One of best known patterns in ecology is the latitudinal gradient in biodiversity. Near the poles there tend to be fewer species than in the tropics. Here are two examples from my own travels. First, a moist lowland forest on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica (9°N latitude). In a hectare of forest you can…

I spent the better part of September inside of a cloud, not moving. Recording data for a seedling census isn’t the most glamorous job, especially in the mountains when the cold wet autumn air inevitably finds its way through all the layers you might be wearing. Here is Dovrefjell, home to my friend Kristin Odden…