Tag Wildlife
In a first, researchers image adaptive immune systems at work in fish
A new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison offers a first-of-its-kind visual of a non-mammal species' adaptive immune system in action.
New funding to protect bats from fungal epidemic hinges on UW–Madison discoveries
Researchers will investigate a multi-pronged approach to protecting wild bats against Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome.
Wisconsin fox kits test positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza
It’s likely the foxes contracted the virus after eating or coming into contact with infected birds. Humans remain at low risk for developing HPAI infection, but should refrain from approaching sick or dead wildlife.
Report: Scales tipping against walleye; time to get hooked on new fish
Wisconsin spends millions each year to keep the walleye fishery running. But researchers say it is time to shift the emphasis from restoring struggling species to adapting to new conditions that favor different species.
Research highlights need for grassland conservation, agriculture support
In a new study, researchers show that newly added croplands converted from grasslands important to wildlife generated less yield than existing cropland.
Understanding how birds respond to extreme weather can inform conservation efforts
The results of this study could help conservationists target their efforts to vulnerable species, as well as locations where extreme weather events are predicted.
Environmental DNA shows promise in estimating sport fish populations
eDNA could help fisheries managers keep tabs on walleye health across many more lakes at a fraction of the cost of current monitoring methods.
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.
Campus a popular stopover for migrating butterflies
Butterflies like to stop at the UW–Madison campus and Arboretum to rest and drink up the nectar in the many flowers there.
Citizen science monitoring program Journey North finds home at Arboretum
Journey North has more than 60,000 registered participants in the United States, Canada and Mexico. People report sightings from the field, view maps, take photographs and submit observations.
Trail cam project Snapshot Wisconsin goes statewide
Starting Aug. 9, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources invites volunteers from all 72 counties to apply to run a trail cam in their part of Wisconsin, and will allow the cameras to be hosted on public land for the first time.
More homes built near wild lands leading to greater wildfire risk
New research out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows that a flurry of homebuilding near wild areas since 1990 has greatly increased the number of homes at risk from wildfires while increasing the costs associated with fighting those fires in increasingly dense developments.
Urban foxes and coyotes learn to set aside their differences and coexist
Diverging from centuries of established behavioral norms, red fox and coyote have gone against their wild instincts and learned to coexist in the urban environment of Madison and the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus.
UW Arboretum joins the Monarch Joint Venture
The first arboretum to partner with the MJV, the UW Arboretum joins more than 70 other partner institutions dedicated to researching monarch butterflies, conserving their habitat, and educating about the charismatic insects.
Invasive worms spreading in Arboretum forests, limited effects so far
Despite Asian jumping worms’ known appetite for leaf litter and tendency to change soil nutrients, researchers found limited evidence of changes to vegetation in areas where the worms have invaded the UW–Madison Arboretum.
Lethal management of wolves in one place may make things worse nearby
Farms that had a wolf killed experienced a 27 percent decrease in risk of another attack, but it was offset by a 22 percent increase at a number of farms in the same township.
Monkey study shows a path to monitoring endangered species
“We think this may be one of the most comprehensive efforts to analyze the data monitoring needs for ensuring the survival of an endangered animal,” says Karen Strier, who has observed muriquis in Brazil for 35 years.
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.
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.
First, but not last, algae bloom spells danger for Madison swimmers, fish
Steve Carpenter couldn’t believe the view from his second-floor office on the shoreline of Lake Mendota. As far as he could see, the still water looked just like teal-blue paint.