Water willow and mussels and deer, oh my!
Primary Article: Lopez, J.W., Parr, T.B., Allen, D.C., and Vaughn, C. C. Animal aggregations promote emergent aquatic plant production at
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Environmental Science
Kitty Conundrum Cleared Up: Scientists Create Cat Food that Reduces Allergy Symptoms
Citation: Ebenezer Satyaraj, Harold James Wedner, Jean Bousquet. Keep the cat, change the care pathway: A transformational approach to managing
Read moreEmerging Environmental Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Good and Bad
As the COVID-19 pandemic scourges the planet, research and other efforts have focused on the human toll of the virus. Recent research has begun shedding light on the effects of COVID-19 on the environment. At first glance, these effects seem beneficial. However, many negative consequences also loom, particularly in the long-term.
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The invasive Kentucky bluegrass
The grass species known as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) – contrary to its name – is not native to Kentucky nor is it blue (spoiler: it’s green). It is originally from Europe and northern Asia and is the most popular lawn grass in the Unites States. Unfortunately, it has also become a huge invasive problem in natural grassland environments.
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Green chemistry can make plastics less painful
Plastics impart a lot of useful properties during a global health pandemic. They’re cheap, disposable, and easy to clean. However, they still present an environmental challenge… read more to find out how green chemistry can help!
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How to strike harmony between clean energy and nature-based tourism
Iceland is a beautiful country and my vacation there was one of my favorites! However, there is some tension in the country balancing clean energy development and maintaining the pristine natural areas that draw tourists annually. Authors of this paper explore how these two conflicting interests can work together and help to promote renewable energy production.
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Lichens, we like them: Considering intimate relationships in biodiversity conservation
Learning about lichens, and their contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem function.
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Sending ripples through environments: a new type of keystone species
Keystone species have ripple effects on the other organisms in their environments, but do any species have similar effects on the environment itself? The idea of a biogeomorphic keystone species captures this idea and, like that of keystone species, requires piecing together a complex web of interactions to understand the big picture. Two researchers in Kentucky present how two tree species have strong effects on their local stream environments, qualifying them as potential biogeomorphic keystone species.
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Space Invaders? Exotic Bees in the Urban Landscape
One up and coming target for bee conservation has been the urban landscape, as some recent findings have indicated that cities can maintain diverse bee communities. Though on the surface these findings seem promising for bee conservation, many of these studies do not actually address whether this is a positive thing for native bees. One group of scientists decided to delve further into this topic by looking at the effects of urbanization on bee species. Specifically, they wanted to find out whether exotic bees, including the European honeybee, were found more abundantly in cities and other urban areas than in rural communities and how their presence affected native bees.
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From Cropland to Cities: Aerial Transport of Fungi
How connected are our farms to our cities? If you are a flying fungus, they may be very connected! In a new study, researchers from De Paul University found fungi from the soil on the rooftops of Chicago and wondered why. It turns out, small fungal spores can travel from agricultural fields through the air into the cities and form friendships with the city-dwelling plants. Understanding how these spores move from agriculture to cities could help researchers develop new insight of the urban ecosystem.
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