Over the last century, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) has declined by more than half in Yellowstone National Park’s northern range. A big part of the problem is that elk like the new growth so much that given the chance, they overbrowse it. The solution may be the return of the wolf: new research provides the […] Read More »
While conservation biologists agree that plant diversity is crucial to ecosystem function, the debate rages over which aspect of diversity is most important. Most biologists focus on species diversity, but two recent papers suggest that diversity of functional groups (such as nitrogen-fixing legumes and soil-stabilizing bunchgrasses) is also critical. The first paper argues that both […] Read More »
Habitat fragmentation is even more devastating than we thought. Fragments are known to be inferior to intact habitat because they are more likely to lose species. New research shows that fragments are also more vulnerable to hunting, fire, drought, and other kinds of ecological stress.
“Such negative synergisms could potentially be one of the most […] Read More »
New research shows that prescribed burning may be used too widely. The theory is that by reducing the unnatural fuel buildup caused by decades of fire suppression, prescribed burning reduces the risk of catastrophic fires. But this theory doesn’t fit all ecosystems, and prescribed burning can sometimes cause more harm than good.
“Although prescription burning […] Read More »
Because islands and the Temperate Zone are hotspots of non-native species invasions, biologists have hypothesized that mainlands and tropics are harder to invade. The latter regions have more species, and the idea is that biodiversity confers “biotic resistance.” But new research overturns this theory for birds, showing that invasion success depends on factors such as […] Read More »
Introduced crayfish are wiping out native species in North America, which has three-quarters of the crayfish species worldwide. New research provides the first evidence that introduced crayfish are taking over native species genetically by hybridizing with them.
“Our study is the first to document hybridization associated with the invasion and displacement of resident crayfish species,” […] Read More »
By Kathleen Snow
Winter 2002 (Vol. 3, No. 1)
Every weekend, millions of Americans escape from their desks to enjoy one of the most popular hobbies: gardening. Fresh air and flowers, a little exercise, and a lot of time spent with green and growing things-is this a peaceful picture or a cause for conservation concern? […] Read More »
By Scott Norris
Winter 2002 (Vol. 3, No. 1)
How do you know when you have enough data? That is a difficult question to answer if you don’t know how much you need. We seldom know the basic quanta of conservation with much precision. And when science offers only partial knowledge and statistically informed […] Read More »
By Julia F. Carpenter, Daniel Zatz, Julia Mair, and David S. Wilkie
Winter 2002 (Vol. 3, No. 1)
As a new era of Internet and broadcasting technologies emerge, the possibility of minimal impact mass tourism is nearing a reality. Through the use of powerful web servers, streaming video, broadcast-quality cameras, video compression, and satellite communications, […] Read More »
By James K. Agee
Winter 2002 (Vol. 3, No. 1)
The hard lesson that we should take away from the last decade of fire management in drier forests is that a choice to do nothing is a choice of action, not always with a desirable outcome.
Forest ecosystems are dynamic —they change when humans disturb […] Read More »
By Sarah DeWeerdt
Winter 2002 (Vol. 3, No. 1)
Snails on a certain hillside in Utah have a ridge on their shells not found on the shells of snails on neighboring hillsides—do the ridged snails represent a distinct subspecies? Northern and southern populations of an endangered Brazilian parrot have different calls—do these vocal differences […] Read More »
