Correspondence |
Featured
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News |
Scientists petition UCLA to reverse ecologist’s suspension
Sanctions on Priyanga Amarasekare have baffled supporters, who think they are retaliation for speaking out against discrimination.
- Jeff Tollefson
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Research Highlight |
Unspoilt forests fall to feed the global supply chain
Export of minerals, wood and energy drives a surprisingly high fraction of deforestation.
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Research Briefing |
Future heatwaves threaten thousands of land vertebrate species
Heatwaves are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity because of climate change. Projections indicate that if global warming is left unchecked, many animal species will experience almost-permanent extreme-heat conditions, and such weather events will present a major threat to biodiversity.
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Article |
Future temperature extremes threaten land vertebrates
Future extreme thermal events will force many vertebrate species and assemblages into constant severe thermal stress; however, lowering emissions would greatly reduce overall exposures.
- Gopal Murali
- , Takuya Iwamura
- & Uri Roll
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Review Article |
River ecosystem metabolism and carbon biogeochemistry in a changing world
A review of current river ecosystem metabolism research quantifies the organic and inorganic carbon flux from land to global rivers and demonstrates that the carbon balance can be influenced by a changing world.
- Tom J. Battin
- , Ronny Lauerwald
- & Pierre Regnier
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Correspondence |
Smart forest management boosts both carbon storage and bioenergy
- Peter Högberg
- , Tomas Lundmark
- & Pekka E. Kauppi
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Where I Work |
Tracking microbes in extreme environments
Microbial ecologist Gerdhard Jessen studies how climate change might affect microorganisms in deserts, hot springs and hydrothermal vents.
- Virginia Gewin
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Career Q&A |
Conservation setbacks? The secrets to lifting morale
Endangered-species specialist Jim Groombridge describes how to lead a conservation field team, even when the species in question disappears.
- Sarah Wild
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Comment |
Escaping Darwin’s shadow: how Alfred Russel Wallace inspires Indigenous researchers
Wallace, who independently discovered the theory of evolution, relied on local knowledge to craft his seminal work on species ranges in the Amazon. Now, the region’s Indigenous scientists have taken charge of their research using this and other cross-cultural tools.
- Camila C. Ribas
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Comment |
Alfred Russel Wallace’s first expedition ended in flames
Born 200 years ago, the evolutionary biologist experienced many setbacks during his career — none more severe than when he headed home with his precious collections from Brazil.
- Andrew Berry
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News & Views |
From the archive: how kangaroo rats limit their salt intake, and searching for trout
Snippets from Nature’s past.
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News |
Nations forge historic deal to save species: what’s in it and what’s missing
At the COP15 summit, many countries celebrate, but some say their voices were not heard.
- Natasha Gilbert
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Where I Work |
Building a living shoreline to help combat climate change
Conservationist Eileen Maher uses large spheres made of shells, sand and cement to prevent erosion and attract oysters as part of her work to manage tidelands around a Southern Californian port.
- Kendall Powell
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Nature Video |
Ant milk: The mysterious fluid that helps them thrive
The liquid secreted by ant pupae appears to be key to colony health.
- Nick Petrić Howe
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News |
Nature’s biggest news stories of 2022
From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to predicting protein structures with AI and transplanting pig organs into people, our news editors choose the defining moments in science this year.
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News & Views |
An energetic look at the life in logged forests
What are the ecological consequences of logging in a tropical forest? A detailed assessment of vegetation growth, bird and mammal numbers, and energy flows in logged and unlogged forests offers some surprising findings.
- Pieter A. Zuidema
- & Joeri A. Zwerts
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Article
| Open AccessLogged tropical forests have amplified and diverse ecosystem energetics
Logged forests in Borneo have higher energy flow from vegetation to and broad range of bird and mammal species relative to old-growth forests and oil palm plantations, showing that they can be diverse and ecologically vibrant ecosystems.
- Yadvinder Malhi
- , Terhi Riutta
- & Matthew J. Struebig
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News Explainer |
Can the world save a million species from extinction?
A biodiversity crisis looms as negotiators meet at the COP15 summit in Montreal to agree on targets for protecting nature.
- Natasha Gilbert
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News & Views |
Herbivores drive scarcity of some nitrogen-fixing tropical trees
In mature tropical forests, trees that can capture nitrogen experience high levels of herbivory. This could explain the low abundance of such trees, and demonstrates that herbivores can limit nitrogen availability on land.
- Joy B. Winbourne
- & Lindsay A. McCulloch
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Article
| Open AccessA 2-million-year-old ecosystem in Greenland uncovered by environmental DNA
Analysis of two-million-year-old ancient environmental DNA from the Kap København Formation in North Greenland shows there was an open boreal forest with diverse plant and animal species, of which several taxa have not previously been detected at the site, representing an ecosystem that has no present-day analogue.
- Kurt H. Kjær
- , Mikkel Winther Pedersen
- & Eske Willerslev
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Article |
Widespread herbivory cost in tropical nitrogen-fixing tree species
Nitrogen-fixing trees are favoured by herbivorous animals relative to non-fixing trees, increasing their carbon opportunity cost and potentially constraining global nitrogen fixation.
- Will Barker
- , Liza S. Comita
- & Sarah A. Batterman
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Research Briefing |
DNA reveals that mastodons roamed a forested Greenland two million years ago
Ancient environmental DNA from northern Greenland opens a new chapter in genetic research, demonstrating that it is possible to track the ecology and evolution of biological communities two million years ago. The record shows an open boreal-forest ecosystem inhabited by large animals such as mastodons and reindeer.
