Tag Ecology
Public invited to learn about Wisconsin’s wetlands
Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum, the public is invited to join hundreds of wetland scientists and advocates next week during the joint meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Wisconsin Wetlands Association and Wetland Biogeochemistry Symposium. Read More
Birthplace of ecological restoration celebrates 75 years
During the Great Depression, a group of University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists looked over several hundred acres of eroded farmland on the outskirts of Madison and envisioned its rebirth. To Aldo Leopold, the pioneering wildlife ecologist and conservation sage, the beat-up farmland offered an opportunity to restore nature in a way that had never been done before. Read More
Isolated forest patches lose species, diversity
Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems. Read More
More experiments needed to advance environmental restoration
Across Wisconsin and the nation, scientists, land managers and conservationists are trying to restore large tracts of wetlands degraded by pollution, sedimentation and invasive plants to a more natural state. Yet while these efforts are laudable, Joy Zedler sees in most of them a missed opportunity. Read More
Patterns in changing ecological landscapes inspire professor
Thirty years after visiting Yellowstone National Park for the first time, Monica Turner has established herself as a leader in the field of ecology and made Yellowstone one of the most well-studied ecological landscapes in the country. Read More
Rising from the ashes: The science of Yellowstone’s rebirth
When wildfires raged through more than a million acres of a beloved national park, the destruction seemed complete. But a UW researcher looked closer — and found hope growing among the remains. Read More
UW-Madison ecologist receives MacArthur Award
University of Wisconsin–Madison zoology professor Monica Turner was lauded Aug. 4 for work that was once criticized as "pseudoscience." Read More
ESA to feature wide range of UW–Madison presentations
The Ecological Society of America will hold its 93rd annual meeting on Aug. 3-8, 2008, in Milwaukee, Wis. The society was founded in 1915 to promote the practice and awareness of ecological science. This year’s meeting will highlight the interdisciplinary nature of ecology and linking research with education. A wide range of UW–Madison research will be presented at the meeting. Read More
Scattered nature of Wisconsin’s woodlands could complicate forests’ response to climate change
If a warmer Wisconsin climate causes some northern tree species to disappear in the future, it's easy to imagine that southern species will just expand their range northward as soon as the conditions suit them. Read More
Professor blends ecology, history
As a University of Washington graduate student in the late 1980s, Nancy Langston traveled to a national park in Zimbabwe to study an endangered bird. She came back with a resolve to know more about people. Read More
Digital project puts Aldo Leopold papers online
The project to digitize the University of Wisconsin–Madison Archives' complete collection of materials from conservationist Aldo Leopold has made its first installment of online materials available to the public. Read More
Increased ethanol production to worsen Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’
The rush in the United States to produce corn-based ethanol as an alternative fuel will likely worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and expand the annual "dead zone" that kills fish and other aquatic life, according to new research. Read More
Lowly Icelandic midges reveal ecosystem’s tipping points
A UW–Madison zoologist describes in the journal Nature an ecosystem population dynamics model built on the flies of Iceland’s Lake Myvatn, showing how even slight human-induced changes can irreversibly alter the balance of nature. Read More
Celebrating Leopold’s legacy
To celebrate the Aldo Leopold legacy, people are invited to the Arboretum Visitor Center, 1207 Seminole Highway, from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, for “Madison Reads Leopold,” part of Aldo Leopold Weekend. Leopold Weekend is a statewide event that honors Leopold’s contributions to our understanding of the environment. Read More
Researchers promote coexistence of wolves, people
For almost a decade, Adrian Treves, an animal behaviorist and ecologist, and Lisa Naughton, a social scientist, have worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to address the challenges of living with wolves, especially the losses of livestock and hunting dogs that inevitably result. Read More
Fight to save celebrated prairie continues
Students from UW–Madison’s general ecology class have joined Arboretum researchers and land managers in an ambitious five-year plan to subdue the spread of invasive reed canary grass in the UW Arboretum’s Greene Prairie. Read More
Study: Nutrient pollution drives frog deformities
High levels of nutrients used in farming and ranching activities fuel parasite infections that have caused highly publicized frog deformities in ponds and lakes across North America, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. Read More
Lake districts serve as prisms of environmental change
Two vastly different Wisconsin lake districts - one in a dynamic agricultural and urban setting, the other in a forested and much less developed region of the state - are proving their value as sentinels of regional environmental change, according to a new report. Read More