~ecology-news-biolog | Bookmarks (431)

Managed honey bees have the potential to affect native bee populations when they are introduced to a new area, but a study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that under certain conditions, the native bees can bounce back if the apiaries are moved away.

University of Florida scientists have statistically analyzed large amounts of data collected by Burmese python contractors, revealing critical insights about how to most efficiently remove the reptiles.

Scientists have developed a novel tool designed to protect and conserve coral reefs by providing them with an abundance of feeding opportunities.

There's a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don't mix. But agroforestry—the intentional integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems, such as planting trees as windbreaks, integrating trees on pastures, or growing tree crops intercropped with annual crops—can provide a multitude of benefits to both farmers and landscapes. So far, in the U.S. Midwest, these benefits have gone unrealized,...

A Mississippi State University scientist has discovered a hopping treasure trove—16 new species of grasshoppers living in the thorny scrubs of U.S. and Mexican deserts.

Language has long been considered a uniquely human trait, with features that mark it out as distinct from the communication of all other species. However, research published in Science has uncovered the same statistical structure that is a hallmark of human language in humpback whale song.

A new study reveals the profound ecological effects of wolves and other large carnivores in Yellowstone National Park, showcasing the cascading effects predators can have on ecosystems. In Yellowstone, this involves wolves and other large carnivores, elk, and willows.

A new review has documented the remarkable journey of Australia's most critically endangered marsupial, the Gilbert's potoroo, from its rediscovery to ongoing recovery efforts.

The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. It consumes enormous quantities of tiny, shrimp-like animals known as krill to support a body of up to 100 feet (30 meters) long. Blue whales and other baleen whales, which filter seawater through their mouths to feed on small marine life, once teemed in Earth's oceans. Then, over the past century, they were hunted...

New research has revealed that a hairy crustacean—dubbed "The Hoff crab" when it was discovered in 2010—is the first species in its family to show different claw characteristics between sexes.

A new study has found that nearly half the coral trout caught on the Great Barrier Reef come from marine reserves—where protected fish grow larger and produce far more offspring.

Scientists from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a strain of bacteria that can break down harmful pollutants in saline environments, such as estuaries and marine systems. The bacteria, named Dehalogenimonas strain W, were found to be effective in degrading 1,2-dichloroethane, a common industrial solvent, under conditions of high salinity.

Toxic substances used in flea and tick treatments pet owners give to their dogs and cats have been detected in birds' nests, according to new UK research published in Science of The Total Environment.

Eelgrass, a type of flowering seagrass found in temperate zones around the world, provides habitat for many species, protects coastlines, improves water quality, sequesters carbon and supports fishing economies. The foundation of a highly productive marine food web, eelgrass's health is paramount but mysterious.

Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives.

New, groundbreaking research shows how, at a local scale, agricultural research and development led to improved crop varieties that resulted in global benefits to the environment and food system sustainability. The Purdue University study appears in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A new study, conducted on wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, provides evidence that the gestures used by male chimpanzees from four neighboring communities during copulation requests may reflect different dialects. One gesture, used predominantly in one community, disappeared from the repertoire 20 years ago after a poaching incident and did not return. This incident documents a cultural loss...

How do predators use their vision to both navigate through the terrain while tracking prey running for its life? Pursuing prey through a complex environment is a major challenge for the visual system, as not only does the prey constantly change direction, sometimes in the opposite direction to the pursuer, but running after something evokes self-induced motion-blur that degrades vision.

A recent study published in the Journal of Ecology, led by the UAB and CREAF, analyzes 25 years of evolution of 445,000 trees in the Iberian Peninsula and confirms that the combination of climate change and rural abandonment is changing the distribution of certain species that are reaching their hot or cold limit.

A new international study highlights the severity of climate change impacts across African mountains, how farmers are adapting, and the barriers they face—findings relevant to people living in mountain regions around the world.

Painted lady butterflies are world travelers. The ones we encounter in Europe fly from Africa to Sweden, ultimately returning to areas north and south of the Sahara. But what determines whether some butterflies travel long distances while others travel short distances? A group of scientists, including from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), shows that the different migration strategies are shaped by...

Parasitoid wasps, belonging to the family Hymenoptera, deprive their insect and spider hosts of nutrition. These wasps represent approximately 20% of the 1 million insect species on Earth, making them one of the planet's most successful animal groups.

A new long-term study reveals alarming insights into the impact of climate change on the European beech (Fagus sylvatica), one of Europe's most widespread and ecologically important tree species.

It was quite the journey for such tiny froglets: traveling thousands of miles from the forests of southern Chile to London, carried and brooded inside their fathers' vocal sacs for safety.