http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ecosystems/ Ecology news. Learn about ecosystems at risk. Read current events articles on fragile ecosystems and what can be done to protect them. en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:05:01 EDT Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ecosystems/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143708.htm The first ecosystem with only a single biological species has been discovered and its genome analyzed by a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary team. Living 2.8 km beneath the surface of the earth in the Mponeng gold mine near Johannesburg, South Africa, the rod-shaped bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator exists in complete isolation, total darkness, a lack of oxygen, and 60-degree-Celsius heat. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143708.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008113434.htm A report scheduled to be published this week in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that maintaining the proper balance of herbivorous fishes may be critical to restoring coral reefs, which are declining dramatically worldwide. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008113434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm The songbird has a friend in the beaver. According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the busy beaver's signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144331.htm Society is in a race to find renewable sources of carbon-neutral energy. Cellulose-based biofuels hold promise, but we need to proceed cautiously and with an eye toward minimizing long-term ecological impacts. Without a sound plan, we could wind up doing more environmental harm than good. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007120419.htm The coming three decades will determine whether the population of the world comes into balance with the capacity of the biosphere to support it, or whether catastrophic changes in the environment brought on by climate change, losses of biodiversity, pollution of air and water, and overharvesting of natural resources will lead to the end of the improvement of wellbeing that has characterized the Modern Era. Current indicators are alarming. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007120419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092643.htm From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006154952.htm The most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006154952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926100636.htm A new experiment to find out how British plant ecosystems may be affected by future changes to climate and biodiversity is underway at Imperial College London. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926100636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924075311.htm Researchers have found that the main source of food for many fish -- including cod -- in the North Atlantic appears to adapt in order to survive climate change. Billions of Calanus finmarchicus, a plankton species, which are just a few millimeters in size, live in the waters of the North Atlantic where the research was carried out. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924075311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006155929.htm Scientists have found lichens can give insight into nitrogen air pollution effects on Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino mountain ecosystems, and protecting them provides safeguards for less sensitive species. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006155929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926100634.htm What will be the lasting impression made by mankind - 100 million years hence? "From the perspective of 100 million years in the future --- a geologist's view --- the reign of humans on Earth would seem very short: we would almost certainly have died out long before then. What footprint will we leave in the rocks? What would have become of our great cities, our roads and tunnels, our cars, our plastic cups in the far distant future? What fossils would we leave behind? Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926100634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085541.htm More plant species grow in German towns and cities than in the countryside, but those in towns and cities are more closely related and are often functionally similar. This makes urban ecosystems more susceptible to environmental impacts. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003191417.htm Biologist are working to grow and harvest blue crabs from freshwater ponds, instead of from the sea. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003191417.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081635.htm Sea otters are known as a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even farther-reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the behavior of another top predator: the bald eagle. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002092856.htm Newly found fossils revealed a herd of dinosaurs that perished in a catastrophic event 72.5 million years ago. Scientists describe the animals as having a bony frill on the back of the skull ornamented with smaller horns. They also had large bony structures above their nose and eyes which lends them their name: Pachyrhinosaurus (thick-nosed lizard). These structures probably supported horns of keratin. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002092856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930135307.htm The United Nations estimates that 1.1 billion people across the globe lack access to sustainable, clean drinking water. How can science help provide more drinkable water for a growing population on an Earth with limited fresh surface-water and groundwater resources? One researcher shows that desalinization -- removing salt from ocean water to create fresh water -- is a practical way to meet the growing human need. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080930135307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085543.htm Extreme flood events in floodplain grasslands affect carabid beetles and molluscs more than plants. Biologists did several years of observations before and after the Elbe floods of August 2002 in this study. Flow variations are known to be most important drivers in structuring riverine communities. However, until now, the effects of extreme flood events on the flora and fauna of floodplains have been largely unknown, despite the fact that such events are likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002091915.htm A group has filed a scientific petition with the federal government seeking endangered species protection for the Atlantic wolffish, a fish threatened with extinction due to years of overharvesting and habitat loss due to modern fishing gear. If the petition is successful, this will be the first listing of a marine fish as an endangered in New England. