World-first research finds human disturbances, on average, restrict an animal’s movements by 37%, or increase it by 70%. That’s like needing to travel an extra 11 km to get to work each day.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Ecosystems
Displaying 101 - 120 of 250 articles
The spread of tawny crazy ants may be driven, in part, by their need for calcium. The calcium-rich limestone bedrock of the lower U.S. Midwest may provide ideal conditions for populations to explode.
In the ocean, phytoplankton helped by diazotrophs play an outstanding role in withdrawing CO₂ from the atmosphere. But climate change is disturbing this delicate balance.
Historical photographs of bison extermination are a window into a history of relationships between humans, bison and the environment.
Millions of miles of fences crisscross the Earth’s surface. They divide ecosystems and affect wild species in ways that often are harmful, but are virtually unstudied.
Humans have caused ecosystems to collapse on purpose for millennia, to grow food or build settlements. But unplanned collapses are a different matter.
Historians and scientists discovered how colonisation in eastern Europe changed ecosystems – and the societies embedded in them.
There are 85 ‘threatened ecological communities’ listed under Australian environment law. But unrealistic criteria means they’re not adequately protected.
Among the human rights under threat are the rights to life, health, food, a healthy environment, water, an adequate standard of living and culture.
We must turn pledges into immediate action and restore our ecosystems on a global level.
We counted the number of standard trees in Australia. It turns out that since 1990, we’ve actually been gaining trees faster than losing them.
The revamped citizenship test would include questions focused on “Australian values”. But why not ask prospective Australians to show an understanding of our ancient landscape and unique species too?
We studied a rocky shore to see how global changes are playing out within habitats.
Hurricane Harvey destroyed the fishing infrastructure of Aransas Bay and reduced fishing by 80% over the following year. This removed humans from the trophic cascade and whole food webs changed.
Wildlife populations have plummeted by 68% since 1970. But we have a plan to turn things around.
A new plan targets areas around the world that can store carbon and protect large numbers of species. It calls for preserving these lands, working with Indigenous peoples and connecting wild areas.
The Superb Lyrebird is famous for its song and dance, but what is less known is their extraordinary role as world-class ecosystem engineers.
Just as humans can suffer from an imbalance of microbes in their gut, plants can suffer a similar syndrome in their leaves. This finding opens up new possibilities for improving food security.
The deteriorating Western Grassland Reserve in Victoria represents a failure of imagination. When the grasslands are steeped with history and culture, imagine its potential.
Social media has proved to be a helpful source of observations of snakes feeding. Knowing more about their diet is useful because it’s linked to their venom biochemistry.
Top contributors
-
Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
-
Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sydney
-
Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University
-
ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
-
Research fellow, Charles Sturt University
-
Professor, The University of Queensland
-
Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University
-
Senior lecturer, University of Sydney
-
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
-
Associate professor in ecology, Charles Sturt University
-
Lecturer in Ecology, University of New England
-
Associate professor, Obafemi Awolowo University
-
Associate Professor, University of Adelaide
-
Distinguished Professor and Director, Trophic Cascades Program, Oregon State University
-
Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
