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Categories: Ecology: Trees, Physics: Optics
Published Fresh light on the path to net zero



Researchers have used magnetic fields to reveal the mystery of how light particles split. Scientists are closer to giving the next generation of solar cells a powerful boost by integrating a process that could make the technology more efficient by breaking particles of light photons into small chunks.
Published Shining light on similar crystals reveals photoreactions can differ



A research team has revealed that photoreactions proceed differently depending on the crystal structure of photoreactive molecules, shining a light on the mechanism by which non-uniform photoreactions occur within crystals. This is a new step toward controlling photoreactions in crystals.
Published The ancestor of all modern birds probably had iridescent feathers



Birds tend to be more colorful in the tropics, and scientists wanted to find out how they got there: if colorful feathers evolved in the tropics, or if tropical birds have brightly-colored ancestors that came to the region from somwhere else. Scientists built a database of 9,409 birds to explore the spread of color across the globe. They found that iridescent, colorful feathers originated 415 times across the bird tree of life, and in most cases, arose outside of the tropics -- and that the ancestor of all modern birds likely had iridescent feathers, too.
Published Save your data on printable magnetic devices? New laser technique's twist might make this reality



A team has been developing a new type of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) for laser printing using an optical vortex, which has been dubbed OV-LIFT. The team succeeded in printing crystals with helix-like twisted structures, which could hold promise in creating printable magnetic devices for high-density data storage.
Published Nonreciprocal interactions go nonlinear



Using two optically trapped glass nanoparticles, researchers observed a novel collective Non-Hermitian and nonlinear dynamic driven by nonreciprocal interactions. This contribution expands traditional optical levitation with tweezer arrays by incorporating the so called non-conservative interactions.
Published Engineer develops technique that enhances thermal imaging and infrared thermography for police, medical, military use



A new method to measure the continuous spectrum of light is set to improve thermal imaging and infrared thermography.
Published Mixed approach to reforestation better than planting or regeneration alone



Reforestation in low- and middle-income countries can remove up to 10 times more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at lower cost than previously estimated, making it a potentially more effective option to fight climate change. Most current reforestation programs focus on tree planting alone, but the study estimates that nearly half of all suitable reforestation locations would be more effective at sequestering carbon if forests were allowed to grow back naturally.
Published How well does tree planting work in climate change fight? It depends



Using trees as a cost-effective tool against climate change is more complicated than simply planting large numbers of them, an international collaboration has shown.
Published Nanoscale device simultaneously steers and shifts frequency of optical light, pointing the way to future wireless communication channels



A tunable metasurface can control optical light in space and time, offering a path toward new ways of wirelessly and securely transmitting large amounts of data both on Earth and in space.
Published Trees reveal climate surprise -- bark removes methane from the atmosphere



Tree bark surfaces play an important role in removing methane gas from the atmosphere.
Published Heat-sensitive trees move uphill seeking climate change respite



Trees in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest are migrating in search of more favourable temperatures with species in mountain forests moving uphill to escape rising heat caused by climate change.
Published A promising new method uses light to clean up forever chemicals



A room-temperature method to decompose perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) using visible LED light offers a promising solution for sustainable fluorine recycling and PFAS treatment.
Published 3D printing of light-activated hydrogel actuators



An international team of researchers has embedded gold nanorods in hydrogels that can be processed through 3D printing to create structures that contract when exposed to light -- and expand again when the light is removed. Because this expansion and contraction can be performed repeatedly, the 3D-printed structures can serve as remotely controlled actuators.
Published Genome study informs restoration of American chestnut tree



Researchers use genomes to help restore the American chestnut population and adjust species breeding to the changing climate.
Published Hundreds of new genome sequences fill gaps in the fruit fly tree of life



A multitude of new genomic sequence data fills major gaps in the fruit fly tree of life, researchers report.
Published New technique pinpoints nanoscale 'hot spots' in electronics to improve their longevity



Researchers engineered a new technique to identify at the nanoscale level what components are overheating in electronics and causing their performance to fail.
Published Discovery of a hybrid lineage offers clues to how trees adapt to climate change



The discovery of a hybrid population of poplar trees in western Wyoming has provided insight into how natural hybridization informs the evolution of many plant species, according to researchers. They also said their discovery suggests that genetic exchange between species may be critical for adaptation to environmental change.
Published Forests endure as carbon sink despite regional pressures



Despite facing regional threats like deforestation and wildfires, the world's forests continue to be a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. A new study reveals these vital ecosystems have consistently absorbed carbon dioxide for the past three decades, even as disruptions chip away at their capacity. The study, based on long-term ground measurements combined with remote sensing data, found that forests take up an average of 3.5 0.4 billion metric tons of carbon per year, which is nearly half of the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels between 1990 and 2019.
Published Logged forests can still have ecological value -- if not pushed too far



Researchers have analysed data from 127 studies to reveal 'thresholds' for when logged rainforests lose the ability to sustain themselves. The results could widen the scope of which forests are considered 'worth' conserving, but also show how much logging degrades forests beyond the point of no return.
Published Scientists use machine learning to predict diversity of tree species in forests



Researchers used machine learning to generate highly detailed maps of over 100 million individual trees from 24 sites across the U.S. These maps provide information about individual tree species and conditions, which can greatly aid conservation efforts and other ecological projects.