Articles tagged with Food Webs
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New Cornell University research reveals how plants at the bottom of the food chain have evolved mechanisms that influence ecosystem dynamics. Plants have developed three main strategies to increase their biomass, including producing volatile compounds called sesquiterpenes that attract predators, which drive modern ecosystems' structure.
Researchers found that nutrient enrichment caused a steady increase in organisms lower on the food chain but had no effect on predators like salamanders and macroinvertebrates. The study suggests that maintaining patterns of energy flow between predators and prey is critical for healthy ecosystems.
A new study led by the University of Michigan reveals that polar bears get their nutrition from two main food webs: phytoplankton-based and ice algae-based. The research found that those who primarily eat phytoplankton have higher mercury concentrations, highlighting the importance of understanding Arctic ecosystems.
Researchers found that skunks' distinctive black-and-white coloration is not enough to deter predators, but rather it's the combination of color and body shape. In areas where skunks are common, predators avoid animals with similar shapes or colors, highlighting a stronger learning component in prey recognition.
Researchers found that carnivorous plant traps are cheaper to make than leaves, contrary to evolutionary predictions. This discovery sheds light on how complete food webs operate, highlighting the benefits and trade-offs of nutrient allocation in plant ecology.
A team of researchers uses PageRank, a web ranking algorithm, to identify critical species in food webs and predict ecosystem collapse. By applying the algorithm to ecological networks, they find that certain species play a disproportionate role in maintaining ecosystem function.
Researchers have identified fundamental rules that determine food-web stability, with diverse predator-prey links enhancing stability in high and intermediate trophic levels. Small ecosystems follow different rules than large ones, with strong interactions between species stabilizing smaller webs, but destabilizing larger ones.
A 16-nation research project is surveying the Mid-Atlantic Ridge for biodiversity, discovering potential new species and shedding light on deep-sea communities. The NOAA-led expedition aims to understand the ecosystem's structure and how it interacts with human activities.
Snail shells have increased in size by 22.6% over the past century, impacting the marine ecosystem, as warmer waters and reduced predatory fish allow snails to grow larger. The study suggests that these changes could affect the entire intertidal food chain.
Research shows that higher CO2 concentrations in freshwater micro-algae lead to a reduction in their nutritional value, affecting the small animals that eat them. This can have detrimental effects on the entire underwater food chain, influencing ecosystems and potentially leading to changes in aquatic species distribution.
Researchers at the University of Delaware found that plants can take up nanoparticles and accumulate them in their tissues. The study provides a new experimental approach for studying nanoparticles and their potential impacts on the environment and human health.
Clemson University environmental chemist Cindy Lee receives NSF funding to investigate how PCBs cycle through fish and other organisms before reaching consumers. Her research aims to track the changes in PCB behavior and determine their impact on human brain development.
A new study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigated the dietary accumulation, elimination, and toxicity of fluorescent quantum dots in a simplified food chain. The researchers found that while the nanomaterials were transferred across the food chain, they did not accumulate in higher organisms.
Researchers reconstructed ancient Cambrian and recent food webs, showing strong similarities in feeding relationships among marine species. These findings suggest that network structure of food webs may have become established during the initial explosion of animal life, providing insights into modern ecology.
A study highlights the challenges posed by global food sourcing, including contamination and non-compliance with laws and standards, necessitating a new approach to quality management. The '6Ts' framework proposes robust solutions, focusing on traceability, transparency, testability, time, trust, and training.
New research shows that aphids feeding on low-quality Brussels sprouts are smaller and fewer in number, leading to a ripple effect throughout the food chain. This has significant implications for the structure and diversity of ecosystems, highlighting the importance of plant quality in shaping ecosystem function.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method to determine a person's birth date using eye lens proteins, which remain unchanged after childhood. This technique has potential applications in health science research and forensic analysis, such as studying cancer tissue regeneration.
New insights into the co-evolutionary relationship between sawflies and their parasites show that parasitism promotes ecological divergence in herbivorous insects. The study reveals a food web involving willow trees, sawflies, and parasites feeding on sawfly larvae.
A recent study by UCLA's Center on Everyday Lives of Families found that convenience foods are commonly used in American families' dinners despite initial expectations. On average, meals took 52 minutes to prepare, with no significant time savings from relying on convenience foods. The study also revealed that mothers bear the brunt of...
