ecological

Molecular biology fills gaps in knowledge of bat evolution

...complete, according to Springer. Bats play a major ecological role as plant pollinators and insect predators. For Springer, this latest research is significant because it shows that molecular information can contribute to resolving and illuminating long-standing problems in evolutionary biology. The current f...

Growth in the sea comes down to a struggle for iron

... an ongoing effort that began in 2001 to study the ecological consequences of injecting iron into the ocean. Fo...n throughout the world's oceans may have important ecological consequences as well. Their results will contribute to the diverse oceanographic understanding neede...

Anti-bacterial additive widespread in U.S. waterways

...ironmental Protection Agency for evaluation of the ecological andhuman health risks of triclocarban."Along with its chemical cousin triclosan, the antimicrobial compoundtriclocarban should be added to the list of polychlorinated organiccompounds that deserve our attention due to unfavorable environmentalcharact...

Ecological destruction fuels emerging diseases

...ntal catastrophe, warns a Canadian zoologist. This ecological damage also endangers human health by turning parasites into "evolutionary land mines." Dr. Daniel (Dan) Brooks, a parasitologist at the University of Toronto, says the decline of global biodiversity is linked to the emergence of new human and wildl...

Researchers reveal the infectious impact of salmon farms on wild salmon

...bits. "There's a double bottom line here. The full ecological costs of industrial scale salmon farming must be quantified as well as the economic ones," says Volpe. "For the migratory runs we studied, there may be very little time left." ...

Essential mangrove forest threatened by cryptic ecological degradation

...t species. The authors emphasize that such cryptic ecological degradation must be acknowledged by policy and decision makers if mangrove protection is an aim. The research team argues that early detection of such changes should be adopted and is essential for the prevention of further mangrove degradation. F. ...

South America's vast pantanal wetland may become next everglades, UNU experts warn

... this project could potentially modify various key ecological processes in the Pantanal, including the flood pul... in the Cuiabá River, however, could have profound ecological impacts in the northern Pantanal. "Inter-linkages approach" needed to manage the Pantanal The comp...

Biodiversity hotspots identify conservation priorities

...millions of people whose well-being is tied to its ecological health." The Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands hotspot is a 178,095-square-mile area encompassing Mexico's main mountain chains, some isolated mountaintops in Baja California, and a few scattered patches in the southern United States (represented by the Ma...

Gray wolves maintain the food chain in winter

...ttled top predator - may be even more important as ecological conditions deteriorate. ### Citation: Wilmers CC, Getz WM (2005) Gray wolves as climate change buffers in Yellowstone. PLoS Biol 3(4): e92. ...

Microbial forensics: The next great forensic challenge

...ts," Murch said. Additionally, the biological and ecological complexity of most biothreat agents present forensic microbiologists with a number of significant analytical and interpretive challenges. "It is doubtful that any one single technique will be sufficient, but rather a 'multivariate approach' will be r...

Reservoirs may accelerate the spread of invasive aquatic species, researchers say

...recently assembled communities of stocked fish. An ecological hypothesis known as the fluctuating resource availability hypothesis suggests that these characteristics will enhance the susceptibility of reservoirs to invasion. Because reservoirs are more saline that freshwater lakes, Havel, Lee, and Vander Zande...

To control germs, scientists deploy tiny agents provocateurs

...iofilms can coat plant roots and symbiotically aid ecological processes such as nitrogen fixation. But at the darker end of the scale, biofilms can form infection-inducing layers on implanted medical devices and cause deadly lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Biofilms have long baffled researchers bec...

Super predators and mass extinctions

...y apocalypse gradually mutate to fill the existing ecological niches - and the cycle begins again. The period of the cycle depends on mutation rates in the model. The lower the mutation rate, the longer the periods between super predators. For a sufficiently low mutation rate, the model can lead to cycles that...

Small species back-up giant marsupial climate change extinction claim

...nimals and there had been few attempts to document ecological and sediment data. "Our samples show that species...abitat specific remain." Analysis of sediment and ecological data shows that it became increasingly arid during the late Pleistocene, which led to the disappeara...

Anammox bacteria produce nitrogen gas in oceans' snackbar

... Nitrogen compounds act as fertilizers and are the ecological basis for any lifeform on earth as these compounds limit the overall growth rate. The researchers discovered this type of bacteria for the first time a few years ago in the oxygen poor Black Sea and now also in the open ocean. This discovery has maj...

