A lesson in ‘resilience’: realities and misconceptions
Resilience is trending. Touted as the answer to virtually every problem it is used, and too often misused, in all sorts of ways. “Bouncing back” from some disturbance is probably the most common. And that is NOT resilience. Bouncing back to just like before means that nothing was learned. Resilience is about changing in response…
The Climate Battleground: Grassland or Forest
Nostalgia The title of Tom Jones’ album, ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’ released in 1967, still rouses powerful nostalgia for the rural landscape of Britain. Similar sentiments are experienced by other nationalities, but grass is particularly relevant in Britain. It ranges in type from lush lowland meadows through upland pastures and heath to open…
Building a new world
Lawrence Alderson is the author of The Quest to Conserve Rare Breeds, to be published by CABI in August 2020. Dealing with the immediate and urgent challenges posed by Covid-19 understandably dominates the news channels. It demands priority. A threat of such global severity has not been encountered in living memory, unless you can remember…
International Day of Forests 2020 – ‘ecosystem services’ and forests to be thankful for
In 2012, the United Nations declared that the 21st March would be the International Day of Forests. This day raises the awareness of the importance of forests and their biodiversity, and on this day communities and nations are encouraged to undertake activities and discussions that celebrate and safeguard these habitats. On the International Day of…
Butterflies and climate change
This article was originally posted on Ray Cannon’s Nature Notes. We have heard a great deal about climate change in the last year, with protests by Extinction Rebellion activists in London and the incredible teenager, Greta Thunberg reading the riot act to delegates at the UN, condemning world leaders for failing to act on global…
Mystery Organs of the Stick Insects: Solving A Century-Old Anatomical Puzzle
One would think that scientists had already figured out everything there is to know about animal anatomy, considering how long we have been dissecting and describing. However, several mysteries from the past remain unsolved, either because they were forgotten or because more advanced methods were needed to figure them out.
CABI’s 2019 books of the year
As the end of the year approaches, here at CABI we’re taking the time to reflect on some of our favourite books of 2019. Covering a wide range of subject areas, titles have made it on to this list for various reasons, from hotly anticipated new editions of popular titles, to innovative research in brand…
From Islamabad to Egham: Sharing quarantine best practice to fight Parthenium weed in Pakistan
Biocontrol Research Officer Dr Kazam Ali from Islamabad has undergone an intensive week-long quarantine management course delivered by CABI colleagues in Egham, UK, as part of a joint focus on fighting the highly invasive and destructive Parthenium weed in Pakistan. Dr Ali, who works at a new quarantine facility built to create greater capacity for…
Food for thought: Fungal biological resources to support international development – challenges and opportunities
At first glance it might be hard to see how the exploitation of microbes, especially fungi, can have the power to help humanity meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), feed the world’s growing population and improve the bioeconomies of poorer nations. But a team of international scientists from CABI, the Westerdijk Institute and the…
Improving disease resistance in Kenyan crops
By Dr Charlotte Nellis, (NIAB EMR, UK) It is estimated that globally two billion people suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and nutrients, termed ‘hidden hunger’. Sub-Saharan Africa has a number of countries that have high levels of hidden hunger, including Kenya, which is ranked 2nd and 17th worst in Africa and the world, respectively.…