Showing 20 articles starting at article 1281
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Environmental: Wildfires
Published Wildfires may have sparked ecosystem collapse during Earth's worst mass extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) New research reveals that wildfires may have been a key contributor to the total collapse of land ecosystems during Earth's worst mass extinction event over 250 million years ago.
Published Thawing permafrost is shaping the global climate
(via sciencedaily.com) How is climate change affecting the permanently frozen soils of the Arctic? What will the consequences be for the global climate, human beings, and ecosystems? And what can be done to stop it?
Published Simultaneous extreme weather created dangerous cascades in U.S.
(via sciencedaily.com) Intense heat in the southwestern United States broke records last summer partly because it hit in tandem with an unusually severe drought, finds a new study measuring for the first time how the two extreme weather events dangerously interacted in real time.
Published Genome of voracious desert locust sequenced
(via sciencedaily.com) The first high-quality genome of the desert locust -- those voracious feeders of plague and devastation infamy and the most destructive migratory insect in the world -- has been produced. The genome of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is enormous at just under 9 billion base pairs, nearly three times the size of the human genome. The size of the desert locust's chromosomes is remarkable; compare them to those of the model fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the first insect genome ever assembled. Many of the desert locust's individual chromosomes are larger than the entire fruit fly genome. Next to the fruit fly, it's like an 18-wheeler next to a compact car.
Published Insight into past--and future--of Western US wildfires
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study examines the context surrounding the fires and offers insight into the historical role of large, high-severity fires -- and the future of wildfires -- west of the Cascades.
Published Proactive approaches needed to enable ecosystems to adapt to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) As the need to address climate change becomes increasingly urgent so too does the concurrent need for proactive stewardship of the Earth's rapidly changing biosphere, according to new research.
Published Melting Arctic ice could transform international shipping routes, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Melting ice in the Arctic Ocean could yield new trade routes in international waters, reducing the shipping industry's carbon footprint and weakening Russia's control over trade routes through the Arctic, a study found.
Published Mangrove and reef restoration yield positive returns on investment for flood protection, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Restoration of mangroves and coral reefs can be a cost-effective solution for coastal flood reduction in more than 20 countries across the Caribbean. Researchers used methods from the risk and insurance industry to provide rigorous valuations of these natural defenses and show that they can deliver a positive return on investment, with the benefits from reduced flood damage exceeding the costs of restoration. The results point toward new opportunities to support restoration efforts with funds from sources that support hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and disaster recovery, including FEMA.
Published Are new corals in Sydney dangerous invaders or harmless refugees?
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has found that invading subtropical corals will survive and thrive in coastal Sydney, which could spell trouble for existing Sydney coral species.
Published Newly documented population of polar bears in Southeast Greenland sheds light on the species' future in a warming Arctic
(via sciencedaily.com) A new population of polar bears documented on the southeast coast of Greenland use glacier ice to survive despite limited access to sea ice. This small, genetically distinct group of polar bears could be important to the future of the species in a warming world.
Published Off-season cattle grazing to help control fire danger from invasive cheatgrass
(via sciencedaily.com) Cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass that has invaded Nevada rangelands, is responsible for much of the increasing wildfire danger in the Intermountain West. However, scientists have discovered that fire danger can be reduced through the application of targeted cattle grazing in the dormant growing season by attracting the cattle with stations containing protein feed supplements.
Published Wildfire smoke exposure negatively impacts dairy cow health
(via sciencedaily.com) Increasing frequency and size of wildfires in the United States over the past several decades affect everything from human life and health to air quality, biodiversity, and land use. The US dairy industry is not exempt from these effects. The Western states, where wildfires are especially prevalent, are home to more than two million dairy cows that produce more than 25% of the nation's milk. A new report examines how dairy cattle in the Western United States may be affected by unique air pollutants from wildfire smoke.
Published Co-existing mangrove-coral habitats have a new global classification system
(via sciencedaily.com) By coexisting more closely with mangroves, tropical coral species may have found an alternative habitat where they can thrive in the face of climate change.
Published Seagrass meadows are reliable fishing grounds for food
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study in Ocean and Coastal Management shows that seagrass fisheries provide a reliable safety-net for poor, since fishermen perceive those habitats to maintain large fish catches over time. Surprisingly, even more so than coral reef fisheries, which people normally associate with small-scale fishery.
Published A warming climate decreases microbial diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers conducted an eight-year experiment that found that climate warming played a predominant role in shaping microbial biodiversity, with significant negative effect.
Published Earliest record of wildfires provide insights to Earth's past vegetation and oxygen levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While wildfires over recent years have raged across much of the western United States and pose significant hazards to wildlife and local populations, wildfires have been a long-standing part of Earth's systems without the influence of humans for hundreds of millions of years.
Published Pioneering study shows climate played crucial role in changing location of ancient coral reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) Prehistoric coral reefs dating back up to 250 million years extended much further away from the Earth's equator than today, new research has revealed.
Published New fire shelter prototypes could buy time for wildfire firefighters
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Temperatures inside new wildfire shelter prototypes remained within survival limits for longer, and the shelters took longer to break open, compared with an industry standard.
Published Ningaloo corals are ill-equipped to handle future climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) The relatively pristine coral populations of WA's inshore Kimberley region are better equipped to survive ocean warming than the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park, according to a new study.
Published Studying grassland from space
(via sciencedaily.com) Extensively used grassland is host to a high degree of biodiversity, and performs an important climate protection function as a carbon sink and also serves for fodder and food production. However, these ecosystem services are jeopardized if productivity on these lands is maximized and their use therefore intensified. Researchers have now described how satellite data and machine learning methods enable to assess land-use intensity.