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Categories: Ecology: Endangered Species, Energy: Fossil Fuels
Published Reducing pesticide pollution and the intensity of harvesting can increase crop yield and contribute to climate change mitigation
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found that carbon sequestration and plant resilience as well as forage pasture yield can be increased through key adjustments in agricultural management. The results provide a roadmap for reducing pesticide loads in soils and the first steps towards increasing climate change mitigation while improving crop yield in grasslands.
Published Killer whale moms forgo future offspring for benefit of full-grown sons
(via sciencedaily.com) It's not unusual for parents and especially mothers to sacrifice their own future success for the sake of their offspring. Now a new study shows that killer whale mothers take this to a surprising extreme. They sacrifice their own reproductive success to care for their sons, even after those sons are full-fledged adults.
Published Surprises in sea turtle genes could help them adapt to a rapidly changing world
(via sciencedaily.com) Around 100 million years ago, a group of land-dwelling turtles took to the oceans, eventually evolving into the sea turtles that we know today. However, the genetic foundations that have enabled them to thrive in oceans throughout the world have remained largely unknown.
Published Long-term restoration of a biodiversity hotspot hinges on getting seeds to the right place at the right time
(via sciencedaily.com) New research shows that degraded savanna ecosystems can reap lasting benefits from a single seeding of native understory plants. Once a diverse understory of savanna plants became established, its long-term persistence was relatively unaffected by environmental factors -- with one exception. Higher temperatures during the height of the growing season were associated with poorer long-term survival among some species, indicating one threat posed by a warming climate.
Published Loss of reptiles poses threat for small islands where humans may have caused extinctions
(via sciencedaily.com) A new examination of ancient and current species of reptiles conducted by paleobiologists reveals the serious impact of the disappearance of even a few species of reptiles in some island areas. The study has startling conclusions about how, on smaller islands in the Caribbean where human impact was greatest, extinctions have led to the loss of up to two-thirds of the supports for the ecosystem that native reptile species once provided there.
Published Voiceless frog discovered in Tanzania
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers discovered a new species of frog in Africa that has an unusual trait: it's completely silent. The Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog does not croak, sing or ribbit. Found in Tanzania's Ukaguru Mountains for which it is named, Hyperolius ukaguruensis is among the few frogs around the world that do not vocalize to other frogs.
Published Protected areas fail to safeguard more than 75% of global insect species
(via sciencedaily.com) Insects play crucial roles in almost every ecosystem -- they pollinate more than 80% of plants and are a major source of food for thousands of vertebrate species -- but insect populations are collapsing around the globe, and they continue to be overlooked by conservation efforts. Protected areas can safeguard threatened species but only if these threatened species actually live within the areas we protect. A new study found that 76% of insect species are not adequately covered by protected areas.
Published With rapidly increasing heat and drought, can plants adapt?
(via sciencedaily.com) As deserts expanded their range over the past 5-7 million years, many plants invaded the new biome and rapidly diversified, producing amazing adaptations to drought and heat. Can plants continue to adapt to increasing aridity caused by climate change? A new study that addressed the origins of desert adaptation concluded that one group of desert plants, rock daisies, came preadapted to aridity, likely helping them survive desert conditions. Not all plants may be so lucky.
Published Understanding plants can boost wildland-fire modeling in uncertain future
(via sciencedaily.com) A new conceptual framework for incorporating the way plants use carbon and water, or plant dynamics, into fine-scale computer models of wildland fire provides a critical first step toward improved global fire forecasting.
Published Mixing between species reduces vulnerability to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) New research provides rare evidence that natural hybridization can reduce the risk of extinction of species threatened by climate change. Researchers have identified genes that enable Rainbowfish to adapt to climate variations across the Australia using environmental models to work out how much evolution will likely be required for populations to keep pace with future climate change.
Published Characterization of an emergent plant virus
(via sciencedaily.com) High throughput sequencing (HTS) data is set to improve our knowledge of Physostegia chlorotic mottle virus biology, epidemiology, and genetic diversity.
Published Ancestral variation guides future environmental adaptations
(via sciencedaily.com) The speed of environmental change is very challenging for wild organisms. When exposed to a new environment individual plants and animals can potentially adjust their biology to better cope with new pressures they are exposed to -- this is known as phenotypic plasticity. New research shows that early plasticity can influence the ability to subsequently evolve genetic adaptations to conquer new habitats.
Published Discovery advances biofuel crop that could curb dependence on fossil fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have solved a puzzle that could help switchgrass realize its full potential as a low-cost, sustainable biofuel crop and curb our dependence on fossil fuels.
Published Rapid plant evolution may make coastal regions more susceptible to flooding and sea level rise, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Evolution has occurred more rapidly than previously thought in the Chesapeake Bay wetlands, which may decrease the chance that coastal marshes can withstand future sea level rise, researchers at the University of Notre Dame and collaborators demonstrated in a recent publication in Science.
Published Ancient mint plants may lead to new medicines/products
(via sciencedaily.com) The mint family of herbs, which includes sage, rosemary, basil, and even woody plants like teak, offers an invigorating jolt to our senses of smell and taste. Researchers have found that these plants have diversified their specialized natural characteristics through the evolution of their chemistry, which could lead to potential future applications that range from medicine to pesticide production.
Published Economics trump environment to save big cats, say ecologists
(via sciencedaily.com) Rapid economic growth has pushed rare species of big carnivores to the brink of extinction, but ecologists have suggested our appetite to once again live alongside big cats is increasing.
Published How plants are inspiring new ways to extract value from wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists are drawing inspiration from plants to develop new techniques to separate and extract valuable minerals, metals and nutrients from resource-rich wastewater.
Published Botany: Chloroplast from the father
(via sciencedaily.com) Under cold conditions, not only the mother plant but also the father plant can pass on its chloroplasts to the offspring.
Published Environment law fails to protect threatened species in Australia
(via sciencedaily.com) Federal environmental laws are failing to mitigate against Australia's extinction crisis, according to new research.
Published Can elephants save the planet?
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers report that elephants play a key role in creating forests which store more atmospheric carbon and maintaining the biodiversity of forests in Africa. If the already critically endangered elephants become extinct, rainforest of central and west Africa, the second largest rainforest on earth, would lose between six and nine percent of their ability to capture atmospheric carbon, amplifying planetary warming.