Ecosystems – Page 2 – envirobites

How can we assess the adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems to deal with human stressors? A key indicator is the extent to which forests are regenerating today, that is, producing seedlings and saplings that one day will take the place of mature trees as they age and die. In a recent study, Kathryn Miller and Brian McGill found relatively reassuring levels of regeneration in the northeast and Southeast USA, but low levels in the central mid-Atlantic portion, which could lead to declines in forest cover in this region.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

The biodiversity emergency: what can we all do?

April 16, 2019April 17, 2019 Laura Schifman 0 Comments biodiversity, BSC4052, Conservation, urban agriculture, urban studies

There is a biodiversity crisis. The repercussions of species and habitat loss are everywhere: Animals (giant pandas or bees), and places (coral reefs), are experiencing negative human-related impacts. This means more than just loss of physical beauty; all habitats and species are interconnected, so a loss of something as seemingly small as a bee population will reduce pollination of plants that we eat. There is hope of recovery, but it begins by motivating people to help. As the world is becoming more urbanized and disconnected from nature, where does motivation for environmental conservation and stewardship come from?

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Do Red Snapper Call Decommissioned Oil Rigs Home?

April 16, 2019April 17, 2019 Lauren Bonatakis 0 Comments ecosystems, fisheries, oil and gas

As natural reefs are becoming more and more scarce in the muddy bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, scientists have looked towards decommissioned oil rigs as replacements. Because red snapper are an important reef fish in the Gulf, they are used as a focal species to determine if artificial structures are as capable as natural reefs to support the reproductive potential of reef fish.

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science Science through time

Trees, Tempests, and Time: What trees can tell us about weather in the past

April 15, 2019April 18, 2019 Ashley Riane Booth 0 Comments Climate, Climate Change, coastal environments, Ecology, hurricanes, tree rings, wetlands

For storms along the Gulf Coast, first-person recordings are only reliable for the past 150 years. But knowing more about when storms happened in the past helps us understand how the climate is changing and how to reduce storm risks for coastal communities. To do that, we have to use even more unusual records: tree rings.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Cover Crops: Good for Water Quality?

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019 Brittany Maule 0 Comments agricultural pollution, agriculture, cover crops, ecosystem services, eutrophication, phosphorus

Cover crops have been a popular management strategy to reduce nutrient runoff from agriculture. However, evidence suggests that some cover crops may in fact release nutrients, instead of keeping them out of the water. One study explores whether five types of cover crops release phosphorus, and how that may impact water quality in the important Great Lakes region.

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

Small artificial waterbodies – it’s time to start paying attention

April 4, 2019April 8, 2019 Jackie Webb 0 Comments agriculture, Artificial waters, carbon accounting, greenhouse gases, water resource

What are small artificial waterbodies and should we care about their greenhouse gas impact? Recent research in Australia demonstrates to us why we need to start paying attention to farm dam emissions.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

It’s Not Just About Fish: How Understanding Ecosystem Services Can Lead to Marine Conservation

April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 Olivia Box 0 Comments coastal environments, ecology and society, ecosystem services, Ocean

What is the value of a fish? It’s role in the ecosystem, or the community that relies on the species? A team of scientists from the UK explores these interactions in their recent paper, which details the use of ecosystem services in marine conservation.