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Newcomers May Change Ecosystem Functions – Or Not

applied ecology

Workers hang hemp plants to dry.

Jul 1, 2024

Commercial Stock Photos of Farmworkers Found Lacking

Publicly available photos of farmworkers fail to represent workers and the tasks they perform, sometimes resulting in health and safety materials that lack relevance. 
a woman and man talk in front of clear tanks with snails

Jun 5, 2024

New Aquatic Conservation Laboratory Opens at Yates Mill

The environment just got a little more hospitable for some threatened and endangered aquatic species in North Carolina thanks to the grand opening of the Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Laboratory. 
A faucet with drinking water.

May 30, 2024

Podcast: PFAS Exposure

Khara Grieger helps us understand PFAS exposure and how we can protect ourselves. 

May 20, 2024

Study Sheds Light on Bacteria Associated With Pre-Term Birth

New findings add to the emerging picture of Gardnerella's effect on human health. 
a man stands at a podium

Apr 23, 2024

Celebrating Connection: Applied Ecology Turns 10

Faculty, staff and students from the Department of Applied Ecology recently celebrated 10 years as a department in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 
Rebecca Irwin

Feb 13, 2024

Irwin to Study Bee Abundance With Support From Kriz Endowment

With support from the Kriz Faculty Study Leave Endowment, Rebecca Irwin, professor of applied ecology, will return to Colorado later this year to continue studying bee abundance in the Rocky Mountains. 
Caddisfly eggs on a rock.

Dec 13, 2023

Aquatic Insects in Restored Streams Need More Rocks to Lay Their Eggs

If you want aquatic insect egg populations to take off, you need more runways, according to a new study. 
Pinned bees in a collection.

Dec 11, 2023

Bee Species in Wake County: Are They Missing or Just Hard to Find?

Study shows no evidence that bee species richness is declining in booming area of North Carolina, but missing species could be a concern. 
close-up photo of a reddish ant's face

Nov 30, 2023

Rare Ant Species Rediscovered in North Carolina Trees

The discovery is the first time scientists have photographed or collected any males from the elusive species. 
A Northern water snake

Oct 24, 2023

A Parasitic Haunting: When Snakes are Eaten From Within

Imagine a wormlike crustacean that eats snakes from the inside out. 
photo shows two hands placing a loaf of sourdough bread onto a wooden board draped with a cloth

Oct 11, 2023

Using Different Flours for Sourdough Fosters Different Bacteria – and Flavors

Using different types of flour fosters distinct bacterial communities, which contribute to the variation of sourdough aromas and flavors. 
black bear sniffs the ground

Sep 14, 2023

Podcast: Guts

Erin McKenney talks palatial guts, six degrees of academic separation, and cecum envy on this episode of Audio Abstract. 
angular metal arch silhouetted against a cloudy sky

Jul 5, 2023

Is Our Phosphorus Use Sustainable? Most Stakeholders Doubt It

The study underscores the complex challenges facing efforts to ensure our continued access to a critical agricultural and industry resource. 
a greyish rhinoceros stands on a grassy hill; several other rhinos are sleeping on the ground nearby

Jun 5, 2023

How Studying Poop May Help Us Boost White Rhino Populations

Researchers have identified significant differences in the gut microbiome of female southern white rhinos who are reproducing successfully in captivity, as compared to females who have not reproduced successfully. 
Photo of caddisfly in water.

May 17, 2023

Newcomers May Change Ecosystem Functions – Or Not

Caddisfly study shows resident species can continue managing ecological processes when similar newcomers move in, but their role changes when newcomers are different.