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Categories: Chemistry: General, Ecology: General
Published Study shows replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings accelerates restoration
(via sciencedaily.com) • Twenty-year experiment finds that active replanting beats natural recovery for restoring logged tropical forests. • The higher the diversity of replanted tree species, the more quickly canopy area and biomass recovered. • Results emphasize the importance of preserving biodiversity in pristine forests and restoring it in recovering logged forest.
Published Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae
(via sciencedaily.com) Results provide the first measurements of how sea-ice algae and other single-celled life adjust to the dramatic seasonal rhythms in the Southern Ocean. The results provide clues to what might happen as this ecosystem shifts under climate change.
Published Carbon atoms coming together in space
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lab-based studies reveal how carbon atoms diffuse on the surface of interstellar ice grains to form complex organic compounds, crucial to reveal the chemical complexity in the universe.
Published Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.
Published Researchers make strides in harnessing low-grade heat for efficient energy conversion
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has achieved significant breakthroughs in harnessing low-grade heat sources (<100 °C) for efficient energy conversion.
Published Breakthrough: Highly efficient electrocatalyst for clean energy
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has achieved a groundbreaking advancement in nanomaterials by successfully developing a highly efficient electrocatalyst which can enhance the generation of hydrogen significantly through electrochemical water splitting. This major breakthrough has great application potential for the clean energy industry.
Published Electrifying vehicles in Chicago would save lives, reduce pollution inequities
(via sciencedaily.com) If the Chicago region replaced 30% of all on-road combustion-engine vehicles -- including motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, buses, refuse trucks and short- and long-haul trucks -- with electric versions, it would annually save more than 1,000 lives and over $10 billion, according to a new study.
Published Scientists find good places to grow long-spined sea urchins, a starting point to restore 'the lawn mowers of the reefs'
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists are trying to raise as many urchins as possible because they eat algae that could otherwise smother reef ecosystems and kill corals. Researchers have identified algae on which larval sea urchins grow into juveniles in a lab setting.
Published Scientists invent a bright way to upcycle plastics into liquids that can store hydrogen energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemicals useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all at room temperature. The new process is very energy-efficient and can be easily powered by renewable energy in the future, unlike other heat-driven recycling processes like pyrolysis. Currently, only nine per cent of plastics globally are recycled and the rest are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated.
Published Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the spiders that feed on them. Now, researchers have demonstrated how some shoreline spiders can move mercury contamination from riverbeds up the food chain to land animals.
Published More Texas owls are testing positive for rat poisons
(via sciencedaily.com) New research suggests that owls in Texas have high rates of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) -- blood thinning rat poisons -- in their systems.
Published Pixel-by-pixel analysis yields insights into lithium-ion batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) By mining X-ray images, researchers have made significant new discoveries about the reactivity of lithium iron phosphate, a material used in batteries for electric cars and in other rechargeable batteries.
Published Chemist uses nature as inspiration for a sustainable, affordable adhesive system
(via sciencedaily.com) A chemist drew inspiration from the natural world, from his experiences scuba diving to studying shellfish in his lab. He has developed a sustainable adhesive system -- an alternative to toxic, permanent, traditional adhesives.
Published Freshwater connectivity can transport environmental DNA through the landscape
(via sciencedaily.com) A new article uses environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to analyze fish and zooplankton communities. The study found that the movement of water between freshwater bodies, or freshwater connectivity, can transport eDNA. This highlights the potential of eDNA to provide a comprehensive view of freshwater biodiversity.
Published Plant-based food alternatives could support a shift to global sustainability
(via sciencedaily.com) Replacing 50% of meat and milk products with plant-based alternatives by 2050 can reduce agriculture and land use related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 31% and halt the degradation of forest and natural land, according to new research.
Published Gotcha! New technology speeds up bacterial testing in food
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a measurement technique that rapidly measures the number of viable bacteria in food products. They have succeeded in drastically reducing the inspection time from 2 days to about 1 hour. With this technology, it will be possible to confirm food safety before shipment from factories and prevent food poisoning.
Published Ecology and artificial intelligence: Stronger together
(via sciencedaily.com) Many of today's artificial intelligence systems loosely mimic the human brain. In a new paper, researchers suggest that another branch of biology -- ecology -- could inspire a whole new generation of AI to be more powerful, resilient, and socially responsible. The paper argues for a synergy between AI and ecology that could both strengthen AI and help to solve complex global challenges, such as disease outbreaks, loss of biodiversity, and climate change impacts.
Published Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.
Published Art, science merge in study of 19th-century landscape paintings' ecological integrity
(via sciencedaily.com) A collaboration of ecologists and art historians has demonstrated that landscape paintings from more than 150 years ago can advance environmental science.
Published Urban parks built on former waste incineration sites could be lead hotspots
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study finds that surface soil in parks and playgrounds built on former waste incineration and ash disposal sites may contain levels of lead exceeding EPA safety standards for areas where children play. The contamination, which can persist long after an incinerator is closed, stems from burning paint, pipes and other products that contained lead. Sites in hundreds of U.S. and Canadian cities could be contaminated. Increased monitoring is needed to pinpoint hotspots.