After studying vampire bat relationships in captivity, researchers at the Smithsonian in Panama released the bats into the wild colony where they originally came from. Using proximity sensors, they discovered that bats stayed close to the same individuals from their captive roost.

Researchers classify 258 protected areas in Brazil as 'moderately vulnerable' and 17 as 'highly vulnerable'. Areas at greatest risk are in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest and Cerrado biomes.

Larvae of a fungus gnat found in Iporanga, São Paulo State, Brazil, have bioluminescent properties previously observed only in species native to North America, New Zealand and Asia. This study paves the way for new biotech applications.

In the last decade, Ethiopia has invested more than US$1.2 billion annually in restoring landscapes in several regions of the country. Research led by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) takes stock of Ethiopia's major restoration projects and investigates their impact on ecosystem services. Researchers say their work can help policymakers tailor future restoration actions to specific ecosystem needs.

Brazilian researchers calculated the amount of nutrients in sugarcane leaves, which are normally left on the ground after harvest, and the equivalent in fertilizer required to maintain crop yield if the straw is removed.

Tropical forests are under increasing pressure from human activity such as agriculture. However, in order to put effective conservation measures in place, local decision-makers must be able to precisely identify which areas of forest are most vulnerable. A new analysis method spearheaded by researchers from the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the University of Rennes-2 could hold the key.

A report published in PLOS ONE describes key roles of various microorganisms in the development of the larvae of Scaptotrigona depilis. Researchers warn that this symbiotic relationship is threatened by the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

A new octocoral species was recently discovered in a biodiversity hotspot and World Heritage Site in Pacific Panama. It inhabits an unexplored and understudied marine ecosystem, under increasing need for protection: the mesophotic coral communities.

Smithsonian scientists and colleagues working to identify coral reef organisms analyzed more than 4.7 million animal DNA sequences from GenBank, the most commonly used tool used to identify environmental DNA, and discovered that animal identification errors are surprisingly rare--but sometimes very funny.