https://phys.org/biology-news/ecology en-us Phys.org provides the latest news on ecology A team of international vets using tranquilliser darts, flatbreads and the soothing lyrics of Frank Sinatra conducted a medical examination Friday on Pakistan's only Asian elephant, ahead of his planned move to Cambodia. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-pakistan-asian-elephant-home.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 11:20:25 EDT news518437220 A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, and the University of Virginia, USA, has studied the impact of high ozone air pollution on the chemical communication between flowers and pollinators. They showed that tobacco hawkmoths lost attraction to the scent of their preferred flowers when that scent had been altered by ozone. This oxidizing pollutant thus disturbs the interaction between a plant and its pollinator, a relationship that has evolved over millions of years. However, when given the chance, hawkmoths quickly learn that an unpleasantly polluted scent may lead to nutritious nectar. The study is published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-air-pollution-odors-unattractive-moths.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 11:08:10 EDT news518436485 The notion of plants talking to us about dead people sounds like a bad horror movie. But that's the theme of a recent scientific paper I co-authored. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-dead-bodies-families-people.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:40:02 EDT news518429364 A team of researchers from Chile, Hungary, and Spain has created a model to show the factors that can result in heat death in multiple species of fruit flies. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes using established mathematical models to predict heat death under different scenarios and comparing it with heat tolerance data from prior research efforts. Raymond Huey and Michael Kearney with the University of Washington and the University of Melbourne, respectively, have published a Perspective piece in the same journal issue outlining the work by the team in this effort. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-death-fruit-flies-due-climate.html Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:29:24 EDT news518430557 Mosses and their microbial partners are important players in fertilizing the boreal forests that make up nearly a third of all Earth's forests. But climate may be changing mosses' role in how these forests access nutrients, according to a new study led by the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (Ecoss) at Northern Arizona University and the University of Saskatchewan. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-mosses-climate-fate-nitrogen-boreal.html Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:09:20 EDT news518429359 Humans have long been inspired and transfixed by the Moon, and as we're discovering, moonlight can also change the behavior of Australian wildlife. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-predators-prey-moonlight-phases-moon.html Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 09:07:05 EDT news518429223 Locusts are threatening another part of Africa, with up to 7 million people in the southern region facing further food insecurity, the United Nations said Friday. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-locusts-threatening-southern-africa.html Ecology Fri, 04 Sep 2020 06:15:15 EDT news518418910 Some male butterflies go to extreme lengths to ensure their paternity—sealing their mate's genitalia with a waxy "chastity belt" to prevent future liaisons. But female butterflies can fight back by evolving larger or more complex organs that are tougher to plug. Males, in turn, counterattack by fastening on even more fantastic structures with winglike projections, slippery scales or pointy hooks. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-butterfly-sexes-males-deploy-chastity.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 15:37:39 EDT news518366254 If naked mole-rats were human, they would be prescribed hearing aids. With six mutations in genes associated with hearing, naked mole-rats can barely hear the constant squeaking they use to communicate with one another. This hearing loss, which is strange for such social, vocal animals, is an adaptive, beneficial trait, according to new findings published in the journal Current Biology. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-loss-naked-mole-rats-advantage-hardship.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 15:06:40 EDT news518364387 In 2013 the Rim Fire—the largest fire on record in the Sierra Nevada—burned one third of the potential California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) habitat in Yosemite National Park. The park provides prime habitat for this Spotted Owl subspecies, which is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and concern grew regarding the fire's effect on Yosemite's owl populations. But recent research provides some good news regarding the park's owls, and it may be due to Yosemite's unique history and fire management strategy. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-megafire-deter-yosemite-owls.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 15:06:03 EDT news518364361 A new species of freshwater Crustacea has been discovered during an expedition of the desert Lut, known as the hottest place on Earth. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-species-freshwater-crustacea-hottest-earth.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 12:13:38 EDT news518354015 Zimbabwe wildlife authorities on Thursday said they suspect ten more elephants succumbed to a bacterial infection that killed 12 young pachyderms last week. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-zimbabwe-dead-elephants-bacteria.html Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 12:12:14 EDT news518353932 New research reveals current understanding of safe antibiotic levels in rivers may not prevent evolution of antibiotic resistance and fully protect human health. The study suggests the need to introduce thresholds to help fight the spread of resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-safe-thresholds-antibiotics-sewage-combat.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 11:00:08 EDT news518334119 It is commonly said that childhood experiences shape adult behavior; that events that we may not even remember can have long-lasting or even permanent effects. In a new article by scientists at the Champalimaud Center for the Unknown in Portugal, published in Current Biology, experiments using zebrafish show that social experiences during the very first week of development impact behavior at an early larval stage, before the fish are considered social. This suggests that these experiences mark the fish much earlier than previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-social-impact-zebrafish-early-age.