Habitat use by North Pacific right whales, Eubalaena japonica, in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska

...the Southern Hemisphere. To help define areas and ecological parameters critical to the survival of this remnant population of right whales, habitat use was investigated by scientists at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service's, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, in Seattle, Washington by examining all ava...

New project aims to make large-scale lobster farms feasible

....S. market. Overfishing of lobster has also led to ecological problems in some areas that might be relieved through successful culture and release to the wild. The main barrier to successful commercial spiny lobster culture, which has been explored through pilot programs in various countries, has been the need...

Undesirable expatriates: Preventing the spread of invasive animals

...e range, many invasive species become economic and ecological burdens. Successful invaders can displace native a...ey can act as biological pollutants that result in ecological and economic damages. "The best way to combat invasive species is to prevent them from being introdu...

Oceans more vulnerable to agricultural runoff than previously thought, study finds

...es plan to conduct follow-up studies to assess the ecological impact of runoff events in the Yaqui Valley. They also expressed concern about the impact of large farming operations in other vulnerable subtropical and tropical oceans, including Southeast Asia, West Africa, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. "...

Putting ecology back into river restoration

An ambitious plan is under way in the ecological community to agree a set of standards for ecologic...silience; doing no lasting harm; and completing an ecological assessment. The first step should be articulating a "guiding image" describing the ecologically hea...

Finding hidden invaders in a Hawaiian rain forest

...stems and to find invasive species and track their ecological impacts. This month, Carnegie global ecologists an...olcanoes National Park. "We need to understand the ecological effects of invasions over the landscape to develop effective control strategies, and the Asner/Vitou...

Scripps scientists find potential for catastrophic shifts in Pacific ecosystems

...ments show that asymmetrical and even irreversible ecological change is possible." Irreversibility means that i...their dynamics and have been proven in small-scale ecological applications, medical applications, meteorological applications and in financial applications by inv...

wFleaBase: the Daphnia genome database

...phnia. Commonly known as the water-flea, Daphnia's ecological merit is unequaled among metazoans, largely becaus...te the resources needed to study genes that affect ecological and evolutionary success in natural environments. Description These tools include the genome databas...

Stealth Worms May Improve Insect Pest Control

...cluding deserts, rainforests, grasslands and other ecological systems, offering a tremendous array of possibilities for study. Stock, who has been researching and interpreting the evolutionary relationships of nematodes for the past 15 years, has collected them in Arizona and from other locations worldwide. In...

Sugar beet virus mutation requires Texas touch

...eas, Rush said. His team responded by studying the ecological and epidemiological aspects of the pathogen and disease ?what could producers do to reduce the incidence and severity of the disease. "We started doing a lot of work with both of the viruses, and by default, I ended up with more experience than anyo...

An (ecological) origin of species for tropical reef fish

...another than from fish thousands of miles away. An ecological speciation model for coral reef organisms may spur...ng Darwin's original ideas about the importance of ecological speciation in biodiversity evolution. ### Ref: Luiz A. Rocha, D. Ross Robertson, Joe Roman, and Br...

Experiment station researchers to explore genome of disease-fighting fungus

...riculture," said Wilkinson, who is researching the ecological aspects of the fungus. "You've got Trichoderma present to combat the pathogens that remain in the soil when you incorporate low till. In theory, it would be cost-effective for many producers. "By placing the disease-fighting fungus directly onto the...

Map of life on Earth could be used on Mars

...dache for researchers, but they serve an important ecological purpose, helping other organisms to succeed in their habitats, and can illuminate trait development across the tree of life. "We try to construct the core with gene sequences, and then we look at the distribution of traits such as those involved in ...

Fungus-farming termites descend from an African rain forest Eve

...h ecosystems. The researchers hypothesize that the ecological success of fungus-growing termites in savannas is due to the adoption of a highly successful rain forest process (fungal white-rot decay) by domesticating white-rot fungi. By offering those domesticated fungi a constant supply of growth substrate, an...

Certain fish have a special mating preference

... Sciences. Langerhans specializes in the study of ecological factors that shape the evolution of body forms. Male genitalia are more variable than just about any other body form studied, and there is a significant cadre of evolutionary biologists studying this field because genital shape ?morphology ?is one of...

