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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published Ray of hope? One place where reef manta rays are thriving
(via sciencedaily.com) Over a decade, manta ray populations increased significantly in Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia, highlighting the importance of long-term conservation and management measures such as well-enforced Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and fisheries regulations, says a researcher.
Published Desert dust collected from glacier ice helps document climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers are using dust trapped in glacier ice in Tibet to document past changes in Earth's intricate climate system -- and maybe one day help predict future changes.
Published Researchers produce first-ever 'family tree' for aquarium-bred corals
(via sciencedaily.com) The first-ever family tree for aquarium-bred corals provides insights for maximizing genetic diversity and adaptability in corals bred for conservation.
Published Scientists say sea-level changes formed Australia's K'Gari Sand Island, Great Barrier Reef
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers report evidence the formation of K'gari and the Great Barrier Reef are linked to a change in the magnitude of sea-level rise and fall due to major climate feedback changes during the Middle Pleistocene Transition.
Published Half of replanted tropical trees don't survive
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source On average, about half of trees planted in tropical and sub-tropical forest restoration efforts do not survive more than five years, but there is enormous variation in outcomes, new research has found.
Published Study uncovers widespread and ongoing clearcutting of Swedish old forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Almost one fourth of Sweden's last unprotected old-growth forest was logged between 2003 and 2019. At this rate, all of these ecologically unique and valuable forests will be lost in about 50 years. These findings add to the growing body of evidence for widespread cryptic forest degradation across the global north.
Published Tropical cyclones act as 'massive heat pumps' that fuel extreme heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Extreme heat often follows tropical cyclones, which can complicate disaster recovery even further, researchers have found.
Published Sea urchins keep on trucking while other marine life languishes in the Florida Keys
(via sciencedaily.com) A litany of negative environmental pressures have had little to no effect on sand dollars and heart urchins in the Florida Keys, a new study shows. Scientists arrived at this unexpected conclusion after surveying 27 sites along a 20-mile stretch of coast near Long Key island. Five of the seven most common species known to inhabit the Florida Keys were present and accounted for in the survey and formed robust populations at varying depths.
Published The importance of light for grassland plant diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Plants need light to grow. However, due to excess nutrients and/or the absence of herbivores less light can reach lower vegetation layers in grasslands. Consequently, few fast-growing species dominate and plant diversity declines. So far, this relationship has been established indirectly through experiments, but never directly by means of experimentally adding light in the field. Now biologists have been able to experimentally demonstrate the dominant role of light competition.
Published Invasive fruit fly may pose threat to forest ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) The invasive spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a well-known pest in agriculture. A recent study by Swiss scientists now shows that the forest ecosystem is also affected by this alien insect. SWD infests the fruits of various forest plants and competes with other fruit-eating species. The decay of fruits attacked by SWD leads to a loss of resources, which can cause considerable ecological damage.
Published More than one way to build a black bird
(via sciencedaily.com) For a species of flycatcher in the remote Solomon Islands, scientists have so far found at least two genetic pathways leading to the same physical outcome: all-black feathers. This change was no random accident. It was a result of nature specifically selecting for this trait.
Published Antarctic summer thaw starts earlier, ends later than previously believed
(via sciencedaily.com) New research changes our understanding of seasonal thawing in parts of Antarctica, as scientists have learned that summer thawing occurs nearly a month earlier, and stays thawed for a full two months longer than previously believed.
Published Socio-economic factors shown to drive mangrove losses and gains
(via sciencedaily.com) New research into the drivers of mangrove loss over the past 20 years has revealed that most of the degradation can be attributed to socio-economic and biophysical factors, with mangrove cover increasing in some areas.
Published Vegetation regulates energy exchange in the Arctic
(via sciencedaily.com) Global warming is changing the Arctic by causing permafrost thaw, glacier melt, droughts, fires and changes in vegetation. These developments are strongly linked to the energy exchange between land and the atmosphere. Researchers have now shown that different plant communities in the tundra play a key role in this energy exchange but are not taken into account in climate models.
Published NASA laser project benefits animal researchers
(via sciencedaily.com) NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission can provide valuable information about the world's forests for wildlife scientists.
Published Companies' 'deforestation-free' supply chain pledges have barely impacted forest clearance in the Amazon, researchers say
(via sciencedaily.com) More companies must make and implement zero-deforestation supply chain commitments in order to significantly reduce deforestation and protect diverse ecosystems, say researchers.
Published El Niño increases seedling mortality even in drought-tolerant forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists conducted a 7-year study on seedling recruitment and mortality in a national park in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. During the study period, an extremely strong El Niño event occurred, leading to a stronger and longer drought than normal. Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs), which experience an annual dry season, are considered drought-tolerant. Nevertheless, the study found that seedling mortality increased in SDTFs when severe and prolonged drought occurred.
Published Plant processes may be key to predicting drought development
(via sciencedaily.com) Based on new analyses of satellite data, scientists have found that hydrologic conditions that increase flash drought risk occur more often than current models predict. The research also shows that incorporating how plants change soil structures can improve Earth system models.
Published High-res maps of entire polar regions provide new clues for climate researchers
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of researchers has released four more years of high-resolution imagery data, which has been added to eight years of previous data, to create the most detailed polar region terrain maps ever created.
Published Forests in protected Indigenous lands are healthier, scientists find
(via sciencedaily.com) Over the last two centuries, human actions have resulted in rising temperatures, a massive carbon imbalance, and tremendous biodiversity loss. However, there are cases in which human stewardship seems to help remediate this damage. Researchers examined tropical forests across Asia, Africa, and the Americas and found that the forests located on protected Indigenous lands were the healthiest, highest functioning, most diverse, and most ecologically resilient.