In ecosystem management, risk assessment quantifies the probability and impact of events and informs on intervention priorities. Analytical models for risk assessment quantify the impact of natural and anthropogenic stressors on ecosystems. Traditional approaches evaluate single stressors, whereas complex models assess cumulative impacts of frequently interacting stressors and offer better accuracy at the expense of…
The Mediterranean region has long been identified as a climate change hotspot. However, within the Mediterranean, there are smaller sub-areas that exhibit a higher risk of climate change and extremes. Previous research has often focused on indices based on mean climate values, yet extremes are typically more impactful on humans and ecosystems. This study aims…
Researchers at Rice University have uncovered a critical link between rising temperatures and declines in a species’ population, shedding new light on how global warming threatens natural ecosystems. The study, published in Ecology and led by Volker Rudolf, revealed that rising temperatures exacerbate competition within populations, ultimately leading to population crashes at higher temperatures. It…
Plants play a key role in regulating Earth’s climate, but recent research suggests that rising temperatures could disrupt this balance, because plants are leaking more water than previously thought. UBC assistant professor Dr. Sean Michaletz, a newly minted Sloan Research Fellow in the department of botany, studies how plants respond to heat. His findings challenge…
The field of evolution examines how organisms adapt to their environments over generations, but what about the evolution of evolution itself? Researchers have long questioned why biological populations are so good at exploiting their environments—a trait called “evolvability.” Think, for example, of antimicrobial resistance and the speed with which new viral pathogens change and are…
A new Nature publication shows how soil invertebrates influence the world beneath our feet and thus also ecosystem services worldwide. Since the Industrial Revolution, global changes have led to a decline in biodiversity. To address these changes, it is crucial to understand what constitutes healthy ecosystems – and how to protect and build them. A…
Around the world, huge swathes of fertile land are turning into arid wastelands at alarming rates, threatening ecosystems, agriculture, and humanity. This process is known as desertification, and it is closely linked to the effects of climate change. Desertification is accelerating due to rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and human activities. The consequences of desertification…
There is a critical link between reduced river flow into the Mediterranean and the health of the Mediterranean marine ecosystems. New research underscores the urgency of integrating water resource management to properly safeguard the rich biodiversity of seas and ocean and the economies it supports. Climate change impacts such as more frequent and more severe…
What is an Herb? An herb, botanically, is a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It can also refer, culturally, to a plant or plant part used for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. Gathering, cultivating, and…
Complex organisms, thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand, can shape massive ecosystems and influence the fate of Earth’s climate, according to a new study. Researchers from Arizona State University, along with their colleagues from the National University of the Peruvian Amazon, have identified an unknown family of microbes uniquely adapted to the…