Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
- Earth
Scientists Say: Savanna
Savannas exist where there is more rainfall than in a desert, but less than in a forest.
- Climate
Secret forest fungi partner with plants — and help the climate
Forest fungi are far more than mere mushrooms. They explore. They move nutrients and messages between plants. They can even help fight climate change.
- Animals
Meat-eating bees have something in common with vultures
Flesh-eating bees have acid-producing gut bacteria, much as vultures do. It lets them safely snack on rotting meat.
- Animals
Baleen whales eat — and poop — a lot more than we thought
The amount of food that some whales eat and then poop out suggests these animals have a powerful influence over ocean ecosystems.
- Plants
Let’s learn about meat-eating plants
Carnivorous plants use a variety of strategies to lure in and capture their prey, from sticky traps to jawlike leaves.
- Climate
Here’s how some sea-loving trees ended up far from the coast
This “relict ecosystem” that’s more than thousands of years old moved inland due to warming and a rise in sea levels.
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- Plants
Scientists Say: Phloem
Phloem is tissue that delivers food, made in leaves during photosynthesis, to the rest of a plant.
- Animals
Bloodthirsty vampire bats prefer drinking with friends
Vampire bats were known to bond with others in their roost. Now, research suggests bonded bats often drink blood from animals together.
- Animals
Cockatoos learn from each other how to open garbage bins
The bin-opening behavior is an example of social learning. It’s also the basis of a foraging culture. Learn more in this web comic.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Marsupial
These mammals are known for riding around in a pouch on their mother’s belly, where they continue developing after they’re born.
- Genetics
Explainer: What is RNA?
A partner to DNA, cells use this molecule to translate the instructions for making all of the many proteins that your body needs to function.
