Most recent 40 articles: PHYS.ORG - Biology
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Climate change could significantly alter distribution of jellyfish and other gelatinous zooplankton in the Arctic Ocean - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 15) |
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May 15 · Gelatinous zooplankton, including jellyfish and other diverse, nearly transparent organisms, play important roles in marine ecosystems. Climate change is expected to significantly alter their populations and distributions. New research published in Limnology and Oceanography examines their fate in the Arctic Ocean, one of the fastest warming oceans on Earth. Investigators coupled three-dimensional species distribution models with oceanographic variables from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. The analyses allowed the team to identify gelatinous zooplankton species with expanding or contracting habitat ranges in response to climate change in the Arctic ... Read more ... |
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Can Philly become a hothouse for bananas and pineapples as the climate warms? - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 14) |
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May 14 · As climate change warms Philadelphia, the plants that can be grown in the city will change, too. The nonprofit Philadelphia Orchard Project believes that fruits more associated with more southern climates can be raised locally and is experimenting with what's possible to grow. The Orchard Project has erected two high tunnel unheated greenhouses at the Woodlands estate, a 54-acre protected national historic landmark in West Philadelphia. The group helps 69 partners, mostly community orchards in formerly vacant lots, figure out what to plant, how to plant, and how to harvest. The high tunnels will serve as living labs to grow more exotic fruits and vegetables, ... Read more ... |
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Preventable loss: A billion birds die each year from window strikes - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 14) |
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May 14 · University of Cincinnati ornithologist Ron Canterbury displayed dozens of birds that died from striking glass windows in the city. It's a tiny fraction of those he and his students have collected in recent years for his long-term study on window-strike mortality. Here were magnolia warblers, American redstarts, white-throated sparrows, tiny hummingbirds and larger mourning doves and woodpeckers. "It's depressing," he said. Canterbury said these fatal collisions are having a significant effect on bird populations. "Silent spring is coming," Canterbury said, referencing the famous Rachel Carson 1962 book that inspired the environmental movement of the 1970s. ... Read more ... |
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Young whale's journey highlights threats facing ocean animals - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 14) |
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May 14 · Scientists from Greenpeace and the universities of Exeter and Haifa studied whales and dolphins in the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Israel. They found Cuvier's beaked whales, bottlenose dolphins and sperm whales—including a young adult male previously seen off southern France. The distance between sighting locations makes this the furthest recorded movement of a sperm whale in the Mediterranean—and means the whale made a hazardous journey. Audio analysis provides further evidence that whales off the Israeli coast are part of the wider regional population, as their vocalizations matched the "Mediterranean dialect." The paper, published ... Read more ... |
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A novel flame-retardant, smoke-suppressing and superhydrophobic transparent bamboo for future glasses - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · Professors Yiqiang Wu and Caichao Wan, along with their team from Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT), have pioneered a transparent material derived from natural bamboo. This material features a three-layered flame-retardant barrier, effectively reducing heat release, slowing flame spread, and restraining the emission of combustible volatiles, toxic smoke, and CO. Their findings have been documented in the journal Research. Silica glass, a widely used transparent material in the construction industry, has seen increased adoption as an essential building material over the past 50 years. Its versatility is reflected in the global glass production reaching ... Read more ... |
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Chinese fruit fly genomes reveal global migrations, repeated evolution - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · "The amazing story about Drosophila melanogaster is their genetic differences among populations mirror how humans spread, from an origin in Africa, followed by migration out of Africa, but it's much more recent," said Andrew Clark, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Population Genetics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Clark is co-corresponding author of the study published April 17 in the journal Science Advances. Jian Lu, a professor of evolutionary biology at Peking University, China, and a former postdoctoral researcher in Clark's lab, is the other corresponding author. The authors combined their own results with those of previous studies and propose that D. ... Read more ... |
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How trash, sprawl and a warming world impact Michigan mosquito seasons - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · Not all of the quintessential characteristics of a Michigan summer are as pleasant as campfires, cookouts and baseball games. There are the mosquitoes, too. Those insects' itchy bites are making increasingly early appearances. This year, the first round hit in February, a date so early that Michigan State University entomology professor Edward Walker said it's "almost a ridiculous thought." Except it isn't. As Michigan winters warm, mosquitoes' active season is expanding and some southern species are appearing here. "Our ambient temperatures are going up, and that means we have an earlier spring and a longer fall," he said. "I can say without any doubt that the ... Read more ... |
