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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Offbeat: Earth and Climate
Published North American cities may see a major species turnover by the end of the century
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change may dramatically affect the animal species observed in North American cities, according to a new study.
Published A solar cell you can bend and soak in water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an organic photovoltaic film that is both waterproof and flexible, allowing a solar cell to be put onto clothes and still function correctly after being rained on or even washed.
Published Rock-wallaby bite size ‘packs a punch’
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Australian rock-wallabies are 'little Napoleons' when it comes to compensating for small size, packing much more punch into their bite than larger relatives. Researchers made the discovery while investigating how two dwarf species of rock-wallaby are able to feed themselves on the same kinds of foods as their much larger cousins.
Published Researchers find energy development and tree encroachment impact Wyoming pronghorn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While Wyoming is home to some of North America's most abundant populations of pronghorn that have largely been stable in recent years, a new analysis shows that many herds are experiencing long-term declines in fawn production.
Published Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study is the first to evaluate substrate recolonization by sponges in the U.S. Virgin Islands after two catastrophic storms using genetic analyses to understand how much clonality verses sexual recruitment occurs on coral reefs post-storms. Results show that populations of clonal marine species with low pelagic dispersion, such as A. cauliformis, may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes to maintain genetic diversity and combat inbreeding, enhancing the resilience of Caribbean sponge communities to extreme storm events.
Published Scientists on the hunt for evidence of quantum gravity's existence at the South Pole
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An Antarctic large-scale experiment is striving to find out if gravity also exists at the quantum level. An extraordinary particle able to travel undisturbed through space seems to hold the answer.
Published New roadmap to prevent pandemics centers on protecting biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of 25 scientists has proposed a roadmap for how to prevent the next pandemic by conserving natural areas and promoting biodiversity, thereby providing animals with enough food, safe havens and distance to limit contact and the transfer of pathogens to humans.
Published New maps help decision-makers factor albedo into tree-planting decisions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides a global analysis of where restoration of tree cover is most effective at cooling the global climate system, considering not just the cooling from carbon storage but also the warming from decreased albedo. The researchers provide a tool practitioners and land managers can use to determine just how much of a problem albedo is for any reforestation or afforestation project on the globe.
Published Climate change will see Australia's soil emit CO2 and add to global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has shown the warming climate will turn Australia's soil into a net emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), unless action is taken. Soil helps to keep the planet cool by absorbing carbon, however as the climate gets warmer its ability to retain carbon decreases -- and in some instances can start to release some carbon back into the air. A global research team has predicted the changes in the amount of carbon in Australia's soil between now and the year 2100.
Published Seeing the forest for the trees: Species diversity is directly correlated with productivity in eastern U.S. forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When officials make tough calls on which areas to prioritize for conservation, biodiversity is often their top consideration. But there are several types of diversity, and not all of them overlap perfectly. In a new study, researchers analyzed 20-years' worth of U.S. Forest Service data and show that the simplest measure of diversity is the best predictor of healthy forest growth, providing a roadmap for quickly and efficiently protecting ecological resources.
Published Bees use antennae to decode hive mates' dances in the dark
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered how honeybees can decipher dances by their hive mates that relay directions to food.
Published Global study of coastal seas as carbon dioxide reservoirs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Coastal seas form a complex transition zone between the two largest CO2 sinks in the global carbon cycle: land and ocean. Ocean researchers have now succeeded for the first time in investigating the role of the coastal ocean in a seamless model representation.
Published 'Winners and losers' as global warming forces plants uphill
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some plant species will 'win' and others will 'lose' as global warming forces them to move uphill, new research shows.
Published A self-cleaning wall paint
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Beautiful white wall paint does not stay beautiful and white forever. Often, various substances from the air accumulate on its surface. This can be a desired effect because it makes the air cleaner for a while -- but over time, the color changes and needs to be renewed. Now, special titanium oxide nanoparticles have been developed that can be added to ordinary, commercially available wall paint to establish self-cleaning power: The nanoparticles are photocatalytically active, they can use sunlight not only to bind substances from the air, but also to decompose them afterwards.
Published Better phosphorus use can ensure its stocks last more than 500 years and boost global food production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More efficient use of phosphorus could see limited stocks of the important fertilizer last more than 500 years and boost global food production to feed growing populations. But these benefits will only happen if countries are less wasteful with how they use phosphorus, a study shows. Around 30-40 per cent of farm soils have over-applications of phosphorus, with European and North American countries over-applying the most.
Published Unintended consequences of fire suppression
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals how fire suppression ensures that wildfires will burn under extreme conditions at high severity, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and fuel accumulation.
Published Research uncovers a rare resin fossil find: A spider that aspires to be an ant
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Spiders that disguise themselves as ants live in many locations around the globe but until now most had been able to avoid detection from fossil researchers as well as predators.
Published Tudor era horse cemetery in Westminster revealed as likely resting place for elite imported animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Archaeological analysis of a near unique animal cemetery discovered in London nearly 30 years ago has revealed there was an international horse trading network, orchestrated by the elites of late medieval and Tudor England, which brought superior physical specimens to the UK for jousting and for use as status symbols.
Published Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
Published Species diversity promotes ecosystem stability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What maintains stability within an ecosystem and prevents a single best competitor from displacing other species from a community? Does ecosystem stability depend upon the presence of a wide variety of species, as early ecologists believed, or does diversity do the exact opposite, and lead to instability, as modern theory predicts? A new study suggests an answer to this question that has been a subject of debate among ecologists for half a century.