Word: ecosystem
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...level predators, dolphins like the baiji are an "indicator species" - bellwethers of the general health of an ecosystem. Their disappearance bodes ill for the Yangtze, which supports more than 400 million people, roughly 6% of the world's total population. Wang says the Yangtze is relatively unpolluted. But untrammeled commerce and massive hydrological projects like the Three Gorges Dam have dramatically altered the river's landscape. With as many as 60 boats per km of river in some areas, the Yangtze already looks less like a river than a highway during rush hour. "Baiji...
...they melt, the bergs are releasing that highly nutritious dust, which feeds phytoplankton, a microscopic form of oceanic plant life on which shrimplike krill feed. The result, says Smith: "There is an accumulation of organisms around icebergs, and this goes through the food chain up to seabirds." The iceberg ecosystem could extend to seals and penguins as well, although there's no proof of that yet. With an estimated 1,000 icebergs in the Weddell Sea, the overall boost in biological productivity in the chilly waters could be enormous...
...composting your organic waste and planting greenery in your garden were enough to earn you a gold star in environmental responsibility, think again. Those sweet-smelling blooms in your backyard patch may brighten the yard, but they could actually be doing much more harm than good to the local ecosystem...
According to Smith, the regions of the country where invasive plant species are most widespread are those under the most pressure to develop, such as suburban communities, summer vacation spots or natural-resource extraction sites. Like a body with a weak immune system, Smith says, "An ecosystem under stress is ripe for invasion by non-native plants...
Nature shows are meant to be educational, but face it: we watch them to ogle wild places and cool animals, preferably eating other cool animals. We want to be awed. This 11-episode BBC DVD set is organized by ecosystem, from deserts to the poles, and the $25 million budget secured such awe-inspiring sights as a deep-sea light show by an electrified vampire squid. It's a breathtaking window on the earth's vastness and most secret corners...