Creating vegetation barriers to block the spread of invasive species
A new study in the journal Biological Invasions shows that land managers may be able to contain highly invasive annual plants by establishing barriers of perennial bunchgrasses to block the spread...
A method for evaluating the potential ecological impact of invasive species
Researchers have developed and tested a new method for evaluating the potential ecological impact of the invasive species at a site. Their approach, called the Index of Alien Impact - is innovative for a couple of reasons...
Seawalls may affect abundance of prey for shorebirds, salmon
Marine A new study in Puget Sound, Washington, suggests that building seawalls and other shoreline structures may reduce the diversity and abundance of some intertidal invertebrates and coastal insects. Because these creatures are food for salmon, shorebirds, and other wildlife, shoreline armoring might indirectly alter the broader ecosystem...
The impact of tidal flow restrictions on arid marshes
Wetland What happens to a wetland when you construct a dyke and cut off tidal flow for over two decades? Silvia Ibarra-Obando and fellow researchers looked at the effects of 22 years worth of tidal exclusion on Estero de Punta Banda, an arid estuary 120 km south of the U.S.-Mexico border...
Land conservation programs not strategically targeting projects to control growth
Development, Preservation A new study looks at whether land conservation programs are targeting their efforts to control the path of development and promote smart growth...