Biology: Marine Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Some species may tolerate climate change better than expected      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new model reassesses the proportion of terrestrial and marine species threatened with extinction by climate change. While the forecasts of traditional models estimate that the diversity of terrestrial species in tropical areas could decrease by 54% between now and 2041-2060, this model is more moderate, predicting a decrease of 39%. Nevertheless, this proportion remains alarming and confirms the importance of taking urgent measures to mitigate climate change and its impact on biodiversity.

Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Imperceptible sensors made from 'electronic spider silk' can be printed directly on human skin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a method to make adaptive and eco-friendly sensors that can be directly and imperceptibly printed onto a wide range of biological surfaces, whether that's a finger or a flower petal.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR)
Published

AI poised to usher in new level of concierge services to the public      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Concierge services built on artificial intelligence have the potential to improve how hotels and other service businesses interact with customers, a new paper suggests.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Ecology: Animals
Published

Finding the beat of collective animal motion      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Virtual Reality experiments have illuminated the rhythmic glue that could keep animals moving in synchrony.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Conservation of nature's strongholds needed to halt biodiversity loss      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

To achieve global biodiversity targets, conservationists and governments must prioritize the establishment and effective management of large, interconnected protected areas with high ecological integrity, researchers argue in a new essay.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science
Published

Regional differences in bird diversity in agroforestry systems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The diversity and ecological functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforestry systems are shaped by the surrounding landscape, in particular the extent and composition of the forest.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

A rise in sea urchins and related damage to kelp forests impacts Oregon's gray whales and their food      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Digging up good news for microbial studies      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Findings indicate that soil stored under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can still retain the needed information for understanding microbial community composition and structure for many years.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Building a better sarcasm detector      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sarcasm is notoriously tricky to convey through text, and the subtle changes in tone that convey sarcasm often confuse computer algorithms as well, limiting virtual assistants and content analysis tools. So researchers have now developed a multimodal algorithm for improved sarcasm detection that examines multiple aspects of audio recordings for increased accuracy. They used two complementary approaches -- sentiment analysis using text and emotion recognition using audio -- for a more complete picture.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

From roots to resilience: investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Understanding how salt marsh grass stays healthy is of crucial ecological importance, and studying the ways bacteria interact with these plants is key. Thanks to recent advances in genomic technology, biologists have begun to reveal never-before-seen ecological processes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research
Published

Access to gardens and citizen science helps encourage conservation among children, study shows      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils, a new study shows.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new article has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security. The research suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Virtual reality becomes more engaging when designers use cinematic tools      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cinematography techniques can significantly increase user engagement with virtual environments and, in particular, the aesthetic appeal of what users see in virtual reality.

Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Mosaic grassland landscapes are the most beneficial      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Grassland provides many services for humans, animals and nature, such as feed production, carbon storage and recreation. Researchers spent two years investigating permanent grassland, its utilization, soils and plant communities in order to quantify the resulting ecosystem services. Grassland performs best when different types of use such as meadows, pastures and unfertilized extensive grassland exist together in a mosaic landscape.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science
Published

Island birds more adaptable than previously thought      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The researchers found that birds were more evolutionarily similar on smaller, more isolated islands than on larger, less remote places. The team had expected to find that forested areas had more numerous and more varied species of birds compared to farmland areas. But they were surprised to find that the opposite was true: Areas with farms and human settlements had more species of birds and greater diversity than forested areas.