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 11:00:04 EDT news518345403 Old male elephants play a key role in leading all-male groups, new research suggests. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-males-vital-elephant-societies.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 11:00:01 EDT news518335265 Bird calls can be iconic, and to many Missourians, some have come to define landscapes. Waking up to the complex song of an eastern meadowlark in grassy fields at dawn, the gentle "coo" of mourning doves throughout the day, and rocking on the front porch to the playful song of the whip-poor-will on a warm summer's night. However, one iconic call has not been heard in Missouri's landscapes for some time: the "rubber ducky squeak" of the brown-headed nuthatch. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-nature-soundtrack-centurylong-absence.html Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 09:30:01 EDT news518342581 Action came too late for the Christmas Island forest skink, despite early warnings of significant declines. It was lost from the wild before it was officially listed as "threatened," and the few individuals brought into captivity died soon after. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-reveals-australian-reptiles.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 09:20:02 EDT news518342385 Unlike many mammals and birds, most reptiles show little sign of being caring parents. But our new research shows one lizard species may be more doting parents than we thought—the adults risking their own safety to protect their babies. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-scientists-capture-rare-footage-mother.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 09:10:05 EDT news518342360 Australia has more reptile species than any other country; we are home to about 10% of the world's species. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-scientists-australian-snakes-lizards-path.html Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 08:10:02 EDT news518339315 Researchers at the Australian Institute of Marine Science have developed a dipstick test that can detect crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) on coral reefs by using the same technology as home pregnancy tests. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-crown-of-thorns-starfish-quickly-home-pregnancy.html Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 04:04:20 EDT news518324655 In light of emerging evidence showing how a commonly used class of insecticides can spread through the environment to pollinators, predators and other insects they are not intended to kill, researchers are warning about the potential for widespread environmental contamination. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-food-web-threats-common-insecticides.html Ecology Thu, 03 Sep 2020 04:00:40 EDT news518324437 House sparrows can be found on nearly every continent including North America, South America, Africa and Australia, where they are not native but an invasive species. New research into these highly social songbirds reveals that they can learn from each other and adapt their behavior. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-birds.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 12:27:34 EDT news518268451 As introduced species spread around the world, the complex networks of interactions between plants and animals within ecosystems are becoming increasingly similar, a process likely to reinforce globalization's imprint on nature and increase risks of sweeping ecological disruption. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-globalization-reweaving-web-life.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 12:26:38 EDT news518268394 Radiocarbon dating of five large and potentially old sessile oaks from Aspromonte National Parks has revealed a long lifespan ranging from 934 ± 65 to 570 ± 45 years. For a long time, majestic oaks have been considered a symbol of longevity, and this study proves that a millennium age horizon is attainable longevity in angiosperms growing at high-elevation belt in Mediterranean mountains of South Italy. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-oldest-radiocarbon-dated-temperate-hardwood.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 12:20:01 EDT news518078122 Researchers and conservationists who have been tracking turtle migration for over a decade believe a new study highlights the need for investment and conservation of vital marine habitats which play a key role in turtle's formative years. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-reveals-migratory-habits-teenage-green.html Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 10:04:31 EDT news518259868 A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China and one in France has found that microplastics making their way into soil can lead to a decrease in the number of worms and microarthropods that reside there. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes their study of the impact of microplastic introduction into soil, and what they learned about it. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-impact-microplastics-soil.html Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 10:03:47 EDT news518259823 When you think of lyrebirds, what comes to mind may be the sound of camera clicks, chainsaws and the songs of other birds. While the mimicry of lyrebirds is remarkable, it is not the only striking feature of this species. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-lyrebirds-litter-soil-animal.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 09:56:16 EDT news518259373 The active ingredients found in sunscreen have detrimental effects on freshwater ecosystems, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-common-sunscreen-ingredients-dangerous-freshwater.html Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 09:51:50 EDT news518259108 Mite extinctions are occurring at least 1,000 times the natural rate—a finding a University of Queensland researcher says is another warning that global biodiversity is in deep trouble. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-mite-extinctions-natural.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 09:51:15 EDT news518259071 Federal agencies required a minimum criteria of 96 percent of spring-migrating and 93 percent of summer-migrating juvenile salmon had to survive passage over Lower Granite Dam, located in southeastern Washington. Because it's impossible to count each fish, scientists rely on mathematical models. These models rely on tracking a sub-sample of salmon that is designed to represent the larger population. However, traditional models have been expensive and time consuming. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-stock-salmon-survival-science.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 09:50:01 EDT news518257895