Showing 20 articles starting at article 841
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Ecology: Endangered Species, Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published Global study of coastal seas as carbon dioxide reservoirs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation.
Published 'Winners and losers' as global warming forces plants uphill
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some plant species will 'win' and others will 'lose' as global warming forces them to move uphill, new research shows.
Published Cool paint coatings help pedestrians feel up to 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler in urban setting
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A real-world study has shown that the use of cool paint coatings in cities can help pedestrians feel up to 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler, making the urban area more comfortable for work and play.
Published A self-cleaning wall paint
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Beautiful white wall paint does not stay beautiful and white forever. Often, various substances from the air accumulate on its surface. This can be a desired effect because it makes the air cleaner for a while -- but over time, the color changes and needs to be renewed. Now, special titanium oxide nanoparticles have been developed that can be added to ordinary, commercially available wall paint to establish self-cleaning power: The nanoparticles are photocatalytically active, they can use sunlight not only to bind substances from the air, but also to decompose them afterwards.
Published Small changes can yield big savings in agricultural water use
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While Hollywood and Silicon Valley love the limelight, California is an agricultural powerhouse, too. Agricultural products sold in the Golden State totaled $59 billion in 2022. But rising temperatures, declining precipitation and decades of over pumping may require drastic changes to farming. Legislation to address the problem could even see fields taken out of cultivation.
Published Better phosphorus use can ensure its stocks last more than 500 years and boost global food production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More efficient use of phosphorus could see limited stocks of the important fertilizer last more than 500 years and boost global food production to feed growing populations. But these benefits will only happen if countries are less wasteful with how they use phosphorus, a study shows. Around 30-40 per cent of farm soils have over-applications of phosphorus, with European and North American countries over-applying the most.
Published Unintended consequences of fire suppression
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals how fire suppression ensures that wildfires will burn under extreme conditions at high severity, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and fuel accumulation.
Published Droughts in Europe could be avoided with faster emissions cuts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Models suggest summer rainfall in southern Europe could decline by up to 48% by the year 2100 if emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise rapidly.
Published Researchers take major step toward developing next-generation solar cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have discovered a new way to manufacture solar cells using perovskite semiconductors. It could lead to lower-cost, more efficient systems for powering homes, cars, boats and drones.
Published Bees need food up to a month earlier than provided by recommended pollinator plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plant species which are recommended as 'pollinator friendly' in Europe begin flowering up to a month too late for bees, resulting in low colony survival and low production of queens. This research has quantified the decline in colony survival and queen production due to a shortage of early season food. Enhancing existing hedgerows with early blooming species has the potential to increase the probability that a bee colony survives from 35% to 100%.
Published Major environmental benefits recycling gold with biodiesel
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an environmentally friendly method for recycling and purifying metals. Using gold earrings from a pawnshop in Gothenburg and biodiesel from the nearest filling station, the discovery could change an industry that is currently dependent on large amounts of fossil oil.
Published All countries' agri-environmental policies at a glance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There can be no analysis without data. In this spirit, researchers have published a database containing over 6,000 agri-environmental policies, thus enabling their peers as well as policymakers and businesses to seek answers to all manner of different questions. The researchers have used two examples to demonstrate how this can be done: how a country's economic development is linked to its adoption of agri-environmental policies and how such policies impact soil erosion.
Published Enormous ice loss from Greenland glacier
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ground-based measuring devices and aircraft radar operated in the far northeast of Greenland show how much ice the 79 N-Glacier is losing. According to recent measurements, the thickness of the glacier has decreased by more than 160 meters since 1998. Warm ocean water flowing under the glacier tongue is melting the ice from below. High air temperatures cause lakes to form on the surface, whose water flows through huge channels in the ice into the ocean. One channel reached a height of 500 meters, while the ice above was only 190 meters thick.
Published Say hello to biodegradable microplastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Finding viable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastics and microplastics has never been more important. New research shows that their plant-based polymers biodegrade -- even at the microplastic level -- in under seven months.
Published Rays were more diverse 150 million years ago than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have explored the puzzling world of rays that lived 150 million years ago and discovered a previously hidden diversity -- including a new ray species. This study significantly expands the understanding of these ancient cartilaginous fish and provides further insights into a past marine ecosystem.
Published Rose essential oil: A safe pesticide for organic agriculture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Following injury, plants release terpenoids to enhance their defenses. Researchers studying terpenoid-enriched essential oils (EOs) have found that rose EO (REO) can stimulate defense genes in tomato leaves. Furthermore, REO attracts herbivores that protect the plant from the moth species, Spodoptera litura, and Tetranychus urticae, a mite pest. This suggests that applying REO could be a sustainable approach to pest management in organic farming.
Published Alaska Native tribes take lead on shellfish toxin testing where state falls short
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A group of coastal Alaska Native tribes in 2016 began monitoring shellfish, a traditional harvest, for deadly biotoxins because the state only tests commercial harvests. The program fills an essential gap in public health protection and has found success, with 17 tribes now in the testing network. Securing stable, long-term funding and improving public outreach could improve outcomes even further, a new study reports.
Published Maize genes control little helpers in the soil
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tiny organisms such as bacteria and fungi help to promote the health and function of plant roots. It is commonly assumed that the composition of these microbes is dependent on the properties of the soil. However, researchers have now discovered when studying different local varieties of maize that the genetic makeup of the plants also helps to influence which microorganisms cluster around the roots.
Published Decoding the plant world's complex biochemical communication networks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has begun translating the complex molecular language of petunias. Their grammar and vocabulary are well hidden, however, within the countless proteins and other compounds that fill floral cells. Being rooted to the ground, plants can't run away from insects, pathogens or other threats to their survival. But plant scientists have long known that they do send warnings to each other via scent chemicals called volatile organic compounds.
Published A new way to quantify climate change impacts: 'Outdoor days'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 'Outdoor days,' a new measure, describes climate change impacts by noting the number of days per year that outdoor temperatures are comfortable enough for normal outdoor activities.