Discover stories in Conservation Science
Wild Pollinators Are Critical in Keeping our Picnic Baskets Full
Bees may seem like uninvited guests at your picnic – but before you shoo them away from the fruit salad, think twice, as they play a critical role in making your picnic possible. Some of the most healthful, picnic favorites – including blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, cucumber, avocados and almonds – would not make it to the table without the essential work by bees and other insects. Most crops depend on pollinating insects to produce seeds or fruits. In fact, about <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/274/1608/303.long"><b>three-quarters</b></a><b> of global food crops</b><b> </b><b>require insect pollination </b>to thrive; <b>one-third of our calories and the </b><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0021363"><b>majority of critical micronutrients</b></a>, such as vitamins A, C and E, come from animal-pollinated food crops.
A Lock Holds the Key to Restoring Migratory Fish
Take PVC pipe. Attach to a home water pump. Add water. It’s a simple recipe, but one that might be enough to help move millions of the migratory fish.
The Yucca and its Moth
It sounds too good to be true; two species helping each other survive for millions of years—each getting as much as they give.
Big Fish: Roadside Pike
Where could the pike possibly be? It turns out: In a roadside ditch.
Big Fish: Rodent-Eating Trout
Key up the Jaws soundtrack. For years, anglers have claimed Silver Creek's brown trout feed on rodents. Does the science back them up?
A Bull Fight for Conservation
Studying bison interactions may help managers make better decisions on fenced preserves and ranches -- where most bison roam today.
