https://phys.org/biology-news/ecology en-us Phys.org provides the latest news on ecology 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 In the early 1900s, brown trout and rainbow trout were introduced to southern South America for recreational fishing and early aquaculture initiatives. About 40 years later, American beaver were introduced in the same region to develop a felt industry. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-beavers-growth-brown-trout-south.html Evolution Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 07:47:31 EDT news518251648 A new study has for the first time illuminated the evolutionary history of the bizarre anti-predator defense—the praying mantis startle display—and suggests that the element of surprise may be key to its success. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-scientists-mantises-element-survive.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 07:42:47 EDT news518251361 The populations of common animals are just as likely to rise or fall in number in a time of accelerating global change as those of rare species, a study suggests. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-common-species-mirror-rare-animals.html Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 05:00:01 EDT news518238291 Marine animals are notoriously difficult to track, creating big gaps in how scientists understand their behavior and migration patterns—key insights for helping conserve important habitats. Researchers in Australia, using satellite tags and a decades-old satellite photographic database, published a paper in Frontiers in Marine Science that suggests a migratory species like the reef manta ray is somewhat of a homebody. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-reef-manta-rays-long-term-marine-protected.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:10:01 EDT news518175040 World maritime trade grows each year, aided by canal waterways that connect oceans and reduce shipping time, energy consumption and carbon emissions. Following recent expansions of the Panama and Suez canals, non-native fish species are invading new habitats according to a new report in Nature Ecology and Evolution by researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama and the Leibnitz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Germany. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-fish-invasions-panama-suez-canal.html Ecology Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:01:37 EDT news518198493 Animal species that are at home in the high mountains are finding their habitats reduced and fragmented by roads. In addition, they face competition from scavengers from lower boreal areas that find their way to the mountains. https://phys.org/news/2020-09-red-fox-displaces-arctic-littering.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:58:55 EDT news518173131 Elephant trails may lead the way to better conservation approaches. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-african-elephant-trails-approach-differently.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:59:37 EDT news518097570 Natural wetlands continue to disappear due to city and human development and are being replaced with manmade swales, ponds and canals. This degradation and replacement of natural wetlands suggest that urban areas may be imperative to wetland species, especially when natural conditions are unpredictable. Wetland birds are often seen in and around cities; however, they have been largely ignored in urban wildlife studies. In their historic ranges, wetland birds inhabit dynamic marshes, traveling long distances to locate food. Yet, does their ability to forage for food in natural environments translate to their ability to do so in an urban environment? https://phys.org/news/2020-08-hots-dogs-chicken-wings-city.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:42:51 EDT news518096567 Changes in ocean chemistry and temperature have had a dramatic effect on the diversity of corals and sea anemones, according to a team of scientists who have traced their evolution through deep time. A new study, published Aug. 31 in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, finds that reef-building corals emerged only when ocean conditions supported the construction of these creatures' stony skeletons, whereas diverse softer corals and sea anemones flourished at other times. Without a significant change to anthropogenic carbon emissions, the new findings present stark implications for the present and future of hard-bodied corals while suggesting a silver lining for the diversity of some of their softer-bodied relatives. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-warmer-acidifying-ocean-extinction-reef-building.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:00:06 EDT news518073363 Next time you head outside for a socially distant walk in between your Zoom meetings, notice the rich diversity of plants along your path. As we approach late summer, be sure to also notice the diversity of disease symptoms on those plants, including spots, blotches or fuzzy growth caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-prior-exposure-powdery-mildew-vulnerable.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:00:04 EDT news518073259 Scientists have estimated for the first time how nature-based solutions for agricultural pest control deliver US$14.6 to US$19.5 billion annually across 23 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-pesticide-free-crop-yields-billionyear-benefits.html Evolution Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 11:00:03 EDT news518078276 A study of camera-trap data from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania found that leopard population densities in the 3.7-million-acre park are similar to those in other protected areas but vary between wet and dry seasons. The fluctuations appear to be driven by the abundance of prey and how this affects interactions with other large carnivores like lions, researchers report. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-serengeti-leopard-population-densities-healthy.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 10:00:06 EDT news518086785 In recent years, mangrove deforestation has raised alarms about increased carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Research led by the Singapore-ETH Center shows that the net amount of carbon released from deforestation between 1996 and 2016 globally is only 1.8%, or less than 0.1% of global CO2 emissions. The new approach of quantifying net losses of mangrove carbon stocks is the first to take into account mangrove expansion through conservation, restoration and natural establishment. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-efforts-mangrove.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 31 Aug 2020 07:35:10 EDT news518078107 Ecosystems can be incredibly complex, with many interacting species. In many habitats, predators shape they behavior of prey and prey shape the behavior of predators. This paper provides a detailed look at the predator-prey relationship between bats and katydids, a group of insects related to crickets and grasshoppers. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-katydids.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 28 Aug 2020 11:51:37 EDT news517834294 The northern quoll, one of Australia's most adorable and endangered native carnivores, appears to be adapted to dramatically different landscapes—which may be key to the species' survival. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-northern-quoll-amazingly-versatile-survivor.html Evolution Ecology Fri, 28 Aug 2020 07:45:52 EDT news517819548 If you've ever seen a bat flying around at sunset, chances are good it was a vesper bat. They're the biggest bat family, made up of 500 species, found on every continent except Antarctica. And most of them look a lot alike—they're little, with fuzzy grayish-brown fur, sort of the sparrows of the bat world. That can make it hard to tell the different species apart. But scientists just discovered three new species and two new genera of vesper bats in Africa by comparing the bats' genes, their teeth and skulls, the high-frequency calls they make when echolocating, and the tiny bones in their penises. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-penis-bones-echolocation-genes-reveal.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 27 Aug 2020 14:14:40 EDT news517756473 New research shows that safeguarding species and ecosystems and the benefits they provide for society against future climatic change requires effective solutions which can only be formulated from reliable forecasts. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-future-biodiversity.html Ecology Thu, 27 Aug 2020 14:00:01 EDT news517738092 A research project on algal blooms along the Swedish coast, caused by eutrophication, revealed that large predators such as perch and pike are also necessary to restrict these blooms. Ecologist Britas Klemens Eriksson from the University of Groningen and his colleagues from Stockholm University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden have now shown that stickleback domination moves like a wave through the island archipelagos, changing the ecosystem from predator-dominated to algae-dominated. Their study was published on 27 August in the journal Communications Biology. https://phys.org/news/2020-08-sticklebacks-dominate-perch.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 27 Aug 2020 12:29:17 EDT news517750038