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002091915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929104607.htm Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been promoted as inexpensive, low-technology approaches to treating agricultural, industrial and municipal wastewater to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. CWs, or marshes built to treat contaminated water, incorporate soil and drainage materials, water, plants and microorganisms. "Surface-flow" constructed wetlands resemble shallow freshwater marshes and generally require a large land area for wastewater treatment. More effective for greenhouse and nursery operations with limited production space and expensive land are a type of constructed wetland called "subsurface flow." Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929104607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925104307.htm Our present understanding of the origin of animals and Phanerozoic ecosystems depends critically on the ability to interpret impressions left behind by soft-bodied Ediacaran organisms, and to document their spatial and temporal distribution, which conceivably relate to strong environmental gradients in terminal Proterozoic seawater. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925104307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924111401.htm Scientists are reporting findings on the long-term effects of warming anomaly on grassland productivity and ecosystem carbon cycling. They found that warming by 4 degrees Celsius in the Reno greenhouse not only depressed plant growth and suppressed land carbon absorption in the treatment year but also resulted in prolonged suppression of plant growth and carbon absorption in the following year. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924111401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922184922.htm Researchers have discovered the oldest known ice in North America, and that permafrost may be a significant touchstone when looking at global warming. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922184922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923084535.htm Ammonia emissions from seabirds have been shown to be a significant source of nitrogen in remote coastal ecosystems, contributing to nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) and acidification in ecosystems. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923084535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155948.htm Two species of giraffe, several rhinos and five elephant relatives, along with multitudes of rodents, bush pigs, horses, antelope and apes, once inhabited what is now northern Pakistan. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918111316.htm Plants in a forest respond to stress by producing a chemical form of aspirin, scientists have discovered. The finding opens up new avenues of research into the behavior of plants, and it has the potential to give farmers an early warning signal about crops that are failing. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918111316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155904.htm Earth scientists have reported movement of warmed sea water through the flat, Pacific Ocean floor off Costa Rica. The movement is greater than that off midocean volcanic ridges. The finding suggests possible marine life in a part of the ocean once considered barren. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925165511.htm Most residents in fire-prone communities surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest have taken steps to protect their homes from wildland fires, according to a US Forest Service study completed this summer. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925165511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923164720.htm A new study finds that environmental restoration research using large experimental tests has been limited. The study maintains that for restoration to progress as a science and a practice, more research should be done on whole ecosystems with large experiments. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923164720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923164714.htm River floods and storms that send water surging through swamps and marshes near rivers and coastal areas might cut in half the average greenhouse gas emissions from those affected wetlands, according to recent research. A study suggests that pulses of water through wetlands result in lower average emissions of greenhouse gases over the course of the year compared to the emissions from wetlands that receive a steady flow of water. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923164714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918192943.htm Abrupt climate change is the focus of IMPACTS, a major new program bringing together six US Department of Energy national laboratories to investigate the instability of marine ice sheets, warming of the boreal forests and Arctic, megadroughts in the Southwestern United States, and methane release from frozen hydrates. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918192943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155914.htm How much carbon dioxide is too much? According to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere need to be stabilized at levels low enough to "prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." But scientists have come to realize that an even more acute danger than climate change is lurking in the world's oceans -- one that is likely to be triggered by CO₂ levels that are modest by climate standards. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918170357.htm A new study shows that an innovative yet contentious fisheries management strategy called "catch shares" can reverse fisheries collapse. Where traditional "open access" fisheries have converted to catch shares, both fishermen and the oceans have benefited. Catch shares guarantee each shareholder a fixed portion of a fishery's total allowable catch. Each share becomes more valuable when the fish population -- and thus the total allowable catch -- increases. