Basic ecology uses simple diagrams to illustrate how biomass is distributed in ecosystems. These “ecological pyramids” lump all primary producers (plants) at the base of the pyramid. The second level ...

Microbial communities are thought to contain keystone species, which can disproportionately affect the stability of the communities, even if only present in low abundances. Identifying these keystone ...

SEATTLE -- Robert "Bob" Paine, an influential ecologist best known for introducing the concept of "keystone species" and who nurtured a generation of scientists, has died. He was 83. Paine, a retired ...

A new study in the journal Freshwater Biology revealed the biomass (total mass of an organism in an area) of the black-bellied salamander far exceeds any previous estimates, and the contribution of ...

Robert Paine, a groundbreaking, hands-on ecologist who found that removing what he called a “keystone species” from an environment could profoundly affect the fortunes of neighboring species, died ...