Ecosystems News

November 3, 2016

Extreme Weather May Explain Butterfly Decline

Arctic Plays Large Role in Removing Nitrogen

Bacterial Bonanza Found Underground

Biodiversity Loss in Forests Will Be Pricey

Latest Headlines

updated 11:59pm EDT

Paws Without Claws? Effects of Carnivore Comeback in European Anthropogenic Landscapes

Oct. 27, 2016 — In most European countries there are now permanent, reproducing populations of wolves, lynx and/or brown bears. In some countries, all three. But it ... read more

New Method of Estimating Biodiversity Based on Tree Cover

Oct. 25, 2016 — Scientists used tree cover maps and on-the-ground observations to measure biodiversity in Costa Rica. The results generated a method of modeling biodiversity across tropical ... read more

Global Warming May Harm Predator and Prey Connections

Oct. 25, 2016 — A new study highlights the potential harm that climate change may have on a number of predator and prey relationships. The new work looks into predator and prey relationships, how they change ... read more

Climate Change Means Major Ecosystem Shifts for the Mediterranean Basin

Oct. 27, 2016 — Global warming above 1.5°Celsius, the ideal limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, will change the Mediterranean region, producing ecosystems never seen throughout the last 10,000 years, a new study ... read more

'Farming' Bacteria to Boost Growth in the Oceans

Oct. 24, 2016 — Marine symbiotic bacteria may help to "fertilize" animal growth in the oceans. A microbiologist and colleagues have discovered that chemosynthetic bacteria in marine animals ... read more

Wildfire Management Vs. Fire Suppression Benefits Forest and Watershed

Oct. 24, 2016 — An unprecedented 40-year experiment in a 40,000-acre valley of Yosemite National Park strongly supports the idea that managing fire, rather than suppressing it, makes ... read more

Indirect Effects of Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels on Ecosystems More Important Than Previously Thought

Oct. 26, 2016 — The indirect effects of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, such as changes in soil moisture and plant structure, can have a bigger ... read more

Predicting Climate Impacts on Ecosystems Will Require Scientists to Widen the Lens

Oct. 24, 2016 — Scholars are making the case that overly simplistic studies on the climate impacts on ecosystems avoid the inherent complexity and interconnectedness ... read more

Report Reveals a Big Dependence on Freshwater Fish for Global Food Security

Oct. 24, 2016 — Freshwater fish play a surprisingly crucial role in feeding some of the world's most vulnerable people, according to a ... read more

New 13-Year Study Tracks Effects of Changing Ocean Temperature on Phytoplankton

Oct. 20, 2016 — A new multiyear study has shown for the first time how changes in ocean temperature affect a key species of phytoplankton. The study tracked levels ... read more

By 2100, Lisbon, Portugal, Could Be A Desert

World's Largest Marine Park to Be Created in Antarctic Ocean

U.S. Hopeful It Can Win Russia's Agreement on Antarctic Ocean Deal

Cuddles and Kalashnikovs: Protecting DR Congo's Gorillas

Amazon Fishery Management Provides Rare 'Win-Win' Chance for Conservation and Poverty Alleviation

Oct. 20, 2016 — A study into freshwater lake management along the Amazon’s most meandering river has demonstrated astounding benefits to local livelihoods in replenishing vitally important fish stocks — a source ... read more

What's Best for Birds in Fire-Prone Landscapes?

Oct. 19, 2016 — Two new studies demonstrate the complex challenges involved in balancing the management of fire-prone landscapes with the needs of wildlife in the American ... read more

Reducing Ammonia Pollution from Cattle

Oct. 19, 2016 — Improved barn design, cleaning processes, and manure treatment could reduce ammonia emissions from commercial dairy cattle barns by 17 to 50%, according to a new study. The study provides a list of ... read more

Drought-Tolerant Species Thrive Despite Returning Rains in the Sahel

Oct. 19, 2016 — Following the devastating droughts in the 70s and 80s in the Sahel region south of the Sahara desert, vegetation has now recovered. What surprised the researchers is that although it is now raining ... read more

