http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/invasive_species/ Learn how invasive species threaten ecosystems. Read current research on biodiversity loss due to introduced species and more. en-us Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:05:04 EDT Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:05:04 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/invasive_species/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134405.htm Biocontrol agents, such as insects, are often released outside of their native ranges to control invasive plants. But scientists in Montana have found that through complex community interactions among deer mice, native plants and seeds, the presence of an introduced fly may exacerbate the effects of the invasive plant it was meant to control. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143245.htm The growing number of dams and other impoundments is increasing the number of invasive species and the speed at which they spread, putting natural lakes at risk, says a study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902143245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902225429.htm Ecologists have discovered that -- as well as being larger, hungrier and more aggressive than most British native ladybirds -- the invasive alien harlequin ladybird is also more resistant to fungal disease and a parasitic wasp, two common natural enemies of native ladybirds. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902225429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830165014.htm A new NOAA report on the health of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is fair. The report also identifies several emerging threats to sanctuary resources, including non-indigenous marine species, overfishing, waterborne chemicals from human coastal activities, and increased recreational use of the site. Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080830165014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825092349.htm Heavy metal pollutants are linked to genetic mutations, stunted growth and declining fertility among small crustaceans in the Parramatta River, the main tributary of Sydney Harbor, new research shows. The finding adds to mounting evidence that toxic sediments and seaweeds in Sydney Harbor are a deadly diet for many sea creatures. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080825092349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826173227.htm It's no secret that humans are having a huge impact on the life cycles of plants and animals. UC Santa Barbara researchers decided to test that theory by studying the world's far-flung islands. Their research sheds surprising light on the subject of extinction rates of species on islands. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826173227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822102344.htm It is red, it burns and itches: a sunburn on our skin. However, too much sun is not only bad for humans. Many plants react sensitively to an increased dose of ultraviolet radiation, too. Yet they are dependent on sunlight. However, this has its limits: too much sun means an over-abundance of energy and thus the destruction of the sensitive pigments. The result are black spots, pale leaves and rotten parts. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080822102344.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826144856.htm The Ecological Society of America today criticized the Bush administration's Aug. 15 proposal to reinterpret the Endangered Species Act, which would impose regulatory changes eliminating the requirement for federal projects to undergo independent scientific review. The proposal would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves whether their projects would harm endangered animals and plants. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826144856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820081201.htm Scientists are to carry out a feasibility study on the possibility of reintroducing burbot, a freshwater fish, to UK rivers, and are conducting an online survey to hear the views of members of the public. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820081201.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819213021.htm Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent US Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef. This study documents for the first time that a rapid change in the dominant biota on a coral reef is unambiguously associated with man-made structures. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080819213021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110125.htm A new species of fish has been discovered -- a grouper that reaches more than six feet in length and can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds. This newly discovered species can be found roaming the tropical reefs of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184424.htm A little known fungus tucked away in the gut of Asian longhorned beetles helps the insect munch through the hardest of woods according to a team of entomologists and biochemists. Researchers say the discovery could lead to innovative methods of controlling the invasive pest, and potentially offer more efficient ways of breaking down plant biomass for generating biofuels. Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080818184424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164644.htm Common tree species in the Amazon will survive even grim scenarios of deforestation and road-building, but rare trees could suffer extinction rates of up to 50 percent, predict scientists in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813164644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213816.htm Burmese Pythons may have chosen Florida as a vacation destination, but are unlikely to expand further, according to a new study. Although the United States Geological Survey earlier this year released "climate maps" indicating that the pythons could inhabit up to 32 states in the US, new research indicates that the snakes are unlikely to expand out of Florida. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811195317.htm Warmer temperatures and longer dry spells have killed thousands of trees and shrubs in a Southern California mountain range, pushing the plants' habitat an average of 213 feet up the mountain over the past 30 years, a UC Irvine study has determined. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811195317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723190731.htm In the murky waters of an inconspicuous stream in a remote area of Wyoming, researchers detail the potential impact that an introduced fish, the white sucker, could have on the evolutionary biology of fishes. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723190731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813144405.htm Human activities are cumulatively driving the health of the world's oceans down a rapid spiral, and only prompt and wholesale changes will slow or perhaps ultimately reverse the catastrophic problems they are facing. