Latest news with #ecologicalresearch
CTV News
31-07-2025
- Science
- CTV News
How do roadside environments impact Alberta's bee population? A U of A student is working to find out
A student at the University of Alberta is spending her summer trekking through ditches. As part of a research project, she set up 22 traps along various highways outside of Edmonton. 'There are a few criteria we had for our sites. One was that they had to be highways that were single lane, ranging between 4,000 and 7,000 vehicles per day as well as next to cropland, both across the highway as well as adjacent to the highway,' said U of A masters student Shea Giesbrecht. She's studying the ecological role of roadside environments on Alberta's native bee population. 'We're looking at how flowers and shelter belts, which are strips of trees next to crop land, possibly impact either negatively or positively native bees,' she said. Each site has two tent-like traps so that insects can be caught from all directions. 'So we can see where the insects are flying to and from. So we can see if they're coming across the highway, going to the highway or traveling along the highway,' said Giesbrecht. 'At all of our sites we have noticed a trend of insects following along the highway rather than crossing or coming from them,' she added. Giesbrecht also pays close attention to what is growing in the ditches. 'We will do a floral survey. So we count how many flowers and see what species are here,' she said. Her goal is to provide insight on how to better manage roadside environments to support the bee population. 'So for growers or landowners we can either tell them to continue supporting or plant shelter belts or maybe discourage them from planting further shelter belts if they end up being negative,' said Giesbrecht. 'Native bees are incredibly important for growers. They actually contribute $2.8 billion to Canadian farmers annually,' she added. The study will also provide valuable information to the people who manage roadsides. 'We can hopefully tell them flowers are actually really good for roadsides, maybe consider mowing at a different time. It has recently been mowed during peak flower season so maybe changing that and consider possibly also planting native flowers as well in ditches,' she said. Giesbrecht will continue collecting data until the end of August and expects to have a detailed analysis complete by next year.
New York Times
31-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump's Proposed Budget Would Cut a Major Ecology Program
The Trump administration's proposed budget for 2026 slashes about 90 percent of the funding for one of the country's cornerstone biological and ecological research programs. Known as the Ecosystems Mission Area, the program is part of the U.S. Geological Survey and studies nearly every aspect of the ecology and biology of natural and human-altered landscapes and waters around the country. The 2026 proposed budget allocates $29 million for the project, a cut from its current funding level of $293 million. The budget proposal also reduces funds for other programs in the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as other federal science agencies. The budget still needs to be approved by Congress and scientists are seizing the opportunity to save the E.M.A. In early May, more than 70 scientific societies and universities signed a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, urging him not to eliminate the program. Abolishing the E.M.A. was an explicit goal of Project 2025, the blueprint for shrinking the federal government produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation. That work cited decades-long struggles over the Interior Department's land management in the West, where protections for endangered species have at times prevented development, drilling and mining. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UT Tyler graduate earns Fulbright fellowship to study pitcher plants in Switzerland
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Recent UT Tyler graduate Colm Conneen of Tyler has been awarded a one-year Fulbright fellowship to do postgraduate research at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland this fall. UT Tyler celebrating evolutionary biology with Darwin Day events Conneen, who graduated this month from UT Tyler with a bachelor's degree in biology, will go to Switzerland study the microbial microcosms in pitcher plants, a type of carnivorous plant. 'We congratulate Colm, who is a prime example of the excellent students we have in biology who go on to do amazing things,' said UT Tyler College of Arts and Sciences dean Dr. Neil Gray. 'I also want to thank Dr. Joshua Banta for being a tremendous mentor and supporter.' Banta is a professor of biology at UT Tyler who taught Conneen and worked as his undergraduate faculty research advisor during their research on modeling the ecological niche of the Texas crayfish. 'From the moment he sought me out to work on a computational biology project, he showed a deep curiosity and determination to grow as a scientist,' Banta said. 'Our job at UT Tyler is to nurture and encourage students, and nothing makes us happier than seeing a student take full advantage of that support and then soar.' Conneen is planning to get his doctorate degree and wants to work in ecological research and network sciences in the academic or industrial sectors. To learn more about the fellowship he received to study abroad, visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Trail camera captures striking glimpse of elusive jungle predator with rare coloring: 'So breathtaking'
A trail camera captured an incredible picture of a black jaguar, giving the world a glimpse of a beautiful beast with rare coloring. As Outdoors reported, the photo shows a melanistic jaguar, meaning it has an increased amount of dark pigmentation. The animal is sitting and staring directly at the camera, seemingly posing for a portrait in Mamiraua, a portion of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The World Wildlife Fund shared the photo on its United Kingdom Instagram page, and it quickly became a fan favorite. The post received thousands of likes, and commenters called the image "gorgeous" and "so breathtaking." In the same post, the organization shared a photo of a jaguar with more common coloring, vividly highlighting the differences between the two animals' appearances. According to the WWF, researchers have used trail cameras for 15 years to study jaguar populations throughout the Amazon. The 22 areas studied, which cover 2.5% of the Amazon basin, are home to more than 6,000 jaguars. Jaguars are listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. "Today, nearly 45% of all jaguars live in protected areas, but deforestation continues to fragment their habitat, leaving many populations isolated," the WWF wrote. "With data from camera trap research like this, WWF aims to stabilize and increase jaguar populations by 2030." Trail cameras have become vital tools for ecological research, as they allow scientists to survey difficult-to-reach spots for extended periods with minimal resources. They provide valuable insight into what happens in specific habitats when humans aren't around. In recent months, they have spotted a rare jaguarundi in Honduras and a clouded leopard in the Himalayas. They have also provided evidence of a potential freshwater turtle comeback in Australia and caught incredible footage of a chimpanzee using a tool in Gabon. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
