Ecosystems
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Science & Society
Climate Threatens Living Fossil
Thanks to global warming, within the lifetimes of certain reptiles in the South Pacific, all members of their species could be born male.
By Janet Raloff -
Animals
Mighty mites
Mites that were thought to be parasites to their host wasps turn out to be bodyguards, attacking intruders.
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Animals
Live fast, die young
With a lifespan of just five months, the chameleon Furcifer labordi leads a briefer life than any other land-dwelling vertebrate.
By Amy Maxmen -
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.
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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 -
Animals
Don’t blame the guys
Scientists take a new look at what drives female damselflies to look like males.
By Susan Milius -
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 -
Plants
Forest invades tundra
The Arctic tundra is under assault from trees, with serious implications for global climate change.
By Janet Raloff -
Animals
Peril of play
A new study shows that playful 2-year-old chimpanzees may be particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases — some caught from humans.
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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.