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813144405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807080832.htm The current U.S. population of red imported fire ants--which infest millions of acres across the southern states -- can be traced back to nine to 20 queens in Mobile, Alabama. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807080832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200138.htm Inwood Hill Park survived the drastic modifications of Revolutionary War patriots, but preserving this last bastion of large-growth, mature trees in New York City is difficult with the proliferation of invasive species and hard human use, according to biologists. They suggest the situation warrants a plan in collaboration with those studying the park. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144238.htm As the Arctic Ocean warms this century, shellfish, snails and other animals from the Pacific Ocean will resume an invasion of the northern Atlantic that was interrupted by cooling conditions three million years ago. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808104916.htm Long a problem in the western US, the New Zealand mud snail currently inhabits four of the five Great Lakes and is spreading into rivers and tributaries, according to researchers. These tiny creatures out-compete native snails and insects, but are not good fish food replacements for the native species. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808104916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808090313.htm Brown tree snakes have come to embody the bad things that can happen when invasive species show up where they have few predators. But new research suggests that indirect impacts might be even farther reaching, possibly changing tree distributions and altering already damaged ecosystems. Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080808090313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806113316.htm Ecologist are studying how woody vines, or lianas, are affecting tropical forests and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Through a comprehensive community-level study on liana-tree interactions in Panama, researchers are untangling how lianas survive -- and whether they are really threatening trees. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080806113316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805153826.htm Pest cerambycids can cause severe damage to standing trees, logs and lumber. How then might they be promptly detected and their numbers swiftly controlled? The new discovery of inexpensive blends of love potions has helped researchers detect several species of pest cerambycid beetles. Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805153826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805074603.htm Environmental conservation efforts have traditionally focused on protecting individual species or natural resources. Scientists are discovering, however, that preserving the benefits that whole ecosystems provide to people is more economically and environmentally valuable. Ecologists will explore the application of ecosystem services approaches to conservation. Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080805074603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100143.htm Scientists have long pointed to physical changes in the Earth and its atmosphere as indicators of global climate change. But changes in climate can wreak havoc in more subtle ways, such as the loss of habitat for plant and animal species. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100139.htm The undisputed queen of animal pollinators is the bee, whose daily flights aid in the reproduction of more than half of the world's flowering plants. In recent years, however, an unprecedented decline in bee populations has placed the health of ecosystems an crops in peril. A group of scientists are exploring the problem of bee habitat loss to determine what can be done to preserve bees in their native habitats. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804222912.htm Mankind's closest relatives -- the world's monkeys, apes and other primates -- are disappearing from the face of the Earth, with some literally being eaten into extinction. The first comprehensive review in five years of the world's 634 kinds of primates found that almost 50 percent are in danger of going extinct, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804222912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080801094258.htm Aeroecology is the emerging discipline for studying how airborne organisms -- birds, bats, arthropods and microbes -- depend on the support of the lower atmosphere that is closest to the Earth's surface. Called the aerosphere, it influences the daily and seasonal movements, development traits, such as size and shape, and evolution of behavioral, sensory, metabolic and respiratory functions of airborne organisms. Understanding how they respond to altered landscapes and atmospheric conditions can also help mitigate adverse effects. Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080801094258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192930.htm Just three years after it was discovered, a new species of monkey is threatened with extinction according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which recently published the first-ever census of the endangered primate. Africa's 'kipunji' hovers at 1,100 individuals. Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080728192930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729075119.htm Researchers have developed a model which identifies potential habitats and corridors for the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). Using Rheinland-Pfalz as an example, it was demonstrated that almost half of this German federal state could be suitable for wildcats, enabling a maximum population of 1600 females. The model can also be adapted for other regions and could therefore prove to be of significant value in protecting this highly endangered species. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729075119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722225339.htm Ice age climate change and ancient flooding -- but not barriers created by rivers -- may have promoted the evolution of new insect species in the Amazon region of South America, a new study suggests. The Amazon basin is home to the richest diversity of life on earth, yet the reasons why this came to be are not well understood. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722225339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722105048.htm Plants undergo stress because of lack of water, due to the heat or the cold or to excess of light. Researchers have analyzed the substances that are triggered in plants to protect themselves, with the goal of choosing the species that is best suited to the environment during reforestation under adverse environmental conditions. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722105048.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080720092205.htm Soils with native grasses such as switchgrass have higher levels of a key soil component called glomalin than soils planted to non-native grasses. