Topic
Biodiversity research, explained
8 open-access biodiversity studies, each with a flashcard deck and a quiz.
- How many species live on Earth and in the ocean?
A validated taxonomic extrapolation estimates ~8.7 million eukaryotic species on Earth, with most still undescribed.
- Plant gene duplicates after polyploidy cycles
Across plant genomes, WGD and other duplication modes leave distinct, lineage-biased duplicate landscapes.
- What makes Apis cerana’s genome distinctive?
The Asian honey bee genome reveals expanded chemosensory receptors (Ors/Grs/Irs) central to chemical communication and colony life.
- How will climate and land use hit bird diversity?
Integrating climate and land-use change via land-cover exposure projects substantial impacts on global bird diversity, with clear ecological assumptions.
- Aspergillus genomic diversity
Comparative genomics shows Aspergillus species share genome size but harbor large lineage-specific gene sets.
- Pollinator diversity stabilizes plant communities
Mixing pollinator functional groups increases plant community persistence via complementary pollination.
- Planning reserves for ecosystem services
Ecosystem services and biodiversity map differently, so conservation plans face spatial tradeoffs.
- Where should new protected areas go?
Most threatened vertebrates are inadequately protected; expanding reserves by cost or ecoregions alone poorly covers imperiled species.