New research unveils the cascading effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest ecosystems ahead of an historic convergence of broods set to emerge spring of 2024. Media Contact: Cate Douglass; cdouglass@gwu.edu WASHINGTON (October 19, 2023) – Every 13 or 17 years, billions of cicadas emerge from the ground to reproduce in eastern North American […]| The Earth Commons
Every 13 or 17 years, the forests of the eastern U.S. erupt with the buzzing of billions of periodical cicadas emerging in synchronized cycles. These events bring a sudden, massive influx of food—a nutritional ‘pulse’—to the forest ecosystem. But while cicada emergences are well-documented for their impact on birds and mammals, less is known about […]| The Earth Commons