Ben Lybarger

As habitat and biodiversity loss increase globally, the novel coronavirus outbreak may be just the beginning of mass pandemics Author: John Vidal Top photo: Illicit Endangered Wildlife Trade in Möng La, Shan, Myanmar, courtesy of Dan Bennett from Wikimedia (CC BY 2.0). This article originally appeared at Ensia.com and is reproduced here under Creative Commons licensing (CC BY-ND 3.0) Mayibout 2 is not a healthy place.

Ecosystem services such as pollination and carbon storage are increasingly factored into land management decisions. But what about less tangible benefits? Author: Olivia McRae Top Photo: Ben Lybarger This article originally appeared at Ensia.com and is reproduced here under Creative Commons licensing (CC BY-ND 3.0) Ecosystem services such as pollination and carbon storage are increasingly factored into land management decisions. But what about less tangible benefits?

A large fraction of seeds planted in most major crops (e.g., corn, soybean, canola, cotton, wheat) are now pre-coated with neonicotinoids (systemic insecticides highly effective against insects feeding on sap or leaves). They bind to receptors in the insect’s central nervous system, stimulating the nervous system at low concentrations, or creating paralysis and death at high concentrations.