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Categories: Ecology: Trees, Geoscience: Geology
Published Dune patterns reveal environmental change on Earth and other planets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have analyzed the shifting patterns of entire dune fields on Earth and Mars, as seen from orbit, and found they are a direct signature of recent environmental change. This new tool can be applied anywhere with dunes, such as Mars, Titan, and Venus.
Published Earth's most ancient impact craters are disappearing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Earth's oldest craters could give scientists critical information about the structure of the early Earth and the composition of bodies in the solar system as well as help to interpret crater records on other planets. But geologists can't find them, and they might never be able to, according to a new study.
Published Sun 'umbrella' tethered to asteroid might help mitigate climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Earth is rapidly warming and scientists are developing a variety of approaches to reduce the effects of climate change. An astronomer has proposed a novel approach -- a solar shield to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth, combined with a tethered, captured asteroid as a counterweight. Engineering studies using this approach could start now to create a workable design that could mitigate climate change within decades.
Published Plans to plant billions of trees threatened by massive undersupply of seedlings
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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 New study reveals that tree species diversity increases spider density
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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 Missing island explains how endemic species on the Miyako Islands emerged
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Miyako Islands are home to various native species of snake and lizards. How these species came to call these islands home has long puzzled scientists. A group of researchers have compiled the latest geological and biological data, proposing that an island once facilitated migration between Okinawa and Miyako Islands.
Published Research supports use of managed and prescribed fires to reduce fire severity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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 What can central Utah's earthquake 'swarms' reveal about the West's seismicity?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Much of central Utah's seismic activity comes in groups of small earthquakes. A study by seismologists examines 2,300 quakes occurring 40 'swarms' dating back to 1981, opening a window into Earth's crust in a geothermally active area.
Published Miocene period fossil forest of Wataria found in Japan
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 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 In Florida, endangered coral finds a way to blossom
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In a new study, researchers have found that the restoration efforts of the critically endangered species elkhorn coral depend largely on the animal's location, microbiome, and the right conditions to provide an abundance of food.
Published Building a better forest tree with CRISPR gene editing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers use CRISPR techniques to modify lignin levels in poplar trees.
Published Crawford Lake, Canada, chosen as the primary marker to identify the start of the Anthropocene epoch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of researchers has chosen the location which best represents the beginnings of what could be a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Working Group have put forward Crawford Lake, in Canada, as a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Anthropocene. A GSSP is an internationally agreed-upon reference point to show the start of a new geological period or epoch in layers of rock that have built up through the ages.
Published Scientists discover 36-million-year geological cycle that drives biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Movement in the Earth's tectonic plates indirectly triggers bursts of biodiversity in 36 million-year cycles by forcing sea levels to rise and fall, new research has shown.
Published Global cooling caused diversity of species in orchids, confirms study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research shows global cooling of the climate 10 million years ago led to an explosion of diversity in terrestrial orchids.
Published Forest can adapt to climate change, but not quickly enough
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source America's forests have a tough time in store for them. Climate change is increasing temperatures and decreasing moisture levels across the country, not a winning combination for trees.
Published Study reveals how a tall spruce develops defense against hungry weevils
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study has identified genes involved in development of stone cells -- rigid cells that can block a nibbling insect from eating budding branches of the Sitka spruce evergreen tree. The insect's attack has stunted the growth of these forest giants.
Published Biotechnology offers holistic approach to restoration of at-risk forest tree species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many at-risk forest tree species will probably need biotechnology along with traditional tree-breeding approaches to survive, according to new insights.
Published Why the day is 24 hours long: Astrophysicists reveal why Earth's day was a constant 19.5 hours for over a billion years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astrophysicists have revealed how the slow and steady lengthening of Earth's day caused by the tidal pull of the moon was halted for over a billion years. They show that from approximately two billion years ago until 600 million years ago, an atmospheric tide driven by the sun countered the effect of the moon, keeping Earth's rotational rate steady and the length of day at a constant 19.5 hours. Without this billion-year pause in the slowing of our planet's rotation, our current 24-hour day would stretch to over 60 hours. The paper offers a new perspective on how global warming will affect the length of our day and validates global circulation models as a climate modelling tool.
Published Earth's Inner Core: Earth's solid metal sphere is 'textured'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists used seismic data discovered Earth's inner core displays a variety of textures that it acquired will it formed from within the fluid outer core. The data set was generated over the past 27 years by a network of seismometers set up to enforce the nuclear test ban treaty.