Ecology - Part 3

Browsing | Ecology RSS feed for this section

26. February 2009

World’s Largest Plants Up Close and Personal

Remember the guess-what games where you see close-ups of everyday objects and you have to guess what it is? Well, this is one of those. But because we’re not talking about everyday objects, we’ll give you a few clues: We’re talking only about plants. Think smelly (for some) and large (for all). Oh, and the picture above does not show the inside of a mouth. Any ideas? Read on for astonishing insights into the plant world…

24. February 2009

2 Comments

Monkeys Have Morals After All

Darwin himself might have raised a bushy eyebrow at the idea that monkeys and apes have a sense of morality and the capacity to tell right from wrong. Such moral qualities have been widely held to be part and parcel of what distinguishes us from our furrier simian relatives – but fresh research implies otherwise.

24. February 2009

0 Comments

North Atlantic Right Whales Are Making A Comeback

Surprisingly, more than 40 Right Whales were observed in the Gulf of Maine in early December, 2008. On the verge of extinction, the Northern Right Whale may be increasing in numbers and on the way to recovery. That's got to be good news for any environmentalists worth their salt.

19. February 2009

1 Comment

Tuna Sold for $173,000

Though spending has decreased due to the current economic crisis, some things, such as the Giant Bluefin Tuna, remain marketable. On February 6th, a tuna sold for $173,688.73 dollars at the largest wholesale fish market in Tokyo. The tuna weighed in at 202 kilograms. Although these tuna can weigh as much as 330 kilograms (660 pounds) and grow to three meters (10 feet) in length, this latest tuna sold for the highest price since 1996.

13. February 2009

2 Comments

Seahorses: World’s Most Romantic Species

If you need inspiration this Valentine’s Day, look no further. Seahorses can teach humans many a lesson when it comes to courtship. They hold hands, uh, tails, change colours, swim snout-to-snout and whirl around in unison for days before engaging in a "true courtship dance" that lasts about eight hours. When one thing finally leads to another, it is the male of the species that becomes pregnant and carries the offspring.

2. February 2009

2 Comments

God’s Joke: The Duck-billed Platypus

In order to get closer to the mysteries of life, one needs to look no further than the living wonder known as the Platypus. Often considered "God’s joke," the Duck-billed Platypus comes from the oldest family of mammals, which lived on Earth millions of years ago – predating the geographic split between South America and Australia.

2. February 2009

6 Comments

It’s Raining Frogs

It’s a somewhat cloudy day. You figure a storm will be coming and then raindrops start to fall. This doesn’t register as abnormal until you hear a small thud on the ground. Then you see a frog, limbs quivering, writhing on its back. Before you can figure out what has just happened, more frogs are falling around you. In fact, thousands of frogs are falling!

29. January 2009

11 Comments

The Smallest Monkeys in the World

Pygmy marmosets are found in the rainforests of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Columbia. They live in the upper canopy of the forest, no doubt to steer clear of bigger, heavier predators, and survive on an omnivorous diet of fruit, leaves, insects, small reptiles and their favorite nibble, tree sap. Living in groups of two to six, marmosets are fiercely territorial, defending areas of up to 100 acres.

28. January 2009

6 Comments

Anak Krakatau: The Resurrecting Island

Although Krakatoa submerged after several eruptions, Anak Krakatau resurfaced in 1927. New volcanic activity caused the island to sink again only a few months later. Emerging again in 1930, it has remained above sea level ever since. Despite these incidents, the fertile volcanic ash and soil has resulted in Anak Krakatau being the home to over 500 species of plants and animal life.

20. January 2009

2 Comments

The Science of Industrial Symbiosis

What we are about to present is called industrial symbiosis. It’s an application of the broad emerging field of industrial ecology, a hybrid of technological, Earth, economical and social sciences aimed at sustainable development and efficiency. At its core lies the biological analogy according to which facilities related to industry are regarded as inherent or embedded in the ecosystem.