Topic archive
Comprehensive resource covering the science, conservation, and management of natural ecosystems and species.
Natural capital is a framework that treats ecosystems and natural resources as assets providing essential services, aiming to integrate environmental values into economic decision-making.…
Constructed wetlands are engineered systems that use natural processes involving wetland vegetation, soils, and their associated microbial communities to remove nutrients such as nitrogen…
Key Takeaways Extinction debt is the future extinction of species that is expected to occur as a result of past or current habitat destruction…
Blue carbon refers to the carbon dioxide captured and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems, primarily mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. These habitats sequester…
The background extinction rate is the natural, long-term rate at which species disappear due to normal evolutionary and environmental processes, excluding mass extinction events.…
Genetic diversity is the variety of genes within a species, enabling adaptation, while functional diversity refers to the range of biological traits that influence…
Keystone species have a disproportionately large effect on their ecosystem relative to their abundance, while indicator species signal the health or condition of an…
Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, are essential for the reproduction of many flowering plants, including a significant portion of global food crops.…
Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human well-being. They include provisioning services like food and water, regulating services such…
Rewilding is a conservation strategy that aims to restore ecosystems by reintroducing native species and allowing natural processes to shape the landscape. It seeks…
