Ecosystems

  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. Animals

    We’re only noticing the snowy owls

    A lemming boom last summer probably led to rises in populations of several predator species.

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  8. Ecosystems

    Arctic melting may help parasites infect new hosts

    Grey seals and beluga whales encounter killer microbes as ranges change.

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  9. Life

    Charms of small males may collapse a Darwin’s finch species

    Mating rules may be changing for one of the storied Galápagos birds.

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  10. Animals

    The Ice Age was harsh on orcas

    Killer whale DNA shows that climate change resulted in declines for most populations.

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  11. Ecosystems

    Amazon doesn’t actually go green in dry seasons

    An optical illusion in satellite data made forests appear to grow faster.

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  12. Animals

    Gray seals snack on harbor porpoises

    Photo evidence confirms seals' fatal attacks on harbor porpoises in the English Channel, suggesting that declines in the seals' usual fare are forcing the animals to seek out other high-energy food.

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