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080720092205.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723140323.htm In a study of free-living and parasitic species in three estuaries on the Pacific coast of California and Baja California, researchers have determined that parasite biomass in those habitats exceeds that of top predators, in some cases by a factor of 20. Their findings, which could have significant biomedical and ecological implications, appear in the science journal Nature. From an ecological perspective, parasites serve both as regulators to prevent species from becoming numerically dominant and as indicators of the health of a particular ecosystem. The study shows for the first time that parasites might drive the flow of energy in ecosystems. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080723140323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715125924.htm A type of wild rice that only grows in a small stretch of the San Marcos River is likely so rare because it plays the sexual reproduction game poorly. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715125924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722072025.htm Researchers in Madagascar have confirmed the existence of a population of greater bamboo lemurs more than 400 km from the only other place where the critically endangered species is known to live, raising hopes for its survival. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080722072025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717110241.htm Borneo (Kalimantan) is the third largest island in the world. Borneo's rain forests are also home to some extremely rare species of orchids, all highly valued for their exotic aromas and aesthetic beauty. Borneo's orchids are also endangered, a result of the loss of natural habitat from fire, forest damage, and illegal logging. Increased exploitation of the forests of West Borneo, including gold mining and illegal burning, has led to the certain extinction of hundreds of orchid species. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717110241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717164319.htm The invasion of predatory lionfish in the Caribbean region poses yet another major threat there to coral reef ecosystems -- a new study has found that within a short period after the entry of lionfish into an area, the survival of other reef fishes is slashed by about 80 percent. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717164319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714162600.htm The forests of the future may need to be managed as much for a sustainable supply of clean water as any other goal, researchers say in a new federal report -- but even so, forest resources will offer no "quick fix" to the insatiable, often conflicting demands for this precious resource. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714162600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717140445.htm Many species must move to new areas to survive climate change. Often, this seems impossible. Species stranded on mountain tops in southern Europe that are becoming too hot for them, for instance, are unlikely to be able to reach northern Europe unaided. So should humans step in to help? The journal Science reports that conservation scientists are calling for new conservation tactics, such as assisted migration, in the face of the growing threat of climate change. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717140445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714114714.htm The United States should follow Canada's lead and adopt standards identical to those proposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes, says a new report from the United States' National Research Council. Both nations should ensure that only vessels adhering to these standards gain access to the lakes, and binational surveillance measures should be in place to monitor the presence of aquatic invasive species. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714114714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080702132159.htm World Wildlife Fund is alarmed by the dramatic decline of at least 30 percent in the Bengal tiger population of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, once a refuge that boasted among the highest densities of the endangered species in the Eastern Himalayas. The recent survey of April 2008 showed a population of between 6-14 tigers, down from 20-50 tigers in 2005. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080702132159.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709204836.htm Damming of the Colorado, alongside introduction of game fish species, has led to an extensive decline in numbers of native fish. Scientists have found that physical changes to the river caused by damming have adverse effects on young native fish because they are unable to effectively swim away from introduced predators. They have made proposals to management agencies, which, if implemented, could help reverse the loss of native species. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709204836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708111144.htm Three plant biologists at Rutgers' Waksman Institute of Microbiology are obsessed with duckweed, a tiny aquatic plant with an unassuming name. Now they have convinced the federal government to focus its attention on duckweed's tremendous potential for cleaning up pollution, combating global warming and feeding the world. The Department of Energy's national laboratories will sequence the duckweed genome. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708111144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710142935.htm A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status, published in Science. Climate change and human-induced destruction have been cited as causes. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710142935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708200621.htm Rising demand for palm oil will decimate biodiversity unless producers and politicians can work together to preserve as much remaining natural forest as possible, ecologists have warned. A new study of the potential ecological impact of various management strategies published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology found that very little can be done to make palm oil plantations more hospitable for local birds and butterflies. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708200621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703113617.htm Small mammals, such as rabbits and mice, play a major role in the development of natural diversity. Biologists researched how scrub becomes established in natural grassland. It seems that prickly shrubs are important in protecting plants and preventing animal species from grazing. Researchers have also demonstrated that natural disturbances such as flooding and animal diseases are very important for the diversity of natural areas. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080703113617.htm