The natural world is a finely-tuned balance of biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components that shape our environments. Various biotic factors directly affect processes like population growth, ...

Josh Hartwig is the host of Discover Nature and a media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Oribatid mites are tiny, soil-dwelling decomposers with over 10,000 species, some of which have defied the rules of evolution for millions of years. These mites, measuring between 150 and 1400 ...

Once they begin to decompose, human bodies contain bacteria and fungal decomposers that are actually pretty rare in the rest of the world. It might seem like a discomforting thought but these ...

When conditions are right, a space develops under the snow that is used by a variety of invertebrates and small rodents all ...

These bacteria can cause food poisoning ... Maggots are much more than just the immature stage of flies. They play a vital role as decomposers, breaking down organic matter and recycling nutrients ...

When winter arrives, the microorganisms responsible for breaking down your food and yard waste — bacteria, fungi, and other decomposers — start to feel the effects of the cold. Their activity slows as ...

Jan. 28, 2025 — New research has identified a unique genetic signature in bacteria that can predict their likelihood of developing antibiotic resistance, a finding that can help quickly identify ...

Each year, most species of bacteria in a Wisconsin lake rapidly evolved, apparently in response to dramatically changing seasons, and then evolved back. Like Bill Murray in the movie "Groundhog ...

Tests on the "mysterious balls" which led to the closure of several Australian beaches last week have revealed they were made up partially of faecal bacteria. Nine beaches in Sydney were closed by ...