Monday, July 6, 2026

Ecosystems

ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceSustainabililty

Why is There Slime in This Corn? The Salty Experiment

Roughly half of cropland is salt stressed worldwide. Finding ways to enhance crop yield is of great importance. Using bacteria that produce biofilms to protect plants under harsh conditions may be a sustainable solution.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

Raptors on the Brink: Population Declines Over Africa’s Savannas

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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ClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental Science

The Soil Seed Bank: Plant Communities’ Secret Weapon

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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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

The Fight for Fish Food: Invasive Armored Catfish vs. Native Fishes

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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ClimateEcosystems

Giving Them a Fighting Chance: How To Save Insects from Climate Change

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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EcosystemsEnvironmental Science

Seaweeds Against Climate Change: How Algae Provide Us with Ecosystem Services

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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