IMF Launches World’s First DNA Database for Myeloma Patients

... Sciences. Langerhans specializes in the study of ecological factors that shape the evolution of body forms. Male genitalia are more variable than just about any other body form studied, and there is a significant cadre of evolutionary biologists studying this field because genital shape ?morphology ?is one of...

Researchers use 3-D imaging system to unveil swimming behavior of microscopic plankton

...d in the downwelling zone. The scientists say the ecological implications of the zooplankton's depth-keeping behavior carry far-reaching consequences for predatory fishes, whales and humans. Predators can dependably locate zooplankton aggregations by tracking well-defined cues, for example, sharp temperature ...

Could better mangrove habitats have spared lives in the 2004 tsunami?

...on, resulting from human impact, included "cryptic ecological degradation" (see also Current Biology, March 29, ...ls; the authors contend that if put in place, such ecological warning systems, along with the restoration of mangroves and other natural defenses, could be more e...

Stem Cells to Solve the Blood Shortage Problem?

...on, resulting from human impact, included "cryptic ecological degradation" (see also Current Biology, March 29, ...ls; the authors contend that if put in place, such ecological warning systems, along with the restoration of mangroves and other natural defenses, could be more e...

Multi-species genome comparison sheds new light on evolutionary processes, cancer mutations

...hers speculate that the mass extinction opened new ecological niches for mammals, spurring their diversification and the emergence of new mammalian orders. This situation would have facilitated opportunities for the isolation of mammals into more distinct breeding groups, speeding the development of species-spe...

Space matters: Estimating species diversity in the fossil record

...cross disciplines may offer valuable insights into ecological dynamics through time. Citation: Barnosky AD, Carrasco MA, Davis EB (2005) The impact of the species-area relationship on estimates of paleodiversity. PLoS Biol 3(8): e266. ...

Woods Hole Research Center plans controlled burn in Amazon rainforest

...ty, will help this and other companies improve the ecological management of their properties. Grupo Maggi provides no funding for this research. ...

New Scripps Oceanography project to study sediments and ecosystem restoration in Venice lagoon

...eochemical, physical, microbial, toxicological and ecological science. This multidisciplinary approach, the proj...at addresses sediment management in the context of ecological improvement of the Venice lagoon," said Dimitri Deheyn, SIOSED principal investigator and the projec...

Logging changed ecological balance for monkeys, damaged health

...ice, scientists report in a new study, changed the ecological balance for these monkeys, leading to behavioral c...articular species are affected by various forms of ecological change is essential to promote land-use policy that is compatible with animal and human health and b...

Affymetrix and ParAllele Launch Industry's Most Comprehensive Product Line for Targeted Genotyping

...ice, scientists report in a new study, changed the ecological balance for these monkeys, leading to behavioral c...articular species are affected by various forms of ecological change is essential to promote land-use policy that is compatible with animal and human health and b...

President Bush's cut to AIDS prevention in Africa would be devastating

...ice, scientists report in a new study, changed the ecological balance for these monkeys, leading to behavioral c...articular species are affected by various forms of ecological change is essential to promote land-use policy that is compatible with animal and human health and b...

Researchers predict infinite genomes

...public databases to hunt for drug targets, explain ecological niches, and chart evolution. How well do these microbial genomes reflect reality? As comparative genomics itself evolves, Fraser expects TIGR to increasingly focus on pan-genomes. Many questions remain. Although some microbial species, such as GBS,...

Proposal would allow wild animals to roam North America

...6, No. 7053), advocating the establishment of vast ecological history parks with large mammals, mostly from Afri...the food chain play important roles in structuring ecological systems and maintaining biodiversity, according to the paper. These keystone species -- animals that...

Otter adaptations: How do otters remain sleek and warm

...mammals--including wolves, moose, and otters. (The ecological studies of wolves and moose on Isle Royale, which started in 1959, are part of the longest-running animal ecology study in the world. Isle Royale has been a training ground for many ecologists, and lessons learned here have been applied to the re-int...

Genome Sequence for Haemophilus Influenzae Completed

...mammals--including wolves, moose, and otters. (The ecological studies of wolves and moose on Isle Royale, which started in 1959, are part of the longest-running animal ecology study in the world. Isle Royale has been a training ground for many ecologists, and lessons learned here have been applied to the re-int...

