Invasive species often succeed in new environments because they can outcompete native species within an area for some resource, such as food, mates or habitat. What’s less clear is exactly what gives them this edge over local species that should be experts at living in their home territory. A study by Joshua King and Walter Tschinkel published online in the…

ESA is a member of the No Child Left Inside coalition, a group of American societies, institutions and other coalitions trying to reverse the trend that today’s youth are spending less and less time outside, to the detriment of themselves and society. At the core of this problem, says the Coalition, is the lack of dedicated environmental education in our…

Evolution can do funny things. Like producing the amazing feat of flight in a lineage of reptiles, which over time led to an adaptive radiation seldom rivaled in the history of animals. And then producing, in some 30 species of birds, the loss of the adaptation altogether. It would seem a ridiculous thing to do, to give up the power…

Hear ye, hear ye, friends of ecology! I’m pleased to announce that the ESA blog is taking a new direction, has a new look, and has a new name. Meet EcoTone.

For the past two years, ESA News and Views has served as a forum for voicing ideas about the

The October issue of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America is now available. With over 200 pages, it is one of the biggest issues ever published. Look for the six reports on symposia held at the annual meeting in Milwaukee in August. The cover is a colorful picture of MacArthur’s warblers, which is a part of a 50th…

ESA News and Views readers may be interested in the following announcement from the USDA (see http://www.csrees.usda.gov/business/reporting/stakeholder/an_stakeholder_afri.html for details.)

The State of the Nation’s Ecosystems 2008 report, released by the Heinz Center, provides authoritative documentation of key environmental trends. A companion report calls for bold federal and state action to strengthen and integrate the nation’s environmental monitoring. The State of the Nation’s Ecosystems 2008 shows that the acreage burned every year by wildfires is increasing, non-native fish have invaded nearly every watershed in the lower 48 states, and chemical contaminants are found in virtually all streams and most groundwater wells, often at levels above those set to protect human health or wildlife. In contrast, ecosystems are increasing their storage of carbon, there are improvements in soil quality and crop yields have grown significantly, according to Robin O’Malley, Director of the Heinz Center’s Environmental Reporting program.

Summer means two things for ecologists: fieldwork or lab work and the ESA Annual Meeting. I am particularly aware of the diversity of research done by ecologists as the Director of an Institute which has two field stations and a research watershed. Early in May the snow researchers are shutting down their research and the bird and mammal people are arriving to keep track of nesting

The ESA Bulletin, appearing quarterly, publishes a wide range of items of interest to ecology, and the content is free to ESA members and nonmembers alike. You can access the latest issue at http://www.esajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-toc&issn=0012-9623&volume=89&issue=3.

The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is the premier award for recognizing outstanding contributions in the fields of environmental science, environmental protection, energy and environmental health.

Since its inception we have honored fifty-nine individuals and four corporations with the Tyler Prize and through their work, the Tyler Laureates have focused worldwide attention on environmental problems by their discoveries and the solutions that have resulted from these discoveries. The award consists of a gold medallion and a US $200,000.00 cash prize.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is known as one of the most important information providers on plant diversity worldwide. It has developed a unique global database of wild plants in cultivation in botanic gardens around the world and, through its membership and other partnerships, it brings together the major players in plant conservation worldwide. Further, its GardenSearch database provides a gateway to the world’s botanic gardens and thus provides a portal to a vast range of information on plant diversity relevant at national and regional levels.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a report that can help reduce the potential impact of climate change on estuaries, forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and other sensitive ecosystems. The report, entitled Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options for Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources, identifies strategies to protect the environment as these changes occur.