Large-scale natural experiments such as oil spills, tsunamis and climate change are things you wouldn’t want to do on purpose. But that doesn’t mean they’re not scientifically useful experiments too.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Ecosystems
Displaying 201 - 220 of 250 articles
Scientists are pioneering a new way of monitoring water species, using techniques more familiar to fans of crime scene TV shows.
We should celebrate these amazing insects, not splat them.
The Leuser ecosystem in northern Sumatra is home to some of the world’s rarest and best-loved animals. Thanks to a new government moratorium on land clearing, conservationists have enjoyed a big win.
The alpine landscapes of Australia’s southeast and Tasmania are home to hundreds of rare plants and animals. They’re healthy for now, but need careful looking after.
Termite damage costs Australian homes at least a billion dollars each year – but they are absolutely vital for ecosystems.
The bleaching hitting the Great Barrier Reef not only harms corals. As these close-up photos show, it also deprives many other species of a home and livelihood.
Animals and plants may not be able to keep up with the speed of climate change. We could help them move.
Australia’s defence forces manage huge swathes of land which are home to valuable ecosystems. The new defence white paper finally acknowledges the importance of looking after them.
Extreme weather will affect people and animals, as well as whole ecosystems. Research using satellites shows that ecosystems worldwide are vulnerable to collapse.
The world must embrace an economy where people and the planet are what matters the most.
Australia may have reputation for vast areas of wilderness, but in reality the continent’s ecosystems have been chopped and diced. Now we need to protect what’s left.
With a future of droughts looming for the US West, Utah’s Wasatch watershed offers a good model that combines conservation with nature-based recreation.
The word “virus” strikes terror into the hearts of most people. But most viruses are actually vital to our very existence.
Rising carbon dioxide levels are making plants grow faster, sucking up more water and reducing river flows in many agriculturally important areas of Australia, according to new research.
Listing the value of bees, beavers and others on the pages of the world’s financial press helps to show that ecosystems deliver benefits worth staggering amounts of money - yet we scarcely keep track of it.
Human activities have altered whole ecosystems with declines in species diversity, extinctions and the introduction of weeds and pests. But it’s not just the outside world we’re harming.
Bat populations have been hammered by deforestation. Efforts like tree-planting schemes are a step forward, but they’re doomed to fail unless we apply a bit more local knowledge.
Many ecosystems have changed so radically that it is no longer possible to restore them to what they once were and in other situations it is not appropriate.
Each year more than 15 billion trees are lost worldwide, according to a major new study.
Top contributors
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Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sydney
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Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University
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ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
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Research fellow, Charles Sturt University
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Professor, The University of Queensland
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Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University
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Senior lecturer, University of Sydney
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Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
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Associate professor in ecology, Charles Sturt University
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Lecturer in Ecology, University of New England
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Associate professor, Obafemi Awolowo University
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Associate Professor, University of Adelaide
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Distinguished Professor and Director, Trophic Cascades Program, Oregon State University
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Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
