ScienceDaily (Aug. 10, 2009) — A study of oyster reefs in a once-pristine California coastal estuary found them devastated by invasive Atlantic Coast crabs and snails, providing new evidence of the consequences when human activities move species beyond their natural borders. Led by marine biologist David L. Kimbro, now of The Florida State University Coastal […]
By Ed Stoddard MEDICINE BOW NATIONAL FOREST, Wyoming (Reuters) – From the vantage point of an 80-foot (25 meter) tower rising above the trees, the Wyoming vista seems idyllic: snow-capped peaks in the distance give way to shimmering green spruce. But this is a forest under siege. Among the green foliage of the healthy spruce […]
By Jasper Copping Aggressive Australian and over here – black swans are spreading across the UK and threatening to force out their native cousins conservationists have warned. The birds, which originate in Australia and have escaped from private collections in Britain, are now breeding at dozens of sites across the country. The number of locations […]
By Christine Dell’Amore, National Geographic News Attacking from nests as big as pickup-truck beds, invasive western yellowjacket wasps in Hawaii are munching their way through an “astonishing diversity” of creatures, from caterpillars to pheasants, a new study says. Adult yellowjackets consume only nectar. But they kill or scavenge prey to deliver needed protein to their […]
Japan has been hit by an invasion of giant Nomura’s jellyfish which are stifling the fishing industry and posing a danger to swimmers. By Aislinn Simpson The massive sea creatures, called Echizen kurage in Japanese, measure up to six feet (1.83 meters) in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds (204 kilos). For the past […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) – Emergency crews made slow progress Sunday to contain wildfires that have forced thousands of residents of a western Canadian community to flee their homes. … Wind and dry conditions were fueling the large blazes that broke out Saturday in the rugged hills along Okanagan Lake west of the city […]
Last winter’s cold temperatures did kill some mountain pine beetles in Alberta, but it wasn’t enough to reduce the threat of additional infestations, according to recent field surveys. “These results show we need more than cold winters to be successful in our fight against pine beetles in our forests,” Sustainable Resource Development Minister Ted […]
David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor (07-09) 17:30 PDT — Four divers led by a land-based ecologist hunted the turbid waters of San Francisco’s South Beach marina Thursday for a nasty, invasive seaweed that is taking over harbors and estuaries all along the Pacific coast. Although their prey didn’t seem to have a chance, the divers […]
As climate change causes temperatures to increase in Hawaii’s mountains, deadly non-native bird diseases will likely also creep up the mountains, invading most of the last disease-free refuges for honeycreepers — a group of endangered and remarkable birds. A just-published U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) review discusses the likelihood of a forthcoming “disease invasion” by examining […]
Lands commissioner says our children will live with consequences By JOEL CONNELLY State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark looks out at Washington’s unhealthy forests from a pilot’s seat, flying his plane from Olympia to his family’s ranch in the remote reaches of Okanogan County. “It is just mind-numbing the damage you see on west facing and […]
