Tag

Ecology

All articles tagged with #ecology

science4 days ago•10 min saved

From Bird Flu to Melting Sea Stars: Ten Mass Animal Die-Offs That Defied Explanation

A recent compilation highlights ten historical and ongoing mass animal die-offs that resembled apocalyptic events but stemmed from specific, often unexpected causes. Key examples include the 2010 Beebe, Arkansas incident where fireworks caused thousands of blackbirds to crash, the 2014-2016 'Blob' marine heatwave that starved four million murres, and the 2015 saiga antelope collapse in Kazakhstan triggered by a bacterial outbreak. Other notable events include the 2013 sea star wasting disease, the 2016 Chilean red tide, and the ongoing H5N1 avian influenza panzootic. While some events were linked to toxins, disease, or weather anomalies, others remain partially mysterious, illustrating the complex vulnerabilities of global wildlife populations.

via Listverse|

#avian-influenza #conservation #ecology

science7 days ago•2 min saved

Antarctic Plants Adopt Divergent Strategies to Survive Seven Years of Warming

A seven-year field study in Antarctica reveals that the continent's only two native flowering plants, Antarctic hairgrass and Antarctic pearlwort, have developed distinct physiological strategies to cope with warming temperatures, highlighting diverse survival mechanisms in extreme environments.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#antarctica #botany #climate-change

science17 days ago•77 min saved

Glassfish brains detect predator threats via neighbors' sudden disappearance

Researchers at UC San Diego have identified the neural mechanisms allowing schooling glassfish to detect danger through social cues. By observing the escape or sudden disappearance of neighbors, fish trigger collective avoidance, a strategy vital for survival in low-visibility environments.

via Nature|

#animal-behavior #collective-intelligence #ecology

biology22 days ago•16 min saved

Deep-Sea Hitchhikers: Amphipods Ride Giant Sea Spiders to Explore the Deep

Scientists using a robotic submersible observed amphipods riding on a giant sea spider (Colossendeis colossea) about 10,000 feet beneath the Chilean margin, marking the first direct observation of mobile hitchhiking between these species. The researchers suggest the behavior could aid dispersal, mating, or foraging, pointing to a potentially common but underrecognized deep-sea ecological strategy and highlighting the need for more in‑situ studies.

via Gizmodo|

#amphipods #biology #deep-sea

science22 days ago•5 min saved

Canned Salmon Unveils Forty Years of Alaska’s Marine Ecology

UW researchers analyzed 178 cans of Pacific salmon dating from 1979–2021, uncovering Anisakidae worms whose numbers rose in chum and pink salmon but stayed steady in coho and sockeye. The pattern offers a long-term look at Alaska’s marine ecosystem, showing how parasites reflect food-web health and how old canned fish can serve as biodiversity archives; the worms are harmless to humans when cooked, and the study was published in Ecology and Evolution.

via Futura, le média qui explore le monde|

#alaska #biodiversity #ecology

science23 days ago•8 min saved

Sea Spider Bus: Amphipods Hitch a Ride Across the Deep Sea

Two deep-sea encounters show amphipods Mesopleustes abyssorum clinging to giant sea spiders Colossendeis colossea, suggesting phoresis (hitchhiking) as a deliberate transport strategy. Observed about 140 miles apart at depths of ~2,700–3,200 m, the amphipods appear to use the spiders to disperse and potentially mate more easily in the vast, food-sparse deep ocean; one female carried eggs, hinting at reproductive benefits. However, the sample size is small and further study is needed to confirm the behavior and its ecological significance.

via ScienceAlert|

#deep-sea #ecology #marine-biology

religion1 month ago•5 min saved

Vatican Commission Reframes Ecological Sin as Sin Against Creation and the Creator

The International Theological Commission released a lengthy document urging ecological conversion and redefining ecological sin as a sin against both creation and the Creator, arguing that harming the environment harms the poor and future generations. It frames a threefold cultural shift since the 16th century, advocates 'situated anthropocentrism' as humanity's steward, ties ecological ethics to the Eucharist, and offers practical guidelines and calls for interreligious cooperation as part of Pope Francis’s Season of Creation.

via America Magazine|

#ecology #environment #laudato-si

science1 month ago•11 min saved

Tiny on the scales: all wild land mammals weigh about 20 million tonnes, far less than humans and livestock

