is too small?

ConservationBill LauranceJanuary 29, 2014endangered species, 50/500 rule, genetic management, effective population size, rare species, random demographic events, minimum critical population size, population viability analysis, scientific debateComment

Earth's big predators 'being decimated'

ConservationBill LauranceJanuary 29, 2014predators, carnivores, apex predators, mammals, extinction, hunting, trapping, habitat loss, tigers, bears, wild dogs, sea otters, big catsComment

How does forest fragmentation affect birds?

Infrastructure Expansion, ConservationBill LauranceJanuary 29, 2014birds, bird communities, tropical forests, habitat fragmentation, deforestation, insectivores, frugivores, ecosystem services, ripple effects, temperate forests, temperate ecosystems, global analysis, meta-analysis, extinction, fragment sizeComment

Agriculture will massively impact the tropics

Agriculture will massively impact the tropics

Where should roads go and not go?

Infrastructure ExpansionBill LauranceJanuary 25, 2014roads, deforestation, global road map, forest conservation, hunting, agriculture, yield gaps, highways, land-use zoning, protected area, parksComment

Landmark precedent: Indonesian courts found palm oil company guilty of illegally burning in Leuser Ecosystem

PoliticsEllen FieldJanuary 13, 2014Leuser Ecosystem, Indonesia, PT Kallista Alam, court rulingComment

100,000 flying foxes die in Australian heat wave

100,000 flying foxes die in Australian heat wave

Flying foxes die en masse when the thermometer hits 41 degrees C

WildlifeBill LauranceJanuary 8, 2014flying fox, fruit bat, Australia, heat wave, global warming, Queensland, wildlifeComment

The year's top stories for tropical forests

The year's top stories for tropical forests

RainforestsBill LauranceJanuary 3, 2014tropical forests, Malaysia, Indonesia, Amazon, Brazil, deforestation, logging, Borneo, oil palm, zero deforestation, Asian Pulp & Paper, paper pulp plantations, deforestation drivers, overhuntingComment

Are vines taking over the world?

RainforestsBill LauranceJanuary 1, 2014vines, global change, climate change, lianas, forest ecology, forest conservationComment

Should conservationists fight for the past or the future?

ConservationBill LauranceDecember 26, 2013conservation strategy, extinction, conservation debate, AmazonComment

How many species will go extinct?

ConservationBill LauranceDecember 21, 2013extinction, species extinction, species-area curves, global biodiversity, Stuart PimmComment

ALERT supports online petition for Leuser Ecosystem

Conservation, Editors PicksEllen FieldDecember 20, 2013Sumatra, Leuser Ecosystem, World Heritage, elephant, orangutan, tiger, rhinoceros, rainforest, ALERT

Forests reduce flooding

Rainforests, Most PopularBill LauranceDecember 20, 2013floods, flooding, ecosystem services, rainforest, hydrologyComment