https://phys.org/biology-news/ecology en-us The latest science and research news on ecology In an article published in the journal Flora, researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil examine some of the strategies developed over eons of evolution by plants in the Cerrado, Brazil's savanna-like biome, to protect themselves and resprout quickly after fire. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cerrado-combine-strategies-survive.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 12:49:04 EDT news617024941 One third of the global terrestrial carbon stock is stored in grasslands. A new global study implies that this stock may decrease as plant biodiversity is reduced, especially in warm and arid areas. The reason is that a species-poor vegetation seems to decompose faster in the soil. The study was led by Marie Spohn from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-loss-biodiversity-soil-carbon-sequestration.html Ecology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:25:03 EDT news617019901 A team of marine biologists with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Alaska Fishery Science Center has solved the mystery of why approximately 10 billion snow crabs vanished from the Bering Sea back in 2018/2019—the water there was too warm for them. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-billion-crabs-starved-death-bering.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:16:05 EDT news617015762 In an ancient hot spring haunt of Incan rulers, researchers discovered a new species of tiny, shrimp-like scavengers known as amphipods thriving at record temperatures that can cook other crustaceans to death. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ancient-hot-inca-rulers-scientists.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:23:04 EDT news616951381 Rice University scientists used a commercially available mixed-reality headset with custom-designed software to measure and analyze forest floor vegetation, demonstrating a correlation between animal diversity and the mapped habitat of a Tanzanian national park. According to the paper published in the journal Ecology, the greater the microhabitat surface area, the richer the biodiversity of its mammals. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scans-tropical-forest-mixed-reality-device.html Ecology Biotechnology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:02:03 EDT news616950121 They're one of the most endangered mammals in the world, and a species you may never have even heard of: North Atlantic right whales. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-boats-north-atlantic-whales.html Ecology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:23:22 EDT news616944195 Every 13 or 17 years, billions of cicadas emerge from the ground to reproduce in eastern North American deciduous forests. One of the largest emergence events of these insects happened in 2021 when the Brood X cicadas emerged. Researchers who studied that once-in-a-generation event are now unveiling the impact this occurrence had on forest ecosystems, specifically on birds, caterpillars and trees. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-unearthing-ecological-impacts-cicada-emergences.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:00:01 EDT news616929643 Bird populations are in rapid decline across North America. While climate change is just one of the many factors influencing North American birds, its effects are significant and can interact with other stressors, such as habitat loss. A team of University of California, Davis, researchers found that the effects of extreme temperatures on avian reproduction can vary depending on the type of environment that birds call home. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-bird-reproduction-agricultural.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:00:01 EDT news616926619 To help struggling salmon populations, the state of Washington is legally required to replace hundreds of culverts that divert streams under roadways. The state transportation department is replacing old, rusting metal pipes with broad, concrete promenades that provide more gradual gradients and gentler flows for salmon swimming upstream to access more spawning grounds. The full scope of the effort will last 17 years and cost $3.8 billion. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-dna-washington-culvert-spawning-salmon.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 13:30:57 EDT news616941052 Humanity must cut carbon emissions and use farmland more efficiently to protect our planet's remaining wilderness, new research shows. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-high-latitude-wilderness-threatened-agriculture-climate.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616924554 An international team of biologists, animal management specialists, geneticists and forestry managers has discovered a new species of "dragon lizard" in Laos—one with very impressive camouflage capabilities. In their paper published in the journal Zoological Research, the group describes how the lizards were found and what they learned from two samples they captured. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-dragon-lizard-species-camouflage-capabilities.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:20:37 EDT news616929629 Scientists have discovered the deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching, more than 90 meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-deepest-evidence-coral-reef.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:02:04 EDT news616928521 The devastating tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011 set off a series of events which have long fascinated scientists like me. It was so powerful that it caused 5 million tons of debris to wash into the Pacific—1.5 million tons remained afloat and started drifting with the currents. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-animal-traits-journey-species-globe.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:30:01 EDT news616850658 A new study finds that greenspace—the vegetation in a neighborhood's yards, parks and public spaces—has a positive impact on a key genetic marker associated with exposure to stress. However, the study also finds that the positive impact of greenspace isn't enough to compensate for other environmental challenges, such as air pollution. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-greener-neighborhoods-usat-cellular.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:26:03 EDT news616847161 Every so often, cicadas emerge above ground and blanket the Earth with their exoskeletons while emitting a high-pitched chirp from sunrise to sunset. The periodical cicadas in the genus Magicicada come every 13 or 17 years, though other types of cicadas emerge much more frequently in our neighborhoods. