Ecology Archives - State of the Planet

hikers rest on the ground with glacier-covered mountains behind

Earth Institute Photos of Our Amazing Planet

Throughout Earth Month, we’ll be sharing some of the incredible photos that our researchers have captured during field work. Enjoy!

by |April 12, 2021
Leila Darwish

The Art and Science of ‘Earth Repair’

An interview with bioremediation educator and disaster response worker Leila Darwish on healing communities and repairing ecological wounds.

by Arissa Lahr |March 23, 2021
Sea squirts on ocean floor

How Climate Change Is Affecting Sea Squirts In Antarctica

As melting glaciers alter ecosystems in and around Antarctica, scientists study how sea squirts react.

by |March 18, 2021

To Save Giant Sequoia Trees, Maybe It’s Time to Plant Backups

When a species spreads too slowly to escape climate dangers, should humans assist them in migrating into nearby territories?

by Kevin Webb |March 15, 2021
beloved beasts book cover

Michelle Nijhuis Wants to Bring Biodiversity Loss to Your Doorstep

Her new book charts the ways conservation is becoming a movement for the protection of all species — foreign and domestic, ugly and cuddly, plant and yes, even human.

by Aldo Defilippi |March 10, 2021
A close up of small yellow flowers on a light green, fuzzy stem.

Retreating Glaciers Threaten Herbs Used to Make Iconic Alpine Liqueurs

As glaciers recede in the Italian Alps, a shift toward grasslands is threatening native herbs like Artemisia genipi, a key ingredient in the region’s traditional liqueurs.

by |March 10, 2021

Pod of the Planet Ep. 14: Ask What Nature Can Do for You

Today we’re celebrating International Women’s Day with an interview with Professor Ruth DeFries on her new book, “What Would Nature Do? A Guide for Our Uncertain Times”

by |March 8, 2021
J. Nicolas Hernandez-Aguilera (right) on a tour of a shade-grown coffee farm in the Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia

Coffee for the Birds: Connecting Bird-watchers With Shade-grown Coffee

A new study explores whether bird-friendly coffee is on the radar of bird watchers: Are they drinking it and, if not, why not?

by |March 2, 2021
A river flows over various rocks and is surrounded by coniferous trees and mountains in the background

Protecting Yellowstone’s Waters: Proposed Legislation Would Safeguard More of Montana’s Rivers

Montana Senator Jon Tester has proposed a bill that would add 17 rivers to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

by |February 26, 2021
A small house with a red roof sits in a field of golden grass. Behind the house is a massive mountain, with a river of ice running down it.

In Iceland, Melting Glaciers Give Way to Plant Life

A recent study examines the changes in the foreland of a melting Icelandic glacier. With ice gone, new plant life is springing up and changing a centuries-old ecosystem.

by |February 24, 2021