Ecosystems
- Animals
Let’s learn about the creepy crawlies in your home
From ants to spiders to crickets to bed bugs — a whole host of insects and other arthropods may be hanging out with you at home.
- Animals
How an encounter with this odd-looking bird inspired a career
Kevin Burgio overcame many hardships to become a scientist. Now he studies how animals like the Carolina parakeet and Tasmanian tiger went extinct.
- Earth
Newfound desert soil community lives on sips of fog
Lichens and other fungi and algae team up to form a 'grit-crust' on the parched soil of Chile’s Atacama Desert. Those species slake their thirst with moisture from coastal fog.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Estuary
This is where a freshwater river meets a salty sea. This environment has brackish water, a mix of saltwater and freshwater.
- Climate
5 things to know about the climate-saving benefits of tree planting
A recent analysis of the benefits of massive efforts to plant more trees triggered a firestorm of controversy.
- Animals
The moon has power over animals
The moon is known for its tidal effects. But its light also can exert a powerful influence on animals large and small.
- Agriculture
Groundwater pumping is draining rivers and streams worldwide
Excessive groundwater use could push more than half of the regions that depend on water pumped up from underground aquifers past an environmental tipping point by 2050. That could threaten aquatic ecosystems around the world.
- Earth
Earthworms lose weight in soils polluted with microplastics
Bits of plastic pollution in the ground caused earthworms to lose weight. That could hurt the worms’ ability to make soil healthy, and may explain why plants were stunted.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Wetland
Wetlands are land areas that are flooded with water some or all of the time. They’re more than just wet, though. They filter water, shelter young animals and much more.
- Animals
Warming pushes lobsters and other species to seek cooler homes
Plants and animals are moving toward the poles, changing timing of important events and more — all in response to climate change.
- Climate
Photographing wildflowers and other ways you can help fight climate change
Citizen scientists can help with climate and conservation research by counting birds, taking pictures of flowers and deciphering old weather records.
- Animals
Life on Earth is mostly green
A new survey of life on Earth finds that plants and microbes dominate. But even though humans are in the minority, they still play a major role.
