https://phys.org/biology-news/ecology en-us The latest science and research news on ecology A study has found concerning new evidence of long-term declines in coral reef fish around highly visited inshore islands of the Great Barrier Reef. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-coral-reef-fish-recover-great.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:23:03 EST news650222581 Colors are widely used in communication within and among animal species. For example, peacocks proudly display their vibrant tails, adorned with iridescent eyespots, to attract peahens for courtship. This is a classic example of sexual selection using color signaling. Conspicuous colors are also displayed by toxic animal species, including many venomous snakes and the brilliantly colored poison frogs of Central and South America, as a warning to potential predators. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-vision-animals-million-year-explosion.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 17:07:03 EST news650221621 A new field study of arachnid hunting behavior has shown that spiders forage for prey rich in specific nutrients, and their preferences depend on the individual spider's species, life stage and sex. The results suggest that it may be possible to link spider predation to pest control in famers' fields if the various arachnid species can be encouraged to selectively hunt troublesome insects. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-spiders-forage-prey-rich-specific.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:39:40 EST news650216376 The radiation levels experienced by the frogs living in Chernobyl have not affected their age or their rate of aging. These two traits do not differ, in fact, between specimens captured in areas with high levels of radiation and those living in control areas without radiation. Nor have differences been found in the levels of corticosterone, a hormone associated with the response to stress, depending on the radiation received by these amphibians. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chernobyl-frogs-exposed-aging-stress.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:35:17 EST news650216113 What if we could keep an eye on nature 24/7 without constantly being there? Researchers at the University of Amsterdam Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) have teamed up with Waternet in a nature reserve in the Dutch coastal dunes to do just that. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-advancing-biodiversity-network-automated-wildlife.html Ecology Biotechnology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:21:03 EST news650215261 The densely-populated island of Luzon is home to over half of the Philippines' population, many of whom consume shellfish on a regular basis. An international team of scientists has just confirmed the presence there of two species of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms capable of producing a dangerous neurotoxin that can cause severe sickness and memory loss. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-amnesia-diatoms-luzon-shellfish-farms.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:58:05 EST news650213882 Mirroring the mechanisms that make human faces and bodies—and those of many multicellular organisms—symmetrical, bee colonies build symmetrical nests when they are placed on either side of a double-sided comb. The finding, published in Current Biology, extends examples of symmetry in biology to the behavior of communities and the architectural structures that they build. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-symmetry-biology-bees-mirroring-patterns.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:51:15 EST news650213472 Raspberry production faces many challenges, including pests. To reduce the use of chemical pesticides, it is essential to find environmentally friendly control methods. Now, researchers at NIBIO are studying how sprinkling with water can reduce the pressure from spider mites. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-sprinkling-effective-spider-mites-raspberry.html Ecology Agriculture Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:39:04 EST news650212742 University of Maryland entomologists have uncovered a unique relationship between two species of fungi known for their ability to invade, parasitize and kill insects efficiently. Instead of violently competing for the spoils of war, the two fungi peacefully cooperate and share their victims. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-insect-fungi-unexpected-harmony-war.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:36:04 EST news650212562 As bird populations dwindle across the globe, a new study from University of Vermont researchers suggests some species may be more flexible to habitat changes than previously understood, creating new opportunities for supporting populations through city planting efforts. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-space-substitutions-exaggerate-habitatbird-ecological.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:10:02 EST news650206650 Killer whales off Canada's Atlantic coast continue to be contaminated with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals that put them at elevated risk of severe immune-system and reproductive problems, a recent McGill-led study has found. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-atlantic-killer-whales-dangerously-high.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:54:04 EST news650199242 Why is human culture—the shared body of knowledge passed down across generations—so much more powerful than animal cultures? https://phys.org/news/2024-11-evolutionary-anthropologist-hypothesis-humans-dominating.html Evolution Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:00:01 EST news650107581 Forget snakes, it's scorpions Brazilians most need to worry about. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scorpion-population-problem-brazil.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 04:11:22 EST news650175075 In his stone house perched on a hill in northern Ethiopia, Amanuel Hiluf puts on his protective suit, carefully adjusting the hood and gloves. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ethiopia-famed-honeybees-recovery-war.html Ecology Thu, 07 Nov 2024 04:03:39 EST news650174614 Research led by the University of New Hampshire sheds light on how coyotes, North America's most successful predators, are responding to various environmental pressures, including human development, hunting and competition with larger carnivores. Surprisingly, the study's findings suggest that human hunting practices may actually contribute to increasing the number of coyotes. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-coyotes-human-predator-pressures-large.