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Articles on Ecology

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Natural selection can get to work in isolated locations. Birger Strahl/Unsplash

Tropical climates are the most biodiverse on Earth − but it’s not only because of how warm and wet they are

A new study reveals how the geography of global climates influences the rich patterns of species diversity in an ever-changing world.
Language is an ecological phenonemon which responds and evolves with environmental change just as much as environments change with language. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

How language can turn down the temperature of heated climate change discourse

Language is adaptive, self-balancing and evolves with environmental change. Understanding this may be the key to developing more nuanced climate change discourse.
Agriculture is a leading employer in Africa. Wikimedia Commons

Technology can boost farming in Africa, but it can also threaten biodiversity - how to balance the two

Labour, yields, and biodiversity are all elements of agriculture that need to be balanced.
The search for a balance in meeting human needs within the limits of the environment is a perennial challenge in the history of humanity. (Shutterstock)

Is it possible to measure sustainable development?

Is it possible to measure sustainable development? Can we go beyond merely embracing virtuous principles and put the concept into use?
Warmer temperatures could lengthen the growing season of trees and consequently increase their growth rate. (Shutterstock)

Climate change is making trees bigger, but also weaker

A longer growing season for trees, due to global warming, does not necessarily lead to an increase in wood production.
A casual stroll on the beach can leave enough intact DNA behind to extract identifiable information. Comezora/Moment via Getty Images

You shed DNA everywhere you go – trace samples in the water, sand and air are enough to identify who you are, raising ethical questions about privacy

Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions.
Satellite image of a forest fire in July 2021 in northern Saskatchewan (Wapawekka Hills). The image covers an area of about 56 kilometres in width and is based on Copernicus Sentinel data. (Pierre Markuse), CC BY 2.0

Forest fires: North America’s boreal forests are burning a lot, but less than 150 years ago

North America’s boreal forests have been burning a lot, probably more and more over the past 60 years. Yet the long-term trend indicates that they are burning less than they were 150 years ago.

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