#Ecology

#Ecology

These images, captured by photographer Barry Webb, provide a close-up view of single-celled slime mould organisms. A view that would not be possible with the naked eye. Using a high-powered macro lens, and a composite of stills, Barry is able to reveal the tiny structures, which can grow anywhere from forests to deserts. Barry has won awards for his work, which is mainly focused west of London, including the recent people's choice award in the macro section of the British photography awards.

The government's planning bill will reach its final stages before it is given royal assent in the coming days, after months of tussling between ministers, nature groups and ecologists. The government has promised to rip up the rules to allow 1.5m homes to be built by the end of this parliament as part of its push for growth. As last-minute wrangling over the reforms continues, peers have secured a key amendment that would ensure species such as dormice, nightingales and hedgehogs,

The world of Keeper looms from the screen like a dream coloured by psilocybin. Here is a gnarled landmass of bubblegum blues, powder pinks and strange, luminous beasts, where evolution seems to occur at light speed. This world's considerable beauty is amplified by how it is rendered: like a 1980s fantasy movie filled with charmingly handmade practical effects. Keeper is the latest title from Double Fine, maker of trippy platformer Psychonauts 2, Kickstarter sensation Broken Age and many other idiosyncratic titles.

Yes, this big map depicts the realm of the humble mushroom, which "shares the forest with the plants and the animals, but it's not a plant, and it's not an animal." And the mushroom itself, like we're used to seeing sprouting beneath our feet, is only a small part of the organism: the rest "lives hidden, out of sight, below ground. Beneath every mushroom is a fungal network of hair-like strands called the mycelium," which begins as a spore.

The first person to identify harvest mice ( Micromys minutus), Gilbert White was an eighteenth-century English curate and naturalist who has been called the 'father of ecology'. Yet records from his student days show that he was not so much a quiet country gentleman as a lad about town, losing money at cards and buying fancy waistcoats. In her grandly illustrated book A Year with Gilbert White, historian Jenny Uglow looks between these extremes to investigate who White really was.

The tour introduces visitors to the impact of Los Angeles' water use on Mono Lake, which has significantly declined due to water diversion since the early 20th century.

We know much more about plants than nature in general, but like all other areas, there are so many more unknowns than knowns.

Humans have an emotional relationship with predators, simultaneously revering and demonizing them. We buy over 100 million teddy bears annually for children, while hunting 50,000 real bears yearly.

"In the beginning, we were litigious, we were out protesting, and that has kind of changed over the decades and we've turned into an organization that primarily does its work behind the scenes."

Britons have been forced to take shelter in their cars due to a massive influx of ladybirds across towns and cities, marking the largest sighting since 1976.

Ramsey's Wildfire Days was published June 17, and Selby's Hotshot will be released on Aug.12.

'There is a big problem here: there is a mushroom with a disease that came in the trees, and they will die in a few years. We don't know exactly when, and if we don't find a solution for this mushroom, so we have to cut down all the trees.'

The show knows that's why we love them. You can feel it straining against its moral imperative to educate us as to why these beasts are mostly harmless, necessary and misunderstood.

Researchers created a cognitive testing apparatus applicable across diverse fish species, allowing examination of cognition in their natural habitats, revealing more about their cognitive abilities.

I really wanted to make something that was partly created by the insects themselves. That was really important to me.

Energy-saving initiatives in Britain have shown lukewarm results, with citizens not fully engaging in measures to reduce energy consumption despite rising bills.

"A new term, Waldsterben (forest death), entered the German vocabulary to describe the worst cases."

The extinction crisis is unprecedented in modern times, with over 500 bird species potentially vanishing due to habitat loss, increasing this number threefold from past centuries.

Feller emphasized that the transformation of Marine Park from a garbage dump to a vibrant natural habitat reflects significant ecological resilience and community interest.

This two-acre secret garden, once a derelict nursery, has transformed into the UK's first center for food, ecology, and creativity, fostering community engagement.

The latest discoveries were made during a Bioblitz biological survey by volunteers and experts, showcasing impressive biodiversity growth since the 2012 London Olympics.

Dinosaurs once dominated the ecosystem, leaving early mammals in a subordinate role, while new fossil studies reveal complex interactions between them and their environment.

The relaunch of OmVed gardens marks its transformation into a learning hub that emphasizes healthy eating, creative workshops, and engagement with nature.