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Categories: Archaeology: General, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Barnacle bends shape to fend off warm-water sea snails on the move
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some barnacles are 'morphing' to protect themselves from predatory warm-water sea snails, which are expanding into their territory due to climate change.
Published Plastics treaty must tackle problem at source
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The new Global Plastics Treaty must tackle the problem at source, researchers say. They say the treaty must prioritize 'upstream' issues: cutting total production and consumption of plastics, phasing out hazardous chemicals and tackling fossil fuel subsidies.
Published Lightning identified as the leading cause of wildfires in boreal forests, threatening carbon storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Most wildfires in boreal forests, such as those in Canada, are caused by lightning strikes, according to a study aimed at attributing fire ignition sources globally.
Published Zooplankton in ocean and freshwater are rapidly escalating the global environmental threat of plastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaborative research team has recently revealed that rotifers, a kind of microscopic zooplankton common in both fresh and ocean water around the world, are able to chew apart microplastics, breaking them down into even smaller, and potentially more dangerous, nanoplastics -- or particles smaller than one micron. Each rotifer can create between 348,000 -- 366,000 per day, leading to uncountable swarms of nanoparticles in our environment.
Published A fifth of European Red List flora and fauna species may be at risk of extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis of 14,669 threatened species of plants and animals found in Europe reveals that about one fifth face the risk of extinction, and that agricultural land-use change poses a significant threat to these species.
Published Head lice evolution mirrors human migration and colonization in the Americas
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new analysis of lice genetic diversity suggests that lice came to the Americas twice -- once during the first wave of human migration across the Bering Strait, and again during European colonization.
Published Feral horses and peatland carbon emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A ground-breaking new study has found carbon emissions from Australian alpine peatlands to be much higher in areas disturbed by feral horses.
Published Southern Alaska's national forests key to meeting climate, conservation goals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Analyses of U.S. national forests shows that increased protections for two Alaskan forests is a key to meeting climate and biodiversity goals.
Published Experts predict 'catastrophic ecosystem collapse' of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not taken
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Experts predict 'catastrophic ecosystem collapse' of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not taken. Other threats to UK forests include competition with society for water, viral diseases, and extreme weather affecting forest management.
Published 'Alien' wasps thriving in tropical forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say they have discovered high diversity of Darwin wasps in a tropical rainforest in Brazil, wasps which were previously thought to thrive more in cooler habitats.
Published Device 'smells' seawater to discover, detect novel molecules
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Under the ocean's surface, marine organisms are constantly releasing invisible molecules. Some of the chemical clues reveal which creatures are nearby, while others could be used someday as medications. Now, researchers report a proof-of-concept device that 'sniffs' seawater, trapping dissolved compounds for analyses. The team showed that the system could easily concentrate molecules that are present in underwater caves and holds promise for drug discovery in fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs.
Published Maps reveal biochar's potential for mitigating climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Twelve countries have the technical ability to sequester over 20% of their current total greenhouse gas emissions by converting crop residues to biochar. Bhutan leads the way with the potential to sequester 68% of its emissions in the form of biochar, followed by India, at 53%.
Published 'Biodiversity time machine' provides insights into a century of loss
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source AI analysis shows pollution levels, extreme weather events and increasing temperatures devastates biodiversity in freshwater lakes.
Published A database unifies the information on damage to European forests over the last 60 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are creating a database that harmonizes the recording of disturbances caused by insects and diseases in forests in 8 European countries by combining remote sensing, satellite images and field data.
Published New algae species rewrites understanding of reef systems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of marine scientists has identified and officially named four species of algae new to science, challenging previous taxonomical assumptions within the Porolithon genus. The discovery has far-reaching implications for our understanding of the ecological role of these algae in the coral reef ecosystem.
Published Long-distance weaponry identified at the 31,000-year-old archaeological site of Maisières-Canal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The hunter-gatherers who settled on the banks of the Haine, a river in southern Belgium, 31,000 years ago were already using spearthrowers to hunt their game. The material found at the archaeological site of Maisières-Canal permits establishing the use of this hunting technique 10,000 years earlier than the oldest currently known preserved spearthrowers. This discovery is prompting archaeologists to reconsider the age of this important technological innovation.
Published Crust-forming algae are displacing corals in tropical waters worldwide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Over the past few decades, algae have been slowly edging corals out of their native reefs across the globe by blocking sunlight, wearing the corals down physically, and producing harmful chemicals. But in recent years, a new type of algal threat has surfaced in tropical regions like the Caribbean -- one that spreads quickly and forms a crust on top of coral and sponges, suffocating the organisms underneath and preventing them from regrowing. Marine biologists report that peyssonnelioid alga crusts, or PACs, are expanding quickly across reefs worldwide, killing off corals and transforming entire ecosystems.
Published Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world's protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more variable tree cover, which is expected to benefit biodiversity overall.
Published The kids aren't alright: Saplings reveal how changing climate may undermine forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers studied how young trees respond to a hotter, drier climate. Their findings can help shape forest management policy and our understanding of how landscapes will change.
Published To restore ecosystems, think about thwarting hungry herbivores
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Re-establishing plantings of trees, grasses and other vegetation is essential for restoring degraded ecosystems, but a new survey of almost 2,600 restoration projects from nearly every type of ecosystem on Earth finds that most projects fail to recognize and control one of the new plants' chief threats: hungry critters that eat plants.