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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Environmental: Wildfires
Published One-third of Greenlanders are at genetic risk for high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease
(via sciencedaily.com) A genetic variant that is present in nearly 30% of Greenlanders is linked to high cholesterol and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.
Published 'Ugly' reef fishes are most in need of conservation support
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What's the relationship between people's perception of beauty and animals' conservation needs? According to a machine-learning study, the reef fishes that people find most beautiful tend to be the lowest priority for conservation support.
Published Scientists find new indicators of Alaska permafrost thawing
(via sciencedaily.com) More areas of year-round unfrozen ground have begun dotting Interior and Northwest Alaska and will continue to increase in extent due to climate change, according to new research.
Published Lessons from the past: How cold-water corals respond to global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Corals react to changes in their environment. This is true for tropical as well as cold-water corals and includes, among others, changes in temperature, salinity and pH values. Researchers have now investigated how warmer temperatures occurring as a result of climate change are affecting cold-water corals. For this purpose, they examined in detail how these corals have reacted to environmental changes over the past 20,000 years.
Published Beyond 'plant trees!': Research finds tree plantations encroaching on essential ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Trees planted in the tropics as part of nations' reforestation commitments can have unintended consequences, sometimes degrading biodiversity hotspots, damaging ecosystems like grasslands, or encroaching on protected areas.
Published At least 2,000 species of reptiles are threatened, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has found that 21 percent of the reptile species on Earth (one in five species), amounting to a total of about 2,000 species, are threatened with extinction. Experts estimate that there are over 12,000 species of reptiles in the world.
Published Siberian tundra could virtually disappear by mid-millennium
(via sciencedaily.com) Due to global warming, temperatures in the Arctic are climbing rapidly. As a result, the treeline for Siberian larch forests is steadily advancing to the north, gradually supplanting the broad expanses of tundra which are home to a unique mix of flora and fauna. Experts have now prepared a computer simulation of how these woods could spread in the future, at the tundra's expense.
Published Low-cost gel film can pluck drinking water from desert air
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers developed a low-cost gel film made of abundant materials that can pull drinkable water from the air in even the driest climates.
Published New measurements from Northern Sweden show less methane emissions than feared
(via sciencedaily.com) It is widely understood that thawing permafrost can lead to significant amounts of methane being released. However, new research shows that in some areas, this release of methane could be a tenth of the amount predicted from a thaw. A crucial, yet an open question is how much precipitation the future will bring.
Published Unlocking the secrets of killer whale diets and their role in climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have discovered new clues to understand how killer whales impact their environment.
Published Satellite monitoring of biodiversity moves within reach
(via sciencedaily.com) Global biodiversity assessments require the collection of data on changes in plant biodiversity on an ongoing basis. Researchers have now shown that plant communities can be reliably monitored using imaging spectroscopy, which in the future will be possible via satellite. This paves the way for near real-time global biodiversity monitoring.
Published Study provides long-term look at ways to control wildfire in sagebrush steppe ecosystem
(via sciencedaily.com) New research provides the first long-term study of methods to control the spread of wildfire in the sagebrush steppe ecosystem that dominates parts of the western United States.
Published New research documents domestic cattle genetics in modern bison herds
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has revealed the strongest evidence to date that all bison in North America carry multiple small, but clearly identifiable, regions of DNA that originated from domestic cattle.
Published Are new carbon sinks appearing in the Arctic?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Global warming can result in the spread of peatland vegetation in the Arctic. An international research group has discovered signs of 'proto-peat', which may be the beginning of new peatlands.
Published Nonlethal parasites reduce how much their wild hosts eat, leading to ecosystem effects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pervasive parasitic infections reduce herbivory rates and can therefore trigger trophic cascades that impact plant communities, according to new research. This work helps fill a recognized knowledge gap regarding the ecological consequences of parasitic infections in natural ecosystems.
Published The forest as a shelter for insects in warmer climates?
(via sciencedaily.com) Insect diversity is declining in Bavaria. Land use is a major driver, but the impact of climate change is still unknown. A study has now investigated in more detail how both factors interact in driving insect diversity and what can be done to conserve it.
Published New method can predict summer rainfall in the Southwest months in advance
(via sciencedaily.com) As reservoir levels dwindle in the Southwest, scientists have developed a method to estimate summer rainfall in the region months in advance. These seasonal predictions can enable state and local officials to make key reservoir and water allocation decisions earlier in the season and support more efficient water management.
Published With dwindling water supplies, the timing of rainfall matters
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study shows it's not how much extra water you give your plants, but when you give it that counts. Researchers observed that in summer, plants grow more when given extra water, in addition to any natural rainfall. However, the same is not true in winter.
Published Deserts 'breathe' water vapor, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Deserts may seem lifeless and inert, but they are very much alive. Sand dunes, in particular, grow and move -- and according to a decades long research project, they also 'breathe' humid air.
Published Why groundwater is one of our most precious resources
(via sciencedaily.com) From the Murray-Darling system to Great Artesian Basin, 'invisible' underground groundwater is often the only water supply available across the vast majority Australia where its annual contribution to GDP is estimated at more than $6.8 billion a year. However, overuse of groundwater during droughts and aquifer depletion has already seen water crises, including in Australia's 'food bowl' the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), California and Cape Town in South Africa, with more likely to follow with groundwater management largely reactive and unlikely to avert more crises as climate change accelerates and populations grow.