Nutrients cause increase in parasites and frog deformities
Extra and missing-legged frogs have become increasingly common in North American wetlands over the last decade. Research implicates a flatworm parasite, Ribeiroia ondatrae, as the culprit of these deformities. Reasons for the apparent increase in infection and malformations, however, have remained a mystery. In the July issue of Ecology Letters,... view more... (2004-06-10)
Manipulating biotope space can enhance beneficial biodiversity effects
Using diverse plant mixtures instead of monocultures can increase yield and other ecosystem goods and services on which humans depend. Recent studies showed that such beneficial effects of biodiversity depend on complementarity between species in resource use, as is the case if species root in different soil depths. This knowledge led to the... view more... (2004-06-10)
The Mediterranean connection: ecological effects of El Ni'ħo in the Northern hemisphere
The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Ni'ħo/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are being increasingly acknowledged as major climatic sources of ecological variability. However, studies linking ecological processes to those oscillations have been conducted in geographic regions close to their centers of action, so their effects outside these... view more... (2004-06-10)
Limited climate tracking in European trees despite 10,000 years of postglacial warmth
The relative roles of environment and history as controls of large-scale species distributions is a crucial issue in biogeography and macroecology. In the forthcoming issue of Ecology Letters Svenning & Skov use bioclimatic modelling to show that among 55 native European tree species, 36 occupy less than 50% of their climatically suitable... view more... (2004-06-10)
Ecology Drives The Worldwide Distribution Of Human Diseases
Mounting evidence suggests that ecological and climatic conditions influence the emergence, spread, and recurrence of infectious diseases. Global climate change is likely to aggravate climate-sensitive diseases in unpredictable ways. Increasingly, public health programs aimed at preventing and controlling disease outbreaks are considering aspects... view more... (2004-06-09)
DNA research flies high with Seychelles kestrel
A new research project at the University of Kent is looking for genetic evidence of a historical population bottleneck in the Seychelles kestrel by analysing DNA extracted from museum specimens estimated to be 100-150 years old. Dr Jim Groombridge, Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation at the University's Durrell Institute of Conservation and... view more... (2004-06-01)
Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide promotes algal growth
It is usually thought that unlike terrestrial plants, submerged plants like algae will not show any response to an increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This view may be biased by a neglect of the effects of the plants themselves on the water chemistry. In the June issue of Ecology Letters, Schippers, Lürling and Scheffer of the Wageningen... view more... (2004-05-13)
Some plants may compensate for herbivore damage by stimulating nutrient release in the soil
Browsing by mammals often has a serious impact on the growth of tree saplings and the regeneration of forests. However, there is much uncertainty with regard to effects on soil nutrient cycling and in turn, potential consequences for the growth of plants. In a paper to be published in the June issue of Ecology Letters, researchers from Lancaster... view more... (2004-05-13)
Alternative states in the ocean
Ecologists expect natural communities to vary. Occasionally, however, such variation can be severely abrupt and lead to formation of alternative and potentially persistent states. In the July issue of Ecology Letters, Paine and Trimble describe a dramatic assemblage shift on a rocky intertidal shore in Washington State (USA). The change was... view more... (2004-05-13)
Fishing kills Fijian coral reefs
Outbreaks of a coral-eating starfish have occurred in Fiji resulting from overexploitation of the predatory fishes that normally limit its numbers. The impacts of the starfish are dramatic, with previously pristine coral reefs being turned into dull algal mats. Worryingly, Dulvy, Freckleton and Polunin - the authors of a study in the May issue of... view more... (2004-05-04)
Catastrophic shift in species diversity and productivity of an ecosystem
Ecology and environmental management is largely predicated on the view that ecosystems respond to environmental changes in a smooth and straightforward way. However, in Ecology Letters, May, Schmitz reports on a long-term field experiment that may prompt a hard, critical look at this reigning view. In the experimental system, top predators... view more... (2004-05-04)
Conservation in Canada
Conservation actions could be more efficient if there is similarity among taxa in the distribution of species. In a paper in Ecology Letters, May, by an international research team, patterns in the geographic distribution of five taxa were used to identify nationally important regions for conservation in Canada. There was congruence in both... view more... (2004-05-04)
Invasive plant outcompeted by its native ancestors
Invasive alien species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. Part of their success may be due to rapid evolutionary changes when invaders adapt to the novel conditions in their invaded habitats. Invasive plants, in particular, are believed to double-profit from a loss of their natural enemies and subsequent evolution of less... view more... (2004-03-18)
Ambient light influences the evolution of colour signals
In light-contrasted ecosystems, ambient light and background colours influence the evolution of animal coloration. Because maximal conspicuousness is achieved for signals which are rich in the colours of ambient light but poorly reflected by background, different signals will be cryptic or conspicuous at different heights in tropical rainforest.... view more... (2004-03-18)
Carbon turns over much faster through basal food-chain levels in aquatic than in terrestrial ecosystems
Global temperatures have increased dramatically over the past century, which is causing major impacts on climate patterns, ocean circulation and wildlife preservation. The increase in temperature is largely due to a rise of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, of which CO2 is one of the most important. To understand the capacity of... view more... (2004-02-25)
Turtles indeed in danger
Even though many sea turtle populations are declining, quantifying factors that contribute to declines has been challenging. Mortality occurs on nesting beaches due to habitat loss, egg poaching, and predation. But turtles also die at sea due to accidental catches in fishing gear. In the March issue of Ecology Letters, Duke University researchers... view more... (2004-02-25)
Can we keep the cap on transgene escape?
Molecular strategies are being developed to impede the escape of transgenes from transgenic crops into wild relatives, which might become invasive upon acquiring transgenic traits such as resistance to pests or herbicides. For example, to impede escape through pollen, a transgene could be inserted into chloroplast DNA, which in many crops is... view more... (2004-02-24)
Coexistence of identical competitors: an old doctrine challenged
An illustrious principle in ecology states that no two identical species may coexist: sooner or later all but one will drift to extinction. Researchers from the Beijing Normal University and the University of Helsinki have modeled recent data on fig-pollinating wasps that appear to contradict the old theory. The model, which is reported in a... view more... (2004-02-24)
The ecological equivalent of Ellis Island: from ancestry to biodiversity
For many ecologists, the start of the 21st century was bewildering due to a book by Steve Hubbell. Hubbell claimed that many patterns in nature could be explained by a simple theory stating that all species are equivalent in competition for resources. In a letter to Ecology Letters, Rampal Etienne and Han Olff from the University of Groningen in... view more... (2004-02-24)
Declining sharks
The transformation of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems by humans is well known, but only recently have the impacts of anthropogenic forces in the open ocean been recognized. In particular, intense exploitation by industrial fisheries is rapidly changing oceanic ecosystems by drastically reducing populations of many marine species. For most... view more... (2004-02-05)
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