Ecology – envirobites

182 Years in the Making: Invertebrate Communities of Narragansett Bay

August 2, 2018August 2, 2018 Aidan Barry 0 Comments Conservation, Ecology, ecosystem services, eutrophication, fisheries, nutrient cycles, Sustainability, Wastewater, water quality

Benthic invertebrates support various ecosystem functions and services such as shellfish production and biogeochemical cycling. Historical data spanning 182 years permitted Hale and colleagues to determine the trends and current conditions of invertebrate communities in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. From the 104 studies, the authors detected over 1,000 different taxa that have been observed within the esturary and suggest human influence has greatly impacted the overall biodiversity of the invertebrate community.

Case Studies Environmental Science Remediation Science through time

“Leave it to beavers!” Say the fish.

July 11, 2018 E.M.B. Doran 0 Comments Ecology, ecosystem services, ecosystems, environmental science, fisheries, Restoration, water, Water Cycle, water management, water quality, wetlands

Humans are masters of ecosystem engineering. But so are many other creatures, not least among them: Beavers. Paper

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science

“Pollen-ology”: what microfossils can tell us about sea level rise

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 Alina Spera 0 Comments Ecology, forests, paleoecology, palynology, sea level rise, wetlands

Ever wonder how scientists reconstruct environments from the earth’s history? For those studying mangroves in South Florida, the answer is a little smaller than you would think. Palynology, or the study of fossilized pollen, can tell researchers about what plants were present in an area in the past, aiding in understanding how things have changed in the last few thousand years. With the help of this reconstruction, pollen fossils can also help us predict how mangrove systems will change in the future.

Climate Environmental Science

Intertidal Examination: Competition Between an Invasive and Endemic Species

July 3, 2018July 3, 2018 Aidan Barry 0 Comments behaviour ecology, Conservation, Ecology, ecosystems, environmental science, fisheries, invasive species

Coastal New England isn’t independent from the world of invasive species. The Asian shore crab has encroached on many crustaceans habitats in the last few decades and recently this includes the American lobster. Work done by Baillie and colleagues suggest that specific life stages of the lobster may be negatively impacted by the invasion of the crab. Not only will understanding the interactions between these two species aid in preservation of one of North America’s most important fisheries, it may also provide critical insight into the fascinating relationship between endemic and invasive species.

Three people rock climbing El Chorro in Spain

Environmental Science Remediation

Living on the Edge: Rock climbing changes plant communities on cliffs

July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 Abigail Lewis 0 Comments cliffs, Conservation, Ecology, environmental science, policy, Restoration, Sustainability

Surges in the popularity of rock climbing have made previously inaccessible cliff faces into tourist hotspots. How does this affect cliff ecosystems? Is there anything we can do?

Environmental Science

Red Deer Takeover!

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018 Samantha Smith 0 Comments Ecology, environmental science, forests, invasive species

Most people would not think of red deer as powerful enough to take over farmers’ land. However, a recent increase of red deer population has devastated land in Slovakia and other European countries. A recent study determined the amount of forage red deer consume per season and the key elements affecting forage availability that determine the boom or bust of red deer.

Case Studies Cities Environmental Science

Out to lunch or sticking with the worm diet? Food decisions of the Australian ibis

June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 Kevin Aviles Rodriguez 0 Comments behaviour ecology, cities, Ecology, urban ecology

If you’ve been to a busy park during lunch hour, surely, you’ve noticed that many birds are on the prowl for some of your delicious lunch crumbs! Recently, urban ecologists have been interested in learning how much human food animals eat, and how it might affect them. Read on to learn more about how the Australian ibis decides whether to grab some human grub or stick to its natural diet.

Climate Environmental Science

Increase in plant species richness on mountain summits is NOT a good thing

May 28, 2018July 13, 2018 Luiza Aparecido 1 Comment alpine, Climate Change, Ecology, mountain, plants, richness

Reference: Steinbauer, M.J. et al. (2018) Accelerated increase in plant species richness on mountain summits is linked to warming. Nature,

Environmental Science Toxicology

Spawn of the Dead

May 5, 2018May 5, 2018 Aidan Barry 0 Comments Conservation, Ecology, ecosystems, environmental science, Pollution, water quality

Migratory animals such as the Pacific salmon are critical to the transport of nutrients and energy across large distances and between different ecosystems. However, along with important nutrients also come contaminants and pollutants. To understand the impacts of salmon, Brandon Gerig and colleagues investigate contaminant levels of riparian fish populations in streams where salmon runs do and do not occur in the Great Lakes region.

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science Remediation Science through time

What can we learn from the things in lakes?

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments Ecology, ecology and society, ecosystems, environmental science, Lake Victoria, resilience

We all know the saying right… An Ecosystem in Motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force (aka humans), but what happens after that force hits? How does the ecosystem in question react? Does it crumble and die or does it dust itself off and try again?

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