Masters of web design – city spiders build smaller, fuller webs
European garden spiders build smaller, fuller webs in cities where there are fewer, smaller insects to eat.
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Environmental Science
The Forest-Fungi Loop
The ground under our feet might have more say in the landscape than we realize– researchers are studying the feedback loops between fungi and trees.
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Expanding the conservation “cool clique” to include freshwater megafauna
When you think of endangered species, what comes to mind? Even though the global list of endangered species includes plants, animals, and even algae, of all sizes, colors, and general aesthetic appeal, a few large animals typically serve as ambassadors for endangered species.
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Spotting the Shy Guy – Why Collaboration With Local Indigenous People Can Be An Asset to Conservation Management
A recent Australian study highlights the importance of including local and indigenous people in conservation research. While examining mitigation of lizard population declines, scientists stumbled upon a surprising finding about how researchers’ cultural differences can affect fieldwork and experimental outcomes.
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Wastewater Treatment in Briny Times
While many industrial processes that utilize salt are beneficial to our society, high concentrations of salt that make their way into our wastewater stream introduce many potential threats to wastewater treatment. In this study, researchers investigated a biological solution to dealing with high salt (and often high sulfate) concentrations in wastewater: purple phototrophic bacteria (PPB).
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Effective Environmental Policy Requires Inclusion
The politicians who designed NEPA understood that inclusion of stakeholders is crucial for policies to be effective, both in implementing change and garnering support for policy-based decisions.
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Population genetics to uncover life history and inform conservation of a federally threatened tiny plant
Genetic diversity is an important, but overlooked, aspect of the conservation of endangered and threatened species. How is the genetic diversity of a tiny, threatened plant influenced by its basic biology?
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Mosquitoes in Winter (what the..?)
In many regions witnessing a mosquito in winter is common. Though many mosquitoes die off when temperatures get too cold outside, many of them don’t. It all depends on the species; and with warming climates, we can expect to see a lot more of them in the coming decades.
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Which Nature is Your Nature?
Cultural understandings of nature vary widely, but global conservation efforts often fail to consider multiple perspectives regarding nature. Researchers have suggested a framework through which to better understand cultural conceptualizations of nature through language. By incorporating this framework into their correspondences, scientists may be better equipped to communicate their findings, and policy makers will have a platform from which to promote more inclusive legislation.
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Urban Areas May be Unlikely Sanctuaries for Bee Populations
Facing declining populations worldwide, bees may have found an unlikey refuge in urban gardens.
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