Year 13 - Biodiversity Under Threat

Rising population in Madagascar puts pressure on forests to "slash-and-burn" areas often rich in flora and fauna, to clear land to plant crops.

The government has refused to accept evidence for a ban on pesticides linked to bee decline.

Madagascar's lemurs - the world's most threatened primate - could be saved from extinction by eco-tourism, conservationists say. The big-eyed fluffy creatures are unique to the island but their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years. Now researchers have unveiled a survival plan that combines tourism with increased conservation efforts.

More dead birds eh?

Found by Toby

More than 80 elephants have been killed for their ivory by poachers who used cyanide to poison a water hole in Zimbabwe's largest game park.predators which feed on them.

The grumpy-looking, gelatinous blobfish has won a public vote to become the official mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

Oil exploration activities are thought to have caused an 'alarming' number of whale deaths off the Ghanaian coast.

Sponges soak up nutrients in seawater and turn them into food for reef organisms.

The MCS points to the latest data (pdf) from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea which shows that North Sea cod stocks are only slightly above what are considered safe levels for the species, despite a decrease in the amount fished.

Brazil says the rate of deforestation in the Amazon increased by 28% between August 2012 and last July, after years of decline.

Tiny particles of waste plastic that are ingested by shoreline "eco-engineer" worms may be negatively affecting biodiversity, a study says.

Environment secretary Owen Paterson has suggested 100 new trees could be planted for each ancient one destroyed

Three million cubic metres of sediment from dredging to expand a coal port will be dumped in the Great Barrier Reef marine park, after the park authority approved the move on Friday. The spoil resulting from the Abbot Point port project is to be dumped 24km away at a location near Bowen in north Queensland. The expansion, which hinged on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's approval of the dumping, means an extra 70m tonnes of coal each year, worth between $1.4bn and $2.8bn, will go through the port, which is also a gateway to the world heritage-listed reef.

Incredible photos of biodiversity hotspots in Australia

Pesticides affecting Canadian Biodiversity