Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Ecosystems

Case StudiesClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Sarah Shainker

Islands and Alleles: How genetics can help protect endangered species

When talking about diversity in the natural world, we often think of the bright colors and bold patterns of fish gliding among a reef, or the variety of flying, creeping, and crawling critters found in the layers of a rainforest canopy. However, diversity even within a single species is an important indicator of a population’s health and stability. This type of diversity can be invisible to us when contained in the form of genes that control which traits organisms possess. In this study, scientists helped us to see the invisible diversity of an endangered skink and learn how to more effectively conserve this diversity.

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CitiesClimateEcosystems
Kevin Aviles Rodriguez

Mother of dragons in the city

City habitats are often much warmer due to lower forest cover and an increased density of manmade surfaces which retain heat. Increased temperatures can greatly affect animals that develop as male or female depending on the incubation temperature of the eggs. Read on to find out how mothers of eastern water dragons deal with living in the warm cities of Australia.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceToxicology
Anita Masse

Avoiding A Problem: Spineless Critters Signalling Trouble For Plants?

Spineless creatures are fleeing, alerting scientists to an unseen problem. The avoidance behavior of soil worms and insects could provide a fast and easy method for scientists to screen chemicals for plant toxicity.

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Case StudiesEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Maddie Halloran

Using Genetics to Inform Conservation: Spring-Run Chinook Salmon in the Klamath-Trinity River Basin

The same species of Chinook salmon in the Klamath-Trinity basin return to the river each year in two groups: the fall-run and the spring-run. Spring-run Chinook in the Klamath River have drastically declined from historical levels, and are at much lower abundances than fall-run Chinook there. A key genetic difference between these two runs may determine how they are protected (and hopefully restored) under the Endangered Species Act. Read on to learn more!

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Laura Schifman

The value of a species: the whooping crane conservation paradox

The endangered whooping crane is one of the world’s rarest species, with only around 600 individuals, including one wild self-sustaining population (French et al., 2018). Reintroduced populations have had limited success, largely due to low hatching success. One multi-year study demonstrates the role that some endemic species of black flies play in Whooping crane nest desertion. This work also illustrates how conservation approaches should evaluate trade-offs and utilize a decision-analysis framework to construct management strategies that incorporate the needs of all endemic species, rather than pining the value of one species above the other.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Aleksandra Dolezal

Protected areas need to be more than just location leftovers of the world

Authors Devillers et al. (2015) and Venter et al. (2017) explore the residual nature of the worlds terrestrial and marine protected areas, found to be a consequence of the complex trade‐offs between ecological, socio‐economic and political considerations. 

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ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Abigail Lewis

Saving the Scrub: In defense of “ugly” landscapes

It’s easy to advocate for the value of beautiful landscapes. But what about when the plants are brown all summer? Here, a student-led team uses carbon calculations to demonstrate the importance of California Sage Scrub conservation on a global level.

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ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Nick Iraola

Will Sponges Bulldoze Coral Reefs Faster in an Acidic Ocean?

Coral reefs provide benefits for marine life and humans alike. In this delicate ecosystem, humans may be tipping the scales in an unhealthy direction due to ocean acidification. Sponges naturally erode corals to create homes for themselves, but an acidic ocean might mean sponges may not have to work as hard and could erode corals faster than they build. Scientists have confirmed that as ocean acidification increase, so will the rates of erosion by sponges – leaving many concerned with the fate of our ocean’s coral reefs and the services they provide.

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CitiesEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Laura Schifman

Let’s Paint the Town Green!

Many places around the world are searching for ways to balance a growing population while also caring for the environment. Developers, policymakers, and citizens everywhere are concerned with maintaining biodiversity while developing economies and building homes and businesses for humans. New research from the European Union aims to balance the use of ecosystem services and conservation efforts by introducing green infrastructure. This new way to look at land use can have important implications for the future of development and policy-making in the European Union, and throughout the world.

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