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Nature Podcast |
Oldest DNA reveals 2-million-year-old ecosystem
Mastodon DNA found in ancient Greenland permafrost, and modelling the climate emissions of the plastics sector.
- Benjamin Thompson
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Article |
Microbial predators form a new supergroup of eukaryotes
Provora is an ancient supergroup of microbial predators that are genetically, morphologically and behaviourally distinct from other eukaryotes, and comprise two divergent clades of predators—Nebulidia and Nibbleridia—that differ fundamentally in ultrastructure, behaviour and gene content.
- Denis V. Tikhonenkov
- , Kirill V. Mikhailov
- & Patrick J. Keeling
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Correspondence |
Prioritize gender equality to meet global biodiversity goals
- Emily Woodhouse
- & Marie-Annick Moreau
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Editorial |
World leaders must step up to put biodiversity deal on path to success
Ahead of the COP15 biodiversity meeting, few disagree that we must do more to protect nature — but money, underwritten by top-level support, is needed to make it happen.
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Where I Work |
I lure tarantulas from their burrows (for science)
Entomologist Jackie Billotte reconstructs the burrows and housekeeping habits of tarantulas, which help to keep insect and rodent populations under control in southeastern Colorado.
- Kendall Powell
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News |
10 startling images of nature in crisis — and the struggle to save it
A visual tour of unfolding threats and desperate attempts to reverse species’ declines.
- Emma Marris
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Research Highlight |
Oil-palm farms that spare rainforests menace grasslands instead
Programmes to avoid deforestation could have unintentional impacts on a variety of ecosystems.
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to: When did mammoths go extinct?
- Yucheng Wang
- , Ana Prohaska
- & Eske Willerslev
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Article
| Open AccessDeglacial increase of seasonal temperature variability in the tropical ocean
Mass spectrometry imaging of long-chain alkenones in sediments from the Cariaco Basin shows that average temperatures remained stable during the Younger Dryas to Holocene transition but seasonality more than doubled and interannual variability intensified.
- Lars Wörmer
- , Jenny Wendt
- & Kai-Uwe Hinrichs
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Article
| Open AccessThe pupal moulting fluid has evolved social functions in ants
Ant pupae secrete a fluid, derived from the moulting fluid, that elicits parental care behaviour, provides nutrients for larvae and must be removed for pupal survival.
- Orli Snir
- , Hanan Alwaseem
- & Daniel J. C. Kronauer
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Correspondence |
Field research stations are key to global conservation targets
- Timothy M. Eppley
- , Kim E. Reuter
- & Russell A. Mittermeier
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World View |
COP15 biodiversity plan risks being alarmingly diluted
Scientists raced to gather the strongest ever biodiversity evidence base. Time is running out to use it.
- Sandra Díaz
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Comment |
Biodiversity loss and climate extremes — study the feedbacks
Enough of silos: develop a joint scientific agenda to understand the intertwined global crises of the Earth system.
- Miguel D. Mahecha
- , Ana Bastos
- & Christian Wirth
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Career Column |
Developing an inclusive culture at South Africa’s research institutions
To fully desegregate science, institutions should bolster mentorship, safe spaces and a culture of belonging, say Phakamani M’Afrika Xaba, Ferozah Conrad and Tlou Masehela.
- Phakamani M’Afrika Xaba
- , Ferozah Conrad
- & Tlou Masahela
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Research Highlight |
Off the hook: electrical device keeps sharks away from fishing lines
Such interventions could greatly reduce accidental catches of threatened species.
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Career Feature |
Ecologists should create space for a wide range of expertise
Indigenous communities’ knowledge and approaches enrich studies.
- Virginia Gewin
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Research Highlight |
Overfished lobsters get big and plentiful when offered safe haven
Crustacean populations boomed after Norway established marine sanctuaries.
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Article
| Open AccessPathogen spillover driven by rapid changes in bat ecology
A study reveals how land-use change and climate interact to drive the spillover of a zoonotic virus, and identifies an ecological mechanism that prevents spillover.
- Peggy Eby
- , Alison J. Peel
- & Raina K. Plowright
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News Feature |
GDP is getting a makeover — what it means for economies, health and the planet
Pressure is mounting to downgrade GDP or improve it so economic growth is not the only game in town.
- Ehsan Masood
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Where I Work |
Using hyrax latrines to investigate climate change
Lynne Quick sifts through piles of ancient animal dung and dried urine to find signs of past climates in preserved pollen and charcoal.
- Nicola Jones
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News & Views |
Shedding light on declines in diversity of grassland plants
A field experiment provides a new way to investigate the mechanisms by which grazing, fertilizer use and light availability can affect the biodiversity of a grassland plant community.
- Eric Allan
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Article |
Small rainfall changes drive substantial changes in plant coexistence
Reduced precipitation changes competitive outcomes among plant species, and species pairs that were functionally more similar were less likely to experience these changes.
- Mary N. Van Dyke
- , Jonathan M. Levine
- & Nathan J. B. Kraft
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News & Views |
The role of neighbouring species in survival as the climate changes
Predicting the risk of extinction from climate change requires an understanding of the interactions between species. An analysis of how changes in rainfall affect competition between plant species offers a way of tackling this challenge.
- Ellen I. Damschen
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Research Briefing |
Peat decomposition in central Congo was triggered by a drying climate
The world’s largest tropical peatland complex is in the central Congo Basin. A drying of the climate between 5,000 and 2,000 years ago triggered decomposition of peat in the Congo Basin and emission of carbon into the atmosphere. The tipping point at which drought results in carbon release might accelerate future climate change if regional droughts become more common.
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