Category: Ecosystems
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Where Did Coconuts Originate?
The hypothesis supports the idea that the coconut palm originated, evolved and dispersed by floating in the coral atoll ecosystem, but as this ecosystem is widespread and constantly changing its form, a geographical location for a centre of origin for the coconut will probably never be found – but it can no longer be described as ‘unknown’.
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Is Australia a Hot Spot for Biological Deception?
We show that in 3 unrelated systems, deceptive species are more prevalent in Australia than in other world regions. We find no support that the diversity in deception is a reflection of overall species diversity. However, it is likely that the combination of climate and isolation favors the evolution of deception in Australia and that the academic environment favors studying these systems. Thus, we argue that Australia provides a “perfect storm” for deception.
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Invasive Grass Alters Balance Between Native Toads and Predatory Spiders
Ecosystems are so incredibly complex that it can be surprisingly difficult to foresee just how environmental changes, such as an invasion, will affect organisms living in affected areas, I think that one of the unique things about this study is that it not only documents the fact that this plant invasion reduces the survival of a native species, but also determines the mechanism through which that occurs.
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Dead trees don’t drink water. Bark Beetles Also Damage Water Quality
In Colorado alone, the mountain pine beetle has caused the deaths of more than 3.4 million acres of pine trees. What effect do all these dead trees have on stream flow and water quality? Plenty, according to new research findings
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Himalayan Ecosystems Can Only Climb So High To Avoid Warming Climate
In India’s Western Himalayas, changes in altitude are so dramatic and steep that alluvial grasslands, subtropical forests, conifers and alpine meadows lie stacked almost on top of each other, producing a spectacular range of vegetation. Now, the myriad plants that inhabit these mountains are migrating upwards because of climate change — and some are in danger of being lost before anyone has even recorded their existence.
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Reduce Malaria Threat By Preserving Forest Biodiversity
Contrary to what has long been believed, forest conservation and malaria control are not incompatible, and biodiversity issues should be included in the World Health Organization Malaria Eradication Research Agenda in order to achieve the desirable goals of biological conservation and maintenance of low malaria endemicity.
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Deer Damage Reduced In Diverse Forests
In deer-populated forests, tastier plants can avoid being eaten if they are surrounded by less appealing plants. But with deer gone, diverse plots become weaker as plant survival drops.
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Bats and Birds Aid Tropical Reforestation Programs
With half of the tropical rainforest biome cleared at least once in the last 100 years, forest conservation and restoration using birds and mammals that transport seeds should become a central theme in ecology of this century.
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Riparian Site Landscape Regeneration: Good News And Bad
This study shows some potential for natural regeneration of native trees, but also found a significant source of invasive plants in the soil seedbank that could reduce restoration success. Notably, the study recorded the presence of 16 bryophyte taxa, and the common ones were those typically associated with disturbances.
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Recreating Extinct Megafauna For Seed Dispersal
Remove a species from an ecosystem and other species tend to suffer. Take the giant Madagascar tortoise, for example. The two species of giant tortoises on Madagascar went extinct centuries ago, but their loss is still being felt today. According to new research, the extinction of these tortoises robbed one of the island’s iconic baobab tree species of its most important seed dispersers, a situation from which the trees still have not recovered.