Showing 20 articles starting at article 461
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Ecology: General
Published Traditional methods cannot give us the insights we need to understand changing ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If we want to face up to the challenges posed by climate change and other global environmental changes, we need to bring complexity science into the mix with ecology and biodiversity conservation.
Published Inside-out heating and ambient wind could make direct air capture cheaper and more efficient
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemical engineers use coated carbon fibers and eliminate steam-based heating in their simpler design, which also can be powered by wind energy.
Published Caribbean seagrasses provide services worth $255B annually, including vast carbon storage, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Caribbean seagrasses provide about $255 billion in services to society annually, including $88.3 billion in carbon storage, according to a new study. The study has put a dollar value on the many services -- from storm protection to fish habitat to carbon storage -- provided by seagrasses across the Caribbean, which holds up to half the world's seagrass meadows by surface area and contains about one-third of the carbon stored in seagrasses worldwide.
Published New research reveals the impact of different species and their traits on human wellbeing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has revealed that well-functioning ecosystems are crucial to human health and wellbeing, with human-biodiversity interactions delivering wellbeing gains equating to substantial healthcare cost-savings, when scaled-up across populations.
Published Supersized fruit eater database on climate change frontline
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To conserve precious and fragile biodiversity hotspots, a crucial step is knowing how the fruit eaters are doing. To assist in that, scientists and students have supersized a database to keep track of such animals and birds.
Published Energy harvesting via vibrations: Researchers develop highly durable and efficient device
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research group has engineered a new energy-generating device by combining piezoelectric composites with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), a commonly used material that is both light and strong. The new device transforms vibrations from the surrounding environment into electricity, providing an efficient and reliable means for self-powered sensors.
Published MethaneMapper is poised to solve the problem of underreported methane emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source MethaneMapper is an artificial intelligence-powered hyperspectral imaging tool that researchers have developed to detect real-time methane emissions and trace them to their sources. The tool works by processing hyperspectral data gathered during overhead, airborne scans of the target area.
Published Sustainable technique to manufacture chemicals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly published study details a novel mechanochemistry method that can produce chemicals using less energy and without the use of solvents that produce toxic waste.
Published Scientists use seaweed to create new material that can store heat for reuse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have created a new material derived from seaweed that can store heat for re-use. It could be used to capture summer sun for use in winter, or to store heat from industry that currently goes up the chimney, potentially slashing carbon emissions. The material is in the form of small beads made from alginate, which is cheap, abundant and non-toxic. It stores heat four times more efficiently than a previous material the team had developed.
Published Coral disease tripled in the last 25 years. Three-quarters will likely be diseased by next century
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research suggests warming temperatures will see nearly 80 per cent of coral in reefs diseased in the next 80 years.
Published 'Heat highways' could keep electronics cool
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As smart electronic devices become smaller and more powerful, they can generate a lot of heat, leading to slower processing times and sudden shutdowns. Now researchers use an electrospinning approach to produce a new nanocomposite film. In tests, the film dissipated heat four times more efficiently than similar materials, showing that it could one day be used to keep electronics cool.
Published Viruses hidden in coral symbiont's genetic material are a potential threat to reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Microscopic algae that corals need for survival harbor a common and possibly disease-causing virus in their genetic material.
Published Whales not to be counted on as 'climate savers'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Do whales increase the removal of carbon from the atmosphere? Despite some hope that this would be the case, a new study has found the amount of potential carbon capture by whales is too little to meaningfully alter the course of climate change. The team found the amount potentially sequestered by the whales was too minimal to make significant impact on the trajectory of climate change.
Published The other side of the story: How evolution impacts the environment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers show that an evolutionary change in the length of lizards' legs can have a significant impact on vegetation growth and spider populations on small islands in the Bahamas. This is one of the first times, the researchers say, that such dramatic evolution-to-environment effects have been documented in a natural setting.
Published Researchers finds a way to reduce the overheating of semiconductor devices
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have identified a method for improving the thermal conductivity of thin metal films in semiconductors using surface waves for the first time in the world.
Published Forest protection and carbon dioxide stored in biomass
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has found that worldwide protected forests have an additional 9.65 billion metric tons of carbon stored in their above-ground biomass compared to ecologically similar unprotected areas.
Published Forest birds with short, round wings more sensitive to habitat fragmentation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tropical forest birds, which tend to have wings that are short and round relative to their body length and shape, are more sensitive to habitat fragmentation than the long-, slender-winged species common in temperate forests.
Published Study identifies boat strikes as a growing cause of manatee deaths in Belize
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The endangered Antillean manatee faces a growing threat from boat strikes in Belize, according to a new study that raises concerns about the survival of what had been considered a relatively healthy population. Belize hosts a population of around 1,000 manatees. With the growth of tourism in recent decades, however, Belize has seen a substantial increase in boat traffic, making boat strikes an increasingly important cause of manatee deaths and injuries.
Published Thermal energy stored by land masses has increased significantly
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There are many effects of climate change. Perhaps the most broadly known is global warming, which is caused by heat building up in various parts of the Earth system, such as the atmosphere, the ocean, the cryosphere and the land. 89 percent of this excess heat is stored in the oceans, with the rest in ice and glaciers, the atmosphere and land masses (including inland water bodies). An international research team has now studied the quantity of heat stored on land, showing the distribution of land heat among the continental ground, permafrost soils, and inland water bodies. The calculations show that more than 20 times as much heat has been stored there since the 1960s, with the largest increase being in the ground.
Published Mitigating climate change through restoration of coastal ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are proposing a novel pathway through which coastal ecosystem restoration can permanently capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Seagrass and mangroves -- known as blue carbon ecosystems -- naturally capture carbon through photosynthesis, which converts carbon dioxide into living tissue.