Tag Archive | "ecology"

Hitchhiking snails fly from ocean to ocean

Hitchhiking snails fly from ocean to ocean

Just as people use airplanes to fly overseas, marine snails may use birds to fly over land,” said Mark Torchin, staff scientist at the Smithsonian. [...more]

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Zoo celebrates birth of two Micronesian kingfishers, a species extinct in the wild

Zoo celebrates birth of two Micronesian kingfishers, a species extinct in the wild

The Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., is celebrating the recent hatching of two Micronesian kingfisher (Todiramphus c. cinnamominus) chicks, a female and male, born July 25 and Aug. 20, respectively. [...more]

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Increased tropical forest growth may result in release of stored carbon in the soil

Increased tropical forest growth may result in release of stored carbon in the soil

A new study shows that as climate change enhances tree growth in tropical forests, the resulting increase in litterfall could stimulate soil micro-organisms leading to a release of stored soil carbon. [...more]

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SERC sedge grass experiment mimics predicted global-change scenario

SERC sedge grass experiment mimics predicted global-change scenario

Ecologists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center measure the growth rate of sedge grass in a brackish Chesapeake Bay marsh. Fed a diet rich in CO2 and nitrogen, conditions that mimic the rise of atmospheric CO2  and pollution from farming and wastewater, the sedge has been grown and monitored in test chambers by Smithsonian scientist [...] [...more]

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Bird keepers at the National Zoo demonstrate the art of artificially inseminating Stanley cranes

Bird keepers at the National Zoo demonstrate the art of artificially inseminating Stanley cranes

Keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo perform an artificial insemination procedure on a pair of Stanley Cranes. A Stanley Crane chick was successfully hatched on May 23, 2011. [...more]

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It’s no sweat for salt marsh sparrows to beat the heat if they have a larger bill

It’s no sweat for salt marsh sparrows to beat the heat if they have a larger bill

A team of scientists have found that because of this, high summer temperatures have been a strong influence in determining bill size in some birds, particularly species of sparrows that favor salt marshes. [...more]

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Whole-genome analysis at center of effort to save Tasmanian devil

Whole-genome analysis at center of effort to save Tasmanian devil

The whole-genome analysis of two Tasmanian devils—one that died of a new contagious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) and one healthy animal—is at the center of a new management strategy to help prevent the extinction of this species. [...more]

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“Extinct” birds reappear in rainforest fragments in Brazil

“Extinct” birds reappear in rainforest fragments in Brazil

Bird species in rainforest fragments in Brazil that were isolated by deforestation first disappeared and then reappeared during the next quarter-century. [...more]

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Scientists from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center have found that fledgling catbirds living in the suburbs are extremely vulnerable. Almost 80 percent are killed by predators before they reach adulthood. Nearly half of the deaths are connected to domestic cats. The team studied catbird nests in 3 suburban neighborhoods in Maryland: Spring Park, Opal Daniels Park, and Bethesda. Learn more about this 2011 study by clicking here. (Catbird photo by Gerhard Hofmann)

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