Earth
- Animals
Whaling, to be announced
The 60th meeting of the International Whaling Commission defers voting on deadlocked issues
By Susan Milius - Ecosystems
Ecosystem engineers
Nonnative earthworms are deliberately burying ragweed seeds, enhancing the weed’s growth, researchers report.
- Agriculture
Bee-Loved Plantings
Zipcode-organized guidelines tell gardeners, farmers and others how to design a landscape that will not only entice pollinators but also keep these horticultural helpers happy.
By Janet Raloff - Earth
Under Ice
Cruising in an icebreaker to the top of the world, scientists identified the aftermath of an event once thought impossible: a violent volcanic eruption on the deep-sea floor.
By Sid Perkins - Plants
Move it or lose it
Climate change may have dire consequences for California’s native plants, which may need to take refuge in some the areas under pressure for development.
- Earth
Resonating with the ocean
An experiment may explain the origin of underwater waves that shape the sediment of continental slopes.
- Ecosystems
Human ‘Signature’ in Fish Losses
Why the whales-ate-my-fish argument doesn't hold water.
By Janet Raloff - Ecosystems
On Whales’ Appetites: What a Waste
An advocacy group and renowned scientist floundered in an attempt to compel opinion shapers with the science showing that industrial fleets, not whales, pose a serious threat to fish stocks.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Breathe easy
When it comes to heart function, the concentration of pollution in the air may matter less than its chemical makeup.
By Tia Ghose - Plants
Forest invades tundra
The Arctic tundra is under assault from trees, with serious implications for global climate change.
By Janet Raloff - Climate
Now that’s abrupt
Past abrupt climate change in the North Atlantic could have started as far south as China, scientists say.
- Agriculture
A vanilla Vanilla
The orchid that gives us vanilla beans has startlingly low genetic diversity, suggesting crops might be susceptible to pathogens, researchers report.