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ecosystem

09/30/2018 / By Isabelle Z.

Monsanto’s weedkiller BOMBSHELL: It murders honey bees, too, contributing to global collapse of the food supply

Monsanto likes to promote the idea that GMOs can solve world hunger. At first, many wanted to believe that they could indeed provide an answer to this devastating problem, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that they’re actually having the opposite effect. In fact, Monsanto’s popular weed killer glyphosate, which is regularly used on genetically modified […]

09/06/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Wind farm construction may harm marine populations

Offshore wind farms might produce clean energy, but they do have negative effects on the environment. For one, their construction causes noise that might be disturbing, driving out, or even harming local wildlife. In a Science Daily article, European researchers have devised a computer model tool to determine the possible effects of such facilities on […]

08/25/2018 / By Bridgette Wilcox

Tree-climbing goats help sow new forests by SPITTING out the seeds, scientific study shows

The forests of morocco have found an unexpected ally: tree-climbing goats. A new study has found that the limber creatures have been inadvertently planting trees and rebuilding forests by spitting out the nuts from the argan fruits they forage on. The research, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, observed the foraging behavior of domestic […]

08/23/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Natural pest management: Peach farmers are reducing crop loss to stink bugs by planting grains to lure them away

Scientists from Auburn University in the U.S. found a way to manage pest naturally. They discovered that planting different grain crops attract pests away from the fruit, resulting to lesser crop loss. For the study, the research team analyzed six winter host crops and six summer host crops as possible trap crops or attractant crops for […]

07/08/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Evolutionary biologist says that the rapid growth of cities has forced animals to evolve at “unprecedented speeds”

Since the dawn of time, various factors have forced animals to evolve so they can improve their chances of survival. But according to an evolutionary biologist, even humans and growing cities are somehow responsible for animal evolution. During an interview with Simon Worrall from National Geographic, Professor Menno Schilthuizen, an evolutionary biologist, posited that cities act as […]

07/06/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Plant cells that enable photosynthesis found to also play a role in plant self defense

Your biology teacher would tell you that chloroplasts are the parts of plant cells that turn sunlight into food via photosynthesis. However, chloroplasts also pull double duty by warning the plant’s nucleus about a pathogenic infection or an environmental stressor, reported a NewsWise article. This insight comes from a collaborative study between the University of Delaware (UD) and the University of […]

05/30/2018 / By Ralph Flores

We can prevent shoreline erosion by protecting coral reefs: Restoring them helps protect islands

Keeping corals healthy has far-reaching benefits, not only for the corals themselves but also for nearby coastlines. New research, published in the Journal of Environmental Management, looked at the “protective role” of coral reefs and assayed a solution that addressed coral reef degradation and shoreline erosion – problems which have regularly plagued coastlines. Researchers from the University […]

05/24/2018 / By Edsel Cook

“Rip Van Winkle” plants can remain dormant for 20 years to survive through difficult times

The fictional character Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years and missed the American Revolution. Now, researchers have identified more than a hundred different real-life plants that can go dormant for just as long in order to make it through unfavorable periods, a EurekAlert article stated. The research team counted at least 114 species that […]

03/21/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Species devastated by human depletion of rainforests found to make a comeback as forests regrow

The massive depletion of tropical rainforests have driven many species of tropical flora and fauna into extinction. But a recent study of bat populations in the Brazilian Amazon suggested that displaced survivors from primary forests could potentially recover if there are secondary forests that can take them in, reported Science Daily. This is good news for the […]

03/20/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Plants “adapt or die” too: Study finds botanical defense mechanisms evolve based on herbivores’ immunity to chemical toxins

“Adapt or die,” said the late Andy Grove, the founder of computer chip maker Intel who escaped Communist Hungary as a young man. A new study suggested plants adhere to the same dictum, adapting and discarding defenses according to what works best for the situation at hand, reported a ScienceDaily article. Researchers from the Academy […]

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