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Categories: Environmental: Biodiversity, Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published Neuroptera: Greater insect diversity in the Cretaceous period
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An LMU team has studied the biodiversity of larvae from the insect order neuroptera over the past 100 million years.
Published Newly sequenced hornet genomes could help explain invasion success
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The genomes of two hornet species, the European hornet and the Asian hornet (or yellow-legged hornet) have been sequenced.
Published The climate crisis and biodiversity crisis can't be approached as two separate things
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anthropogenic climate change has, together with the intensive use and destruction of natural ecosystems through agriculture, fishing and industry, sparked an unprecedented loss of biodiversity that continues to worsen. In this regard, the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are often viewed as two separate catastrophes. An international team of researchers calls for adopting a new perspective.
Published The diversity of present tree species is shaped by climate change in the last 21,000 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new global survey of 1000 forest areas shows how climate change since the peak of the last ice age has had a major impact on the diversity and distribution of tree species we see today. The results can help us predict how ecosystems will react to future changes, thus having an impact on conservation management around the globe.
Published Swimming secrets of prehistoric reptiles unlocked by new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The diverse swimming techniques of the ancient reptiles that ruled the Mesozoic seas have been revealed.
Published Nullarbor rocks reveal Australia's transformation from lush to dust
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered how long ago the Australian Nullarbor plain dried out, with a new approach shedding light on how ancient climate change altered some of the driest regions of our planet.
Published Scientists discover pristine deep-sea coral reefs in the Galápagos Marine Reserve
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered extensive, ancient deep-sea coral reefs within the Galápagos Marine Reserve (GMR) -- the first of their kind ever to be documented inside the marine protected area (MPA) since it was established in 1998. The first reef observed was found at 400-600m (1,310-1,970 feet) depth at the summit of a previously unmapped seamount in the central part of the archipelago and supports a breathtaking mix of deep marine life.
Published 2022 Tongan volcanic explosion was largest natural explosion in over a century, new study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The 2022 eruption of a submarine volcano in Tonga was more powerful than the largest U.S. nuclear explosion, according to a new study. The 15-megaton volcanic explosion from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, one of the largest natural explosions in more than a century, generated a mega-tsunami with waves up to 45-meters high (148 feet) along the coast of Tonga's Tofua Island and waves up to 17 meters (56 feet) on Tongatapu, the country's most populated island.
Published Wildfires and animal biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wildfires. Many see them as purely destructive forces, disasters that blaze through a landscape, charring everything in their paths. But a new study reminds us that wildfires are also generative forces, spurring biodiversity in their wakes.
Published British flower study reveals surprise about plants' sex life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study of Britain's native flowering plants has led to new insights into the mysterious process that allows wild plants to breed across species -- one of plants' most powerful evolutionary forces. When wild flowering plants are sizing up others they may often end up in a marriage between close relatives rather than neighbors, a new study has revealed.
Published Study re-evaluates hazards and climate impacts of massive underwater volcanic eruptions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Material left on the seafloor by bronze-age underwater volcanic eruptions is helping researchers better understand the size, hazards and climate impact of their parent eruptions, according to new research.
Published Trees in areas prone to hurricanes have strong ability to survive even after severe damage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The island of Dominica took a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Maria. Nine months afterward, researchers found that while 89% percent of trees located in nine previously documented forest stands were damaged, but only 10 percent had immediately died. The most common damage was stem snapping and major branch damage. The damage with the highest rates of mortality were uprooting and being crushed by a neighboring tree. Large individual trees and species with lower wood density were susceptible to snapping, uprooting and mortality. Those on steeper slopes were more prone to being crushed by neighboring trees.
Published Family tree of 'boring' butterflies reveals they're anything but
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Important species often get overlooked if they lack flashy colors or charismatic behavior. This is true of euptychiine butterflies, one of the most common insects in the Amazon Rainforest that have been largely ignored by scientists and naturalists throughout the 20th century. A new study pieces together the natural history of the group, in which males can look so unlike females, they've been repeatedly mistaken for separate species, diversity has been drastically underestimated, and more than 100 unnamed species are waiting on scientific description.
Published Scientists advocate for integration of biogeography and behavioral ecology to rapidly respond to biodiversity loss
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An interdisciplinary team of researchers is advocating for convergent research that integrates the fields of biogeography and behavioral ecology to more rapidly respond to challenges associated with climate change and biodiversity loss.
Published In Florida study, nonnative leaf-litter ants are replacing native ants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new look at decades of data from museum collections and surveys of leaf-litter ants in Florida reveals a steady decline in native ants and simultaneous increase in nonnative ants -- even in protected natural areas of the state, researchers report.
Published New tool shows progress in fighting spread of invasive grass carp in Great Lakes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers created a new way to estimate the abundance of invasive 'sleeper' species in freshwater ecosystems and help guide management strategies.
Published A detailed map of the microverse: Microbial niches
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What defines the habitat -- the ecological niche -- of a microorganism? It is a combination of environmental factors such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient content. But the exact contribution of each of these factors is difficult to predict. A research team has redefined microbial niches by determining which microorganisms live together.
Published Insect decline also occurs in forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The number of insects has been declining for years. This has already been well documented for agricultural areas. In forests, however, temporal trends are mostly studied for insect species that are considered pests. Now, a research team has studied the trends of very many insect species in German forests. Contrary to what the researchers had suspected, the results showed that the majority of the studied species are declining.
Published Warming Arctic draws marine predators northwards
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Marine predators have expanded their ranges into the Arctic waters over the last twenty years, driven by climate change and associated increases in productivity.
Published Innovative method predicts the effects of climate change on cold-blooded animals
(via sciencedaily.com) In the face of a warming climate that is having a profound effect on global biodiversity and will change the distribution and abundance of many animals, a research team has developed a statistical model that improves estimates of habitat suitability and extinction probability for cold-blooded animals as temperatures climb.