Soil Quality Under Pressure
Industrial agriculture could be putting the soil in a pinch.
Read more
Case Studies
Theory versus Reality: How Biodiversity Indicators Were Re-Evaluated in The Gishwati-Mukura National Park
Chimpanzees were thought to be an indicator of ecosystem biodiversity in the Gishwati-Mukura National Park until a group of scientists found there was no relationship between abundance of chimpanzee and biodiversity in that particular National Park—this does not mean this assumption is inherently wrong, it is just wrong for the area in question, showing us how biodiversity can be a difficult concept to measure.
Read more
Do Mangoes Like It Hot? Climate Change And Your Favorite Fruit
Can your favorite fruits and vegetables survive the effects of climate change? Scientists are finding creative solutions to this problem.
Read more
What’s Right with Lights at Night?
The varying effects of artificial light on the mating success of different firefly species
Read more
How Many Ways Can You Count Wolves?
Although radio-collaring is often used to monitor wolf populations, scientists are turning their attention towards methods that do not require live-capture of animals. What are some of these options, and how do they stack up against radio-collaring?
Read more
“Where Did the Turtles Go?”: How One Case Study Brings Perspective On How Endangered Species Populations Are Studied
Recent study highlights the unique difficulties involved in estimating the state of endangered species populations.
Read more
Parasite Problems Call for Microbiome Maintenance
How the bacteria living inside of us may protect us against harmful infections.
Read more
How Citizen Science Led to The Discovery of Tree-Dwelling 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.
Read more
Freezing Frogs Help Preserve Human Organs for Transplant
Primary Source: Al-Attar R, Storey KB. Lessons from nature: Leveraging the freeze-tolerant wood frog as a model to improve organ
Read more
More Accessible Monitoring: Using Freely-Available Aerial Photos and Software to Map Changes in River Migration and Vegetation
Riverside vegetation, or “riparian buffers”, provides wildlife habitat, maintains water quality, and reduces flood damage. Human activity can negatively affect these services, and monitoring this vegetation over time can be costly and resource-intensive. Researchers at SUNY ESF have developed a new way of mapping river channels and vegetation that uses open-source remote-sensing software, using the Genesee River in New York to develop this method. Their method greatly improves our ability to monitor this important resource over time with over 90% accuracy.
Read more