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Indian Ocean sea-surface temperatures found to be accurate predictor of dengue outbreaks - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · In their study, published in the journal Science, the group modeled connections between climate patterns and the magnitude of dengue epidemics in parts of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne flavivirus disease, affecting nearly half the world's population. Currently, there are few treatments and no cure. Outbreaks of the disease are most common in Asia and South America and happen during the rainy season, when mosquito populations rise. The magnitude of outbreaks can vary widely, which makes it difficult for health officials to prepare each season. Current attempts to predict the magnitude of an outbreak for any given year are ... Read more ... |
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Madagascar's ancient baobab forests are being restored by communities - with a little help from AI - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · Tropical ecologist Seheno Andriantsaralaza has been researching the seed dispersal of baobab trees in Madagascar since 2009. She is the president of the Group of Specialists Passionate about Baobabs of Madagascar and a founder and principal investigator of the Assessment-Research-Outreach Baobab Project. She explains how the project works with women to replant baobab seedlings and harvest the fruit of existing trees sustainably. Why are baobab trees so important in Madagascar? Baobab trees are symbols of our landscape, profoundly significant to our ecosystem and cultural heritage. They are valuable to rural women who pick their fruit and sell it to companies for use in ... Read more ... |
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Nitrogen pollution is less harmful to mixed forests, study shows - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · In a study published in the journal Plant and Soil, researchers from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have shown that mixed larch and deciduous forests are more resistant to soil acidification—a decrease in soil pH—than pure larch forests. This finding suggests that mixed forests, which contain a variety of tree species, may be a more effective forest management strategy to combat soil acidification. Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the use of chemical fertilizers have led to high levels of nitrogen deposition, the transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, in many regions of the ... Read more ... |
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Why climate change is making parasitic diseases harder to predict - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 13) |
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May 13 · Some of them are carrying a virus of sheep and other animals called bluetongue. You are not personally at risk of bluetongue, but farming systems are vulnerable. Bluetongue is a problem in many countries and, as the climate changes, is expected to spread further, particularly in central Africa, the US and western Russia. The first cases in the UK were detected in 2023. Bluetongue is one of many infectious diseases likely to be affected by climate change. As part of the World Health Organization's task team on climate change, malaria and neglected tropical diseases, I recently contributed to a review of climate change, malaria and over 20 neglected tropical ... Read more ... |
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Researchers share road map promoting sustainable fishing - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 11) |
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May 11 · The road map, recently published in the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, can also be used to monitor the genetic diversity of any species—not just fish. "Fishing is a very important component of our food security" said Dr. Leif Andersson, a professor in the VMBS' Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences. "The marine food chain is also very interconnected, so having low numbers of one type of fish can be detrimental for many other species. "Unfortunately, over a third of the world's fish populations are in decline due to factors like overfishing and global warming," he said. "Our road map can help the fishing industry keep a closer eye on fish ... Read more ... |
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Feral horses in Australia's high country are damaging peatlands, decreasing carbon stores - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 10) |
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May 10 · Under the right conditions, peat soils accumulate from carbon-rich, semi-decomposed plants. But if things go wrong, the carbon balance can be tipped in the other direction, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. We wanted to know if feral horse grazing and trampling is reducing the amount of carbon Australia's alpine peatlands can store. These peatlands are found in alpine and mountainous regions of Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. But they're quite rare on the mainland, restricted to areas such as those frequented by feral horses in the Snowy Mountains. In our new research, we sampled peat soils from areas with and without feral ... Read more ... |
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Researchers investigate impact of elevated CO2 concentration on subtropical trees - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 10) |
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May 10 · In a study published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators investigated the effects of elevated CO2 concentration on leaf gas exchange, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, leaf and stem hydraulic conductivity, and seedling growth of four evergreen and four deciduous tree seedlings in the Ailaoshan subtropical forest in Yunnan. After one year of treatment, they measured the leaf gas exchange, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, leaf hydraulic conductance, and stem hydraulics of the four evergreen and four deciduous species. It was ... Read more ... |
