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Categories: Ecology: Trees, Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published Soils forming on the branches of trees are an overlooked forest habitat


A study on 'canopy soils' on old trees in Costa Rica shows they are important habitats and carbon stores that cannot easily be replaced.
Published Deforestation limits nesting habitat for cavity-nesting birds


A new study of cavity-nesting birds in Ecuador shows the influence of deforestation on their habitat and reproductive success. Nest boxes could help.
Published Tree mortality in the Black Forest on the rise -- climate change a key driver



Climate impacts such as dry, hot summers reduce the growth and increase the mortality of trees in the Black Forest because they negatively influence the climatic water balance, i.e., the difference between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. That is the central finding of a long-term study of the influence of climate and climate change on trees in the Black Forest.
Published Biodiversity protects against invasions of non-native tree species


Researchers combined human and ecological factors to analyze the global scale of non-native tree species invasions. Human activity in hotspots of global trade, such as maritime ports, is linked to an increased likelihood of non-native tree species invasions. However, a high diversity of native tree species can help to curb the intensity of such invasions.
Published Fire, disease threatening sanctuary plants for Australian wildlife



New research has revealed Australia's iconic grasstrees -- known as 'yaccas' -- play a critical role in protecting wildlife from deadly weather extremes, thereby ensuring their survival. But the grasses themselves are under threat due to back burning, clearing and disease.
Published Hard-of-hearing music fans prefer a different sound


Researchers study the impact of hearing loss on subjects' enjoyment of different music mixes. They played different music mixes to listeners with and without hearing loss and found that those with hearing loss preferred louder lead vocals, higher frequencies, and sparser mixes with fewer frequencies overall. Previous research has found that music steadily shifted to quieter vocals and louder instrumentals leading up to 1975, meaning today's music may be less accessible to those with hearing loss.
Published REBURN: A new tool to model wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and beyond



Researchers have developed a new tool, REBURN, that can simulate large forest landscapes and wildfire dynamics over decades or centuries under different wildfire management strategies. The model can simulate the consequences of extinguishing all wildfires regardless of size, which was done for much of the 20th century and has contributed to a rise in large and severe wildfires, or of allowing certain fires to return to uninhabited areas to help create a more 'patchwork' forest structure that can help lessen fire severity. REBURN can also simulate conditions where more benign forest landscape dynamics have fully recovered in an area.
Published Without aggressive climate action, U.S. property values will take a hit from escalating wildfire risk and tree mortality, study finds



Research attempts to quantify the value of U.S. property at risk in forested areas exposed to increased ecological disturbance associated with climate change, such as wildfire and tree mortality. Property exposed to such climate risks, especially in California, is project to climb substantially if emission-reduction measures are not taken.
Published Brain recordings capture musicality of speech -- with help from Pink Floyd


For those with neurological or developmental disorders compromising speech, brain machine interfaces could help them communicate. But today's interfaces are slow and, from electrodes placed on the scalp, can detect letters only. The speech generated is robotic and affectless. Neuroscientists have now shown that they can reconstruct the song a person is hearing from brain recordings alone, holding out the possibility of reconstructing not only words but the musicality of speech, which also conveys meaning.
Published In the treetops: Ecologist studies canopy soil abundance, chemistry



Ecologists examined the distribution patterns of canopy soils, and their soil properties, across Costa Rican forests. The researchers suggest canopy soil may store more carbon than previously thought. Consideration of the time needed for reforestation of system with tree canopies should include the time needed for canopy mat regrowth.
Published Tropical trees use social distancing to maintain biodiversity



Tropical forests can harbor hundreds of species of trees in one square mile. Researchers reveal key factors in the spatial distribution of adult trees.
Published Plans to plant billions of trees threatened by massive undersupply of seedlings



Major government and private funding is being invested in planting trees as a powerful tool to fight climate change. But new research shows a troubling bottleneck that could threaten these efforts: U.S. tree nurseries don't grow close to enough trees--nor have the species diversity needed--to meet ambitious planting and restoration goals.
Published A wearable ultrasound scanner could detect breast cancer earlier


In hopes of improving the survival rate for breast cancer patients, researchers designed a wearable ultrasound device that could allow women to detect tumors when they are still in early stages.
Published New study reveals that tree species diversity increases spider density



The link between tree diversity and spider populations can help homeowners and other land managers better plan tree plantings to naturally mitigate the effects of climate change.
Published A quick look inside a human being



Physicists have succeeded in making a new imaging technique ready for use on humans. Radioactive markers and radiation are not necessary for this.
Published Research supports use of managed and prescribed fires to reduce fire severity



Scientists found that fires in America's dry conifer forests are burning hotter and killing more trees today than in previous centuries. The main culprit? Paradoxically, a lack of fires.
Published Miocene period fossil forest of Wataria found in Japan



An exquisitely preserved fossil forest from Japan provides missing links and helps reconstruct a whole Eurasia plant from the late Miocene epoch.
Published Gene variation makes apple trees 'weep,' improving orchards



Plant geneticists have identified a mutation in a gene that causes the 'weeping' architecture -- branches growing downwards -- in apple trees, a finding that could improve orchard fruit production.
Published Controlling signal routing in quantum information processing



Routing signals and isolating them against noise and back-reflections are essential in many practical situations in classical communication as well as in quantum processing. In a theory-experimental collaboration, a team has achieved unidirectional transport of signals in pairs of 'one-way streets'. This research opens up new possibilities for more flexible signaling devices.
Published Building a better forest tree with CRISPR gene editing



Researchers use CRISPR techniques to modify lignin levels in poplar trees.