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918170357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145131.htm Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research on the cover of this week's Nature finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years. The findings followed a four-year study of 12-ton containerized grassland plots at Nevada's Desert Research Institute. Plots were extracted intact from the Oklahoma prairie and sealed inside four, living-room-sized environment chambers. Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915083723.htm Snails, crabs, insect larvae - the shores of rivers and lakes are populated by thousands of small animals that play an important role in the food chain of the freshwater ecosystem. They eat the leaves which fall into the water, among other things, and help keep the waters clean. Scientists are now studying the impact that ship-induced waves can have on these small animals. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915083723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145409.htm The number of alien plant species has more than tripled over the last 25 years. This is the finding of a study by European scientists who evaluated the data from 48 European countries and regions. A total of 5789 plant species were classified as alien. Of these, 2843 originating outside of Europe, according to the researchers. By contrast, in 1980 only 1568 alien species were registered. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915121321.htm Unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an "essential toxin," can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which can potentially be recovered from the process. An estimated 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency, even though many live near areas where levels of selenium have reached toxic levels. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915121321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915162428.htm Arctic sea ice may well have reached its lowest volumes ever, as summer ice coverage of the Arctic Sea looks set to be close to last year's record lows, with thinner ice overall. Final figures on minimum ice coverage for 2008 are expected in a matter of days, but they are already flirting with last year's record low of 1.59 million square miles, or 4.13 million square kilometers. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915162428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909074102.htm Widespread use of nanoscale silver will challenge regulatory agencies to balance important potential benefits against the possibility of significant environmental risk, highlighting the need to identify research priorities concerning this emerging technology, according to a new report. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909074102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910121504.htm The level of nutrients in soil determines how many different kinds of plants and trees can thrive in an ecosystem, according to new research published by biologists and mathematicians in Nature. Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910121504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080907211937.htm Even closely related plants produce their own natural chemical cocktails, each set uniquely adapted to the individual plant's specific habitat. Comparing antifungals produced by tobacco and henbane, researchers have discovered that only a few mutations in a key enzyme are enough to shift the whole output to an entirely new product mixture. Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080907211937.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909205412.htm Nearly 40 percent of freshwater fish species in North America are now in jeopardy, according to the most detailed evaluation of the conservation status of these fishes in the last 20 years. The 700 fishes now listed represent a staggering 92 percent increase over the 364 listed as "imperiled" in the previous 1989 study published by the American Fisheries Society. Researchers classified each of the 700 fishes listed as either vulnerable (230), threatened (190) or endangered (280). In addition, 61 fishes are presumed extinct. Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909205412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904112656.htm Human activities bear a large part of the responsibility for coral reef degradation. Several threats hang over this complex ecosystem with its extraordinary biodiversity, whether in the form of anthropogenic effluents emitted at certain times or global warming which causes coral bleaching. Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904112656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134327.htm What are the consequences of human-made tinkering with land cover and hydrology on surrounding native desert ecosystems and biodiversity? This question forms the backdrop for a case study published in the journal BioScience, which found that one of the most profound impacts of urbanization is the "reconfiguration of surface hydrology." Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908101647.htm Some of the world's top experts on fungi recently collected fungi and mushrooms above tree line in the Beartooth Mountains near Red Lodge, Mont. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908101647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143232.htm A team of scientists is studying the complex ocean upwelling process by mimicking nature -- pumping cold, nutrient-rich water from deep within the Pacific Ocean and releasing it into surface waters near Hawaii that lack the nitrogen and phosphorous necessary to support high biological production. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080901205633.htm Although most people imagine wolves chasing deer and other hoofed animals, new research suggests that, when they can, wolves actually prefer fishing to hunting. The study shows that when salmon is available, wolves will reduce deer hunting activity and instead focus on seafood. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080901205633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143245.htm The growing number of dams and other impoundments is increasing the number of invasive species and the speed at which they spread, putting natural lakes at risk, says a study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902095117.htm Two black-footed ferrets at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have each given birth to a kit that was sired by males who died in 1999 and 2000. These endangered ferrets were artificially inseminated in May with frozen semen from the two deceased males, each giving birth on June 20 and 21 respectively. Successful inseminations with frozen semen are extremely rare -- until now only three black-footed ferret kits have been born from this method. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902095117.htm