Ecology

Scientists discover new materials to capture methane
04/16/2013 - 12:10

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)  and UC Berkeley and have discovered new materials to capture methane, the second highest concentration greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere.

 

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Early warning signs of population collapse
04/10/2013 - 12:43

Many factors — including climate change, overfishing or loss of food supply — can push a wild animal population to the brink of collapse. Ecologists have long sought ways to measure the risk of such a collapse, which could help wildlife and fishery managers take steps to protect endangered populations.

 

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Invasive crabs help Cape Cod marshes
04/03/2013 - 10:50

 Ecologists are wary of non-native species, but along the shores of Cape Cod where grass-eating crabs have been running amok and destroying the marsh, an invasion of a predatory green crabs has helped turn back the tide in favor of the grass. The counter-intuitive conclusions appear in a new paper in the journal Ecology.

 

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Study Finds Heat Key Factor In Population Growth Of Some Urban Insect Pests
03/29/2013 - 10:30

New research from North Carolina State University finds that higher temperatures found in urban environments are a key contributor to higher populations of insect pests called scale insects – indicating that an increase in temperatures associated with global climate change could lead to a significant increase in scale insect populations.

 

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Lunar cycle determines hunting behaviour of nocturnal gulls
03/27/2013 - 09:37

Zooplankton, small fish and squid spend hardly any time at the surface when there's a full moon. To protect themselves from their natural enemies, they hide deeper down in the water on bright nights, coming up to the surface under cover of darkness when there's a new moon instead.

 

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Mutant champions save imperiled species from almost-certain extinction
02/20/2013 - 10:04

Species facing widespread and rapid environmental changes can sometimes evolve quickly enough to dodge the extinction bullet. Populations of disease-causing bacteria evolve, for example, as doctors flood their “environment,” the human body, with antibiotics. Insects, animals and plants can make evolutionary adaptations in response to pesticides, heavy metals and overfishing.

 

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