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EFFECTS OF PREDATORS ON ECOSYSTEM
Could living near mountain lions actually make you safer? New study finds fewer dangerous animal-vehicle collisions where these powerful predators are presentCould living near mountain lions actually make you safer? Recent studies suggest that the presence of mountain lions could improve road saf...
Snakes in your garden can seem like a big problem, but wildlife experts say it’s best to let them stayGarden snakes play a vital role in keeping pest populations in check, acting as natural predators that contribute to a vibrant ecosystem. H...
In 2011, Swedish and Danish researchers fenced muskoxen out of test areas in Greenland. 3 years later, plants there absorbed only half as much carbon in summerMuskoxen, ancient Arctic survivors, maintain healthy grasslands which store vital carbon. These large herbivores face threats from climate ...
In Florida’s Everglades, Burmese pythons are helping scientists track pollutionIn Florida's Everglades, Burmese pythons are unexpectedly aiding scientists in pollution research. By accumulating harmful substances like ...
First detected in the 1950s, an invasive snake has multiplied to more than 2 million on a US territory, wiping out native birds and surprisingly causing another species to boom to levels 40 times higher than on surrounding areasThe brown treesnake invasion in Guam has wreaked havoc on local ecosystems, decimating native bird populations and leading to a surge in sp...
Seattle’s new I-90 light rail opened in March; 5 months later, about 2,000 fish have died near electrical equipment in Lake WashingtonSeattle's new light rail service across Lake Washington has coincided with thousands of fish deaths. Investigations are underway to determi...
They disappeared from mainland Australia 3,000 years ago; now Tasmanian devils are breeding again, with conservationists hoping their return will reshape ecosystems and suppress predatorsTasmanian devils, absent from mainland Australia for 3,000 years, have been reintroduced. Conservationists aim to restore their ecological ...
What did a Jurassic forest sound like? Scientists recreate 165-million-year-old insect calls and make a startling discovery with AI, lasers and fossil wingsScientists have reconstructed sounds of nine extinct Jurassic insects. Fossilized insect wings preserved sound-producing structures for ana...
In 1950, livestock viruses drove the Serengeti's wildebeest herd down to 300,000. Less than a decade later, it surpassed 1.5 million, helping turn the ecosystem into a carbon sinkIn the 1950s, rinderpest and livestock disease pushed the Serengeti’s wildebeest herd to dangerously low numbers. After the virus was broug...
In 2002, South Australia scuttled ex-HMAS Hobart in 2 minutes and 17 seconds; 18 years later, a marine survey recorded more than 50 fish species around the destroyerThe HMAS Hobart, once a formidable navy destroyer, has transformed into a vibrant artificial reef after being submerged for eighteen years....
In 2003, scientists targeted invasive fish in the Grand Canyon. By 2006, Rainbow Trout fell from 90% to less than 10% of the catchFor four consecutive years, scientists actively removed invasive fish species from the Colorado River. This strategic initiative led to a n...
This Italian city was founded by Spartans in 706 BC. Now it is building Europe’s first sea sanctuary for dolphinsTaranto is pioneering a groundbreaking sea-based sanctuary dedicated to dolphins that have been held in captivity. This innovative refuge r...
In the mid-1920s, William R. Angell brought nine white-tailed deer to North Manitou Island for hunting; by the early 1980s, the herd was estimated at 2,000Six deer introduced to North Manitou Island in 1926 dramatically altered its ecosystem. Without predators, the deer population grew to two ...
In 2017, USGS and MIT researchers dated a magma pulse to 251.9 million years ago. 9 years later, it links to Earth's worst extinctionEarth faced its worst extinction event around 252 million years ago. Volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps is the leading explanation for...
In 2006, volunteers lowered a stripped Boeing 737 into the Pacific; 20 years later, the jet has become a cold-water artificial reefA retired Boeing 737 now rests on the seafloor off Vancouver Island. This aircraft was transformed into an artificial reef by Canada. The X...
10 million years ago, this 23-foot crocodile ruled prehistoric Colombia; its fossilised victims reveal a brutal secretIn Colombia, researchers uncovered fossilized bones indicating that Purussaurus neivensis, an enormous caiman relative, engaged in predatio...
In 2014, Maine began developing a fish elevator to carry American shad past Milford Dam. 12 years later, the system could reopen 600 miles of river habitat to a fish whose migration has been blocked for decadesA Maine fish elevator could reopen 600 miles of river habitat for alewives, giving a small fish a much bigger chance to return upstream. Th...
In the 1990s, a predatory flatworm was released in Samoa to control giant African snails; it later drove native island snails toward extinctionBiological control efforts introduced the New Guinea flatworm to Pacific islands. This predator began hunting native land snails, pushing t...
How a mosquitofish brought in to kill mosquito larvae became major freshwater ecosystem problemA fish introduced to Hawaii over a century ago now threatens native freshwater wildlife. The mosquitofish, brought to control mosquitoes, n...
In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar brought 4 hippos to Colombia. Today, they have become the world's largest invasive hippo populationPablo Escobar's four imported hippos have spawned Colombia's largest invasive population, disrupting local ecosystems. These robust animals...