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Categories: Environmental: Ecosystems, Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published Was 'witchcraft' in the Devil's Church in Koli based on acoustic resonance? The crevice cave has a unique soundscape
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The national park of Koli in eastern Finland is home to a famous, 34-metre-long crevice cave known as Pirunkirkko, or Devil's Church in English. A new study investigates the acoustics of the Devil's Church and explores whether the acoustic properties of the cave could explain the beliefs associated with it, and why it was chosen as a place for activities and rituals involving sound.
Published How shipwrecks are providing a refuge for marine life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has highlighted how the estimated 50,000 wrecks around the UK coastline are protecting the seabed, and the species inhabiting it, in areas still open to bottom-towed fishing.
Published Predicting the fate of shallow coastal ecosystems for the year 2100
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study of shallow-water ecosystems estimates that, by 2100, climate change and coastal land usage could result in significant shrinkage of coral habitats, tidal marshes, and mangroves, while macroalgal beds remain stable and seagrass meadows potentially expand.
Published How do temperature extremes influence the distribution of species?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the planet gets hotter, animal and plant species around the world will be faced with new, potentially unpredictable living conditions, which could alter ecosystems in unprecedented ways. A new study investigates the importance of temperature in determining where animal species are currently found to better understand how a warming climate might impact where they might live in the future.
Published First comprehensive look at effects of 2020-2021 California megafires on terrestrial wildlife habitat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In 2020 and 2021, California experienced fire activity unlike anything recorded in the modern record. When the smoke cleared, the amount of burned forest totaled ten times more than the annual average going back to the late 1800s. We know that wildlife in western forests evolved with changing habitat and disturbances like wildfire. Each species responds differently, some benefiting from openings, others losing critical habitat. What we don't know is how increasing fire severity at large scales is impacting their habitat and survival, because many species are not adapted to these types of 'megafires.'
Published Curators and cavers: How a tip from a citizen scientist led to deep discoveries in Utah's caves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists and colleagues from Utah's caving community have published the first research from their collaborative fieldwork effort deep in Utah's caves. The journal's feature article reveals why caves make such compelling research archives; what was uncovered in Boomerang Cave in northern Utah; why skeletal remains provide new access to hard-to-get data from the recent past; and offers a new zoological baseline for mammalian changes in an alpine community.
Published Trilobites rise from the ashes to reveal ancient map
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ten newly discovered species of trilobites, hidden for 490 million years in a little-studied part of Thailand, could be the missing pieces in an intricate puzzle of ancient world geography.
Published Deep-sea mining and warming trigger stress in a midwater jellies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The deep sea is home to one of the largest animal communities on earth which is increasingly exposed to environmental pressures. However, our knowledge of its inhabitants and their response to human-induced stressors is still limited. A new study now provides first insights into the stress response of a pelagic deep-sea jellyfish to ocean warming and sediment plumes caused by deep-sea mining.
Published Forest modeling shows which harvest rotations lead to maximum carbon sequestration
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Forest modeling shows that a site's productivity -- an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate -- is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration.
Published AI finds formula on how to predict monster waves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using 700 years' worth of wave data from more than a billion waves, scientists have used artificial intelligence to find a formula for how to predict the occurrence of these maritime monsters. Long considered myth, freakishly large rogue waves are very real and can split apart ships and even damage oil rigs.
Published Protect delicate polar ecosystems by mapping biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems and sustainably manage these unique habitats.
Published Coastal river deltas threatened by more than climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Worldwide, coastal river deltas are home to more than half a billion people, supporting fisheries, agriculture, cities, and fertile ecosystems. In a unique study covering 49 deltas globally, researchers have identified the most critical risks to deltas in the future. The research shows that deltas face multiple risks, and that population growth and poor environmental governance might pose bigger threats than climate change to the sustainability of Asian and African deltas, in particular.
Published Heat tolerant coral may trade fast growth for resilience
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Algae living within the soft tissue of coral supply much of the energy needed by their hosts, and some symbiotic algae help coral withstand warmer water better than others. Researchers have now found that there was a tradeoff for corals dominated by the thermally sensitive algae -- they have higher growth, but only in cooler water.
Published Like the phoenix, Australia's giant birds of prey rise again from limestone caves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Australia's only vulture, and a fearsome extinct eagle, are among the earliest recorded birds of prey from the Pleistocene period more than 50,000 years ago -- and now researchers are bringing them to 'life' again. Along with new scientific information, a bold new pictorial reconstruction of a newly named eagle and the only known Australian vulture will be unveiled at the World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves in South Australia's Limestone Coast this month.
Published Much more than waste: Tiny vesicles exchange genetic information between cells in the sea
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers take a look at data that has so far been mostly discarded as contamination, revealing the previously underestimated role of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These are important for the exchange of genetic information between cells and thus for the microbial community in the sea.
Published New global stocktake: Healthy forests could store much more carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Natural carbon reservoirs will play a major role at the COP28 world climate conference in the United Arab Emirates. In a recent study, a team of more than two hundred researchers worldwide presents new estimates of the storage potential of forests around the globe. According to the study, forests could ideally absorb 328 billion tons (gigatons, Gt for short) of carbon. However, as many formerly forested areas are now used for agriculture and as settlement areas, the potential is reduced to 226 Gt. 139 Gt of this (61%) could be achieved by protecting existing forests alone. The remaining 87 Gt (39%) could be realized by reconnecting previously fragmented forest landscapes and managing them sustainably.
Published Bear genes show circadian rhythms even during hibernation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The internal clocks of grizzly bears appear to keep ticking through hibernation, according to a genetic study. This persistence highlights the strong role of circadian rhythms in the metabolism of many organisms including humans. The genetic study confirmed observational evidence that bears' energy production still waxes and wanes in a daily pattern even as they slumber for several months without eating. The researchers also found that during hibernation the amplitude of the energy production was blunted, meaning the range of highs and lows was reduced. The peak also occurred later in the day under hibernation than during the active season, but the daily fluctuation was still there.
Published Birds set foot near South Pole in Early Cretaceous, Australian tracks show
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The discovery of 27 avian footprints on the southern Australia coast -- dating back to the Early Cretaceous when Australia was still connected to Antarctica -- opens another window onto early avian evolution and possible migratory behavior.
Published Climate change effects hit marine ecosystems in multiple waves, according to marine ecologists
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new approach to examining the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems may provide a more accurate understanding of climate change responses -- and predictions for future consequences -- according to a new article. The paper highlights the interplay between the trend of climate warming and the fluctuations in local temperature. These two properties cause atypically warm events such as marine heatwaves to occur with increasing frequency and magnitude.
Published Clearing mangroves makes 'muddification' worse
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Clearing mangroves to stop estuaries getting clogged with mud actually makes the problem worse, new research shows.