The CARVER + Shock program provides interactive questions to help food-processing companies identify vulnerabilities in their supply chain. The tool, developed by Sandia National Laboratories and the FDA, enables companies to evaluate their risk and protect their products.
Researchers found that coordination of prices, clearer codes of conduct, and better understanding of markets can improve quality and competition. National institutes for quality control can also hinder improvement.
Health officials in the USA investigate melamine contamination of pet food, leading to animal deaths and human consumption. The incident highlights the difficulties in ensuring food safety across a worldwide network of producers and distributors.
Dartmouth-led research reveals that animals fed nutritious food have lower concentrations of methylmercury, a neurotoxin that can accumulate to hazardous levels. This discovery suggests ways to slow methylmercury's passage up the food chain to fish, potentially reducing its toxicity.
Scientists at Rothamsted Research and University of Reading aim to decrease acrylamide formation by identifying its precursors. Low sulphur soils increase asparagine levels, leading to higher acrylamide production.
Researchers discovered a new diamondback moth variety that can thrive on hyperaccumulator plants guarded by toxic levels of selenium. The moth's adaptation allows it to accumulate selenium like the plant, rendering its defense ineffective. This finding suggests a potential
Researchers used carnivorous pitcher plant food webs to study habitat loss effects on species abundance. Trophic interactions, such as predator-prey relationships, dominated abundance predictions, unlike previous modeling frameworks that relied on habitat contraction or keystone species effects.
Researchers found that parasites dominated the links between species in food webs, with a significant impact on ecosystem stability. The study also revealed new patterns, including increased vulnerability of mid-trophic level animals to parasites and predators.
A new study reveals that removing top predator species from kelp forests has a profound impact on the ecosystem, while organic coastal run-off has minimal effect. The research suggests California is on the right track with fishing limits to protect the delicate food chain.
Researchers found that in two-thirds of world's largest marine ecosystems, fishermen chose to target additional kinds of fish, leading to changes in catch composition. Landings of more valuable fish remained the same or increased, highlighting the need for effective management strategies to ensure sustainability.
Scientists have discovered male water fleas in a lab, revealing that pesticides can induce sex change and affect populations of fish and other organisms. The finding highlights the importance of considering non-target species in environmental monitoring and management.
Researchers found attacks on brachiopods were rare but widespread during the Paleozoic Era, with predators likely mistaking them for other prey. The findings hint at how the food chain changed over time as predators diversified and prey groups became better armored.
A recent study published in Ecology Letters explores the complex relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function. The research reveals that both high and low levels of biodiversity can have negative consequences for ecosystem health, with intermediate levels often being the most beneficial.
A new study from PLOS Biology shows that reintroduced gray wolves in Yellowstone Park provide a crucial safety net for scavengers during climate change. Wolf kills temper the devastating effects of climate-related carrion shortages on scavengers.
A study estimates that a person would need to eat at least 1.5kg of neural tissue from an infected animal to be at risk of developing vCJD. The investigation found the efficiency of infection from cow to primate could be 7-20 times lower than intraspecies infection for cattle.
Researchers found that Brazilian communities in coastal areas and the Amazon region have taboos on consuming certain fish species, especially predatory ones. These prohibitions are likely biologically adaptive, suggesting a link to toxic accumulation and health concerns.
Researchers discovered a previously unknown reaction that converts fluorotelomer alcohols into perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in the atmosphere, which can last up to 20 days. The chemicals were found in polar bear liver tissue samples and may pose developmental risks to humans living in the Arctic.
A pair of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed mathematical models examining changes in a community's tolerance to environmental conditions like global warming or acid rain. They found that as individual species disappear, two forces act upon the community, making it more or less tolerant to the condition.
Regime shifts occur when changes in ocean conditions, such as warming, affect plankton production and propagate up the food chain. Overfishing can also force a regime shift, changing population dynamics of an entire ecosystem.
A field experiment in Belize found that removing a beetle and a fly significantly lowered parasitism and increased abundance of insect species with shared natural enemies. This confirms the theory of apparent competition, crucial for understanding tropical forest biodiversity.
Cornell University has been awarded a $300,000 USAID grant to implement two development programs in India. The Agriculture in Developing Nations course will be taught at Cornell and partner institutions in India, sensitizing students and policymakers on how to improve productivity and competitiveness in agriculture. For executives, the...
