envirobites

Monday, August 8, 2022

Bridging the gap: Earthworms bring scientists and farmers together to improve soil health

August 8, 2022August 8, 2022 Etienne Herrick 0 Comments agriculture, citizen science, earthworms, soil health, tillage

Scientists and farmers have more in common than many people realize, including a desire to improve the health of our soils. By partnering together to study earthworms in farm fields, scientists and farmers are discovering how different agricultural practices impact soil health. Read on to learn more about how earthworms help bridge the gap between scientific research, farm management, and soil health!

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

Urban Gardens Provide Stable Nectar Supply for Pollinators

August 7, 2022July 29, 2022 Julia Bebout 0 Comments community ecology, gardens, plant ecology, pollinators

Insect pollinators are in trouble, and many plants on farms or in the wild need them to be able to grow fruits and reproduce. With so much at stake for plants around the world, and the humans who depend on them, how can we stop the decline of insect pollinator populations? Urban gardens may have a role to play in supporting pollinators, especially if we plant flowers that provide a stable supply of nectar, their most important food.

Animal behavior Ecosystems Environmental Science

Matriarch Madness: Mechanism of Social Parasitism and Colony Takeover in Ants

August 3, 2022August 2, 2022 Maria Marlin 0 Comments animal behavior, camouflage, ecosystems, insects, parasitism

Carpenter ants play an important role in an ecosystem; they break down wood into smaller pieces that will ultimately become part of the soil. But a parasitic ant can rapidly take over and destroy a colony by simply disguising herself through chemical means.

Animal behavior Case Studies Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Parasite Problems Call for Microbiome Maintenance

August 2, 2022August 2, 2022 Cypress Novick 0 Comments coevolution, evolution, Infection, microbiome, parasitism

How the bacteria living inside of us may protect us against harmful infections.

Animal behavior Ecosystems

Fire and Animal Behavior: How Forest Fires are Mediating Predator-Prey Interactions

August 1, 2022July 31, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments animal behavior, bushfire, forest ecology, forestry, predation, predator-prey interactions, prescribed fire, Wildfire

Fires, both from intentional and unintentional sources, have been altering our ecosystems for as long as history has been recorded, yet little is known about how these occurrences affect animal behavior, especially concerning predator-prey interactions. Countless factors, including the extent of the fire and the adaptability of both predator and prey to these new conditions affect the behavior and survivability of both predator and prey. In the end, change is inevitable, but if we improve our understanding of how fires influence animal behavior, we can then help rehabilitate affected populations in more effective and efficient ways.

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Las Ranas Congeladas Ayudan a Entender Cómo Conservar Órganos Humanos Para Trasplante

July 21, 2022July 15, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments biotecnología, medicina, resistencia a la temperatura, salud humana, salud pública, trasplante de órganos

Los órganos humanos para trasplante son escasos y difíciles de mantener con vida. Se han utilizado métodos para prolongar su vida, pero aun así solo se llega a satisfacer el 10% de la necesidad mundial de trasplantes al año. Existen especies de ranas que son capaces de sobrevivir el invierno utilizando mecanismos no convencionales. ¿Y si en los mecanismos de estas ranas encontramos una manera de preservar la viabilidad de los órganos humanos para trasplante por mas tiempo?

Animal behavior Case Studies Ecosystems Environmental Science

How Citizen Science Led to The Discovery of Tree-Dwelling Toads

July 15, 2022July 14, 2022 Brianne Palmer 0 Comments amphibians, citizen science, Community science, toads

Two groups of citizen scientists in the UK discovered something previously unknown to science– toads living in trees. Read on to learn about how citizen science and collaborations with scientists can lead to more interesting questions and discoveries.

This photo shows the corner of a fenced-off backyard in the foreground, and other yards and houses in the background. The yards are very open and contain short green grass.

Animal behavior Cities Environmental Science

Fenced Off: What Attracts our Wild Neighbors to our Yards?

July 9, 2022July 9, 2022 Lauren Otolski 0 Comments humans and wildlife, urban ecology

Though you may expect to only spot wildlife in natural areas such as parks, urban animal visitors are likely more common than you’d think! What kind of animals might be spotted in human-dominated areas, and how do they interact with our backyards?

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

Managing soil carbon for short and long-term benefits: Have we cracked the code?

July 8, 2022July 8, 2022 Etienne Herrick 0 Comments agriculture, carbon, Climate Change, cover crops, Soil

Increasing carbon in soils has potential to help fight climate change and support crop growth, but researchers are still figuring out if and how we can do both at the same time. Read on to find out if they’ve discovered a solution!

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Buried Alive: How Plants Bounce Back from Volcanic Debris

July 7, 2022July 6, 2022 Julia Bebout 0 Comments Ecology, forest succession, plant communities, volcano

When a volcano erupts, what happens to plants growing nearby? Some are buried by volcanic tephra, dust and rocks thrown into the air by the volcano. Amazingly, newly published results suggest that this might not kill the plant community under the debris.

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