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Getting dirty to clean up the chemical industry's environmental impact - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · The article, "Insulator-on-Conductor Fouling Amplifies Aqueous Electrolysis Rates," was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Most chemical reactions involving electricity and organic materials can't be done efficiently using water because the organic materials don't dissolve well, forcing industry to use fossil fuels to provide heat rather than electricity or use alternative substances to water, which add environmental and safety risks. However, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Simone Ciampi, from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences, has found chemical reactions in water can be dramatically sped up by adding a ... Read more ... |
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Nepal's nature threatened by new development push: conservationists - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · Nepali conservationists condemned on Thursday new regulations permitting hydropower and hotel projects in protected nature reserves, saying they threatened to damage the habitats of tigers and other endangered animals. A fifth of the Himalayan republic's total lands have been designated as protected areas established to forbid infrastructure projects that could damage the environment. Nepal has been praised worldwide for combating poachers and conserving wildlife, allowing it to bring several animal species back from the brink of local extinction. However, the government enacted an ordinance last month allowing it to approve infrastructure projects in national ... Read more ... |
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Report: There are no good or bad oil crops, only good and bad practices - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · Few topics have provoked as many polarized views and headlines as oil crops. These controversies span conservation, human rights, and nutrition. What does the evidence reveal? A report by the IUCN Oil Crops Taskforce dives deep into the often controversial environmental, social, economic, and nutritional impacts of vegetable oil crops. Their research shatters the myth that crops like oil palm, soybean, or rapeseed are inherently good or bad. Instead, the report reveals it's all about how these crops are grown, processed, and traded. It's the practices, not the plants, that make the difference. Palm oil and soya have particularly bad reputations. But while it's true that ... Read more ... |
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Researchers: Heat is coming for our crops - we have to make them ready - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · Unchecked, climate change will make it harder to produce food on a large scale. We get over 40% of our calories from just three plants: wheat, rice and corn. Climate change poses very real risks to these plants, with recent research suggesting the potential for synchronized crop failures. While we have long modified our crops to repel pests or increase yields, until now, no commercial crop has been designed to tolerate heat. We are working on this problem by trying to make soybean plants able to tolerate the extreme weather of a hotter world. What threat does climate change pose to our food? By 2050, food production must increase by 60% in order to feed the 9.8 ... Read more ... |
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Saturated soils could impact survival of young trees planted to address climate change - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · They have also shown that the UK's uplands could in future see significantly more annual rainfall than is currently being predicted in national climate models. Dr. Thomas Murphy, Lecturer in Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth, is the study's lead author. He said, "In recent years, there have been increasing calls to plant more trees as part of the global effort to combat climate change. Restoration and expansion of temperate rainforests, which are a globally rare ecosystem, is seen as one of the potential solutions. "But with our previous work also predicting an increase in future rainfall we wanted to know if the woodlands we create will support ... Read more ... |
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Study reveals changes in soil carbon and nutrient stocks in desert oasis farmland - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · The study is published in Geoderma. In addition, carbon and nitrogen stocks in the 0–40 cm soil layer and phosphorus stocks in the topsoil layer, stopped increasing after 60 years of conventional cultivation. This study highlighted that despite significant improvement in soil quality after desert reclamation, the long-term effectiveness of this improvement is limited by conventional management practices. Therefore, conventional management system of oasis farmland in arid regions should incorporate appropriate conservation tillage practices to ensure sustainable soil production. More information: Dengke Ma et al, Long-term conventional cultivation after ... Read more ... |
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Transformation of ocean management is underway, study finds - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 9) |
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May 9 · Despite its benefits and recognition as a keystone practice of ocean stewardship and conservation, adoption of EBM has been slow to take hold. The first mention of EBM was included in U.S. fisheries management guidance documents more than 20 years ago. Resource managers and policymakers need a proof-of-concept that this approach can occur incrementally with existing resources and tools. Previous management efforts have been implemented sector by sector focused on fisheries or navigation, but a transformation in ocean management to enable more ecosystem-based approaches is underway. To support this change in ocean management, a group of researchers and practitioners, ... Read more ... |
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Big data helps determine what drives disease risk - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 8) |
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May 8 · As the number of emerging infectious diseases in organisms across the tree of life, including humans, rises, it is becoming increasingly important to understand what drives disease spread and whether human actions are part of the cause. This information will aid in disease management strategies and predicting the potential for disease spread given a set of environmental or other changes. These efforts are important not only for diseases that could infect humans but also for diseases in other animals that can lead to human disease. Diseases in plants can also have a massive impact on agriculture and food security. Specifically, the new study published in Nature points to ... Read more ... |
