Community ecology is the subfield of ecology that investigates the structure, composition, and dynamics of co-occurring species within a defined area, focusing on how biotic interactions and abiotic factors shape patterns of biodiversity. It examines processes such as competition, predation, mutualism, facilitation, and trophic interactions, and analyzes emergent properties including species richness, evenness, food web architecture, and functional diversity. Community ecologists use observational studies, experiments, and quantitative models to understand mechanisms of coexistence, succession, community assembly, disturbance responses, and the maintenance of ecosystem functioning and stability across spatial and temporal scales.
Birdwatching is one of the most common and popular ways people experience nature. But it's not often that even the most enthusiastic birdwatcher returns to the same place more than 800 times to witness the changes over four ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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Big cats have a big impact. A long-term study showed that when mountain lions began regular visits to a small suburban preserve about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of San Francisco, they changed the behavior of many other ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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An international research team, which included University of Tartu visiting doctoral student Wen-Gang Zhang and Professor of Botany Meelis Pärtel, has found a new solution to one of ecology's long-standing controversies—Darwin's ...
Evolution
Jun 16, 2026
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68
Plants, animals and microorganisms constantly communicate through chemical signals. A research team has now shown that these signals merge in the environment to form complex "chemical landscapes" that have effects far beyond ...
Ecology
Jun 16, 2026
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Armed with trail cameras, artificial intelligence, and a powerful national research network, scientists are revisiting Lewis and Clark's legendary journey to see how America's wildlife has changed over the past 200 years.
Plants & Animals
Jun 5, 2026
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For decades, ecologists have theorized that the extinction of one important species could set off a chain reaction of losses throughout an ecosystem. Now, new research offers some of the clearest real-world evidence that ...
Plants & Animals
May 29, 2026
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When researchers survey wildlife in a lake, forest, or other habitat, they rarely capture every species present—some are simply too rare or elusive to detect. A new study published in the May issue of Ecological Informatics ...
Ecology
May 28, 2026
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Urbanization is rapidly transforming natural habitats and poses growing challenges for wildlife. One lesser-known consequence is its potential impact on bird song, which plays a crucial role in communication, reproduction, ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2026
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How does an ecosystem distribute its energy across body sizes? A new study suggests the answer depends on where you are—and how much humans have altered the landscape. Analyzing communities of birds and mammals worldwide, ...
Plants & Animals
May 14, 2026
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As climate change and human activities continually ramp up, fish are forced to find ways to adapt. As fish move around to find more suitable habitats as ocean conditions shift, regional fish distributions change—which can ...
Ecology
May 14, 2026
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