Environment
Human-built ‘beaver’ dams help save struggling streams
To help restore streams, ecologists and other scientists are taking tips from the rodents — and hoping some beavers also join in.
HS-LS2-7
Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
More Stories in HS-LS2-7
- Environment
Nuclear weapons tests many decades ago have left a radioactive legacy
Decades of aboveground nuclear weapons tests, starting in the 1950s, lightly littered the planet with toxic fallout, which appears to have sickened some people.
- Animals
Birds are singing longer, thanks to light pollution
In light-polluted areas, birds spend an average of 50 minutes more per day singing. It’s unclear how that extra time might hurt or help the birds.
- Animals
Surprise! These animals can help fight climate change
Some animals help fight climate change by boosting the amount of carbon dioxide that plants, algae and bacteria absorb from the atmosphere.
- Environment
To limit pollution, new recipe makes plastic a treat for microbes
Microplastics made from fossil fuels take centuries to disappear. But the plant- and algae-based plastic can break down in weeks to months.
- Chemistry
Air pollution can make it harder for pollinators to find flowers
Pollutants that build up in night air can break down the scents that attract pollinating hawkmoths to primrose blooms, disrupting their pollination.
- Animals
Which way is up? Insects may lose track near artificial lights
Flying insects may use light to figure out where the sky is. But artificial lights can send them veering off course, high-speed video suggests.
- Life
Has the Endangered Species Act saved species from extinction?
After 50 years, this landmark law has kept many species alive — but few wild populations have recovered enough to come off the “endangered” list.
- Oceans
Shading corals during midday heat can limit bleaching
Shading coral reefs during the sunniest part of the day may help corals survive marine heat waves.
- Environment
Pumping cold water into rivers could help fish chill out
Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in the human-made cool zones. These areas may help fish adapt to river warming.
