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Categories: Environmental: Biodiversity, Environmental: Water
Published Harvesting water from air with solar power
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a promising new solar-powered atmospheric water harvesting technology that could help provide enough drinking water for people to survive in difficult, dryland areas: They synthesized a super hygroscopic gel capable of absorbing and retaining an unparalleled amount of water. One kilogram of dry gel could adsorb 1.18 kilograms of water in arid atmospheric environments and up to 6.4 kilograms in humid atmospheric environments. This hygroscopic gel was simple and inexpensive to prepare and would consequently be suitable for large-scale preparation.
Published 'Shocking' discovery: Electricity from electric eels may transfer genetic material to nearby animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that electric eels can alter the genes of tiny fish larvae with their electric shock. Their findings help to better understand electroporation, a method by which genes can be transported using electricity.
Published In hotter regions, mammals seek forests, avoid human habitats
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation, finds a study of North American mammals.
Published Deep sea sensor reveals that corals produce reactive oxygen species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new sensor on the submersible Alvin discovered reactive oxygen species for the first time in deep-sea corals, broadening our understanding of fundamental coral physiology.
Published How mountains affect El Niño-induced winter precipitation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A consideration of how mountains influence El Niño and La Niña-induced precipitation change in western North America may be the ticket to more informed water conservation planning along the Colorado River, new research suggests.
Published Snail-inspired robot could scoop ocean microplastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Inspired by a small and slow snail, scientists have developed a robot protype that may one day scoop up microplastics from the surfaces of oceans, seas and lakes.
Published More than a meteorite: New clues about the demise of dinosaurs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What wiped out the dinosaurs? A meteorite plummeting to Earth is only part of the story, a new study suggests. Climate change triggered by massive volcanic eruptions may have ultimately set the stage for the dinosaur extinction, challenging the traditional narrative that a meteorite alone delivered the final blow to the ancient giants.
Published Researchers decode aqueous amino acid's potential for direct air capture of CO2
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have made a significant stride toward understanding a viable process for direct air capture, or DAC, of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This DAC process is in early development with the aim of achieving negative emissions, where the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the envelope of gases surrounding Earth exceeds the amount emitted.
Published Public gardens contribute to invasives problem
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some nonnative plants cultivated in public gardens or arboretums are escaping to become invasive in wild forests.
Published Botany must feature more prominently on the school curriculum to promote awareness of climate change, study warns
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Children must be taught more about the importance of plants if education about climate change and sustainability is to be effective, experts have warned.
Published Snake skulls show how species adapt to prey
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By studying the skull shapes of dipsadine snakes, researchers have found how these species of snakes in Central and South America have evolved and adapted to meet the demands of their habitats and food sources.
Published Unsafe lead levels in school drinking water: new study IDs building risk factors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Civil and environmental engineers have determined the factors that may help identify the schools and daycare centers at greatest risk for elevated levels of lead in drinking water. The most telling characteristic for schools in Massachusetts is building age, with facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s -- nearly a third of the facilities tested -- at the greatest risk for having dangerously high water lead levels.
Published Money to burn: Wealthy, white neighborhoods losing their heat shields
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source White, wealthy neighborhoods in the LA area -- and likely around the world -- are about to start feeling the same heat that has plagued poorer, Hispanic neighborhoods for generations. A new study shows the protective effect of income has largely eroded over the past 40 years, as landscape plants can't keep up with the pace of climate warming.
Published Rare ant species rediscovered in North Carolina trees
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There's a species of ant that is so rare, only a handful of records exist from across the entire eastern United States. North Carolina State University researcher Michelle Kirchner not only found these ants in the Triangle region of North Carolina, she is the first to document an entire colony for scientists, taxonomists and ant-thusiasts everywhere. It is the first time males of the species have been collected or photographed.
Published The waxy surface protecting plants might hold the key to developing stronger crops
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that the waxy protective barrier around plants might play a role in sending chemical signals to other plants and insects.
Published Inoculation against diseased fields
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Farmland often harbors a multitude of pathogens which attack plants and reduce yields. A research team has now shown that inoculating the soil with mycorrhizal fungi can help maintain or even improve yields without the use of additional fertilizers or pesticides. In a large-scale field trial, plant yield increased by up to 40 percent.
Published Small marine creatures swimming in plastic chemicals not reproducing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plastic waste in the water might be stopping -- or interrupting -- some shrimp-like creatures from reproducing. In a unique study, the ability of 'shrimp like' creatures to reproduce successfully was found to be compromised by chemicals found in everyday plastics.
Published Durable plastic pollution easily, cleanly degrades with new catalyst
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Found in fishing nets, carpet, clothing, Nylon-6 is a major contributor to plastic pollution, including ocean pollution. Now, chemists have developed a new catalyst that quickly, cleanly and completely breaks down Nylon-6 in a matter of minutes -- without generating harmful byproducts. Even better: The process does not require toxic solvents, expensive materials or extreme conditions, making it practical for everyday applications. In experiments, the new process recovered 99% of the polymer's building blocks, which can then be upcycled into higher-value products.
Published A new bacterial species from a hydrothermal vent throws light on their evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new bacterial species discovered at the deep-sea hydrothermal vent site 'Crab Spa' provides a deeper understanding of bacterial evolution.
Published 600 years of tree rings reveal climate risks in California
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The San Joaquin Valley in California has experienced vast variability in climate extremes, with droughts and floods that were more severe and lasted longer than what has been seen in the modern record, according to a new study of 600 years of tree rings from the valley.