Clear rules needed to govern deep sea bioprospecting: UNU

...de our planet with vital climate-related and other ecological services, and have much to teach us about life processes," says UNU-IAS Director A.H. Zakri. "The unfettered and unregulated exploitation of international sea beds and the organisms living there could have serious long-term consequences for humankin...

A Father’s Day Gift: Free DNA Paternity Testing

...de our planet with vital climate-related and other ecological services, and have much to teach us about life processes," says UNU-IAS Director A.H. Zakri. "The unfettered and unregulated exploitation of international sea beds and the organisms living there could have serious long-term consequences for humankin...

Helping in a selfish world

...in these fish groups and found that under specific ecological and demographic conditions unrelated individuals must "pay-to-stay" in the group and therefore may help more. "This fish species is particularly interesting because breeders and helpers are not close relatives, but they co-operate nevertheless," say...

Did humans cause ecosystem collapse in ancient Australia?

...ientists point to humans as the instigators of the ecological changes? First, they ruled out the other usual sus...for the extinctions, because our research sees the ecological transition at the base of the food chain. Bands of people set large-scale fires for a variety of rea...

Acid water in East Java threatens biodiversity and local welfare

...l as the health risks. Ansje Lohr investigated the ecological effects of the acidic water. As well as having a h...nhibited breakdown of organic material was another ecological effect measured. Lohr established this using packs containing jati and bamboo leaves, which she susp...

DNA traces evolution of extinct sabertooths and the American cheetah-like cat

...pment of similar body plans in response to similar ecological pressures. In light of the new DNA data and fossil information from other studies, it appears likely that a puma-like ancestor that migrated to the New World may have given rise to Miracinonyx and ancestral Puma a few million years ago, around the ti...

The ecological effects of the Chernobyl disaster

...natural areas in the region have rebounded, and by ecological standards, are functioning normally. The session, organized by James Morris and Timothy Mousseau (University of South Carolina, US) will reveal how the environment has responded -- from genetic mutation rates, to plant and animal communities, to nutr...

Oceans turning to acid from rise in CO2

...shows that too much CO2 in the ocean could lead to ecological disruption and extinctions in the marine environment. When CO2 gas dissolves into the ocean it produces carbonic acid, which is corrosive to shells of marine organisms and can interfere with the oxygen supply. If current trends continue, the scienti...

Scientists and engineers apply nature's design to human problems

...uman sector. You can also extend that reasoning to ecological processes. These are guiding principles behind the Georgia Tech Center for Biologically Inspired Design."CBID's mission is to promote world-class interdisciplinary research and education at Georgia Tech in biologically inspired design. CBID researche...

On a wing and a prayer - Alaska researchers seek clues to bird flu

...AF because we have the expertise in biological and ecological science, the state resources, and now the biomedical capabilities." ...

Applying ecological laws to bacteria

...er animal and plant communities. This confirms the ecological law that states that the bigger the area the greater the number of species present. Scientists previously thought that biodiversity at the microbial level, was fundamentally different to that of larger organisms, such as plants and mammals. This dis...

Restaurant seafood prices since 1850s help plot marine harvests through history

...ifically long term changes in stock abundance, the ecological impact of large scale harvesting by man, and the role of marine resources in the historical development of human society. Census of Marine Life More than 1,700 scientists from 73 countries are at work on the Census, designed to assess the diversity...

A bug's life: Exceptional genomic stability yet rapid protein evolution in a carpenter ant mutualist

...ity is allowing researchers to address interesting ecological questions and to observe how various genomic, evolutionary, and ecological forces interact to define an organism's role in the environment. Today, Dr. Jennifer Wernegreen's gr...

Logging doubles threat to the Amazon, rivaling clear-cutting, study suggests

...an forest to the atmosphere. Logging causes major ecological disruptions as well. Vines threading through the trees can pull down large amounts of vegetation when a tree falls. The forest also becomes drier and more flammable, as the shady canopy is thinned. "Logged forests are areas of extraordinary damage,"...

Marine conservation organizations team up to conduct Indonesia coral reefs assessment

...nd a boat while they record observations regarding ecological condition on an underwater slate. The Reef Check survey is the only standard method used to survey the world's reefs. Initial surveys in the region conducted by Reef Check and other marine conservation organizations have revealed varying levels of re...