Iowa State professor's research shows Midwest forests losing diversity, complexity
Forests in the nation's Upper Midwest have changed greatly since the time of the early settlers. And more changes may be coming. view more (2007-10-17)
Plant viruses from past provide ecological clues
Taking the medical history of a grassland may seem a bit esoteric - after all, how sick can grass be? However, scientists have discovered plant viruses from as early as 1917 containing information crucial not only for plant scientists, but for those in ecology, human health and bioterrorism. view more (2007-10-09)
Genetic differences in clover make one type toxic
That clover necklace you make for your child could well be a ring of poison. That's because some clovers have evolved genes that help the plant produce cyanide - to protect itself against little herbivores, such as snails, slugs and voles, that eat clover. view more (2007-10-02)
Recovery from acid rain 'much slower than expected'
Acid rain was one of the world's worst pollution problems of the 1970s and 1980s, affecting large areas of upland Britain, as well as Europe and North America. view more (2007-09-28)
New Keys to Keeping a Diverse Planet
Variation in plants and animals gives us a rich and robust assemblage of foods, medicines, industrial materials and recreation activities. But human activities are eliminating biological diversity at an unprecedented rate. view more (2007-09-27)
New paper examines dams' effects on California salmon
Spring-run Chinook salmon and other fish in the rivers of California's Central Valley could be harmed by more water-storage dams, according to researchers at Duke University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. view more (2007-09-25)
Is there really a 'mommy' gene in women?
Basic principles of biology rather than women's newfound economic independence can explain why fewer of them are getting married and having children, and why the trend may only be temporary, says a Queen's researcher. view more (2007-09-24)
'Alien' jaws help moray eels feed
Moray eels have a unique way of feeding reminiscent of a science fiction thriller, researchers at UC Davis have discovered. After seizing prey in its jaws, a second set of jaws located in the moray's throat reaches forward into the mouth, grabs the food and carries it back to the esophagus for swallowing. view more (2007-09-06)
New study shows greenback cutthroat trout involved in recovery effort misidentified
A new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder indicates biologists trying to save Colorado's native greenback cutthroat trout from extinction over the past several decades through hatchery propagation and restocking efforts have, in most cases, inadvertently restored the wrong fish. view more (2007-09-06)
Which came first, the moth or the cactus?
It's not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket- unless you're a senita moth. view more (2007-08-15)
Chickadee, nutchatch presence in conifers increases tree growth, says CU-Boulder study
Chickadees, nuthatches and warblers foraging their way through forests have been shown to spur the growth of pine trees in the West by as much as one-third, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study. view more (2007-08-02)
Scientists unravel feeding habits of flying reptiles
Scientists at the University of Sheffield, collaborating with colleagues at the Universities of Portsmouth and Reading, have taken a step back in time and provided a new insight into the lifestyle of a prehistoric flying reptile. view more (2007-07-24)
Antarctic icebergs: unlikely oases for ocean life
Icebergs have long gripped the popular imagination, whether as relatively run-of-the-mill floating hazards that cause "unsinkable' ships to founder or, more recently, as enormous breakaway pieces of ice the size of states or small countries. view more (2007-06-25)
Yale journal examines the global impact of cities
The global impact of cities is the focus of cutting-edge research in a special issue of Yale's Journal of Industrial Ecology. view more (2007-06-18)
UGA study reveals function of ubiquitous yet poorly understood microorganisms
Discovered in the late 1970s, archaea are one of the three main branches on the tree of life, with bacteria and eukaryotes such as plants and animals on the other two branches. view more (2007-05-23)
New host species for avian influenza identified
In a new study published online in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, Dr. Vincent J. Munster, of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, and colleagues identify new host species for avian influenza A virus (H5N1) and provide important information on the distinctions between the ecology and epidemiology of various global strains of the virus. view more (2007-05-11)
Females do best if they wait a while
Starting to breed late in life is a bad idea if you want to maximise the number of offspring that you produce-or so the theory goes. view more (2007-04-09)
Too much water, fertilizer bad for plant diversity
Too much of multiple good things - water or nutrients, for example - may decrease the diversity of plant life in an ecosystem while increasing the productivity of a few species, a UC Irvine scientist has discovered. view more (2007-03-27)
Disease opened door to invading species in California
Plant and animal diseases can play a major and poorly appreciated role in allowing the invasion of exotic species, which in turn often threatens biodiversity, ecological function and the world economy, researchers say in a new report. view more (2007-03-13)
When fish become extinct, the cycling of critical nutrients in ecosystems changes, Cornell study finds
Ecosystems are such intricate webs of connections that few studies have been able to explore exactly what happens when a species dies out. view more (2007-03-05)
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