Tag Ecology
Tiny trout? Study finds that several freshwater species are bucking one climate change trend
Surprising results from a UW–Madison research study add a twist to climate change predictions for freshwater fish.
Monitoring an invasion: Where are jumping worms now?
Invasive jumping worms threaten soil health in Wisconsin, including in Dane County where the population has infested the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum. Brad Herrick leads crews of volunteers to survey for the worms so that researchers can study their movements and possibly find ways to halt their spread.
Study finds that not even the largest lakes in the world are safe from salt
Researchers used water quality data and computer models to analyze the amount of salt being carried into Lake Michigan by 234 different tributaries, from major rivers to tiny streams.
Bird’s-eye view of geology using drones offers new way to protect groundwater
Researchers at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey are spending a little less time on the ground and more time in the air — looking at the ground. What they're finding could help improve water quality.
How new data can make ecological forecasts as good as weather forecasts
Just as recurring changes in climate have predictable consequences for humans thanks to decades of weather data, they also have predictable effects on plants and animals.
Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts revived under Governor’s task force
WICCI will contribute climate data informing the work of a state panel charged with advising Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Prairie preserve
On Saturday, participants in UW–Madison's Family Weekend gathered seeds from native prairie plants in the Biocore Prairie of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve on the UW campus. The prairie is a site for lab courses, research projects, service learning, and collaborative research and teaching efforts.
From Helsinki to Minneapolis to Madison, scientist gives back in Madagascar
The former researcher at UW–Madison is returning to become his native country's only theoretical biologist. He uses mathematics to understand ecological problems, such as the deforestation in Madagascar.
Tracking dragonflies, citizen scientists gain insight to Arboretum’s wetlands
This past summer, volunteers began the Arboretum’s first-ever effort to systematically track dragonfly populations, in hopes of gaining insight into the many waterways the Arboretum is charged with protecting.
Green spaces in cities help control floods, store carbon
A new study finds that urban green spaces like backyards, city parks and golf courses contribute substantially to the ecological fabric of our cities — and the wider landscape — and should be included in ecological data.
GreenHouse program coordinator blends sustainability, student life
The learning community, one of 10 organized by University Housing, lets students explore sustainability and agricultural systems through seminars and hands-on experiences that are integrated with residential life.
Decades-past logging still threatens spotted owls in national forests
Researchers say despite protections put in place in the 1990s, owls may still be paying an “extinction debt” that was created by historical logging of large trees.
New Arboretum director continues legacy of restoration, teaching
As fall slowly hardens to winter in Madison, part of Karen Oberhauser’s new job is to walk the trails of the UW–Madison Arboretum, getting a sense not just for the geography, but for the land itself. That’s because the land Oberhauser walks is now under her care.
All hands on deck to understand, predict, prevent abrupt ecological change
“It’s a generally thorny problem and we are often scrambling to react,” says lead principal investigator Monica Turner. “In fact, understanding abrupt change in ecological systems is among the biggest challenges in contemporary ecology.”
Citizen scientists scour Madison area for invasive jumping worms
The worms churn through leaf litter at a faster clip than their more sluggish earthworm cousins, potentially processing nutrients faster than plants are able to use them and disrupting ecosystems.
With deer season on horizon, lab ramps up for CWD testing
Chronic wasting diesease (CWD), an infectious neurological disease, has been found in both wild and captive deer in at least 24 Wisconsin counties, mostly in the southern half of the state.
UW Arboretum workshop tracks endangered bees with photos
Following the listing of the rusty patched bumble bee as an endangered species in March, more than two dozen people came to the Arboretum to learn how to use photography to identify pollinators.
Cultural value of natural world doesn’t depend only on species diversity
Researcher Rose Graves' work in North Carolina has implications for other regions with deep ties to nature, such as lake- and forest-filled Wisconsin.
Student art exhibit explores Arboretum prairies through comics, stories
As part of her master of fine arts thesis, Liz Anna Kozik has installed an exhibit telling the story of the first restored prairie in the world, Curtis Prairie at the UW–Madison Arboretum.
When it comes to biological populations, expect the unexpected
More than three decades of data on the physical, chemical and biological variables in 11 Midwestern lakes show that while lake temperatures and nutrient concentrations rise within relatively expected ranges, biological organisms achieve high population extremes.