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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms

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Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Biodiversity protects against invasions of non-native tree species      (via sciencedaily.com) 

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.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science
Published

Vegetarian diet of corals explains age-old mystery dating back to Darwin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has revealed why coral reefs can thrive in seemingly nutrient poor water, a phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Fire, disease threatening sanctuary plants for Australian wildlife      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

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.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
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Hundreds of Andean bird species at risk due to deforestation: New research shows how to protect them      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Birds native to the tropical Andes are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study combines a meta-analysis of papers on birds across the Andes with five years of fieldwork in Peru, revealing that open farmlands result in up to a 60% decline in the number of species in an area. The study documents how specific species are affected and provides tailored guidance for conservationists trying to protect them.

Ecology: Animals
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As city heat rises, bird diversity declines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study done on 336 cities in China concludes that heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces are directly related to a loss in bird diversity. It is likely that the patterns documented in this study are occurring in other large cities across the globe that have abundant asphalt, steel, and concrete with little green vegetation.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
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Detecting a vast diversity of rainforest animals by swabbing their DNA from leaves      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers demonstrate that a vast multitude of birds and mammals can be detected by simply swabbing the DNA left behind by animals from leaves. They showcased the power of this approach in an ecosystem that hosts a ton of wildlife and where detecting animals has historically proven extremely challenging -- the tropical rainforest.

Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Animals
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It all depends on the genetic diversity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows that a single mutation that has immediate effects on plant fitness is maintained over the long term in natural plant populations, despite theories predict the contrary. The researchers located and identified the gene that regulates the amount of an active defense hormone. Mutants in this gene are susceptible to herbivore attack. However, they compensate for impaired defenses through robust genetic networks. When fewer herbivores attack, they even grow faster and produce more offspring.

Ecology: Animals
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Urban great tits have paler plumage than their forest-living relatives      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows that urban great tits have paler plumage than their countryside counterparts. Since the yellow pigment of the breast feathers of great tits comes from the food they eat, the paler yellow plumage of urban birds indicates that the urban environment affects the entire food chain.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Pollutants are important to biodiversity's role in spread of wildlife diseases      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Conventional wisdom among ecologists holds that the more species there are inhabiting an ecosystem, the less vulnerable any one species will be to a threat like a parasite. A new study of tadpoles illustrates how overlapping biological and environmental factors can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities. The researchers found that environmental pollutants like road salt influence whether increased biodiversity helps or hinders disease outbreaks in wildlife, which can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities.

Ecology: Animals
Published

It's not just humans: City life is stressful for coyotes, too      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Though cars are the biggest threat to coyotes taking up residence in U.S. cities, a new study suggests urban living poses a different kind of hazard to coyote health -- in the form of chronic stress. Researchers examined the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair of almost 100 coyotes living in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Results showed that coyotes that lived in the most-developed areas had higher cortisol levels -- a proxy for chronic stress -- than animals living in suburban or natural areas.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
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Geomagnetic field protects Earth from electron showers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Geophysicists studied the activity of high energy electrons and clarified the unexpected protective role of the geomagnetic field surrounding the Earth.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: Space Physics: Optics Space: The Solar System
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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.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Geoscience: Earth Science Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Humans' ancestors survived the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A Cretaceous origin for placental mammals, the group that includes humans, dogs and bats, has been revealed by in-depth analysis of the fossil record, showing they co-existed with dinosaurs for a short time before the dinosaurs went extinct.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Gray whales off Oregon Coast consume millions of microparticles per day      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers estimate that gray whales feeding off the Oregon Coast consume up to 21 million microparticles per day, a finding informed in part by feces from the whales.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Research questions value of sagebrush control in conserving sage grouse      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sagebrush reduction strategies, including mowing and herbicide application, are often employed to enhance habitat for the greater sage grouse and other sagebrush-dependent species.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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Megalodon was no cold-blooded killer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

How the megalodon, a shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, stayed warm was a matter of speculation among scientists. Using an analysis of tooth fossils from the megalodon and other sharks of the same period, a study suggests the animal was able to maintain a body temperature well above the temperature of the water in which it lived. The finding could help explain why the megalodon went extinct during the Pliocene Epoch.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
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Human impact on wildlife even in protected areas      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The largest long-term standardized camera-trap survey to date finds that human activity impacts tropical mammals living in protected areas and sheds light on how different species are affected based on their habitat needs and anthropogenic stressors.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Extinct warbler's genome sequenced from museum specimens      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The Bachman's warbler, a songbird that was last seen in North America nearly 40 years ago, was a distinct species and not a hybrid of its two living sister species, according a new study in which the full genomes of seven museum specimens of the bird were sequenced.