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Categories: Ecology: Trees, Engineering: Robotics Research
Published Bolstering the safety of self-driving cars with a deep learning-based object detection system


Self-driving cars need to implement efficient, effective, and accurate detection systems to provide a safe and reliable experience to its users. To this end, an international research team has now developed an end-to-end neural network that, in conjunction with the Internet-of-Things technology, detects object with high accuracy (> 96%) in both 2D and 3D. The new method outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods and the way to new 2D and 3D detection systems for autonomous vehicles.
Published Findings for invasive insect's life cycle could aid management in southeast



New research findings could help scientists control the emerald ash borer, an invasive pest ravaging native ash trees in North America.
Published Soft robot detects damage, heals itself


Engineers have created a soft robot capable of detecting when and where it was damaged -- and then healing itself on the spot.
Published New branch on tree of life includes 'lions of the microbial world'



There's a new branch on the tree of life and it's made up of predators that nibble their prey to death. These microbial predators fall into two groups, one of which researchers have dubbed 'nibblerids' because they, well, nibble chunks off their prey using tooth-like structures. The other group, nebulids, eat their prey whole. And both comprise a new ancient branch on the tree of life called 'Provora,' according to a new article.
Published In the tropics, nitrogen-fixing trees take a hit from herbivores



The ability of tropical forests to grow and store carbon is limited, in part, by herbivory. Insects and other animals prefer to feed on nitrogen-fixing trees, reducing the success of fixers and the nitrogen they provide. Experts now recommend accounting for herbivory constraints on nitrogen-fixing trees in climate models and projections of the tropical forest carbon sink.
Published Researchers use ultrasound waves to move objects hands-free


Researchers have discovered a new method to move objects using ultrasound waves, opening the door for using contactless manipulation in industries such as robotics and manufacturing.
Published Forest resilience linked with higher mortality risk in western US



A forest's resilience, or ability to absorb environmental disturbances, has long been thought to be a boost for its odds of survival against the looming threat of climate change. But a new study suggests that for some Western U.S. forests, it's quite the opposite. The results of one of the first large-scale studies of its kind show that while high ecosystem resilience correlates with low mortality in eastern forests, it is linked to high mortality in western regions.
Published Climate change in the forests of northern Germany



More and more trees are suffering the consequences of decades of human-made climate change. The growth of the European beech has so far suffered decline mainly in southern Europe. European beech is Germany's most important native forest tree species and it is most commonly found in Central Europe. A research team has now been able to show that the European beech is suffering from increasing drought stress in summer in northern Germany as well. This climate stress is particularly pronounced at warmer sites, when there is a higher density of these trees together, and on very sandy soils.
Published Checking blood pressure in a heartbeat, using artificial intelligence and a camera



Engineers have designed a system to remotely measure blood pressure by filming a person's forehead and extracting cardiac signals using artificial intelligence algorithms.
Published Living in greener areas is associated with better mental health and less medication use



A new study has evaluated the relationship between better mental health and the 3-30-300 green space rule. According to this rule of thumb, everyone should be able to see at least three trees from their home, have 30 percent tree canopy cover in their neighborhood and not live more than 300 meters away from the nearest park or green space.
Published Cheetah marking trees are hotspots for communication also for other species



Marking trees are important hotspots of communication for cheetahs: Here they exchange information with and about other cheetahs via scent marks, urine and scats. A team has now shown that several mammalian species on farmland in Namibia maintain a network for intra- and interspecific communication at cheetah trees. Black-backed jackals, African wildcats and warthogs visited and sniffed the cheetahs' 'places to be' more frequently than control trees, the team concluded from photos and videos recorded by wildlife camera traps. A common prey species of the cheetahs, however, avoided these hotspots.
Published Old-growth trees more drought tolerant than younger ones, providing a buffer against climate change



A new analysis of more than 20,000 trees on five continents shows that old-growth trees are more drought tolerant than younger trees in the forest canopy and may be better able to withstand future climate extremes. The findings highlight the importance of preserving the world's remaining old-growth forests, which are biodiversity strongholds that store vast amounts of planet-warming carbon, according to forest ecologists.
Published Pulses driven by artificial intelligence tame quantum systems



Machine learning drives self-discovery of pulses that stabilize quantum systems in the face of environmental noise.
Published Forests benefit from tree species variety and genetic diversity



Reforestation projects should include a variety of tree species and ensure genetic diversity within each species to maximize new forests' health and productivity.
Published Animals are key to restoring the world's forests



By dispersing seeds, animals can rapidly reestablish plant diversity in degraded forests.
Published Genome studies uncover a new branch in fungal evolution



About 600 seemingly disparate fungi that had resisted categorization have been shown to have a common ancestor, according to a a research team that used genome sequencing to give these peculiar creatures a new classification home.
Published Old World flycatchers' family tree mapped



The European robin's closest relatives are found in tropical Africa. The European robin is therefore not closely related to the Japanese robin, despite their close similarity in appearance. This is confirmed by a new study of the Old World flycatcher family, to which these birds belong. The study comprises 92 per cent of the more than 300 species in this family.
Published What shapes the composition of microbes in a warbler's gut?



Differences among the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live within birds' digestive tracts -- their gut microbiomes -- are not primarily driven by diet diversity, contrary to a recently proposed hypothesis. Instead, a team of researchers found that evolution may play a larger role in explaining these differences, which could potentially have implications for how these species adapt to new habitats.
Published Planting trees can save lives, study shows



A 30-year tree planting campaign in Portland, Oregon, allowed researchers to show that the number of trees planted in the street is associated with reductions in mortality, and that the association grows stronger as the trees age and grow.
Published Half of replanted tropical trees don't survive



On average, about half of trees planted in tropical and sub-tropical forest restoration efforts do not survive more than five years, but there is enormous variation in outcomes, new research has found.