Ecosystems

  1. Ecosystems

    Zebra mussels to the rescue

    Bioengineers have harnessed zebra mussels to help avert algal blooms by cleaning particles, including algae, from the water.

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  2. Ecosystems

    At a Snail’s Place: Rock climbing cuts mollusk diversity

    As rock climbing soars in popularity, some cliff-side snail populations may be crashing.

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  3. Ecosystems

    Cultivating Weeds

    Some formerly mild-mannered plants turn into horticultural bullies when planted far outside their native range.

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  4. Ecosystems

    Spring Forward

    Scientists who study biological responses to seasonal and climatic changes have noted that the annual cycles for many organisms are beginning earlier on average, as global temperatures rise.

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  5. Ecosystems

    After Invasions: Can an ant takeover change the rules?

    A rare before-and-after study of a takeover by an invasive ant species shows the interloper quickly disassembling the basic rules of the invaded community.

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  6. Ecosystems

    Lab ecosystems show signs of evolving

    An ambitious test of group selection considers whether natural selection can act on whole ecosystems as evolutionary units.

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  7. Ecosystems

    Ultimate Sea Weed Loose in America

    The unusually invasive strain of seaweed that has been smothering coastal areas of the Mediterranean has shown up in a California lagoon, the first sighting of this ecologically devastating alga in the Americas.

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  8. Ecosystems

    Why didn’t the beetle cross the road?

    Beetle populations confined to specific forest areas by roads seem to have lost some of their genetic diversity.

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  9. Ecosystems

    Trust That Bird? A bit of future-think lets jays cooperate

    A blue jay will cooperate with a buddy for mutual gain in food despite opportunities to betray the partnership.

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  10. Ecosystems

    Worm Attacks: Invading earthworms threaten rare U.S. fern

    An unusual study of the effects of invading earthworms on North American plants finds that the exotics might be on the way to killing off a rare fern.

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  11. Ecosystems

    Insects, pollen, seeds travel wildlife corridors

    Strips of habitat boost insect movement, plant pollination, and seed dispersal among patches of the same ecosystem.

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  12. Ecosystems

    New protection for much-dogged shark

    To rebuild northeastern U.S. populations of the spiny dogfish, the first fishing quotas on this species limit the harvest to roughly 10 percent of the 1998 haul.

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