After a strong rain, the corpses of worms strewn across the pavement are a disgusting sight – or a pathetic one, depending on your sympathy for these slithery invertebrates. But what’s the advantage of suicide? Teri Balser, an associate professor of soil and ecosystem ecology at UW-Madison, says the answer starts with the fact that [...]

As kids spend more times indoors, experts wonder what is being lost. Do humans need nature?

Tropical botanists strive to save rain forest plants and ecosystems. What is the role of plants in traditional society? Can plant-derived chemicals become a valuable commodity — and help preserve natural places?