ecology
number of breaks: 5
Finding the novelty in nature
In the 1970s, Nintendo, a company that owned taxis and hotels and made playing cards and instant rice, began to make video games. This changed the company forever. Communities of species that live together in nature are somewhat like a business. Each species is a... click to read more
Arid lands transform abruptly as aridity increases
Climate change poses a concrete threat to arid ecosystems, in which water is limited (it rains less than 65% of what is evaporated). These dry ecosystems cover almost half of the terrestrial surface and are predicted to go through increased aridification, which endangers the plants... click to read more
Poorly protected areas: human impacts are destroying nature’s safeguards
Since Yellowstone National Park became the world's first nationally designated protected area in 1872, nations around the world have created more than 200,000 terrestrial protected areas. Clumped together they would cover all of Latin America - from Mexico to the southern tip of Chile -... click to read more
The silent battle of young corals against ocean acidification
Coral reefs are ecosystems of extraordinary diversity. Considered "the rainforests of the sea", they contain ~35% of described marine species despite only occupying 0.2% of the world's ocean. Although they are extremely important habitat providers and form large living structures (some reefs can be seen... click to read more
Why some forests burn better than others
Forest fires are dramatic ecological events as they can wipe out most of the plants and animals within several kilometers in only a few hours and often also pose a major threat to human settlements. They have a positive ecological impact when occurring naturally because... click to read more
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