In biology, dispersal of organisms refers to the movement of individuals or propagules (such as seeds, larvae, or spores) away from their birthplace or current population, influencing gene flow, colonization dynamics, and spatial population structure. Dispersal can be active (driven by organismal movement) or passive (mediated by wind, water, or other vectors), and operates across scales from local neighborhoods to intercontinental ranges. It interacts with selection, drift, and demographic processes, shaping metapopulation dynamics, range expansions, species coexistence, and responses to environmental change, and is commonly modeled using dispersal kernels, connectivity matrices, and individual-based movement models.
The movement patterns of waterfowl, including ducks, swans and geese, may affect the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in bird populations, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. The findings are ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 7, 2026
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Birds play a larger role in the dispersal of wild cotton than previously assumed. This is shown by a study in the journal Oikos, carried out in southern Africa. Researchers discovered that birds actively collect wild cotton ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2026
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Plants are usually seen as stationary life forms, quietly supporting environments. But plant communities and populations are far from static. They are constantly being shaped by the world around them.
Plants & Animals
Mar 17, 2026
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Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have documented the farthest trek of a young female fisher (Pekania pennanti) moving 118 kilometers (over 73 miles) from Durham to the outskirts of Lincoln, a small town in New ...
Ecology
Mar 14, 2026
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Two locations have been identified as the most likely entry points into Australia for a disease that poses a huge risk to the beef and dairy industries. A University of Queensland-led team has built the first geospatial model ...
Veterinary medicine
Mar 13, 2026
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Are box turtles in worse shape than herpetologists thought? University of Toledo researchers raise the question in new research published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Plants & Animals
Mar 9, 2026
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If a tree falls in the forest, it can create an opening for more incoming light, and that makes a significant impact on the surrounding environment, according to new research. An international science team has used supercomputer ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 4, 2026
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This Journal of Raptor Research issue focuses on movement ecology—how and why raptors move. This can include classic movements like migration, as well as nomadism.
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
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305
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers identified 10 new species and seven new groups (genera) of Hawaiian leaf-roller moths. While new species are frequently discovered, the description of a new genus of insects is a ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 25, 2026
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17
Fairy wrens are everywhere. Go anywhere in Australia and there will be at least one local fairy wren. They're not endangered. In fact, it would be hard to imagine an animal less endangered than fairy wrens. So what do we ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 17, 2026
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