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Earth & Space

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Nitrogen pollution from lowlands reaches distant mountain lakes

Nitrogen is required by all living things, but too much of it can be a problem for aquatic ecosystems. Excess reactive nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium, forms that can be used directly by plants and algae) can cause lake eutrophication which can include harmful algal blooms,... click to read more

  • Beth Hundey | Adjunct Research Professor & eLearning specialist at Teaching Support Centre, Western University, London, Canada
  • Katrina Moser | Associate Professor at Department of Geography at Western University, London, Canada
  • Fred Longstaffe | Distinguished Professor at Department of Earth Science, Western University, London, Canada
Views 5735
Reading time 3 min
published on Sep 21, 2016
Resetting nature’s clock: shifting seasons and species relationships

Every year, many of us gaze in fascination at the movement of nature's clock, looking forward to seeing wild plants coming into bloom or the arrival of the first migrant birds. Less obvious, but just as dramatic, populations of phytoplankton bloom below the surface of... click to read more

  • Stephen Thackeray | Freshwater Ecologist at Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
  • Sarah Burthe | Animal Population Ecologist at Coastal Seas Ecology Group, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
Views 5953
Reading time 3.5 min
published on Sep 14, 2016
Ocean acidification and its effects on coral reef growth

Aptly named "Rainforests of the Sea", tropical coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Much like how trees of a forest provide shelter for plants and animals living within, corals reefs provide food and shelter for millions of species ranging... click to read more

  • Rebecca Albright | Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford University, CA, USA
Views 6514
Reading time 3.5 min
published on Jul 8, 2016
The use of neonicotinoid pesticides affects wild bee populations

Bees are more than honey-makers. They pollinate crops and hence are key elements in our food production. Honeybees, wild bee species such as bumblebees and solitary bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies, all provide an invaluable work of pollination. In fact, a third of the food... click to read more

  • Maria Sentandreu | Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Views 5057
Reading time 4 min
published on Jun 10, 2016
A dangerous habit: bees prefer pesticide-contaminated nectar

The impact of pesticides on pollinators is an important factor for the future of world food security, as well as a hotly debated and controversial topic. Pollinating insects like bees help to increase the yields of many food crops but, in doing so, are inadvertently... click to read more

  • Sébastien Kessler | Research Associate at Institute of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Views 6232
Reading time 3 min
published on Feb 12, 2016