New analyses of vertebrate groups performed by UA evolutionary biologist John Wiens suggest that habitat is a more important variable than climate or metabolic rate.
Of the nearly 1.5 million known animal species on Earth, those with backbones come in a stunning array of shapes and sizes. Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and the number of species within these groups can vary wildly. For example, there are only six species of lungfish and only 25 crocodilians — but roughly 10,000 birds and 9,700 lizards and snakes.(more…)
Die letzte Chance, eine ökologische Katastrophe zu verhindern
28. April 2014 – Der NABU hat am 17. April nach Umweltschadensgesetz gegen den Bau des Offshore-Windparks Butendiek Klage beim Verwaltungsgericht Köln eingelegt. Grund für die Klage ist, dass der Umweltverband durch den Windpark Schäden bei streng geschützten Meeresvögeln und Schweinswalen befürchtet. (more…)
The Arctic is home to a growing number of whales and ships, and to populations of sub-Arctic whales that are expanding their territory into newly ice-free Arctic waters. (more…)
Wie sich Vielfalt im Tier- und Pflanzenreich entwickelt, ist bislang nur unzureichend verstanden. In den Binnengewässern unseres Planeten leben überproportional viele Tierarten, sechs von zehn dieser Tiere sind Insekten. Deshalb haben Wissenschaftler des LOEWE Biodiversität und Klima Forschungszentrums (BiK-F) nun gemeinsam mit Kollegen des Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden und des Leibniz-Instituts für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) in Berlin das Potenzial von Süßwasserinsekten für die Erforschung der Biodiversität untersucht. Die Ergebnisse wurden jetzt in der diesjährigen Ausgabe des renommierten Fachjournals Annual Review of Entomology veröffentlicht.
Binnengewässer bedecken gerade einmal ein Prozent des Planeten, und doch leben in diesen Ökosystemen zehn Prozent aller Tierarten dieser Erde. Nach heutigem Kenntnisstand sind sechs von zehn dieser Tiere Insekten. Ein international zusammengesetztes Team mit Wissenschaftlern des LOEWE Biodiversität und Klima Forschungszentrums (BiK-F), des Biodiversity Center in Leiden und des Leibniz-Instituts für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) in Berlin untersuchte nun in einer Übersichtsstudie, inwieweit diese erstaunliche Vielfalt der Süßwasserinsekten dazu beitragen kann, die Entstehung von Artenvielfalt zu verstehen. (more…)
Max Li’s research could inform policies to promote sustainable native environments and curb the invasion of alien plant species.
Max Li, a University of Arizona doctoral student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is studying mechanisms that determine how competing desert plants can coexist with each other and what factors can cause the destruction of this stable coexistence.
His research could help inform policies to curb the spread of invasive species. (more…)
Study Offers First Look at Green Sea Turtle Habitat Use in the Dry Tortugas
DRY TORTUGAS, Fla. – Nesting green sea turtles are benefiting from marine protected areas by using habitats found within their boundaries, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study that is the first to track the federally protected turtles in Dry Tortugas National Park.
Green turtles are listed as endangered in Florida and threatened throughout the rest of their range, and the habits of green sea turtles after their forays to nest on beaches in the Southeast U.S. have long remained a mystery. Until now, it was not clear whether the turtles made use of existing protected areas, and few details were available as to whether they were suited for supporting the green sea turtle’s survival. (more…)
TORONTO, ON – Ecologists at the University of Toronto and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) have found that, given time, invading exotic plants will likely eliminate native plants growing in the wild despite recent reports to the contrary.
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reports that recent statements that invasive plants are not problematic are often based on incomplete information, with insufficient time having passed to observe the full effect of invasions on native biodiversity. (more…)
COLUMBIA, Mo. — While Americans prepare to cook millions of turkeys for Thanksgiving, a geothermal energy system developed by a University of Missouri engineer will be keeping live turkeys toasty during the chilly autumn weather. In a prototype facility, designed by a University of Missouri engineer, environmentally and economically friendly geothermal energy is keeping turkeys comfortable during both cold and hot weather. The system is designed to reduce utility costs while improving the air quality for the birds.
“This is our first prototype of a geothermal system in a commercial livestock operation,” said Yun-Sheng Xu, associate research professor in civil and environmental engineering. “Our first set of performance data suggests that farmers could cut their heating costs in half at current propane prices. Currently, two units are installed at the test farm. Other farmers could begin installing units on their turkey farms as soon as next year, for use by next winter.” (more…)
