Nature Ecology
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Scouting ecological drivers of natural enemies in citrus orchards: implications for biological control in the Corsican agricultural landscape
1. Effective pest control requires a better understanding of natural enemy ecology, particularly how their distribution responds to landscape structure and local management. Agricultural intensification has simplified landscapes, reducing biodiversity and constraining pest control. Landscape-scale surveys are therefore needed to identify strategies that support natural enemies in agricultural systems.
Enemies, more than sex, shape butterfly post-mating odor evolution
Not all odors influencing mating behavior evolve as sex pheromones. Female butterflies' post-mating odors have been considered species-specific anti-aphrodisiac pheromones shaped by sexual selection but may also serve broader ecological roles shaped by natural selection. Males transfer odors to females that repel rivals, yet the widespread use of these compounds across phyla makes them targets for eavesdropping, such as by phoretic egg parasitoids.
A lack of sex held back life's diversity for millions of years, fossil study finds
A lack of sex held back life's diversity for millions of years, fossil study finds Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor The way that Earth's first animals reproduced held back life's diversity for millions of years, until stress and competition led to the development of sexual reproduction, which in turn accelerated the pace of evolution. Researchers from the University of Cambridge studied fossils from the oldest-known animals on Earth, dating from 574 million years...
Epigenetic changes can be inherited without changing DNA in animals
Epigenetic changes can be inherited without changing DNA in animals Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Typically, the information encoded in DNA allows organisms to develop, function, and pass traits across generations. Yet DNA alone does not explain how genes are switched on and off in different cells and environments. This regulation is partly controlled by other factors called epigenetics, such as DNA methylation, a chemical modification that can influence gene...
How gene swapping helped build the planet's decomposers
How gene swapping helped build the planet's decomposers Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Alexander Pol Deputy Editor Decomposers are crucial for keeping Earth habitable, breaking down dead biomass and returning key nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, to the ecosystem. Most decomposers, including fungi, survive through osmotrophy—a means of feeding by absorbing dissolved nutrients rather than engulfing prey. But how this method of feeding repeatedly arose across the eukaryotic...
Nine decades of changing insect diversity in Switzerland expose a striking divide
Nine decades of changing insect diversity in Switzerland expose a striking divide Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Thanks to a historical data archive, Swiss researchers are able to draw conclusions about the changes in the diversity of two insect groups over the past 90 years. The study, led by Agroscope, identified a significant decline in butterflies and deadwood beetle species around the middle of the 20th century. These groups live predominantly in agricultural...
Earth's first animals barely evolved until sex changed everything
Earth's first animals barely evolved until sex changed everything - Date: - June 10, 2026 - Source: - University of Cambridge - Summary: - Earth’s earliest animals may have held evolution back because they reproduced asexually, creating low-competition communities that changed very little over time. When environmental pressures pushed them toward sexual reproduction, biodiversity exploded and evolution accelerated dramatically.
Conifers are making a comeback in Quebec's forests, study shows
Conifers are making a comeback in Quebec's forests, study shows Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor An analysis of Quebec's forest inventory data developed by Concordia researchers reveals that the conifer population is on the rebound after decades of decline. The growth is driven by an increase in the population of balsam fir, which may reflect a recovery from the last major spruce budworm outbreak (1972 to 1986). This outbreak severely impacted the conifer population...
Costa Rica paid landowners to restore forests and biodiversity—bioacoustics indicate that it worked
June 4, 2026 report Costa Rica paid landowners to restore forests and biodiversity—bioacoustics indicate that it worked Krystal Kasal Author Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Forest restoration can help fight climate change and restore lost biodiversity, but the satellite-based techniques used to measure successful forest restoration have been less-than-helpful for measuring changes in biodiversity. Instead, a team of researchers listened to the sounds of life in the...
Armed with AI, study identifies prey from predator crunching sounds
Armed with AI, study identifies prey from predator crunching sounds Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Interactions between hard-shelled marine mollusks such as clams and snails and their predators play a critical but largely unseen role in shaping coastal ecosystems. These organisms help stabilize shorelines, filter water and support biodiversity, making them foundational to coastal health. Yet they are increasingly threatened by ocean acidification and expanding...