press release

Four gian tortises walk toward the camera with a second group following beind in the background.

Giant Tortoises Migrate Unpredictably in the Face of Climate Change

Unlike many migratory species, Galapagos giant tortoises do not use current environmental conditions to time their seasonal migration.

ESA Tipsheet for April 1, 2019

Upcoming research in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Woolly Stars Need Catastrophes to Live

In the Santa Ana River floodplain, an endangered plant needs the effects of intense flooding to grow and survive in loose soil

ESA Tipsheet for March 4,5, 2019

Upcoming research in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Pika survival rates dry up with low moisture

In the Pacific Northwest, dry air interacts with low snow conditions to affect pika abundances at different elevations February 4, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, gro.asenull@setnegz Although it has been ranked as the cutest creature in US National Parks, the American pika is tough, at home in loose alpine rocks in windswept mountain…

Why charismatic, introduced species are so difficult to manage

Researchers say mismatches of scale between social and ecological systems are a key contributor to many conflicts involving introduced-species management February 4, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, gro.asenull@setnegz Introduced and invasive species can present big problems, particularly when those species are charismatic, finds a recently published paper in the Ecological Society of America’s…

Elephants take to the road for reliable resources

In a national park, researchers study African elephant movement and vegetation using satellites January 9, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, gro.asenull@setnegz An elephant never forgets. This seems to be the case, at least, for elephants roaming about Namibia, looking for food, fresh water, and other resources. The relationship between resource availability and wildlife movement…

Does mountaintop removal also remove rattlesnakes?

Mining operations in Appalachia permanently alter habitat availability for rattlesnakes January 3, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, gro.asenull@setnegz On the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Kentucky, surface coal mining is destroying ridgelines and mountaintops, and along with them, the habitat of a surprisingly gentle reptile species – the timber rattlesnake. “Timber rattlesnakes may be…

Birds can mistake some caterpillars for snakes; can robots help?

Researchers observe a defense mechanism for caterpillars can attract unwanted attention December 17, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, gro.asenull@setnegz When a caterpillar disguises itself as a snake to ward off potential predators, it should probably expect to be treated like one. This is exactly what happened in Costa Rica earlier this year, when researchers witnessed a hummingbird defending its nest from what…

Ecologists Ask: Should We Be More Transparent with Data?

Open, readily-usable data sets and code will grow more important in future scientific research, saving time and effort for reviewers, investigators, and authors October 26, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Zoe Gentes, 202-833-8773 ext. 211, gro.asenull@setnegz Computational reproducibility – the ability to accurately reproduce outcomes from data sets using the same code and software – will be an…

Reports of urban wildlife sightings increased during the worldwide shutdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Zellmer et al., in the August issue of Ecosphere, explore whether those reports are indicative of actual changes in wildlife behavior or the result of an increase in attention to urban wildlife by human inhabitants during the shutdown and how this unprecedented situation might provide an opportunity to engage the public in wildlife conservation efforts.

Ecosphere

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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.

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Biology Graduate Student Publishes in Ecology

Biology graduate student Alexandra Gulick, with co-authors from the National Park Service and the UF Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research, recently published a paper in Ecology. Results of the study show that grazing by recovering green turtle populations stimulates seagrass productivity, and that grazing intensity has a relevant role in regulating the productivity of Caribbean seagrass meadows.

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MSU researcher poses the question – what is the future of the Amazon forest?

Assistant Professor Scott Stark in the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University is tackling a worldwide environmental concern: what’s happening in the Amazon?

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