Environment

Madagascar palm trees are at risk of extinction. Madagascar's rain forests have shrunk to less than a quarter of their original size. A majority of Madagascar's palms face extinction due to persistent land clearing.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said 83% of the 192 tree varieties had been added to its threatened species list. The group called the figures "terrifying", saying the tree loss also endangered animals and put people's livelihoods at risk.

Madagascar is the world's fourth biggest island after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. Because of its isolation most of its mammals, half its birds, and most of its plants exist nowhere else on Earth. Palm trees represent an integral part of the island's biodiversity, with many of its poorest communities relying on the trees to provide housing and food. The extinction risk faced by Madagascar's palms threatens all of the remarkable wildlife that occurs there.

 

Nuclear Radiation

Genetic mutations have been found in three generations of butterflies from areas near Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

Scientists found 34 per cent of 3rd generation butterflies had abnormalities, including smaller wings and damaged eyes.

The findings will raise fears over the long-term effects of the leaks on other species and people who were exposed in the days and weeks after the accident, as radiation spread over a large area and forced thousands to evacuate.