Tag: "invasive species"
The Ant-Driven Landscape
Invasive ant species have powerful—and poorly known—effects on a region's soil.
Post on Mar 14, 2013 by Andrew Alden from QUEST Northern California
Invasive Species: They're Here and More on the Way
Invasive species are here and more are on the way! Find out about the problems and some possible solutions.
Post on Mar 01, 2013 by Sharol Nelson-Embry from QUEST Northern California
You Say Sweet Potato, I Say New World
As you fill your grocery cart with food for Thanksgiving, pause for a minute and think about where that food came from. I don’t mean is it local or organic or hormone/pesticide /gluten-free—I mean is it Old World or New World? On what continent did that food evolve?
Post on Nov 21, 2011 by Jennifer Skene from QUEST Northern California
Asian Carp, an "Alien" Threat to Lake Erie
Lake Erie is considered to be the most productive of all five of the Great Lakes.Within its waters are diverse and interdependent plants and animals that make up an intricate web of life. Mostly due to human carelessness, the lake has become home to an increasing number of non-native plants, animals, and micro-organisms which threaten [...]
Post on Nov 01, 2011 by Toivo Motter from QUEST Ohio
Rumors and Truth in Lake Tahoe
A few weeks ago, scuba divers in Lake Tahoe found the body of a man who had drowned in the lake 17 years ago. Still in its wetsuit, the body was very well preserved. Because the water in this high alpine lake is so cold, decomposition is very slow. This fact has spawned rumors, the most famous of which involves Jacques Cousteau and still makes me shudder, years after I first heard it.
Post on Aug 16, 2011 by Jennifer Skene from QUEST Northern California
Climate Change Favors Invasive Species in California Grasslands
California’s grasslands are some of the most heavily invaded habitats in the state. As the climate changes—temperatures increase and water becomes scarcer—the conditions will favor exotic grasses, which will become even more prevalent.
Post on Jul 25, 2011 by Jennifer Skene from QUEST Northern California
Combating Bay Invaders
California has passed the strictest rules in the country to prevent ocean freighters from introducing more foreign species to the bay. But the standards are so tough, officials may not be able to enforce them.
Post on Apr 15, 2011 by Lauren Sommer
Sudden Oak Death Plus Wildfire: A Natural Experiment
A natural experiment created by the overlap of the Basin Complex Fire and a UC Davis study allowed scientists to test whether SOD did in fact make wildfire worse. What they found was not what the news media or the firefighters predicted.
Post on Jan 31, 2011 by Jennifer Skene
15 Months Later, Rediscovered San Francisco Plant Thrives
Fifteen months after a native plant thought to be extinct was rediscovered in San Francisco, local botanists have succeeded in growing it and are making plans to plant it out in the wild.
Post on Jan 19, 2011 by Gabriela Quirós
Spider Invaders
Spiders seem to be everywhere this fall. There are dozens of spider webs on my deck; each morning, I destroy a new web as I leave the house. It seems like every time I go outside, I wipe spider silk from my face. And it’s not just my yard—several of my friends have noticed lots of spiders recently, too. I wondered if we’re experiencing a bumper year for spiders, so I asked a few arachnologist friends about it.
Post on Oct 18, 2010 by Jennifer Skene
Reporter's Notes: Coping with Ants at Home
Argentine ants have had amazing success as an invasive species in the US. Their West Coast super colony numbers in the billions and spans from Mexico to Oregon. But aside from invading homes, they've had a dramatic effect on native ants and local ecosystems.
Post on Feb 19, 2010 by Lauren Sommer
Producer's Notes: Hog Wild
I knew going into this story that we might ruffle some feathers. But one of the things that made this story so intriguing to me is that it would bring up some questions about where people stand on what can be a pretty touchy subject.
Post on Jul 14, 2009 by Chris Bauer
No Pond Turtle Left Behind
By creating the best possible environment for the turtles, they grow 3-4 times faster than they would in the wild.
Post on Sep 10, 2008 by Amy Gotliffe
QUEST Season 2 Web Premiere: The Fierce Humboldt Squid
A mysterious sea creature up to 7 feet long, with 10 arms, a sharp beak and a ravenous appetite, has invaded ocean waters off Northern California. Packs of fierce Humboldt Squid attack nearly everything they see, from fish to scuba divers. Marine biologists are working to discover why they’ve headed north from their traditional homes [...]
Post on Mar 26, 2008 by Chris Bauer
Never Used a Pooter?
Cal Academy scientist Kelly Herbinson collects ants with a Bay Area science teacherAs the winter drags on, I often think fondly of a chilly Saturday in December where I found myself in a small alleyway in San Francisco trying to suck elusive ants into a rubber tube called a pooter. What was the point of [...]
Post on Jan 29, 2008 by Jessica Neely