A study by Professor Michael Waterson found that fast food chains like McDonald's and Burger King locate closely together in shopping districts due to competition. The larger the population area, the sooner a McDonald's outlet opens, but this effect diminishes as population increases.
Research shows that cities built on fertile lands account for a significant decline in global food production, despite covering only 3% of US land area. Urbanization leads to a 1.6% reduction in annual Net Primary Productivity, offsetting gains from increased agricultural lands.
Research reveals strong interactions between four trophic levels, showing soil fungi impact plant growth and alter attack rates of insect pests. This finding highlights the interconnectedness of species in natural communities, with implications for conservation and pest control.
A team of researchers at Michigan State University has uncovered cliques in the food web, a complex network of interconnecting food chains. This breakthrough provides a new way to understand and manage ecosystems for sustainability.
Researchers found BMAA in increasingly higher concentrations in the food chain of Chamorro people on Guam, potentially linking their diet to neurodegenerative diseases like ALS-PDC. Biomagnification of BMAA was also detected in Canadian patients with similar conditions.
The invasion of Anoplolepis gracilipes on Christmas Island leads to the displacement of a native keystone species, resulting in cascading effects on the food web. The ant's supercolonies extirpate the dominant omnivore, increasing seedling recruitment but slowing litter decomposition.
The study found a strong association between Adelie Penguin populations and the productivity of plankton in coastal polynyas. These 'oases' provide ideal conditions for phytoplankton blooms, which feed krill that are then eaten by penguins.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison study warns that industrial fishing poses significant risks to sharks, dolphins, and billfishes. The large, slow-growing animals are vulnerable to declines in populations due to increased fishing pressure.
Researchers have developed a new technique to track the health of marshes in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, revealing widespread degradation due to sea level rise. The study suggests that up to 70% of marshland has been affected, with implications for coastal ecosystems and the North American carbon budget.
Scientists discover mercury released into polar environments when sun rises, entering snowpack and potentially affecting food webs. The 'mercury sunrise' phenomenon contributes to increasing mercury levels in Arctic seabirds and marine mammals.
Researchers at Dartmouth College found that algae helps to reduce the concentration of methylmercury in Daphnia and fish by dispersing it widely throughout single-celled algae cells. This discovery has significant implications for understanding mercury biomagnification in aquatic ecosystems.
Golden eagles colonized Santa Cruz Island due to an abundance of feral piglets, preying on island foxes and decimating their population. Skunk populations are booming as a result, thanks to reduced competition from foxes.
Researchers found that 20% of caterpillars died from parasitoid attacks, mostly from introduced species. The study highlights the importance of understanding ecological costs of biocontrol agents to prevent adverse cascading events in food chains.
A new study from Michigan Medicine shows that color-coded labels on supermarket shelves can guide shoppers to healthier food choices, particularly among African Americans. The program may lower the risk of diet-related health problems like heart disease.
A study found that forest fragments have insufficient food for some songbirds, leading to reduced feeding visits and longer breeding cycles. The researchers believe that microclimates within small fragments may contribute to lower insect populations, affecting the birds' survival.
A recent study by the NHLBI found that reducing dietary sodium can significantly lower blood pressure in people with and without hypertension. The study, which involved 412 participants, showed that the lowest sodium intake produced the greatest blood pressure reduction, regardless of diet type.
Chlordane, a persistent organic pollutant, accumulates in the human body and can cause digestive and nervous system disorders; washing food before eating can reduce exposure risk
A recent study updated the classic 'Stigler's Diet Problem' to reflect current dietary recommendations and prices. The results show that a woman's diet is approximately $115.40 cheaper than a man's, with daily costs of $535.27 for women and $651.27 for men.
Capuchin monkeys have been found to cooperate in obtaining food by working together and sharing the rewards. This study by Frans de Waal and Michelle Berger suggests that reciprocity is a fundamental feature of human society and has implications for understanding evolutionary cooperation.
A Purdue University researcher has developed a soy-based feed for farm-raised fish, reducing phosphorus and nitrogen excretion and minimizing pollution. This alternative feed is expected to meet growing demand in the aquaculture industry, which is struggling with declining wild fish populations.