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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds
Published Ecosystem benefits to humanity expected to decline by 9% by 2100
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study of natural capital finds nature's benefits to humanity are expected to decline as climate change shifts ecosystems across borders.
Published Coral atoll islands may outpace sea-level rise with local ecological restoration, scientists say
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ecological restoration may save coral atoll islands from the rising seas of climate change, according to an international team of scientists, conservationists, and an indigenous leader.
Published Understanding atmospheric flash droughts in the Caribbean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The word 'drought' typically conjures images of parched soil, dust-swept prairies, depleted reservoirs, and dry creek beds, all the result of weeks or seasons of persistently dry atmospheric conditions. In the sun-soaked islands in the Caribbean, however, drought conditions can occur much more rapidly, with warning signs appearing too late for mediation strategies to limit agriculture losses or prevent stresses on infrastructure systems that provide clean water to communities.
Published How can Europe restore its nature?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Early 2024, the European Parliament will take a final vote on the 'Nature Restoration Law' (NRL), a globally unique but hotly debated regulation that aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss in Europe. An international team of scientists has investigated the prospects of the new regulation.
Published Seals stay warm and hydrated in the Arctic with larger, more convoluted nasal passages
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Arctic seals have evolved many adaptations to cope with their frosty environment -- one that you might not immediately think of is the bones in their nasal cavity. Arctic seals have more convoluted nasal passages than seal species that live in milder environments, and researchers report that these structures help the seals more efficiently retain heat and moisture as they breathe in and out.
Published Move over Blitzen: Geese outpace reindeer impacts on Arctic ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team is studying how expanding populations of two local herbivores -- reindeer and geese -- on Svalbard will impact the future of the ecosystem on the islands.
Published AI provides more accurate analysis of prehistoric and modern animals, painting picture of ancient world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study of the remains of prehistoric and modern African antelopes found that AI technology accurately identified animals more than 90% of the time compared to humans, who had much lower accuracy rates depending on the expert.
Published Beef farming that keeps cattle on lifelong grass diets may have higher carbon footprint
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Beef operations that keep cattle on lifelong grass-based diets may have an overall higher carbon footprint than those that switch cattle to grain-based diets partway through their lives, according to new findings.
Published Trees in wetter regions more sensitive to drought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source This holiday season brings surprising news about your Christmas tree. Scientists just discovered that globally, trees growing in wetter regions are more sensitive to drought. That means if your tree hails from a more humid clime, it's likely been spoiled for generations.
Published Wildfires also impact aquatic ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shown that the effects of wildfires are not limited to terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems are also undergoing rapid changes. The study found that fire debris transforms lakes and other aquatic ecosystems, with implications for fisheries and water quality.
Published Pacific Northwest snowpack endangered by increasing spring heatwaves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Even in the precipitation-heavy Pacific Northwest, more frequent heatwaves are threatening a key source of water supply. A Washington State University study that intended to look at snow melting under a single, extreme event, the 2021 'heat dome,' instead revealed an alarming, longer-term rising trend of successive heatwaves melting snowpack earlier in the year. From temperature records spanning from 1940 to 2021, springtime heatwaves in the region have doubled in frequency, intensity or both since the mid-1990s. The findings have implications for many areas worldwide that are dependent on snow-capped mountains to provide summer water since heatwaves have been on the rise globally.
Published The solar forest
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What would be the most effective use of a certain plot of land in terms of the climate crisis: planting a forest, which is a natural means of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or erecting fields of solar panels, which reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? This dilemma has long been debated by decision-makers around the world. Now, for the first time -- based on findings from arid areas and on comprehensive measurements of the energy flow exchanged between the ground and the atmosphere -- we may have an answer to this question.
Published Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned -- or thinned
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A 20-year experiment in the Sierra Nevada confirms that different forest management techniques -- prescribed burning, restoration thinning or a combination of both -- are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California. These treatments also improve forest health, making trees more resilient to stressors like drought and bark beetles, and they do not negatively impact plant or wildlife biodiversity within individual tree stands, the research found.
Published Best areas for rewilding European bison
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Simulations integrate historical records, fossils, and ancient DNA to reveal why the European bison nearly went extinct, and pinpoint optimal areas for conservation. Since the near-extinction of the European bison, enormous conservation efforts have helped to restore wild populations, and its numbers are on the rise. However, the study authors argue that ensuring the species's long-term protection and recovery requires understanding why they nearly went extinct in the first place. 'Our study also suggests areas where rewilding attempts are most likely to be successful,' said lead author July Pilowsky, currently a disease ecologist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Pilowsky completed the research while working on their PhD at University of Adelaide and University of Copenhagen.
Published Why the long face? Scientists solve a major puzzle in mammal skull shape evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Horses have developed long faces simply 'because they can,' a team of evolutionary biologists say. In a major review of how mammalian heads evolve, scientists found that adaptations to feeding explain why large species of mammals often have much longer faces compared to smaller closely related species -- a pattern referred to as Craniofacial Evolutionary Allometry (CREA).
Published The configuration of green spaces in cities determines the characteristics of their birds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international study has analyzed the distribution of 115 species of birds in spring and 72 that spend the winter in different cities. The study provides information on how to design urban areas that favor biodiversity and public wellbeing.
Published Underwater architects: The 'burrowing effect' of foraminifera on marine environments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Impact of single-cell organisms on sediment oxygen levels and bacterial diversity measured for the first time.
Published Have researchers found the missing link that explains the mysterious phenomenon known as fairy circles?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fairy circles, a nearly hexagonal pattern of bare-soil circular gaps in grasslands, initially observed in Namibia and later in other parts of the world, have fascinated and baffled scientists for years. New research suggests that all theories to date have overlooked the coupling between two robust mechanisms essential for understanding ecosystem response: phenotypic plasticity at the level of a single plant, and spatial self-organization in vegetation patterns at the level of a plant population.
Published Coral reefs in peril from record-breaking ocean heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Record breaking marine heatwaves will cause devastating mass coral bleaching worldwide in the next few years, according to a coral reef scientist.
Published Adapting to hypoxia: Zooplankton influence the efficiency of the biological carbon pump in the Humboldt Current off Peru
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine organisms play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequester it in organic matter that sinks to the deep ocean where it can be stored for long periods of time. Until now, this process -- the biological carbon pump -- was thought to be particularly efficient in oxygen-poor areas. A new study suggests that the influence of certain zooplankton species on the biological carbon pump has been underestimated.