Ecology

From butterflies to peacocks, bold circular “eyespots” are among nature’s most eye-catching patterns. But why do they appear in some animals and not others? A new study of skates and rays finally provides an answer—and […]

By 2085, 36% of species’ current habitats on land could be exposed to multiple types of climate-driven extreme events such as heat waves, fire or floods if warming continues to rise into the latter half […]

Reed, an invasive alien plant that is abundant on the banks of many rivers, ponds and canals, can encourage the growth of common mosquito populations in the absence of natural predators. When the plant’s litter […]

Every year a small songbird, no heavier than a letter, crosses the Sahara Desert, the Mediterranean and the Arabian Desert on its migration. New research from Lund University in Sweden now reveals how the tiny […]

Trichoderma species—a common fungus found in soils—have varying abilities to promote tomato plant growth and differentially affect the abundance of certain soil bacteria, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State.This article was […]

Much of the beauty—and challenge—of biology lies in its complexity. That’s especially true in the microbial world, where hundreds or thousands of different bacterial species may co-exist in a patch of soil or in a […]

Tropical rainforests are known for their unique biodiversity, with species found nowhere else on Earth. But nearly 30% of tropical rainforest has been destroyed or has become seriously degraded since 1990. Many of these forests […]

Roaring over long distances is a key behavior of lions. They communicate within prides as well as with other animals using distinct sequences of moans and grunts. Scientists from the GAIA Initiative have now published […]

In the Philippines, Indigenous communities have been harvesting wild honey for centuries. A new chemical analysis of this honey now provides insights into the biodiversity of the region. “And an additional reason to protect the […]

Ocean temperatures are rising around the world—and marine wildlife are feeling the heat. New research reveals that almost two-thirds of a million seabirds were killed by a marine heat wave off the coast of Australia […]