The secret of the survival of the turtles
A priori, the qualities of the Greek turtle (Testudo graeca) are all handicaps: it is very slow, small, it does not regulate its body temperature, it needs to hibernate and does not live as long a Galapagos turtles. However, recent studies indicate that the Greek turtle has a secret weapon: the capacity of the females […]
Ducks play an essential role in the dispersal of seeds according to an international study in which UMH took part
Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche researcher, Esther Sebastián González, has taken part in an international study of duck populations in the United Kingdom, France and Spain that concludes that ducks play an unknown and, at the same time, essential role in the dispersal of seeds. The research has been accepted for publication in the […]
Hidden biodiversity: cetacean parasites
Parasitism is the most widespread life strategy in the living world. It could be said that parasites represent the largest group of species on the planet and are obviously an integral part of biodiversity. As Carl Zimmer says in his book Parasites (Capitán Swing, Madrid, 2016), a healthy ecosystem is full of parasites. Despite this […]
Two insecticides recommended in pest management negatively affect beneficial insects through honeydew
A study by the University of Valencia (UV), the CSIC, the CIDE (Desertification Research Centre) and the Valencian Institute for Agrarian Research (IVIA) shows that pymetrozine and flonicamide, two insecticides recommended in some integrated management programs pests (GIP), can negatively affect biological control agents when they feed on honeydew. The work, applied to citrus fruits, has been published in the journal Environmental Pollution.