A 2023 study estimates the total wet biomass of all wild land mammals at about 20 million tonnes (roughly 3 kg per person), which is far smaller than humanity’s ~390 million tonnes and well below the combined weight of livestock (~630 million tonnes). The weight is concentrated in a few species—white-tailed deer, wild boar, and African elephants—with bats representing the majority of individuals but only a small fraction of total weight. The figure is uncertain and should be read as a ratio illustrating humans’ dominance and livestock impact, not a full biodiversity assessment.

via Space Daily|

#biodiversity #biomass #conservation

science1 month ago•12 min saved

Leopard Predation Near Mumbai Could Reduce Rabies Deaths, Study Suggests

A modeling study around Mumbai's 104 sq km Sanjay Gandhi National Park estimates leopards kill about 1,500 stray dogs per year, which could prevent roughly 1,000 dog bites and 90 rabies deaths annually and save about $18,000 in dog-management costs. But results are model-based, not an experimental test, and leopards near cities can still pose risks; the real impact varies by proximity to the park.

via Space Daily|

#ecology #leopards #mumbai

lifestyle1 month ago•30 min saved

Tick Eradication Isn’t Feasible: The Ecological and Public-Health Impasse

A NY Post piece examines the rising tick threat and why eradicating ticks is not practically or environmentally feasible. It highlights CDC data showing more tick bites, surveys the ecological risks of broad-spectrum controls, and reviews targeted strategies—deer and rodent management, biological controls, and experimental genetic approaches—while noting legal and ethical hurdles. The takeaway is that ticks cannot be eliminated quickly or cleanly; public health should focus on reducing exposure and advancing research rather than pursuing a wholesale tick purge.

via New York Post|

#ecology #lifestyle #lyme-disease

science1 month ago•8 min saved

Acorns Signal Lyme Risk More Than Deer Counts

A long-term study in New York’s Hudson Valley finds deer abundance does not predict Lyme disease risk; acorn-driven mouse populations and the broader small-mammal community shape tick abundance and infection, making acorn cycles a key predictor of future risk, with warmer years altering these dynamics.

via CIDRAP|

#acorns #ecology #lyme-disease

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Miocene Megacrocodiles Dominated South America's Pebas Wetlands

In the Middle Miocene Pebas megawetland of northwestern South America, enormous crocodylians such as Purussaurus neivensis dominated the ecosystem, preying on abundant megafauna like giant sloths and rhinoceros relatives. Fossil bite marks indicate ambush predation by these crocs, while scavengers such as sebecids fed on their leftovers, underscoring Purussaurus' key ecological role in shaping tropical wetlands of the era.

via Nautilus | Science|

#crocodilians #ecology #miocene

science1 month ago•11 min saved

Trail-Cam Wolf Solves Submerged Crab Trap, Expanding Canid Foraging Skills

A female wolf in British Columbia was captured on trail cameras swimming to a buoy, dragging a fully submerged crab trap ashore and opening the bait cup to reach food—the three-minute clip, noted as unprecedented for wild canids, has sparked debate among experts about whether it constitutes tool use or a complex problem-solving event. The observation highlights wolves’ reliance on marine resources and may influence how researchers monitor coastal foraging, including camera placement and expectations for repeat behavior.

via Space Daily|

#british-columbia #ecology #marine-foraging

science1 month ago•14 min saved

Raccoons in Germany: debunking Nazi-origin myths and tracing an urban invasion

New research shows that Germany’s raccoons were released in 1934 for wildlife enrichment, not personally by Hermann Göring, and later DNA analysis reveals additional releases creating distinct gene pools; today about two million raccoons span Germany and parts of Europe, fueling debate over their ecological impact while scientists say evidence of major harm to native species is inconclusive and managers pursue options from hunting to sterilisation to coexistence.

via BBC|

#ecology #germany #invasive-species

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Why Dinosaurs Never Got Tiny: Ecology, Not Biology, Shaped Their Size

New research argues that the scarcity of tiny non‑avian dinosaurs results from ecological competition with small mammals rather than physiology; energy-based models fail to predict the dinosaur size distribution, implying an ecological size floor. The study also notes that birds—dinosaurs that evolved flight—could become much smaller by exploiting new niches, suggesting a symmetrical dynamic: mammals kept dinosaurs from shrinking while flight unlocked tiny bird sizes.

via SciTechDaily|

#birds #dinosaurs #ecology