Ecology

Only 170 million years ago, new plankton evolved. Their demand for carbon and calcium permanently transformed the seas as homes for life.

In the “underground economy” for soil nutrients, fungi strike hard bargains and punish plants that won’t meet their price.

Surviving fragments of genetic material preserved in sediments allow scientists to see the full diversity of past life — even microbes.

For more than six decades, the influential biologist Edward O. Wilson has drawn connections between evolution, ecology and behavior, often sparking controversies inside and outside of science.

New work raises the estimated diversity of viruses in the seas more than twelvefold and lays the groundwork for a better understanding of their impact on global nutrient cycles.

In harsh ecosystems around the world, microbiologists are finding evidence that “microbial seed banks” protect biodiversity from changing conditions.

By reconstructing prehistoric food webs and analyzing the diverse interactions of humans with other species, the ecologist Jennifer Dunne is developing a new understanding of sustainability through network science.

Among these cave insects, the females evolved to have penises — twice. The reasons challenge common assumptions about sex.

New work at the intersection of atmospheric science and ecology is finding that forests can influence rainfall and climate from across a continent.