Press Releases — Page 2

A cluster of small, colorful plastic pellets, broken shards, and small toys on a black leather surface. There is a 1-cent coin at the bottom of the photo for scale.

Microplastics induce changes in mussel traits and behaviors

A paper recently published in Ecological Applications shows that exposure to plastic-laced seawater may affect mussels’ ability to form mussel beds.

ESA Welcomes Richard L. Wallace as Editor-in-Chief of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Wallace will become the second editor-in-chief of Frontiers since the journal was first launched in 2003.

Media Advisory: Hurricane Experts Available

Several members of the Ecological Society of America with expertise on hurricane impacts and related issues are available for comment and to respond to questions and inquiries.

Very hungry caterpillars thwarted by tree diversity

The diverse mix of tree species in North America’s rugged Border Lakes region has shielded it from severe outbreaks of forest tent caterpillars, says a new study published in the Ecological Society of America’s open-access journal Ecosphere.

Every week was Sharksucker Week for these bull sharks, until some trendsetting trevallies came along

A new paper published in Ecology explores the complexity of the relationship between sharksuckers and their hosts.

Mayor Erin Mendenhall Selected as 2020 ESA Regional Policy Award Winner

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) names The Hon. Erin Mendenhall, Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT, as its 13th annual Regional Policy Award recipient. The ESA award recognizes an elected or appointed local policymaker whose record reflects the use of ecological science to inform policy decisions.

Media Tip Sheet: Insect Declines

The presentations listed here discuss some of the latest research relating to insect conservation: trends, threats and known impacts. All will be presented at the Ecological Society of America’s upcoming virtual annual meeting, August 3–6, 2020, and will be available on-demand to registered attendees.

LED flashlights allow more night hunting in the tropics

A new study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment describes how increasing availability of LED flashlights changes human hunting patterns and highlights the importance of community management of resources.

Media Tip Sheet: Zoonotic Diseases

These presentations, available on-demand to registered attendees of the Ecological Society of America’s upcoming virtual meeting, August 3-6, 2020, describe efforts to apply ecological theory and tools to the fight against zoonotic diseases.

Machine learning streamlines detection of African forest elephant vocalizations

A presentation at ESA’s 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting will explain how an artificial neural network can “listen” to audio recordings and identify the calls of African forest elephants.

Turtles are in decline worldwide, but few long‐term studies have sought to systematically explore trends and characteristics in numerous populations of a species over broad geographic areas. Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina), such as the one pictured here in a forested wetland in North Carolina, USA, are a species of conservation concern throughout much of their range, but natural resource professionals often lack sufficient information on population dynamics and responses to disturbances to guide management. In the March issue of Ecosphere, Roe et al. found that T. carolina populations remained temporally stable over a 10‐year period in North Carolina's protected areas, but population density decreased with more urban development and increased with more wetlands in the surrounding landscape. Population trends, demographic structure, and critical vital rates were consistent across ecoregions throughout the state, suggesting no need for region‐specific conservation and management. Rather, managers would benefit from targeting local threats such as urban land development and wetland destruction to ensure local population viability.

Ecosphere

News

Limiting invasive species may be a better goal than eliminating them, new research suggests

University of Alberta biologist leads new study on “functional eradication” to curtail numbers of invasive species based on achievable targets for preventing ecological damage.

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Stressed-Out Young Oysters May Grow Less Meat On Their Shells

A team of biologists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) found that early exposure to heat and low oxygen makes oysters more vulnerable to same stressors later on.

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Human-modified habitats amplify seasonal differences for bird flocks in the Amazon

A recent Louisiana State University doctoral graduate explores how mixed-species flocks of birds living in fragmented Amazon rainforest habitats are affected by seasonal changes.

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A Dynamic Forest Floor

A new model from researchers at UC Santa Barbara reveals how two radically different communities coexist beneath the canopies of California’s iconic kelp forests

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February research news from the Ecological Society of America

The latest research from ESA’s journals: Snorkelers find rare salamander eggs – An albino plant – Birds and burns – Public parks for native insects – Mountain-traversing seabirds

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Plant pirates of the Caribbean: Union professor part of research team studying biological invasions

Trade and tourism are among the most important factors in understanding the establishment of invasive species in Cuba, but the nation’s revolution and the subsequent U.S. embargo also influence the island’s biodiversity today.

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Ann Somers Publishes Groundbreaking Paper On Eastern Box Turtles

UNC Greensboro’s Ann Berry Somers, senior lecturer in biology, with John H. Roe, professor at UNC Pembroke, recently announced the release of a new paper on eastern box turtles, the North Carolina state reptile.

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