environmental science research for everyone
Savannas across Africa have fewer hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and secretary birds than in previous decades. Which species are the most at-risk, and what can be done to protect them?
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Prescribed burns of tall-grass prairies affect ecosystem-wide bee distribution and diversity.
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Plant communities have a secret survival tool buried underground: the soil seed bank. When the environment changes, the seed bank helps buffer the plant community against those changes. But what if the seed bank can’t survive the environmental changes either? Scientists explore a wetland to learn more about the secretive soil seed bank.
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Harmful Algal Blooms are an increasingly frequent phenomenon, but may be mitigated with help from a surprising source.
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Aquariums are beloved by many. Enthusiasts enjoy nurturing and viewing aquariums full of beautiful and unique fish from around the world. However, the aquarium trade contributes to lots of introductions of fish to ecosystems in which they are non-native. What does this mean for these ecosystems?
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All animals have an internal clock, called a circadian rhythm, that helps the body know when to perform key functions
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Differing types of plastic may affect certain wetland species more than others.
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Insects, as small as they are, are even more important than you may think. Sadly, climate change and warming are slowly depleting insect populations as our urban spaces grow and the use of pesticides in rural areas increases. Actions like planting native plants and decreasing the concentration of concrete-sealed spaces could help create a world where insects are more resilient to the changing environment.
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If you’ve ever been near the ocean, chances are you’ve had an involuntary encounter with seaweed. It’s slimy. It’s smelly. It’s just overall not pleasant—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Here we’ll review some of the ecosystem services they provide so we can start looking past the inconvenience they represent and start appreciating them as the valuable organisms they are.
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What do Hawaii and Mars have in common? They both might have suitable habitats for microbes that can survive the extreme conditions in space. Read on to learn about how scientists are using lava tubes from Hawaiian volcanoes to learn about how life might survive on Mars.
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