Ecological world

                                T he Earth is the only planet in the solar system where there is life. If you look down at the Earth from a plane you will see how wonderful our planet is. You will see blue seas and oceans, rivers and lakes, high snow-capped mountains, green forests and fields. For centuries man lived in harmony with nature until industrialization brought human society into conflict with the natural environment. Today, the contradictions between man and nature have acquired a dramatic character. With the development of civilization man’s interference in nature has increased. Every year the world’s industry pollutes the atmosphere with millions of tons of dust and other harmful substances. The seas and rivers are poisoned with industrial waste, chemical and sewage discharge. People who live in big cities are badly affected by harmful discharge from plants and city transport and by the incre...

What is DNA and How Does it Work? Support Stated Clearly on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/statedclearly Issues of genetics and DNA are constantly cropping up in the news from food production and health, to legal cases and ethics. We hear about DNA in movies like Jurassic Park and X-men, we learn bits and pieces about it from TV shows like Dexter and and CSI, but what exactly is DNA, and how does it work? This animated short film has been made for those wanting a simple introduction (or even a refresher) on how DNA creates a living creature. In this video you will learn a bit about genetic code, DNA transcription and translation, and the importance of proteins in the chemistry of life. Video was written, presented, and animated by Jon Perry Music by Anthony Danzl (check out his website at  http://www.proofavenue.com  ) Research and instructional design by Varinia Acosta  You can learn more about DNA and Stated Clearly on our website at...

It was great to be discussing the future of peer review with researchers at the recent peer review  panel discussion  organised by the British Ecological Society (BES) at their annual conference in Liverpool last week. Jane Hill (Professor of Ecology at the University of York and Chair of BES Publications Committee) chaired the debate, and we heard from Allen Moore (Editor-in-Chief,  Ecology and Evolution),  Patricia Morse (Managing Editor,  American Naturalist ), Nate Sanders (Senior Editor,  Journal of Animal Ecology ), Andy Robertson (Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Society Services, Wiley) and me. We started with a discussion of ways in which the publishing process could be opened up, with Allen advocating open science principles and pre-registration of research. Nate also shared his experience in the value of “opening up” research online to get people talking and to generate new ideas. Andy Robertson suggested that partnering w...

Quoll toad taste test copyright: Stephanie O'Donnell  uploaded by the Journal of Applied Ecology

This post features three manuscripts which look at reducing human–wildlife conflicts and managing species. First, Toshifumi Minamoto discusses his paper ‘ A basin-scale application of environmental DNA assessment for rare endemic species and closely related exotic species in rivers: a case study of giant salamanders in Japan ‘ by Sou Fukumoto, Atushi Ushimaru and Toshifumi Minamoto. The identification of DNA fragments sampled from water samples (environmental DNA: eDNA) has become a popular technique for rapidly determining the distribution of underwater macro-organisms. In this study we presented basin-scale eDNA surveys for the Japanese giant salamander ( Andrias japonicas ), which is endemic to Japan, and the Chinese giant salamander ( A. davidianus ), an exotic species, in Katura River in Japan. Four seasonal surveys at 37 sites were conducted, and the DNA of endemic and exotic species was detected at 25 and 9 sites, respectively. The overall eDNA detection sites corres...

Study pinpoints when the Galápagos Islands developed their unique ecology The tremendous wildlife biodiversity on the Galapagos Islands is due in part to the geology of part of the archipelago, says a new study involving the University of Colorado Boulder. Credit: University of Colorado The Galápagos Islands are home to a tremendous diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. But why this is, and when it all began, remains something of an open question. Now scientists may have at least one more piece of the puzzle. According to a new study out today in  Earth and Planetary Science Letters , the geologic formation of one particular part of the archipelago -- the part responsible for the huge biodiversity -- formed, approximately 1.6 million years ago. The lead author of the study is CIRES Fellow Kris Karnauskas, who you might say has a thing for these islands. He's studied them extensively, authoring six peer-reviewed scientific papers wi...

Del Porto's Schematic video This is the fly over and through of the schematic design phase of our new house. We are now into the design development phase. To see the floor plan, send me an email and I'll reply with the PDF with sticky notes. Our architect, Agnes Vorbrodt-Schurma, shows the house on the bank of a river, but the site is yet to be selected.  The design follows the program established in my Sustainable Aging in Place paper, see:  www.ecological-engineering.com/aging-in-place.pdf.  The plans and paper are copyright protected,  For a short bio see: www.ecological-engineering.com/delporto.pdf http://www.ecological-engineering.com/

Species Discoveries in Virginia NatureServe Network's Virginia Natural Heritage Program Celebrates 30 Years of Championing Biodiversity Facebook   Twitter   Google Plus   LinkedIn   Top Left : Bethel Beach Natural Area Preserve in Mathews County, VA, provides habitat for the northeastern beach tiger beetle | Image Courtesy of Zach Bradford, VA DCR, Inset: Northeastern beach tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis), NatureServe Status: Imperiled (T2) | Image Courtesy of USFWS. Bottom Left: VA NHP recently discovered new populations of Swamp Pink (Helonias bullata) NatureServe Status: Vulnerable (G3)|Image Courtesy of Paul Stein. Right: VA NHP Program Director, Jason Bulluck                            A lot of great science has happened in the past 30 years at the  Virginia Natural Heritage Program  (VA NHP). Take for example, their recent disco...

Finnish phone app finds reindeer, helps to avoid road kill                                                  In this July 13, 2009 photo, reindeers walk across the road in Suomussalmi, Finland. There's good news for Rudolph and his friends—an app is helping officials reduce the number of reindeer killed in traffic accidents in Finland. A simple, one-button interface allows drivers to tap their smartphone screens to register any reindeer spotted near roads. Using GPS technology, it creates a 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) warning zone that lasts for an hour and warns other app users approaching the area. (Vesa Moilanen/ Lehtikuva via AP) There's good news for Rudolph and his friends—an app is helping officials reduce the number of reindeer killed in traffic accidents in Finland . Some 300,000 reindeer freely wander the wilds of Lapland in Arctic Finland. ...

Mapping the risk of wolf attacks on livestock in central Italy Cre                                      Credit: University of Portsmouth The Apennine's areas in the Umbria region of central Italy, in particular Gubbio and Norcia, are at the greatest risk of wolf attacks on livestock farms, according to new research from the University of Portsmouth . An increasing wolf population has caused worries and protests from local communities, alarmed at possible predation against domestic livestock and the economic impact on their livelihoods. Using a new  risk  classification method, the study highlights that a high number of municipalities are at risk. Understanding the risk of wolf attacks on livestock will allow authorities and landowners to properly manage and prevent any potential human-wolf conflict and provide adequate damages for lost livestock. Lead author of ...