Ecosystems – Page 2 – envirobites

Climate warming in the Arctic is happening faster than other regions of the globe and leading to earlier springs. The timing of spring is important for ecosystems because it often signals the arrival of food resources and favorable weather. In Arctic seabirds, springs arrival often begins the start of breeding season. A recent study looked at how the timing of spring has changed in the Arctic and what impact this may be having on Arctic seabirds based on where birds forage for food. The results suggest that birds that feed in the upper layers of the ocean have been strongly impacted by climate change and have significantly advanced their breeding.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science Science through time

A lifetime of noise: what are the costs?

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019 Anita Masse 0 Comments animals, crickets, lifespan, noise pollution, population effects, reproduction, survival

The visible cringe. The reflex to cover your ears. A constant piercing noise can be a horrific experience for a person. Research has shown that noise pollution can negatively impact the health of humans, animals and possibly entire ecosystems. What are the consequences of a lifetime surrounded by noise? Two scientists aim to characterize the costs of chronic noise pollution on the survival, growth and reproductive success of animals over their entire lifetime.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Microbes for Disappearing Dunes

November 17, 2019November 16, 2019 Abigail Bezrutczyk 0 Comments Climate Change, Coastal Changes, Conservation, environmental science, erosion, hurricanes, microbes, plant diversity, Restoration, Sustainability

A major challenge our coastal ecosystems face is rapid loss of sand dunes due to coastal erosion. Plants play an important role in sand dune restoration. However, without the right microbes these plants may not be able to establish themselves in the dunes.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

Microhabitat temperature makes a mega impact on urban coastal biodiversity

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 Sarah Shainker 0 Comments biodiversity, coastal development, thermal stress

Anywhere people live, we build things! Along the coast, our construction projects are especially important for protecting us from strong wind and waves, and for providing opportunities for recreation in and along the water. This development is important, but how is it impacting the animals and algae that make their homes on the coast?

Climate Ecosystems Science through time

What is scarier than zombies, ghosts, and witches? A modern mass extinction

October 31, 2019November 12, 2019 Ashley Riane Booth 0 Comments biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, extinction, modeling

When I was a little kid, the things that scared me were a little silly – the slime monster from Ghostwriter, caterpillars, or a sinkhole developing underneath my bed that would swallow me while I slept. While I’ve gotten over these mostly ridiculous fears, being an adult doesn’t mean I am now fearless. Instead, the things that I consider “scary” have shifted. Now, the things that scare me are all too real – things like climate change and mass extinction.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science Toxicology

It’s all in the genes: how water pollution keeps silver carp at bay.

October 30, 2019October 30, 2019 Lauren Bonatakis 0 Comments chicago, great lakes, invasive species, physiology, Pollution, silver carp

Silver carp are a notorious invasive fish that are spreading throughout the Mississippi River Basin. Despite their rapid-fire range expansion, silver carp have yet to make it to the Great Lakes. A recent study explores the possibility that polluted Chicago-area waters may be preventing the spread of silver carp into Lake Michigan and beyond.

Ecosystems Environmental Science Remediation

What is “dark diversity” and how can we use it to guide conservation and restoration?

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 Aleksandra Dolezal 0 Comments Conservation planning, species diversity

The core of ecology is devoted to studying the interactions among species and their environment. But why are some species present and others absent in an environment? Think of a region of forest that has been converted to an agricultural field. The species that were thriving in the forest now have become absent because they are not tolerant of the new environmental conditions imposed upon them in the agricultural field.

Only a subset of all species in a region can tolerate the ecological conditions of a given site (the site-specific species pool). Of those, not all are realized in the local species pool. These absent species form what is called the dark diversity of a community. Authors Lewis et al. (2017) believe that the dark diversity concept can be used to complement and further develop conservation prioritization and management decision

Ecosystems Environmental Science

A Grizzly Situation: Saving Bears by Mitigating Conflict

October 25, 2019 Jessica Espinosa 0 Comments conflict mitigation, Conservation, grizzly bear, Human dimensions, humans and wildlife

Many people become fearful at the mention of “bear country.” But is the risk of being hurt by a bear, or even seeing a bear, on your trip really that high? The answer is no: many campers and hikers don’t even know they have passed close to a bear during their time outdoors because bears largely try to avoid humans. When bears do come close to people, it is usually due to conflicts over food and space. Humans often retaliate against bears in these situations, which can ultimately threaten the survival of bear populations. In an effort to save these bears, a team of scientists came up with a program to mitigate human-bear conflicts and create spaces where both humans and bears can coexist.

Case Studies Ecosystems Environmental Science Toxicology

Streamside Vegetation Can Capture Pesticides

October 23, 2019 Brittany Maule 0 Comments agriculture, pesticides, water quality

Blueberries and other crops are being impacted in the Pacific northwest by a new invasive species. Pesticide use to combat this problem may impact nearby aquatic life. Researchers studied agriculture areas with and without woody vegetation along stream banks to understand if they could play a role in keeping pesticides out of streams. Sites with woody vegetation reduced 96% of pesticide measured in the stream on average compared to sites without. Increasing woody vegetation next to streams could help farmers fight off invasive species while still protecting water quality.

Ecosystems Science through time

A Three-Thousand-Year Glimpse into Climate and Human-Influenced Animal Extinction in China

October 18, 2019October 15, 2019 Munim Deen 0 Comments extinction, human impacts, paleoecology

How long of a time period needs to be studied before conclusions about human activity, population, and rising temperatures’ effect on animal extinction can be drawn? A recent paper focusing on three thousand years of historical animal population data shows that these things have led to significantly lower number of animals throughout recorded history – and the trend is still continuing.