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Press Releases

Parasites hinder reproduction for seabird mothers

By University of Liverpool 7/19/2019 A study by the University of Liverpool and Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) has found that parasites reduced female seabirds’ reproductive success by 30%, whilst seeming to have little effect on male seabirds. A seven year study of European shags on the Isle of May off the East coast of Scotland sought to explore the impact…

Lionfish ear-bones reveal a more mobile invasion

Lionfish in Florida are an underwater force to be reckoned with. The biggest threat they pose is not their venomous spines – it is the alarming speed and ferocity with which they invade new waters.

A legal framework for vector-borne diseases and land use

ESA 2019 Preview: Human-induced land use change is the primary driver of EIDs, including those carried by mosquitoes such as malaria, dengue, Zika, EEE, and West Nile. Why, then, does land-use planning often fail to recognize the effects these changes have on the risk of spreading disease?

Researcher documents cascading effects of parasites on underwater ecosystems

By Florida State University 6/11/2019 Research by an evolutionary biologist from Florida State University has shown parasites have important and far-reaching effects on predatory fish and the ecosystems they inhabit. These findings, published this week in the journal Ecology, provide important evidence for the little-studied role of parasites in trophic cascades, which are powerful, indirect interactions that can affect entire…

“Extinct” tree re-discovered by ecology student on Indonesian island

By Manchester Metropolitan University 7/4/2019 A rare tree has been re-discovered in a remote area of Indonesia decades after it was thought to be extinct. Liam Trethowan, an ecology PhD student at Manchester Metropolitan University, spotted a cluster of ‘Kalappia’ trees some 200 km from where it was last seen in the 1970s while conducting fieldwork in the Indonesian rain…

Sneaky mating may be in female damselfies’ interest

New research on damselflies in northern Africa suggests that females may facilitate the reproductive success of inferior males when their health is at risk.

Villanova University Researchers Part of Team in Determining the Critical Load of Atmospheric Nitrogen Endangering Northern Alberta Peat Bog Ecosystems

By Villanova University 6/19/2019 Three Villanova University researchers, part of a team that through a five-year study in Alberta, Canada determined the “critical load”—or recommended maximum amount of nitrogen that can enter the region’s peat bogs through precipitation without causing damage to its ecosystem—have released their findings in an article published June 18 in Ecological Monographs. Titled “Experimental Nitrogen Addition Alters…

104th Annual Meeting: Preview and Highlights

The following selected sessions and events at the Annual Meeting delve into this year’s meeting theme.

Monitoring biodiversity with sound: how machines can enrich our knowledge

By University of Göttingen 6/18/2019 For a long time, ecologists have relied on their senses when it comes to recording animal populations and species diversity. However, modern programmable sound recording devices are now the better option for logging animal vocalisations. Scientists lead by the University of Göttingen have investigated this using studies of birds as an example. The results were…

Scientists identify plant that flowers in Brazilian savanna one day after fire

By São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) 5/15/2019 Plants in the Brazilian savanna, the Cerrado, have evolved to deal with fire. When fire is used intelligently as part of a carefully planned land management method, it is indispensable to the conservation of this superb ecosystem, the world’s most biodiverse savanna. Two months suffice for the Cerrado to burst into flower after…

In the June issue of Ecosphere, Sweet et al. used field measurements and statistical models to predict the distribution of continuously suitable conditions at the end this century for Yucca brevifolia, the iconic species of Joshua Tree National Park. Future species distribution models based on end-of-century downscaled global climate models show that the suitable area for Y. brevifolia will likely be reduced to 80% of the historic range within the park, indicating the importance of maintenance of refugial areas for Joshua trees.

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