'Robomussels' Used to Monitor Climate Change

Oct. 17, 2016 — Tiny robots have been helping researchers study how climate change affects biodiversity. These “robomussels” have the shape, size, and color of actual mussels, with miniature ... read more

Small-Scale Agriculture Threatens the Rainforest

Oct. 14, 2016 — An extensive study has mapped the effects of small farmers on the rain forests of Southeast Asia for the first time. The findings are discouraging, with regard to environmental impact, biodiversity ... read more

Future of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas at Risk

Oct. 13, 2016 — Antarctica's surrounding waters are home to some of the healthiest marine ecosystems on Earth and support thriving populations of krill, seabirds, fish and whales. But efforts to establish a ... read more

Consequences from Antarctica Climate Change

Oct. 13, 2016 — New research reveals how a single warming event in Antarctica may be an indication of future ecosystem changes. Stationed in East Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys -- a polar desert that's ... read more

Study Reveals Corals' Influence on Reef Microbes

Oct. 12, 2016 — As they grow, corals are bathed in a sea of marine microbes, such as bacteria, algae, and viruses. While these extremely abundant and tiny microorganisms influence coral communities in a variety of ... read more

Staggering Loss of Wildlife Following Amazon 'Rubber Boom'

Oct. 12, 2016 — For the first time, experts have documented the killing of millions of animals in Brazil's Amazon Basin for their hides following the collapse of the Rubber Boom in the 20th century, causing the ... read more

Significant Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Goes Undetected

Oct. 12, 2016 — Close to 9,000 square kilometers of Amazon forest was cleared from 2008 to 2012 without detection by the official government monitoring system, a new study has ... read more

Rainforest: Roads for Species Conservation?

Oct. 11, 2016 — The impact of old forest roads on the species diversity in the rainforest of Central Guyana has been the focus of recent research. Investigators reached the conclusion that the established roads may ... read more

Calcium Deficient Fauna and Brown Water Awaiting

Oct. 10, 2016 — Calcium deficient fauna, poor conditions for freshwater fish and mercury in the drinking water is the long-term consequences of acid rain in the 70's and ... read more

As Oceans Warm, Coral Reef Fish Might Prefer to Move Rather Than Adapt

Oct. 5, 2016 — Scientists have new evidence that coral-reef fish -- who are capable of adapting to warmer temperatures brought about by global climate change -- will probably opt instead to relocate to cooler parts ... read more

Large Animals, Such as the Imperious African Elephant, Most Vulnerable to Impact of Human Expansion

Oct. 4, 2016 — Some of the most iconic giants of the animal kingdom, such as the imperious African elephant, are most vulnerable to the detrimental impact of human expansion, new research has ... read more

Global Warming Collapses Symbiotic Gut Bacteria, Killing Host Insects

Oct. 4, 2016 — A new study shows that when heat-susceptible bacteria living symbiotically in the guts of insects are exposed to increased temperatures, both the bacteria and the insect are negatively impacted and ... read more

Extensive Deep Coral Reefs in Hawaii Harbor Unique Species and High Coral Cover

Oct. 4, 2016 — Researchers has completed a comprehensive investigation of deep coral-reef environments throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. The study spanned more than two decades and the researchers documented ... read more

Reservoirs Play Substantial Role in Global Warming

Oct. 3, 2016 — The world's reservoirs are an underappreciated source of greenhouse gases, producing the equivalent of roughly 1 gigaton of carbon dioxide a year, or 1.3 percent of all greenhouse gases produced ... read more

Community-Led Marine Reserve Sees Lobsters Thrive

Oct. 3, 2016 — The first and only fully-protected marine reserve in Scotland is proving highly beneficial for marine conservation and fisheries, with lobsters more than doubling in numbers and increasing in ... read more

Ancient Global Cooling Gave Rise to Modern Ecosystems

Sep. 30, 2016 — Sea surface temperatures dipped dramatically during a period from 7 million to 5.4 million years ago, a time of massive global ecological change, scientists have ... read more

Thursday, October 20, 2016