Invasive species are fending very well under higher temperatures and carbon dioxide conditions. And the yellow starthistle in the American West offers a glimpse of why. A native to the Mediterranean, this thorny yellow-blossomed plant has become a bane to ranchers in the West as it outcompetes native grasses and degrades pasture quality. Cattle don’t want to eat it and it’s toxic to horses. Photo: Patrick Berry A Purdue University study found that yellow star thistle has some of the greatest... [Read more]

Previously  I wrote about the debate in the scientific community about recolonizing species into new areas as climate change forces them out of their old homes. Apparently, a similar debate is happening in the U.S. parks service. I was at an event this week commemorating the opening of a Ocean Climate Center in San Francisco, a place where federal agencies can combine research and mitigation efforts on climate change. Frank Dean, the superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area,... [Read more]