What drives ecosystems to instability?
Trying to decipher all of the factors that influence the behavior of complex ecological communities can be a daunting task. However, MIT researchers have now shown that the behavior of these ecosystems can be predicted based on just two pieces of inf.....»»
Aversion to inequality drives support for redistribution policies, study finds
As income inequality widens, debates around redistribution policies are heating up. New research from the Universities of Zurich, Lille and Copenhagen reveals that support for these policies stems not only from individuals' financial situations but a.....»»
Bridging large riverine ecosystems for inter-basin exchanges
Many of the world's large rivers have been modified to support food security, hydropower production, navigation and trade. While these developments are necessary to support a growing human population, they also pose substantial risks to the structure.....»»
Exceptional new fish fossil sparks a rethink of how Earth"s geology drives evolution
Coelacanths are deep-sea fish that live off the coasts of southern Africa and Indonesia and can reach up to two meters in length. For a long time, scientists believed they were extinct......»»
Soil pH drives microbial community composition: Study shows how bacteria work together to thrive in difficult conditions
Though a founding concept of ecology suggests that the physical environment determines where organisms can survive, modern scientists have suspected there is more to the story of how microbial communities form in the soil......»»
Study shows microbial diversity differences in volcanic cones and craters
Volcanic activity alters the Earth's surface and promotes the development of new ecosystems, providing valuable models for studying soil formation processes such as microbial composition and vegetation succession. Increasing evidence suggests that so.....»»
Music industry’s 1990s hard drives, like all HDDs, are dying
The music industry traded tape for hard drives and got a hard-earned lesson. Enlarge / Hard drives, unfortunately, tend to die not with a spectacular and sparkly bang, but with a head-is-stuck whimper. (credit: Getty Images).....»»
High-Andean wetlands release more CO₂ under short-term warming, study suggests
The high-Andean wetlands of the Argentinean Puna region, called "vegas" by local inhabitants, although covering less than 1% of this arid mountain region, are important ecosystems as they support biodiversity and provide local people with fresh water.....»»
Study finds tire abrasion particles threaten fresh water habitats
A research team led by Prof. Dr. Markus Pfenninger from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt (SBiK-F) has investigated the effects of tire-abrasion particles on freshwater ecosystems......»»
Alien Spaceships Could Be Detected Using Gravitational Waves
The concept of space-time makes Star Trek-style warp drives theoretically possible, and researchers have proposed a way of detecting their use......»»
Aquatic invasive species are more widespread in Wisconsin than previously thought
A report on more than 40 years of research on Wisconsin lakes is highlighting some of the lessons scientists have learned about aquatic invasive species, including that far more ecosystems are playing host to non-native species than previously though.....»»
Aggressive seagrass species discovered in Biscayne Bay
An invasive species of seagrass has been on a steady march across the world, taking over ecosystems well beyond its native waters of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Scientists have long wondered when it would reach the waters off the coas.....»»
New Waymo data shows self-driving tech drives safer than humans
Self-driving technology company Waymo said its robotaxis are making roads safer in the markets where it operates — and sharing data to back those claims......»»
The ecological impact of herbivore dung on plant communities
Xingzhao Sun of the research group Wildness, biodiversity and ecosystems under change of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) explored the complex ecological interactions between herbivore dung and plant communities, providing new insights into the r.....»»
Tropical forests face increased soil carbon loss due to climate change
Tropical forests account for more than 50% of the global terrestrial carbon sink, but climate change threatens to alter the carbon balance of these ecosystems......»»
Simulation study explores how gift giving drives social change
New findings provide quantitative criteria for classifying social organizations in human history, together with potential explanatory variables that can be empirically measured for anthropology, history and archaeology, according to a study published.....»»
Human mouth bacteria reproduce through rare form of cell division, research reveals
One of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet is closer than you think—right inside your mouth. Your mouth is a thriving ecosystem of more than 500 different species of bacteria living in distinct, structured communities called biofilms. Nearly.....»»
How thinking about death—mortality salience—drives early Halloween shopping and retail trends
It's becoming as much of a tradition as costumed trick-or-treaters and skeletons crawling across lawns studded with cardboard gravestones: candy corn and jumbo bags of Snickers start popping up on grocery store shelves a few weeks after Independence.....»»
Healthy soils are good for your gut, brain and well-being, researcher says
Often overlooked, soil is one of our planet's largest living ecosystems and the foundation of our lives. It provides 95% of our food, supports global biodiversity and helps balance the climate by storing atmospheric carbon......»»
Hillside erosion worsening in California due to wildfires and intense rain
Over the last three decades, California has seen increasing erosion after major wildfires—a phenomenon that not only endangers water resources and ecosystems, but is also likely to worsen with climate change, according to researchers......»»
Ancient viral genomes preserved in glaciers reveal climate history—and how viruses adapt to climate change
As humans alter the planet's climate and ecosystems, scientists are looking to Earth's history to help predict what may unfold from climate change. To this end, massive ice structures like glaciers serve as nature's freezers, archiving detailed recor.....»»