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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published Predictive model could improve hydrogen station availability


Consumer confidence in driving hydrogen-fueled vehicles could be improved by having station operators adopt a predictive model that helps them anticipate maintenance needs, according to researchers.
Published Incubator or barrier? Exploring the links between agriculture, biodiversity and the spread of pathogens


Many pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19, are thought to have originated in wild animals before spilling into human populations.
Published Step change in upconversion the key to clean water, green energy and futuristic medicine


Achieving photochemical upconversion in a solid state is a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique that could unlock vital innovations in renewable energy, water purification and advanced healthcare.
Published Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070


The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.
Published Cars, chlamydia and canines are biggest koala killers



A database tracking hospital admissions and deaths reveals the devastating impact cars, disease and dogs are having on the South East Queensland koala population.
Published Clever lapwings use cover to hide in plain sight



Ground-nesting birds called lapwings use the shape of their nests and surroundings to hide from predators, new research shows.
Published Vocal learning linked to problem solving skills and brain size



The better a songbird is at working its way around obstacles to retrieve a snack, the more complex its vocal learning ability will be.
Published Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself


Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.
Published Pollination by more than one bee species improves cherry harvest



To obtain the biggest cherry harvest, trees should be pollinated by both honey bees and mason bees. This new study shows yet another benefit of biodiversity.
Published Lack of maternal care affects development, microbiome and health of wild bees



Most wild bees are solitary, but one tiny species of carpenter bees fastidiously cares for and raises their offspring, an act that translates into huge benefits to the developing bee's microbiome, development and health, found researchers. Without maternal care the pathogen load of these developing bees ballooned -- 85 per cent of were fungi, while eight per cent were bacteria -- which can impact their microbiome, a critical component of bee health, as well as their development, immune system and gene expression.
Published Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals


Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the spiders that feed on them. Now, researchers have demonstrated how some shoreline spiders can move mercury contamination from riverbeds up the food chain to land animals.
Published More Texas owls are testing positive for rat poisons


New research suggests that owls in Texas have high rates of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) -- blood thinning rat poisons -- in their systems.
Published Movement sensors can detect disease in wild boar



Accelerometers reading the behavior of wild boars can pick up when animals are infected with a fatal virus.
Published Unlocking the genetic code of peppers: New study reveals insights into domestication and diversity



Peppers are a versatile, flavorful, and widely popular crop, used not only as a healthy food source but also for their medicinal properties. Scientists have now sequenced the genomes of key cultivated and wild pepper species, offering unprecedented insights into pepper evolution, domestication, and genetic diversity.
Published You say tomato, these scientists say evolutionary mystery



Biologists have found evidence for evolutionary 'syndromes'-- sets of traits that occur together -- that help to explain how tomatoes first evolved their distinctive blend of color, sweetness, acidity and aroma. The research not only shines a light on how fruits evolve in the wild, but will also be valuable to crop-improvement efforts aimed at breeding more nutritious and appealing varieties of fruits.
Published Super antifreeze in cells: The ability to survive in ice and snow developed in animals far earlier than we thought



More than 400 million years ago, an insect-like animal called the springtail developed a small protein that prevents its cells from freezing.
Published New ionic materials boost hydrogen fuel cell efficiency!


A research team has made a groundbreaking advancement in improving the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells, which are gaining significant attention as eco-friendly next-generation energy sources.
Published Lions on the brink -- New analysis reveals the differing threats to African lion populations



New results reveal that many of Africa's remaining lions live within small, fragmented populations at risk of disappearing. The researchers developed a new framework which integrates ecological and socio-political risk factors to better understand the fragility of these populations.
Published 'A crab is never just a crab'



A herring in the North Sea, a crab in the Wadden Sea or an anemone fish on a coral reef, ... biologists like to think in terms of individual species that all have their own place within food webs in ecosystems across the world. 'But that is surely too simplistic thinking,' researchers warn.
Published Jackdaws switch friends to gain food -- but stick with family



Jackdaws ditch old friends and make new ones if it helps them get rewards -- but stick with family through thick and thin, new research shows.