Ecology news

Sea lions killed, but Columbia salmon toll rises

Biology / Ecology

1hour ago | not rated yet | 0

(AP) -- Killing or removing 25 California sea lions over the past two years has not reduced the toll on salmon at the base of Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River.

Can biodiversity persist in the face of climate change?

Biology / Ecology

Nov 06, 2009 | 2.7 / 5 (7) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Predictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science.

Researcher finds forest birds 'commuting' to attract mates

Biology / Ecology

Nov 06, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- An ecologist at the University of Rhode Island studying habitat use by a forest-dwelling game bird found that the birds unexpectedly exhibited what he described as "the bar scene phenomenon" ...

Timber harvest impacts amphibians differently during life stages

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | 2.5 / 5 (2) | 0

Frogs are croaking in clear-cut forests, but not exactly in their traditional manner. University of Missouri researchers found that removing all of the trees from a section of the forest had a negative effect ...

Reflective film can boost profits for apple growers

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | 4 / 5 (2) | 0

In a research report published in a recent issue of HortTechnology, scientists Ignasi Iglesias and Simó Alegre examined the effects of covering orchard floors with reflective films on fruit color, fruit ...

Sustainably grown garlic

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | 2 / 5 (2) | 0

Consumer interest in new and diverse types of garlic is on the rise. Fueled by factors including the growth of the "local foods" movement, interest in world cuisines, and widespread reports touting its numerous ...

Sun or shade: Pecan leaves' photosynthetic light response evaluated

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Pecan, the most valuable nut tree native to North America, is native from northern Illinois and southeastern Iowa to the Gulf Coast of the United States, where it grows abundantly along the Mississippi River, ...

Over 1,000 fish species 'threatened with extinction'

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

More than 1,000 freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction, reflecting the strain on global water resources, an updated global "Red List" of endangered species showed Tuesday.

Lagoon size can be predicted

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | 4 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The size of Santa Barbara area lagoons can be predicted, according to a new study by UC Santa Barbara scientists, who say that their research could help protect the endangered steelhead trout.

82 healthy sea turtles hatch at San Diego SeaWorld

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- The population of endangered green sea turtles at SeaWorld in San Diego grew by 82 in October when the eggs hatched on Shipwreck Beach without human help.

Plague on their house, but bush rats fight back

Biology / Ecology

Nov 03, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Sydney's native bush rats were unintended victims of a campaign to exterminate foreign black rats during a plague epidemic in 1900, according to new research by scientists who plan to reintroduce ...

Wolves, moose and biodiversity: An unexpected connection

Biology / Ecology

Nov 02, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (6) | 4

Moose eat plants; wolves kill moose. What difference does this classic predator-prey interaction make to biodiversity?

Over 17,000 species threatened by extinction

Biology / Ecology

Nov 02, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(AP) -- A rare Panamanian tree frog, a rodent from Madagascar and two lizards found only in the Philippines are among over 17,000 species threatened with extinction, a leading environmental group said Tuesday.

North Atlantic fish populations shifting as ocean temperatures warm

Biology / Ecology

Nov 02, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

About half of 36 fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the last four decades, with some stocks nearly disappearing from U.S. waters as they ...

Research study on the European mink, Mustela lutreola

Biology / Ecology

Nov 02, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

The European mink, Mustela lutreola, is a species catalogued as in danger of extinction, due to the large decline in their population over the past century. It is considered to be one of the most endangered mammals, both l ...

Rice research gets a leg up on understanding plant reactions to environment

Biology / Ecology

Nov 02, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

One might say plants don't have a leg to stand on, but that may actually give them a leg up on the animal kingdom when it comes to environmental adaptability.

Study of alternate bearing presents recommendations for citrus growers

Biology / Ecology

Nov 02, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Alternate bearing (also called biennial or uneven bearing) is the tendency of fruit trees to produce a heavy crop one year (called "on-crop") followed by a light crop or no crop the following "off-crop" year. ...

For the tiger, a year closer to extinction

Biology / Ecology

Oct 31, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

Next year, according to the Chinese calendar, is the Year of the Tiger but conservationists say the omens are inauspicious for an animal on the brink of extinction.