MS-LS2-5

Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.

  1. Earth

    How ancient African fish feed today’s Amazon

    Many of the world’s lushest tropical forests would starve if winds didn’t bring them nutrient-rich dust from across an ocean.

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  2. Microbes

    Microbes mine treasure from waste

    Like miniature factories, bioreactors house microbes recruited to chew through wastes to clean dirty water, make chemicals or generate electricity.

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  3. Agriculture

    Profile: A human touch for animals

    Temple Grandin uses her own autism to understand how animals think. The animal scientist is famous for fostering the humane treatment of livestock.

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  4. Environment

    Wildlife forensics turns to eDNA

    Environmental DNA, or eDNA, tells biologists what species have been around — even when they’re out of sight or have temporarily moved on.

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  5. Agriculture

    Made in the shade

    Agroforestry combines woody plants and agriculture. Growing trees alongside crops and livestock benefits wildlife, environment, climate — and farmers.

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  6. Agriculture

    Organic food starts to prove its worth

    Organic food often comes with a higher price. But research is showing that food grown this way can be better for the environment — and possibly for us.

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  7. Animals

    Biowarfare saves bats from killer fungus

    Good news for bats. Those infected with white-nose syndrome may be cured by a brief exposure to fumes from therapeutic bacteria.

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  8. Animals

    Pesticides offer bees a risky allure

    Honeybees and bumblebees sometimes cannot taste or avoid pesticides called neonicotinoids. And that may expose some of these important pollinators to harm.

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  9. Agriculture

    Ditching farm pollution — literally

    An Indiana project shows how fighting fertilizer runoff can save farmers money, protect wild habitats and prevent harmful algae blooms.

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  10. Agriculture

    Livestock: A need to save rare breeds

    New studies and ongoing work highlight why society should save rare livestock breeds — and the part that technology can play.

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  11. Environment

    Spidey sense: Eight-legged pollution monitors

    Spiders that prey on aquatic insects can serve as sentinels that naturally monitor banned chemicals that still pollute many rivers across the United States.

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  12. Animals

    Tiny — but mighty — food-cleanup crews

    Discarded food wastes can turn city spaces into food courts for disease-carrying rats and pigeons. But a new study shows tiny cleanup crews — especially pavement ants — are doing their best to eliminate such wastes. This, in turn, makes cities less attractive to bigger pests.

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