Ecosystems – Page 2 – envirobites

Monday, September 26, 2022

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.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Beyond Expelling Organs at Predators: What Else Are Sea Cucumbers Hiding?

July 3, 2022July 3, 2022 Maria Marlin 0 Comments deep-sea, invertebrates, marine life

Featured image caption: Sea cucumbers are echinoderms that live on the ocean floor worldwide. Some species are also edible and

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Microplastics In Our Fish: How Fish Food Is Affecting Our Food Supply and Our Health

July 1, 2022June 30, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments fisheries, food safety, health impacts, human health, microfibers, Microplastic, microplastics, public health, wildlife health

Microplastics are small plastic particles ranging in size from 1μm (the size of a human hair) to 5mm (the size of a pencil-top eraser) that don’t dissolve in water and are usually fragmented from larger pieces of plastics. That sounds like something that should never end up on our plates, right? Well, researchers have found that these small plastics have, unfortunately, found their way into our food chain.

Ecosystems

Oversimplified – Deforestation cuts down spider species

June 20, 2022June 20, 2022 Brandi Pessman 0 Comments Deforestation, disturbance, loss, spiders

We tend to value simplification over complexity in our day-to-day lives, but animals rely on complex environments to maintain diversity. When we cut down forests for agriculture, livestock, or manufacturing, we simplify environments by reducing the diversity of plants – a disturbance that forces out many vital animals. A recent study showed that converting the diverse Atlantic Forest in Argentina into rows of pine trees for paper production has had severe consequences for spider species. Can time heal the wounds caused by clear-cutting?

A sparse forest, with smaller plants in the foreground and tall trees in the background. A fire burns in the trees, sending up smoke.

Ecosystems Environmental Science

After the Smoke Clears: How Fires Affect Wildlife Populations

June 7, 2022June 7, 2022 Lauren Otolski 0 Comments Conservation, wildfires, wildlife

Fires are an essential part of many ecosystems. How do they impact the animals which live there?

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

Is the Bark Stronger Than the Bite? The Use of Models to Predict Bark Beetle-Induced Tree Mortality

June 3, 2022June 2, 2022 Maria Marlin 0 Comments beetle outbreak, Climate Change, forests, modeling

Bark beetles can cause widespread tree mortality by disrupting the flow of water and nutrients. These trees are critical in sequestering carbon from greenhouse gas emissions. By accounting for beetle phenology as well as tree physiology, modeling can help predict bark-beetle induced tree mortality that can result from climate change.

Climate Ecosystems Remediation

Relief for the Reef – Connecting Coral Resilience with Restoration Efforts

June 1, 2022June 30, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments Climate Change, climate resiliency, coastal resilience, coral, coral bleaching, coral nurseries, coral reef ecosystem, coral reefs, habitat restoration, reef restoration, rehabilitation, resilience, Restoration

Coral reefs are ecologically important for both marine and land species, offering support for high biodiversity. They also represent one of the most threatened ecosystems, especially as a result of climate change and human intervention. Due to their vulnerability and significance, many efforts have been made to restore these vital ecosystems, yet the worldwide success rates for coral reef restoration aren’t nearly as high as scientists had hoped. So, now the question is: is there anything that can be done to make coral reefs and their restoration more resilient to the threats they face?

Ecosystems Environmental Science

New genetic insights provide hope for the vaquita porpoise

May 15, 2022May 13, 2022 Brianne Palmer 0 Comments Conservation, endangered species, fishing, genetics, vaquita

Vaquita porpoises have long been considered one of the most endangered species in the world. They are small sea mammals

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

The colorful world of coral

May 13, 2022May 12, 2022 Sam Schurkamp 0 Comments Climate Change, coral, coralreefs

A diversity of coral reef color leads to a diversity in fish color, and by extension, a diversity of fish species. With temperatures rising, the loss of colorful coral may lead to a loss of fish and an ocean in grayscale.