Entries in Research Briefs (340)
Conceding extinction: a look at rare birds


When do you throw in the towel and concede that a rare species has gone extinct? A new study presents a methodology for helping conservationists answer this difficult question...
Protected areas lead to long term transformation of marine ecosystems



Results from a new study in Australia affirm the ability of "no take" marine protected areas to aid the recovery of overfished ecosystems. Researchers found that the reefs within three marine protected areas off eastern Tasmania transformed over time into communities not otherwise seen in the regional seascape, and these changes intensified for at least 16 years...
Protecting killer whales from whale watchers



The failures of a weed eradication program: lessons learned



The idea of eradicating a weed - i.e. killing every individual versus just controlling the spread - has an obvious appeal to a land manager. However, as Mark Gardener and fellow researchers found from a case study in the Galapagos Islands, eradication is very difficult and finding success requires that numerous ecological, financial, and social factors all line up....
Quantifying the environmental benefits of wetland restoration



A new study presents a model that could make the job of restoration planners much easier. Researchers created and tested a prototype for quantifying the amount that prospective restoration projects would reduce flooding and retain sediment and nutrients...