This week I’d like to give you an introduction to the history and ecology of the dingo (Canis lupus dingo), but I’m not sure how thorough I can be here- one of the things that struck me in my reading was how many opinions there are about dingoes. And people with differing conclusions seem to […]
Author Archive
It’s a dog’s life
Going to the dogs
I’ve spent the last few days going back and forth in my mind about this month’s topic. I am fascinated by canids (and quite amazed, when I look at my dog, to think of her progenitors), and there are so many species to choose from- I wanted a topic that was outside of North America […]
Offering trees some shelter
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking at the possible impacts of climate change on temperate forests around the world, impacts that could disrupt forest dynamics and alter the landscapes around us. Rising global temperatures can rearrange precipitation patterns, warm soils, and cause expanded disease and pest outbreaks. And there are concerns that tree […]
A moveable forest?
As I mentioned in my last post, predicting the form of future forests is complicated due to the wide variety of factors involved, but there are some common concerns that researchers share about the challenges trees will face with global climate change. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns will alter the suitability of forest locations […]
Changing patterns, changing forests
I’ve spent the last week enmeshed in the intricacies of climate change research and trying to understand how temperate forests will be impacted- and there were quite a few more variables than I had been anticipating. I guess I had assumed that warmer temperatures would mean shorter winters, earlier springs, and probably more bark beetles, […]
Seeing the forest and the trees
Despite the short days, I really enjoy November in New Hampshire, partly because it feels like things are slowing down a bit and partly because, with the leaves gone, I can see the trees themselves now. In the summer I appreciate the green shade provided by trees, I love the colors of fall, and I […]
Sharing the elephants’ burden
As I looked for ways that we all can get involved in elephant protection, I kept coming upon the same request- “Donate Now”- and, in some ways, that was very disappointing because I was hoping to get more directly involved. But, after investigating some of the issues in elephant conservation, I began to feel this […]
How do you measure an elephant?
As I mentioned in my last post, researchers are still learning about the ways in which elephants, and other large herbivores, impact the environment around them. In many ways, the goal is to figure out how many elephants can fit into an area before their resource needs lead to environmental degradation. One way to do […]
Elephants on a tight-rope
I spent the last week looking through lots of documents on elephants (even a few theses, so there was a mountain of reading), and I’ve learned quite a bit about what elephants eat, how populations have changed, and the impact that these mega-herbivores can have on the environment around them- they definitely live on a […]
An elephant in the room
Anyone who has seen the most recent issue of National Geographic will understand why I chose this topic. The cover article looked at the resurgence in poaching for the ivory trade, and the journalist talked to a wide variety of people involved in the illegal trade to provide an understanding of what is driving demand. […]