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-adult-periodical-cicadas.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 18 Oct 2023 10:00:06 EDT news616842005 Purdue University scientists are unraveling the complicated toxicity of a mixture of what are often called "forever chemicals" found in many consumer products. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-bio-impact-toxic-chemical-cocktails-environment.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:44:04 EDT news616841041 Singing a gentle lullaby can help put a human baby to sleep but its usefulness in the low grassland swaying nests of Australian songbirds takes maternal 'singing' to even greater heights. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-baby-birds-hatch-ability-mimic.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 06:48:39 EDT news616830493 Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney has found juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish can withstand tremendous heat waves well above levels that kill coral. These starfish then develop into carnivorous predators that devour reefs just as they begin to regrow. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-reef-devouring-predator-survives-coral-feasts.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 18 Oct 2023 03:00:01 EDT news616779552 A new study provides compelling evidence that animal care and management practices at zoos and aquariums have significantly improved over time. The study, led by Species360 and University of Southern Denmark Research Scientist Dr. Morgane Tidière in collaboration with 41 co-authors from academic, governmental, and zoological institutions around the world, is the first to examine life expectancy and lifespan equality together as a proxy of population welfare in marine mammal species. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-marine-mammal-longevity-reveals-remarkable.html Ecology Veterinary medicine Tue, 17 Oct 2023 19:00:01 EDT news616756183 Humans and wildlife, including large carnivores, interact at an unprecedented scale as they increasingly share the world's landscapes. A new University of Michigan-led study of human-lion interactions found that lions tend to avoid human-dominated areas unless they are facing food scarcity and habitat fragmentation. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-lions-interactions-humans-diminishing-habitat.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:02:03 EDT news616762921 Now is the time to identify the conditions that cause plants to die. Doing so will allow us to better protect plants by choosing conservation targets more strategically, UC Riverside botanists argue in a new paper. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-extinction-demise-alive.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:18:00 EDT news616760277 Researchers say mapping the genetic code of the brushtail possum will benefit those working to both conserve and control the animal. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-zealand-australia-brushtail-possum-genome.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:10:09 EDT news616759803 The factors affecting coral's resilience—its ability to adapt to and survive environmental changes—seem to be more nuanced than scientists believed. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-discovery-coral-resilience-reefs-survive.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:05:04 EDT news616759501 Rising lake water temperatures threaten the survival of marimo, unique algal balls found only in cold lakes. Kobe University researchers clarified that the warmer it gets, the more the inward decomposition outpaces the outward growth of these life forms, making them increasingly fragile. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-unique-marimo-threatened-lake-temperatures.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:04:03 EDT news616759442 Tropical forests are among the most important habitats on our planet. They are characterized by extremely high species diversity and play an eminent role in the global carbon cycle and the world climate. However, many tropical forest areas have been deforested and overexploitation continues day by day. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-ai-biodiversity-animal-tropical-rainforests.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616752138 Because the bumblebee that an orchid relies on for pollination does not exist on a remote island, the plant gets pollinated by an island wasp. Kobe University researchers found that this came at the cost of being hybridized with another orchid species adapted to being pollinated by the wasp. The finding showcases how plants in ecological relationships adapt to changing circumstances. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-orchid-pollinating-bumblebee-island-wasp.html Evolution Ecology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:00:01 EDT news616756190 The extraordinary lifespans of bats could be under threat from rising global temperatures, according to new research published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-climate-havoc-extraordinary-lifespans.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:18:12 EDT news616753090 As biologists learn more about how microbial communities work together, a major goal is understanding how their composition determines function. What combination of strains and species makes the best team for breaking down pollutants, for example, or fighting off infections? For years, scientists attempted to crack this problem with calculations about how microbial species interact with each other, but the nearly endless potential combinations of microbes in each community render these calculations nearly impossible. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-function-microbial-communities-simpler.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 16:05:03 EDT news616691102 Antarctic fur seals that were hunted to near extinction have recovered but now face dangerous decline because of a lack of food, new research suggests. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-lack-food-threat-antarctic-fur.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:42:11 EDT news616682528 Many parts of the Brazilian Amazon are neglected in ecological research, for several reasons, according to an article published in the journal Current Biology. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-reveals-areas-brazilian-amazon-ecological.html Ecology Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:09:05 EDT news616680541