Tag: Ecology
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How Collapse of a Dam Revived Nature of Ukraine’s Great Meadow
At the southern edge of Khortytsia Island, where Europe’s largest river island meets the Dnipro, the ground opens into a landscape no one expected to see again. From a rocky ridge above the village of Malokaterynivka, the view stretches out over mirrored lagoons and dense young willows—trees so tall they…
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Dam Collapse Triggers Ecosystem Revival in Ukraine’s Great Meadow
The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in 2023, under Russian control during the ongoing war, has led to a dramatic ecological transformation in southern Ukraine. The breach unleashed catastrophic flooding, killing an unknown number of people and displacing up to one million from safe drinking water sources. But two…
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Dartmoor: A Landscape of Lost Wilderness
Dartmoor is often celebrated as one of the UK’s most beautiful and storied landscapes. Rivers wind through wild moorland, ancient rocks burst from the earth like sleeping giants and Bronze Age burial sites speak to a deep human history. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), this expanse…
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Hidden Toll of Plastic in Stork Nests
Across southern Europe’s farmland, towering stork nests have long stood as signs of life and resilience. Built over decades, these massive structures—some weighing up to a tonne—house not only white storks but also a host of other bird species. Yet, inside these high nests, a silent threat is emerging: plastic.…
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Deforestation: A Growing Threat to Climate, Biodiversity and Human Survival
Deforestation is one of the most urgent and far-reaching environmental challenges facing the planet today. It refers to the large-scale clearing of forests, primarily for agriculture, logging, mining and infrastructure development. While forest ecosystems have always evolved naturally over time, the current pace and scale of deforestation, particularly in tropical…
Climate Observer 