Ecosystems

  1. Animals

    Otters provide a lesson about the effects of dams

    A dam created a new habitat, but that habitat’s lower quality kept otter density low.

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  2. Animals

    Reef fish get riled when intruders glow red

    A male fairy wrasse gets feisty when he can see a rival’s colorful fluorescent patches.

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  3. Ecosystems

    Deep-sea trawling threatens oceans’ health

    Dragging large nets along the seafloor to catch fish cuts organic matter and biodiversity in half and may threaten all of the world's underwater ecosystems.

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  4. Animals

    A tale of wolves, moose and missing ice

    Wolves have persisted on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale for decades, keeping moose in check, but climate change may doom the balance between the two species.

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  5. Microbes

    Viruses buoy life at hydrothermal vents

    Using hijacked genes, deep-sea viruses help sulfur-eating bacteria generate power in the plumes of hydrothermal vents.

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  6. Ecosystems

    War’s ecological effects laid bare in ‘A Window on Eternity’

    In "A Window on Eternity," entomologist E.O. Wilson chronicles both the shifting ecology of Gorongosa National Park after the war and how researchers are trying to repair the damage.

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  7. Earth

    Surge seen in number of U.S. wildfires

    The number and size of wildfires in the western United States has steadily risen over the last three decades.

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  8. Oceans

    The surprising life of a piece of sunken wood

    Timber and trees that wash out to sea and sink to the bottom of the ocean hold a diverse community of organisms.

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  9. Animals

    Zebra stripes may be mainly defense against flies

    The function of zebra stripes may not be for camouflage or cooling, a new analysis finds.

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  10. Animals

    Like a boomerang, relocated python comes back again

    Burmese pythons, which have invaded the Everglades, can find their way home when people move them dozens of kilometers.

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  11. Ecosystems

    Do your bit for bumblebees

    The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and its partners have launched the Bumble Bee Watch website to track sightings. When you see a bee bumbling around, snap a photo.

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  12. Ecosystems

    City spiders may spin low-vibe webs

    Spider webs built on human-made materials have less background bounce than those built on trees and other natural surfaces, which might shrink the arachnid’s hunting success.

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