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Categories: Ecology: General, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Red deer populations in Europe: More influenced by humans than by wolves and other predators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that human hunting and land use have a decisive influence on red deer density in Europe. Red deer density is only reduced when wolves, lynx and bears co-occur at the same site.
Published Focus on biological processes does not capture the whole picture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ocean plays a crucial role in the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). The so-called marine biological carbon pump is an important research topic in this context. However a key component is often overlooked. Colleagues outline why it is insufficient to focus solely on biological processes when investigating the accumulation of CO2 in the ocean by the biological carbon pump.
Published 'Carbon vault' peat suffers greatly from drought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Peatlands are affected more by drought than expected. This is concerning, as these ecosystems are an important ally in the fight against climate change. Following long periods of drought, peat is able to absorb little to no extra carbon (CO2). Increasing biodiversity also does little to make peat more drought-resilient.
Published Iron influences plant immunity and may promote resiliency against climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers discovered that plants manage iron deficiency without helping 'bad' bacteria thrive by eliminating the molecular signal for iron deficiency, and that the iron deficiency signaling pathway and the plant immune system are deeply intertwined. Their findings provide a new target for boosting plant resilience in the face of climate change, and offer new insight into plant and animal microbiomes.
Published The reaction mechanism for catalytic ammonia production experimentally determined
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have now been able to study the surface of iron and ruthenium catalysts when ammonia is formed from nitrogen and hydrogen. A better knowledge of the catalytic process and the possibility of finding even more efficient materials opens the door for a green transition in the currently very CO2-intensive chemical industry.
Published Scientists name the most common tropical tree species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found almost identical patterns of tree diversity across the world's tropical forests. The study of over one million trees across 1,568 locations found that just 2.2% of tree species make up 50% of the total number of trees in tropical forests across Africa, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia. Each continent consists of the same proportion of a few common species and many rare species.
Published In hot water: Coral resilience in the face of climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have been studying the effects of climate change on coral reefs. Monitoring two coral species off the coast of Hawaii, one team found that local adaptations in response to near-severe heat stress allowed certain populations to endure such events.
Published Meteorite analysis shows Earth's building blocks contained water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Analysis of iron meteorites from the earliest years of the solar system indicate that the planetary 'seeds' that ultimately formed Earth contained water.
Published Bottled water can contain hundreds of thousands of previously uncounted tiny plastic bits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits, these particles are being consumed by humans and other creatures, with unknown potential health and ecosystem effects. One big focus of research: bottled water, which has been shown to contain tens of thousands of identifiable fragments in each container. Now, using newly refined technology, researchers have entered a whole new plastic world: the poorly known realm of nanoplastics, the spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further. For the first time, they counted and identified these minute particles in bottled water. They found that on average, a liter contained some 240,000 detectable plastic fragments -- 10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes.
Published Global study of extreme drought impacts on grasslands and shrublands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A global study shows that the effects of extreme drought -- which is expected to increase in frequency with climate change -- has been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands. The findings quantify the impact of extreme short-term drought on grassland and shrubland ecosystems across six continents with a level of detail that was not previously possible. It is the first time an experiment this extensive has been undertaken to generate a baseline understanding of the potential losses of plant productivity in these vital ecosystems.
Published Accounting for plastic persistence can minimize environmental impacts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a sustainability metric for the ecological design of plastic products that have low persistence in the environment. Adhering to this metric could provide substantial environmental and societal benefits, according to a new study.
Published Monitoring the well-being of reservoir water through an uncrewed surface vehicle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a recent tragic incident, approximately 100 elephants in Africa perished due to inadequate access to water. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) issues a warning that around 2.5 billion people worldwide could face water scarcity by 2025. In the face of water shortages affecting not only human society but also the entire ecological community due to the climate crisis, it becomes crucial to adopt comprehensive measures for managing water quality and quantity to avert such pressing challenges.
Published Arctic cold snap transforms into a blessing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists investigate the influence of Arctic cold air on carbon dioxide uptake of the east sea.
Published Male southern elephant seals are picky eaters
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests these large marine mammals are extremely fussy and only eat their favorite foods.
Published Scientists engineer plant microbiome to protect crops against disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. The findings could substantially reduce the need for environmentally destructive pesticides.
Published Scientists solve mystery of how predatory bacteria recognizes prey
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill other bacteria may have been solved, according to new research.
Published Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 meters around the turbine.
Published The choreography connecting kelp forests to the beach
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study uncovers a symphony of synchrony between the kelp forest and beach, with broader implications for the beach food web as the climate changes.
Published Vitamin discovered in rivers may offer hope for salmon suffering from thiamine deficiency disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, findings that may offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations.
Published Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other processes. In a new study, researchers reduced the chlorophyll levels in leaves to see if the plant would invest the nitrogen saved into other process that might improve nutritional quality.