Predatory bacteria—bacteria that eat other bacteria—grow faster and consume more resources than non-predators in the same soil, according to a new study from Northern Arizona University. These active predators, which use wolfpack-like behavior, enzymes, and cytoskeletal “fangs” to hunt and feast on other bacteria, wield important power in determining where soil… Read more
ecosystems
Seven new Regents’ professors showcase NAU’s research and scholarly excellence
At President Rita Cheng’s recommendation, the Arizona Board of Regents on Friday approved seven Northern Arizona University professors to be promoted to the rank of Regents’ professor, the highest rank a faculty member can achieve.
The professors are Scott Goetz, School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber… Read more
New NAU study finds evolutionary processes work at multiple levels to shape whole communities
Evolutionary theory has long held that natural selection largely operates at the level of individuals. Findings from Northern Arizona University researchers, recently published in the Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, suggest that selection can also occur at multiple levels to shape whole communities. This multi-level selection arises from the interactions of key species that cascade to alter communities and ecosystems.
For example, unraveling the evolution of complex… Read more
NAU global change ecologist leads NASA satellite study of rapid greening across Arctic tundra
As Arctic summers warm, Earth’s northern landscapes are changing. Using satellite images to track global tundra ecosystems over decades, a team of researchers finds the region has become greener as warmer air and soil temperatures lead to increased plant growth.
“The Arctic tundra is one of the coldest biomes on Earth, and it’s also one of the most rapidly warming,” said Logan Berner, assistant research professor with Northern Arizona University’s… Read more
NAU researchers win $1.3M in NSF grants to study major shifts in carbon storage
Two researchers at the Center for Ecosystem Science and Society have won separate awards totaling $1.3M from the National Science Foundation to better understand where carbon is being stored and released in the terrestrial biosphere. Using different approaches, the two projects aim to better predict carbon storage by plants and soils in critical regions of the globe, and how that storage is being altered by changing climate patterns.… Read more
NAU researchers urge tropical forest protection
NAU scientists contribute to critical new global study showing ‘best of the last’ tropical forests urgently need protection to mitigate climate change and safeguard human well-being.
The world’s ‘best of the last’ tropical forests are at significant risk of being lost, according to a paper released today in Nature Ecology… Read more