State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

wildlife2

  • Wildlife: The Other High-Value Resource

    Wildlife: The Other High-Value Resource

    As wildlife trafficking has become more lucrative, widespread and organized over the past few years, the definition of high-value natural resources should be modified to include the commercial values of wildlife and its products.

  • Reflections on an Ecological Study Abroad Experience

    Reflections on an Ecological Study Abroad Experience

    “Everything is so alive in the forest. After a nice summer rain it teems with insects, birds and the famous coquis, Puerto Rico’s native frogs. The song of the coquis take a little getting used to, but they soon lull you to sleep in the humid nights,” says Jennifer Mendez, a student in the first…

  • Scientists Discover New Species of Monkey

    Scientists Discover New Species of Monkey

    In a gigantic and remote rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a team of scientists have discovered a new species of Old World monkey known as the “Lesula.”

  • Study Rainforest Ecology in Puerto Rico with SEE-U

    Study Rainforest Ecology in Puerto Rico with SEE-U

    The SEE-U Puerto Rico course provides students with a total immersion experience into the ecology and dynamics of a fragile and threatened environmental system.

  • Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    As holidays approach and we plan our ‘seasonal’ migrations to see our families, many other species are making their own migrations — though with a few more snafus than we humans might hit.

  • The Buzz on Elephants

    The Buzz on Elephants

    African-born, Oxford-trained biologist Lucy King recently won an award for a promising solution to a longstanding problem in Africa—elephants raiding crops.

  • How Coffee Affects Biodiversity

    How Coffee Affects Biodiversity

    S. Amanda Caudill is currently evaluating mammal biodiversity in coffee dominated regions in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Her findings will help determine which habitat parameters are important to the mammals and shape suggestions on how to enhance the habitat.

  • Two Wren Brains Are Better Than One

    Two Wren Brains Are Better Than One

    When researchers observed activity in the brains of plain-tailed wrens while singing, they discovered something striking: In both sexes, the neurons reacted more strongly to the duet song than individual contributions — they are seemingly wired to enhance cooperation.

  • White-Nose Syndrome is Driving Conservation Batty

    White-Nose Syndrome is Driving Conservation Batty

    Scientists report in a recently published article in Nature that the fungus Geomyces destructans found on bats afflicted with White Nose Syndrome is the primary cause of the disease. However, amidst all the muck of doom and gloom, researchers report in the July issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases that affected bats can be…

  • Wildlife: The Other High-Value Resource

    Wildlife: The Other High-Value Resource

    As wildlife trafficking has become more lucrative, widespread and organized over the past few years, the definition of high-value natural resources should be modified to include the commercial values of wildlife and its products.

  • Reflections on an Ecological Study Abroad Experience

    Reflections on an Ecological Study Abroad Experience

    “Everything is so alive in the forest. After a nice summer rain it teems with insects, birds and the famous coquis, Puerto Rico’s native frogs. The song of the coquis take a little getting used to, but they soon lull you to sleep in the humid nights,” says Jennifer Mendez, a student in the first…

  • Scientists Discover New Species of Monkey

    Scientists Discover New Species of Monkey

    In a gigantic and remote rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a team of scientists have discovered a new species of Old World monkey known as the “Lesula.”

  • Study Rainforest Ecology in Puerto Rico with SEE-U

    Study Rainforest Ecology in Puerto Rico with SEE-U

    The SEE-U Puerto Rico course provides students with a total immersion experience into the ecology and dynamics of a fragile and threatened environmental system.

  • Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    As holidays approach and we plan our ‘seasonal’ migrations to see our families, many other species are making their own migrations — though with a few more snafus than we humans might hit.

  • The Buzz on Elephants

    The Buzz on Elephants

    African-born, Oxford-trained biologist Lucy King recently won an award for a promising solution to a longstanding problem in Africa—elephants raiding crops.

  • How Coffee Affects Biodiversity

    How Coffee Affects Biodiversity

    S. Amanda Caudill is currently evaluating mammal biodiversity in coffee dominated regions in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Her findings will help determine which habitat parameters are important to the mammals and shape suggestions on how to enhance the habitat.

  • Two Wren Brains Are Better Than One

    Two Wren Brains Are Better Than One

    When researchers observed activity in the brains of plain-tailed wrens while singing, they discovered something striking: In both sexes, the neurons reacted more strongly to the duet song than individual contributions — they are seemingly wired to enhance cooperation.

  • White-Nose Syndrome is Driving Conservation Batty

    White-Nose Syndrome is Driving Conservation Batty

    Scientists report in a recently published article in Nature that the fungus Geomyces destructans found on bats afflicted with White Nose Syndrome is the primary cause of the disease. However, amidst all the muck of doom and gloom, researchers report in the July issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases that affected bats can be…