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Global warming may boost mosquito habitats, study finds - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 8) |
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May 8 · "We found that all nine species in our model responded resiliently to climate change, which tells us that mosquito-borne disease will be a continued threat as the climate warms," said Morgan Gorris, a scientist in Los Alamos' Information Systems and Modeling group and lead author of the study. "Understanding how mosquito populations grow and move in response to climate change is crucial to inform public health planning." Future climate change may expand, contract, or shift the geographical ranges of mosquito species. For example, warmer temperatures may cause ranges to expand or shift toward the poles, while areas around the equator may become too hot for mosquitoes to live. ... Read more ... |
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Limited adaptability is making freshwater bacteria vulnerable to climate change - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 8) |
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May 8 · Freshwater resources are limited, accounting for only 3.5% of Earth's water, with just 0.25% accessible on the surface. Nevertheless, freshwater lakes are essential for ecosystem functioning and global carbon cycling due to their high biological productivity and microbial activity. They are critical to human survival, providing drinking water and supporting agriculture, fisheries, and recreation. However, climate change—particularly rising temperatures—threatens these habitats by disrupting microbial communities that are essential for nutrient cycling and water quality maintenance. "Considering the essential roles bacterial species play in freshwater environments ... Read more ... |
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Grizzlies are returning to Washington's North Cascades. How will that work? - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 7) |
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May 7 · Among the jagged peaks of the North Cascades, lush alpine meadows rich with berries and wildflowers blanket valleys carved by glaciers, some threaded with trickling creeks. But these idyllic landscapes are missing one big thing that had helped sustain them over the millennia: grizzly bears. That will soon change after federal officials decided last month to reintroduce grizzlies to the North Cascades, where there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of the species in nearly three decades. Endangered species around the world face heightened risks of extinction because of climate change, which is melting glaciers, warming the ocean, and causing more frequent and intense ... Read more ... |
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Study demonstrate improved root growth in radio-cesium contaminated soil - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 7) |
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May 7 · Plant resilience relies on the ability to sense and respond to the environment. From the air they breathe to the soil in which they grow, plants fine-tune their growth to thrive under specific conditions. But some changes in the environment cannot be overcome so easily. Led by Ryoung Shin, the RIKEN CSRS team is asking what we can do to help plants when their environment becomes contaminated with toxic substances like cesium. In the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster in Japan, scientists turned their attention to understanding how plants react to radio-cesium, a toxic element released into the environment after nuclear accidents. In order to grow ... Read more ... |
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Collecting live snakes in remote Amazon regions for study is no easy task - here's how we do it - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 6) |
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May 6 · In the event of a snakebite in a remote area of the Amazon, some questions become very important: what is the composition of the venom? Do commercially available serums effectively neutralize this venom? Is there a distribution of these antivenoms in the region? How can the local effects of bites be treated? To answer these questions, the first step is to study the venoms of snakes in the region. To do this, researchers need to have access to the snakes. This is where the multidisciplinary study I am coordinating comes in. A team of herpetologists and other professionals that I am part of searches for venomous snakes in forests in the state of Acre and sends the live ... Read more ... |
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How human activities are impacting one of the world's most remote whale species - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 6) |
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May 6 · Dr. Laura Feyrer, a marine biologist and adjunct faculty member at Dalhousie, reviewed existing literature on the human threats to beaked whales—a group that includes northern bottlenose, Cuvier's, Sowerby's and True's whales in Canadian waters and is characterized by deep dives, remote habitats and cryptic biology. Her findings, published recently in Royal Society Open Science, illustrate how one of the least encountered mammals on the planet cannot avoid human pressures. "This pervasive reach of human influence, particularly plastics across a wildly large number of species, suggests that virtually no area of the world's oceans is untouched by human activity," she ... Read more ... |
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The benefits of crown-of-thorns starfish control on the Great Barrier Reef - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 4) |
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May 4 · The study led by the Reef Authority in collaboration with research and delivery partners demonstrated up to a six-fold reduction in starfish numbers and a 44% increase in coral cover across regions that received timely and sufficient control effort. The research is published in the journal PLOS ONE. While crown-of-thorns starfish are native to the Reef, outbreaks can cause broadscale coral loss and reef degradation, which are another pressure on top of culminative impacts like coral bleaching and cyclones, further impacting on reef health. Reef Authority Chief Scientist Dr. Roger Beeden said this long-term data demonstrated that suppressing outbreaks of the coral-eating ... Read more ... |
