Showing 20 articles starting at article 1441
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Mathematics: General
Published Tiny cave snail with muffin-top waistline rolls out of the dark in Laos
(via sciencedaily.com) Recent cave exploration has turned up a tiny, top-heavy snail that glistens under the light of the microscope lens. Only 1.80 mm tall, this transparent snail bulges at the middle, giving a natural appearance to the ''muffin-top'' waistline. The article reveals new biodiversity from the seldom explored caves of central Laos.
Published Crop diversification can improve environmental outcomes without sacrificing yields
(via sciencedaily.com) Diversifying agricultural systems beyond a narrow selection of crops leads to a range of ecosystem improvements while also maintaining or improving yields, according to a new study that analyzed thousands of previously conducted experiments. Diversification practices such as crop rotations and planting prairie strips can lead to 'win-win' results that protect the environment without sacrificing yields, according to the analysis.
Published Seabirds' response to abrupt climate change transformed sub-Antarctic island ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) A 14,000-year paleoecological reconstruction of the sub-Antarctic islands done by an international research team including HKU has found that seabird establishment occurred during a period of regional cooling 5,000 years ago. Their populations, in turn, shifted the Falkland Island ecosystem through the deposit of high concentrations of guano that helped nourish tussac, produce peat and increase the incidence of fire.
Published Expect more mega-droughts
(via sciencedaily.com) Mega-droughts - droughts that last two decades or longer - are tipped to increase thanks to climate change, according to new research.
Published Boo! How do Mexican cavefish escape predators?
(via sciencedaily.com) When startled, do all fish respond the same way? A few fish, like Mexican cavefish, have evolved in unique environments without any predators. To see how this lack of predation impacts escape responses that are highly stereotyped across fish species, scientists explored this tiny fish to determine if there are evolved differences in them. Findings reveal that the dramatic ecological differences between cave and river environments contribute to differences in escape behavior in blind cavefish and river-dwelling surface cavefish.
Published Atmospheric dust levels are rising in the Great Plains
(via sciencedaily.com) A study finds that atmospheric dust levels are rising across the Great Plains at a rate of up to 5% per year. The trend of rising dust parallels expansion of cropland and even seasonal crop cycles. And if the Great Plains becomes drier, a possibility under climate change scenarios, then all the pieces are in place for a repeat of the Dust Bowl that devastated the Midwest in the 1930s.
Published 40 percent of Amazon could now exist as rainforest or savanna-like ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers focused on the stability of tropical rainforests in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. With their approach they were able to explore how rainforests respond to changing rainfall.
Published Amazonia racing toward tipping point, fueled by unregulated fires
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Amazonia is closer to a catastrophic ecological tipping point than any time in the last 100,000 years, and human activity is the cause.
Published Warming temperatures are driving Arctic greening
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As Arctic summers warm, Earth's northern landscapes are changing. Using satellite images to track global tundra ecosystems over decades, a new study found the region has become greener, as warmer air and soil temperatures lead to increased plant growth.
Published Skeletal study suggests at least 11 fish species are capable of walking
(via sciencedaily.com) An international team of scientists has identified at least 11 species of fish suspected to have land-walking abilities.
Published Past rapid warming levels in the Arctic associated with widespread climate changes
(via sciencedaily.com) Using Greenland ice cores, new research is the first to confirm the longstanding assumption that climate changes between the tropics and the Arctic were synchronized during the last glacial period.
Published Lava tubes on Mars and the Moon are so wide they can host planetary bases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Subsurface cavities created by lava on Mars and the Moon could provide a shield against cosmic radiation, new research suggests.
Published Scientists reveal an explosive secret hidden beneath seemingly trustworthy volcanoes
(via sciencedaily.com) Volcanologists working on remote islands in the Galápagos Archipelago has found that volcanoes which reliably produce small basaltic lava eruptions hide chemically diverse magmas in their underground plumbing systems - including some with the potential to generate explosive activity. These volcanoes might undergo unexpected changes to sudden such activity in the future.
Published What happens in Vegas, may come from the Arctic?
(via sciencedaily.com) Ancient climate records from Leviathan Cave, located in the southern Great Basin, show that Nevada was even hotter and drier in the past than it is today, and that one 4,000-year period in particular may represent a true, ''worst-case'' scenario picture for the Southwest and the Colorado River Basin -- and the millions of people who rely on its water supply.
Published Earliest humans stayed at the Americas 'oldest hotel' in Mexican cave
(via sciencedaily.com) A cave in a remote part of Mexico was visited by humans around 30,000 years ago - 15,000 years earlier than people were previously thought to have reached the Americas. Excavations of Chiquihuite Cave, located in a mountainous area in northern Mexico controlled by drugs cartels, uncovered nearly 2000 stone tools from a small section of the high-altitude cave. Analysis of the sediment in the cave uncovered a new story of the colonisation of the Americas.
Published Neanderthals of Western Mediterranean did not become extinct because of changes in climate, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) According to paleoclimatic reconstructions analyzing stalagmites sampled in some caves in the Murge plateau (Apulia, Italy), Neanderthals might have become extinct because Homo sapiens employed more sophisticated hunting technologies.
Published Caves tell us that Australia's mountains are still growing
(via sciencedaily.com) Research shows Buchan Caves to be about 3.5 million years old and that Victoria's East Gippsland has remained tectonically active for long times, even into the present-day, which is why residents occasionally report earthquakes. Basically, the uplifting Southern Alps in New Zealand have made stress and strain on the Australian tectonic plate, stress that is then expressed as earthquakes and rising landscapes in Victoria. It's rather amazing that the caves recorded this geological signal all the way from NZ.
Published Human-driven pollution alters the environment even underground
(via sciencedaily.com) The Monte Conca cave system in Sicily is showing signs of being altered by pollution from above.
Published 9,900-year-old Mexican female skeleton distinct from other early American settlers
(via sciencedaily.com) A new skeleton discovered in the submerged caves at Tulum sheds new light on the earliest settlers of Mexico.
Published Ocean temperatures impact Central American climate more than once thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers examined the rainfall history of Central America over the last 11,000 years. The results provide context for the development of tropical rainforest ecosystems in the region, and long-sought answers to what has been controlling rainfall in Central America for several millennia.