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Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Researchers find unexpectedly large methane source in overlooked landscape
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers reported that upland landscapes were releasing some of the highest methane emissions yet documented among northern terrestrial ecosystems. The research was sparked when a potent greenhouse gas began ballooning under lawns in Fairbanks.
Published Mix of factors prompts owl monkeys to leave their parents
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There comes a point in the lives of young owl monkeys when they leave their parents and strike out on their own to find a mate. In a new study of a wild population of Azara's owl monkeys in northern Argentina, researchers reveal that a combination of social and ecological factors influences when these tree-dwelling monkeys peel away from their parents and siblings. According to their findings -- which were based on 25 years of genetic and demographic data for several generations of owl monkeys, covering more than 330 individuals -- none of the individuals, regardless of their sex, reproduced in the same group where they were born. In all cases, the researchers found, the animals either departed from their natal group or died before reproducing.
Published Alaskan land eroding faster due to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that frozen land in Alaska is eroding faster than it can be replaced due to climate change.
Published Lemurs use long-term memory, smell, and social cues to find food
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How do foraging animals find their food? A new study shows that lemurs use smell, social cues, and long-term memory to locate hidden fruit -- a combination of factors that may have deep evolutionary roots.
Published Monitoring of nature reserves via social media and deep learning
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have created a deep learning method to analyze social media images taken within protected green spaces to gain insights on human activity distribution as a way to monitor the ecological impacts of these activities.
Published South Florida estuaries warming faster than Gulf of Mexico, global ocean, USF research shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Estuaries in South Florida have experienced rapid warming over the past two decades, including a record-breaking marine heat wave in 2023, research shows. The findings paint a troubling picture for the marine life that calls Florida home. Possible causes include evaporation, water capacity and residence time (the amount of time water spends in an estuary). No single factor has been identified as dominant.
Published New report on Great Barrier Reef shows coral cover increases before onset of serious bleaching, cyclones
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Coral cover has increased in all three regions on the Great Barrier Reef and is at regional highs in two of the three regions, according to a new report. But the results come with a note of caution.
Published Living with a killer: How an unlikely mantis shrimp-clam association violates a biological principle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When clams gamble on living with a killer, sometimes their luck may run out, according to a new study.
Published Researchers find gene which determines marsupial fur color
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fur is a defining characteristic of mammals, coming in a wide variety of colors and patterns -- thanks to a world-first study, we now know which genes make a marsupial's coat black or grey.
Published A new way of thinking about the economy could help protect the Amazon, and help its people thrive
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To protect the Amazon and support the wellbeing of its people, its economy needs to shift from environmentally harmful production to a model built around the diversity of indigenous and rural communities, and standing forests.
Published Groundwater reserves in southwestern Europe more stable overall than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Groundwater is a vital resource, sustaining plants and ecosystems, ensuring agricultural production and serving as a core component of drinking water supplies. However, climate change and anthropogenic pressures can threaten groundwater availability, especially in southwestern Europe. This threat was evaluated by a research team using multidecadal data from more than 12,000 groundwater wells in Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy. The surprising finding: Groundwater levels are not declining everywhere as widely believed, but primarily in semi-arid regions with intensive agriculture and frequent droughts. Declines are also observed in temperate regions associated with large urban areas. The authors conclude that, with suitable management practices, groundwater can be utilized sustainably.
Published Antarctic-wide survey of plant life to aid conservation efforts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first continent-wide mapping study of plant life across Antarctica reveals growth in previously uncharted areas and is set to inform conservation measures across the region. The satellite survey of mosses, lichens and algae across the continent will form a baseline for monitoring how Antarctica's vegetation responds to climate change.
Published Greenland fossil discovery reveals increased risk of sea-level catastrophe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Seeds, twigs, and insect parts found under two miles of ice confirm Greenland's ice sheet melted in the recent past, the first direct evidence that the center -- not just the edges -- of the two-mile-deep ice melted away in the recent geological past. The new research indicates that the giant ice sheet is more fragile than scientists had realized until the last few years -- and reveals increased risk of sea-level catastrophe in a warmer future.
Published Seismic detectors measure soil moisture using traffic noise
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using state of the art techniques, researchers use vibrations from traffic to measure underground soil moisture.
Published New research sheds light on relationships between plants and insects in forest ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have published new findings on how leaf-eating insects affect forest ecosystems worldwide. Researchers are aware of how large herbivores cycle nutrients in forests. They know much less, however, about how leaf-eating insects impact forest carbon and nutrient cycling.
Published Fossil shows how penguins' wings evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiny fossil penguin plays a huge role in the evolutionary history of the bird, an international study shows.
Published Combined effects of plastic pollution and seawater flooding amplify threats to coastal plant species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study highlights how a combination of environmental stressors -- namely plastic pollution and seawater flooding -- can increase the threats faced by plants in some of the planet's critical ecosystems. It showed that both stressors had some effects on the species tested, but being exposed to both microplastics and flooding together -- a threat likely to increase as a result of climate change and plastic use -- had a more pronounced impact on their resource allocation.
Published Climate anomalies may play a major role in driving cholera pandemics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests that an El Nino event may have aided the establishment and spread of a novel cholera strain during an early 20th-century pandemic, supporting the idea that climate anomalies could create opportunities for the emergence of new cholera strains.
Published Half a billion-year-old spiny slug reveals the origins of mollusks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Exceptional fossils with preserved soft parts reveal that the earliest mollusks were flat, armored slugs without shells. The new species, Shishania aculeata, was covered with hollow, organic, cone-shaped spines. The fossils preserve exceptionally rare detailed features which reveal that these spines were produced using a sophisticated secretion system that is shared with annelids (earthworms and relatives).
Published Climate change may lead to shifts in vital Pacific Arctic fisheries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Commercially important marine fish and invertebrate species will likely shift northwards under a warmer climate, according to new research.