Tag Ecology
Migratory birds bear brunt of climate-charged weather
As global climate change fuels more frequent and intense hurricanes and droughts, migratory birds, especially those whose populations are already in decline, will bear the brunt of such climate-fueled weather, suggest a pair of new studies.
Conservation areas threatened nationally by housing development
Conservationists have long known that lines on a map are not sufficient to protect nature because what happens outside those boundaries can affect what happens within. Now, a study by two University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists in the department of forest and wildlife ecology measures the threat of housing development around protected areas in the United States.
Surveying bird biodiversity from space?
A fundamental rule of wildlife ecology says that diverse habitats foster greater biodiversity: The Amazon has far more species than Greenland. But how do habitat and biodiversity relate in a state like Wisconsin, with its range of farms, forests, wetlands, cities, suburbs and highways?
Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth
The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be fueling more than climate change. It could also be making some trees grow like crazy.
Isolated forest patches lose species, diversity
Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems.
Patterns in changing ecological landscapes inspire professor
Thirty years after visiting Yellowstone National Park for the first time, Monica Turner has established herself as a leader in the field of ecology and made Yellowstone one of the most well-studied ecological landscapes in the country.
Rising from the ashes: The science of Yellowstone’s rebirth
When wildfires raged through more than a million acres of a beloved national park, the destruction seemed complete. But a UW researcher looked closer — and found hope growing among the remains.
ESA to feature wide range of UW–Madison presentations
The Ecological Society of America will hold its 93rd annual meeting on Aug. 3-8, 2008, in Milwaukee, Wis. The society was founded in 1915 to promote the practice and awareness of ecological science. This year’s meeting will highlight the interdisciplinary nature of ecology and linking research with education. A wide range of UW–Madison research will be presented at the meeting.
Scattered nature of Wisconsin’s woodlands could complicate forests’ response to climate change
If a warmer Wisconsin climate causes some northern tree species to disappear in the future, it's easy to imagine that southern species will just expand their range northward as soon as the conditions suit them.
Professor blends ecology, history
As a University of Washington graduate student in the late 1980s, Nancy Langston traveled to a national park in Zimbabwe to study an endangered bird. She came back with a resolve to know more about people.
Digital project puts Aldo Leopold papers online
The project to digitize the University of Wisconsin–Madison Archives' complete collection of materials from conservationist Aldo Leopold has made its first installment of online materials available to the public.
Increased ethanol production to worsen Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’
The rush in the United States to produce corn-based ethanol as an alternative fuel will likely worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and expand the annual "dead zone" that kills fish and other aquatic life, according to new research.
Lowly Icelandic midges reveal ecosystem’s tipping points
A UW–Madison zoologist describes in the journal Nature an ecosystem population dynamics model built on the flies of Iceland’s Lake Myvatn, showing how even slight human-induced changes can irreversibly alter the balance of nature.
Celebrating Leopold’s legacy
To celebrate the Aldo Leopold legacy, people are invited to the Arboretum Visitor Center, 1207 Seminole Highway, from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, for “Madison Reads Leopold,” part of Aldo Leopold Weekend. Leopold Weekend is a statewide event that honors Leopold’s contributions to our understanding of the environment.
Researchers promote coexistence of wolves, people
For almost a decade, Adrian Treves, an animal behaviorist and ecologist, and Lisa Naughton, a social scientist, have worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to address the challenges of living with wolves, especially the losses of livestock and hunting dogs that inevitably result.
Fight to save celebrated prairie continues
Students from UW–Madison’s general ecology class have joined Arboretum researchers and land managers in an ambitious five-year plan to subdue the spread of invasive reed canary grass in the UW Arboretum’s Greene Prairie.