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Categories: Ecology: General, Energy: Technology
Published Nature's checkup: Surveying biodiversity with environmental DNA sequencing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A thousand kilometers south of Tokyo, far into the largest ocean on Earth, lies a chain of small, volcanic islands -- the Ogasawara Islands. Nature has been able to develop on its own terms here, far from both humans and the warm Kuroshio current, which acts like a shuttle, moving marine species from Taiwan, over the Ryukyu Islands, and up the Pacific coast of mainland Japan. With upwards of 70 % of trees and many animal species being endemic to the archipelago, the islands have been dubbed 'the Galapagos of the East', as they are valuable as both a biodiversity hotspot and a cradle of scientific discovery.
Published Spy-satellite images offer insights into historical ecosystem changes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New study advocates the use of more than one million declassified images for ecology and conservation. The images can offer better insights into the historical changes of ecosystems, species populations or changes in human influences on the environment dating back to the 1960s. Collaboration between ecologists, conservationists, and remote sensing experts is necessary to explore the full potential of the data.
Published Giant Antarctic sea spiders reproductive mystery solved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Instead of carrying the babies until they hatched, as in most species of sea spiders, one parent (likely the father) spent two days attaching the eggs to the rocky bottom where they developed for several months before hatching as tiny larvae.
Published Electrification or hydrogen? Both have distinct roles in the European energy transition
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A key step to achieving climate neutrality in the European Union is to rapidly shift from fossil fuels to electric technologies powered by renewable energies, a new study shows. At the same time, hydrogen produced from electricity will also be indispensable in hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation, shipping and chemicals. By 2050, electrification and hydrogen are the key strategies to reach climate neutrality based on renewable power.
Published Online digital data and AI for monitoring biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers propose a framework for integrating online digital data into biodiversity monitoring.
Published New chip opens door to AI computing at light speed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed a new chip that uses light waves, rather than electricity, to perform the complex math essential to training AI. The chip has the potential to radically accelerate the processing speed of computers while also reducing their energy consumption.
Published Reforestation programs could threaten vast area of tropical grasslands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research reveals the scale of inappropriate reforestation projects across Africa. A new study reveals that an area the size of France is threatened by forest restoration initiatives, such as the AFR100 initiative (African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative), due to inappropriate restoration in the form of tree-planting.
Published Discovery of new Li ion conductor unlocks new direction for sustainable batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a solid material that rapidly conducts lithium ions. Consisting of non-toxic earth-abundant elements, the new material has high enough Li ion conductivity to replace the liquid electrolytes in current Li ion battery technology, improving safety and energy capacity. The research team have synthesized the material in the laboratory, determined its structure and demonstrated it in a battery cell.
Published Big new idea introduced with the help of tiny plankton
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new model bridges the rules of life at the individual scale and the ecosystem level, which could open new avenues of exploration in ecology, global change biology, and ultimately ecosystem management.
Published 'Scientists' warning' on climate and technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Throughout human history, technologies have been used to make peoples' lives richer and more comfortable, but they have also contributed to a global crisis threatening Earth's climate, ecosystems and even our own survival. Researchers have suggested that industrial civilization's best way forward may entail embracing further technological advancements but doing so with greater awareness of their potential drawbacks.
Published Researchers shed light on river resiliency to flooding
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have completed one of the most extensive river resilience studies, examining how river ecosystems recover following floods. They developed a novel modeling approach that used data from oxygen sensors placed in rivers to estimate daily growth in aquatic plants and algae. The researchers then modeled the algal and plant biomass in 143 rivers across the contiguous U.S. to quantify what magnitude of flooding disturbs the biomass and how long the rivers take to recover from floods. Increased understanding of rivers' resiliency is important to maintaining healthy rivers, as human actions can affect flood regimes and change the conditions in rivers for other aquatic life that may rely on algae and plants as a food source.
Published Cold-water coral traps itself on mountains in the deep sea
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Corals searching for food in the cold and dark waters of the deep sea are building higher and higher mountains to get closer to the source of their food. But in doing so, they may find themselves trapped when the climate changes.
Published Is the Amazon forest approaching a tipping point?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it towards partial or total collapse. New research has identified the potential thresholds of these stressors, showing where their combined effects could produce a 'tipping point' -- in which the forest is so fragile that just a small disturbance could cause an abrupt shift in the state of the ecosystem.
Published Benefits of heat pumps
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millions of U.S. households would benefit from heat pumps, but the cost of installing the technology needs to come down to make their use a more attractive proposition.
Published Eco-friendly way to generate power from waste wood
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study by researchers has revealed a sustainable method of efficiently converting waste heat into electricity using Irish wood products, while minimizing costs and environmental impact.
Published Joro spiders well-poised to populate cities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Joro spider was first spotted stateside around 2013 and has since been spotted across Georgia and the Southeast. New research has found more clues as to why the spider has been so successful in its spread. The study found the invasive orb-weaving spider is surprisingly tolerant of the vibrations and noise common in urban landscapes. In this new study, researchers examined how Joro spiders can live next to busy roads, which are notably stressful environments for many animals.
Published Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers find deforestation accounts for about 10 percent of global human-made mercury emissions. While it cannot be the only solution, they suggest reforestation could increase global mercury uptake by about 5 percent.
Published How electron spectroscopy measures exciton 'holes'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Semiconductors are ubiquitous in modern technology, working to either enable or prevent the flow of electricity. In order to understand the potential of two-dimensional semiconductors for future computer and photovoltaic technologies, researchers investigated the bond that builds between the electrons and holes contained in these materials. By using a special method to break up the bond between electrons and holes, they were able to gain a microscopic insight into charge transfer processes across a semiconductor interface.
Published Conversion process turns greenhouse gas into ethylene
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have created a more efficient way of converting carbon dioxide into valuable products while simultaneously addressing climate change.
Published Towards A Better Way of Releasing Hydrogen Stored in Hydrogen Boride Sheets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hydrogen stored in hydrogen boride sheets can be efficiently released electrochemically, report scientists. Through a series of experiments, they demonstrated that dispersing these sheets in an organic solvent and applying a small voltage is enough to release all the stored hydrogen efficiently. These findings suggest hydrogen boride sheets could soon become a safe and convenient way to store and transport hydrogen, which is a cleaner and more sustainable fuel.