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:30:04 EST news650133001 A study published in the journal Pest Management Science sheds light on the behavior of gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and explores methods for the targeted delivery of oral contraceptives to control their populations. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gray-squirrel-effective-contraceptive-delivery.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:12:04 EST news650128321 In a study of salmon samples from Seattle, Washington, grocery stores and sushi restaurants, DNA analysis revealed that 18% were mislabeled. Tracie Delgado and colleagues at Seattle Pacific University, WA, U.S., present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on November 6, 2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-grocery-reliable-sushi-restaurants-salmon.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:00:01 EST news650105034 Where once there were vast areas of forest and other natural habitats, farmland now covers much of Earth—including 70% of the UK. This transition has helped feed a growing number of people. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-farming-bees-crops-nectar-pollen.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:47:06 EST news650119623 Albatrosses are exceptionally mobile and use the wind to travel hundreds of thousands of miles to feed on squid, fish, or other animals found near the water surface in the open ocean. In fact, some larger species of albatrosses are so reliant on the wind that they struggle to even take off when the conditions are calm. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-reveals-stormy-conditions-affect-albatrosses.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:21:03 EST news650118061 At less than 3mm long, you may not think Dunatothrips aneurae seem like much. And—as I have shown in a new study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology—you'd be absolutely right. That's because these may be the world's laziest insects. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tiny-insects-world-laziest-bugs.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:51:16 EST news650116272 Canada has more than 13,000 beekeepers with almost 1,000,000 beehives spread across every province. Together, they produce about 40,000,000 kilograms of honey each year. That is enough for roughly one kilogram of honey for every Canadian. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-honeybees-pollution-canada.html Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:03:40 EST news650113415 Sub-Saharan Africa's population is growing at 2.7% per year and is expected to reach two billion by the year 2050. The region's urban population is growing even faster: it was at 533 million in 2023, a 3.85% increase from 2022. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-food-africa-vital-rapidly-region.html Ecology Agriculture Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:01:39 EST news650113293 The weathered UC Davis Marine Laboratory looms in thick fog on the edge of the ocean near Bodega Bay. Inside, an experiment is playing out that gives a badly-needed boost to Northern California's kelp forests—underwater cathedrals of green and gold that nearly vanished from the north coast a decade ago. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-braving-sharks-hordes-urchins-scientists.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 09:30:01 EST news650107671 As the UN COP16 on biodiversity meets in Calì, Colombia, experts from McGill University are on-site, providing important input into the global conversation. These experts have been instrumental in shaping the global biodiversity monitoring framework, a central element of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in response to biodiversity loss worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-tracking-biodiversity-outline-strengths-framework.html Ecology Wed, 06 Nov 2024 05:06:31 EST news650091985 Acid sulfate soils are characterized by their orange hue and their tendency to kill surrounding vegetation and fish. Anders Johnson's extensive research along Sweden's coastline reveals the widespread presence of these soils, underscoring their significant impact on water quality and ecosystem health. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-nastiest-soils-earth-bigger-problem.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 18:00:01 EST news649941601 Seventeen new species of plant bugs—a group of insects with a strawlike mouth used to feed on plant and animal matter—have been identified on the islands of French Polynesia, and their names honor scientists, actors, and Vice President Kamala Harris. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-bug-species-french-polynesia.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:11:05 EST news650027461 Today's ecologists have more data than ever before to help monitor and understand the world's biodiversity. Yet researchers are still working to get more detailed information to better combat declining animal populations that can eventually lead to species extinctions, says animal ecologist Scott Yanco of the University of Michigan. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-qa-animal-tracking-biodiversity.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:00:01 EST news650010337 Romance is a complex affair in humans. There's personality, appearance, seduction, all manner of physical and social cues. Mosquitoes are much more blunt. Mating occurs for a few seconds in midair. And all it takes to woo a male is the sound of a female's wingbeats. Imagine researchers' surprise when a single change completely killed the mosquitoes' libidos. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-deaf-male-mosquitoes-dont.html Ecology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:22:04 EST news650024521 Each year, the annual humpback whale migration up and down the East Australian Coastline brings with it a multitude of highs and lows for marine scientists such as Griffith University whale expert, Dr. Olaf Meynecke. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-season-highs-lows-australian-humpback.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:03:35 EST news650023382 Swallows infected with parasites move less and in smaller ranges than healthy ones—with detrimental effects on their foraging success and their survival. As a result, infected individuals foraged in less productive areas, such as cultivated farmland, clearly avoided by their healthy conspecifics. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mini-transmitters-infections-parasites-affect.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 05 Nov 2024 08:47:05 EST news650018821