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Categories: Ecology: Nature, Environmental: Ecosystems

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Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Tawny owl's pale grey color linked to vital functions ensuring survival in extreme conditions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recent genetic discovery has revealed that the pale grey plumage of the tawny owl is linked to crucial functions that aid the bird's survival in cold environments. As global temperatures rise, dark brown plumage is likely to become more common in tawny owls living in colder areas.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Cold-water coral traps itself on mountains in the deep sea      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Corals searching for food in the cold and dark waters of the deep sea are building higher and higher mountains to get closer to the source of their food. But in doing so, they may find themselves trapped when the climate changes.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature
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Love songs lead scientists to new populations of skywalker gibbons in Myanmar      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The love songs of the Skywalker gibbon alerted scientists to a new population of the endangered primate in Myanmar.

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Is the Amazon forest approaching a tipping point?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it towards partial or total collapse. New research has identified the potential thresholds of these stressors, showing where their combined effects could produce a 'tipping point' -- in which the forest is so fragile that just a small disturbance could cause an abrupt shift in the state of the ecosystem.

Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

A century of reforestation helped keep the eastern US cool      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Widespread 20th-century reforestation in the eastern United States helped counter rising temperatures due to climate change, according to new research. The authors highlight the potential of forests as regional climate adaptation tools, which are needed along with a decrease in carbon emissions.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
Published

Australia's most at-risk bird species share some common traits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Australian birds that live on islands are among the species most at risk of extinction, a first-of-its-kind study has shown. Australia has over 750 native bird species. But many of them are facing an uncertain future.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Desert ants: The magnetic field calibrates the navigation system      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Desert ants find their way during an early learning phase with the help of the Earth's magnetic field. The associated learning process leaves clear traces in their nervous system.

Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Frequent marine heatwaves in the Arctic Ocean will be the norm      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Marine heatwaves will become a regular occurrence in the Arctic in the near future and are a product of higher anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions -- as shown in a new study.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
Published

Greenland's ice sheet is melting -- and being replaced by vegetation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An estimated 11,000 sq miles or 28,707 sq kilometers of Greenland's ice sheet and glaciers have melted over the last three decades, according to a major analysis of historic satellite records.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Polar bears unlikely to adapt to longer summers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More time stranded on land means greater risk of starvation for polar bears, a new study indicates. During three summer weeks, 20 polar bears closely observed by scientists tried different strategies to maintain energy reserves, including resting, scavenging and foraging. Yet nearly all of them lost weight rapidly: on average around 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, per day. Some have speculated that polar bears might adapt to the longer ice-free seasons due to climate warming by acting like their grizzly bear relatives and either rest or eat terrestrial food. The polar bears in this study tried versions of both strategies -- with little success.

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

Satellites unveil the size and nature of the world's coral reefs      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has shown there is more coral reef area across the globe than previously thought, with detailed satellite mapping helping to conserve these vital ecosystems.

Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Compounds released by bleaching reefs promote bacteria, potentially stressing coral further      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research revealed that when coral bleaching occurs, corals release unique organic compounds into the surrounding water that not only promote bacterial growth overall, but select for opportunistic bacteria that may further stress reefs.

Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

The hidden rule for flight feathers -- and how it could reveal which dinosaurs could fly      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists examined hundreds of birds in museum collections and discovered a suite of feather characteristics that all flying birds have in common. These 'rules' provide clues as to how the dinosaur ancestors of modern birds first evolved the ability to fly, and which dinosaurs were capable of flight.

Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers find deforestation accounts for about 10 percent of global human-made mercury emissions. While it cannot be the only solution, they suggest reforestation could increase global mercury uptake by about 5 percent.

Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers discovered in Colombia and Ecuador      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
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When the global climate has the hiccups      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate changes usually happens over long periods of time, but during the last glacial period, extreme fluctuations in temperature occurred within just a few years. Researchers have now been able to prove the phenomenon also occurred during the penultimate glacial period.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography
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Alien invasion: Non-native earthworms threaten ecosystems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Analysis reveals imported earthworm species have colonized large swaths of North America, and represent a largely overlooked threat to native ecosystems. The researchers warn of the need to better understand and manage the invaders in our midst.

Biology: General Ecology: Nature Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
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New fossil site of worldwide importance uncovered in southern France      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Nearly 400 exceptionally well-preserved fossils dating back 470 million years have been discovered in the south of France by two amateur paleontologists. The discovery provides unprecedented information on the polar ecosystems of the Ordovician period.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Industrial pollution leaves its mark in Mediterranean corals      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For the first time, pollutants from burning fossil fuels have been found embedded in corals, offering scientists a potential new tool to track the history of pollution, finds a new study.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Nature
Published

Friend or foe? Ancient partnership between moss and fungi      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have shed new light on the ancient relationship between moss and fungi. They discovered that intricate moss-fungi interactions often depended on a third variable -- the presence of endobacteria within the fungi themselves.