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Contemporary wildfires not more severe than historically in western US dry forests: Study - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 3) |
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May 3 · I addressed this question in a new study in Sustainability. Dry forests are ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and dry mixed-conifer forests with ponderosa dominant, but other trees are common. They often occur at the lower limits of forests near woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands. Earlier, we showed these forests were historically subject to a mixture of low-, moderate- and high-severity fires, as occurred recently in a fire I photographed in a dry forest in northern New Mexico. This mixed-severity historical fire model better fits historical evidence, so the alternative low-severity fire model was rejected. A 2023 study used US Government Landfire data to show that ... Read more ... |
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NASA is helping protect tigers, jaguars, and elephants - here's how - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 3) |
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May 3 · "Satellites observe vast areas of Earth's surface on daily to weekly schedules," said Keith Gaddis, ecological conservation program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "That helps scientists monitor habitats that would be logistically challenging and time-consuming to survey from the ground—crucial for animals like tigers that roam large territories." Here's how NASA and its partners help protect three of Earth's most iconic species: Trouble (and hope) for tigers Tigers have lost at least 93% of their historical range, which once spanned Eurasia. Roughly 3,700 to 5,500 wild tigers remain, up from an estimated low of 3,200 in 2010. In a recent ... Read more ... |
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NOAA reports continued drop in overfishing - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 3) |
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May 3 · Maintaining sustainable fisheries contributes significantly to the U.S. economy, provides important recreational opportunities and helps meet the growing challenge of increasing our nation's seafood supply. In 2023, U.S. fisheries data revealed that 94% of stocks are not subject to overfishing and 82% are not overfished. These numbers show slight improvements compared to the 2022 figures of 93% and 81%, respectively. Ongoing positive trends continued with the number of stocks on the overfishing list decreasing by three stocks, reaching an all-time low of 21 stocks, and the number of stocks on the overfished list decreasing by one stock, to 47. Since 2000, NOAA Fisheries ... Read more ... |
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Research explores energy and land-use practices on US golf courses - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 2) |
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May 2 · A new study appearing in HortTechnology evaluates energy practices and use of land on US golf courses. Energy usage on US golf facilities was first assessed in 2008 and then reevaluated in 2015. The findings showed that over 99% of golf facilities continued to use gasoline and diesel fuel, with no significant change from 2008 to 2015. However, there was an increase in the percentage of facilities implementing behavioral or design changes aimed at conserving energy during this period. Additionally, there was a rise in the adoption of written energy plans and the conduct of energy audits among golf facilities between 2008 and 2015. These findings indicate that US golf facilities ... Read more ... |
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Study unveils 3D printing PQD-polymer architectures at room temperature - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 2) |
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May 2 · Led by Professor Im Doo Jung from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNIST, a recent study has introduced a cutting-edge one-stop perovskite quantum dot (PQD) additive manufacturing technology. This approach eliminates the need for heat treatment, allowing for the creation of complex 3D shapes with exceptional precision, including iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower. Traditionally, shaping QD materials in 3D required prolonged heat exposure, leading to property degradation and shape deformation. However, the newly developed PQD materials exhibit remarkable luminous efficiency and color versatility, offering a game-changing solution for advanced encryption and ... Read more ... |
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Mass fish die-off in Vietnam as heat wave roasts Southeast Asia - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 1) |
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May 1 · Hundreds of thousands of fish have died in a reservoir in southern Vietnam's Dong Nai province, with locals and media reports suggesting a brutal heat wave and the lake's management are to blame. Like much of Southeast Asia - where schools have recently been forced to close early and electricity usage has surged - southern and central Vietnam have been scorched by devastating heat. "All the fish in the Song May reservoir died for lack of water," a local resident in Trang Bom district, who identified himself only as Nghia, told AFP. "Our life has been turned upside down over the past 10 days because of the smell." Pictures show residents wading and boating ... Read more ... |
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Pet dogs and strays suffer in Asia heat wave - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 1) |
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May 1 · Soaring temperatures across Kolkata have brought life in much of the Indian megacity to a standstill, but veterinarian Partha Das cannot recall a time when he was more busy. His clinic has been swamped by distressed members of the public carrying in beloved pets suffering nosebleeds, severe skin rashes and lapses into unconsciousness in a relentless heat wave suffocating much of South and Southeastern Asia over the past week. "Many pets are also hospitalized for three or four consecutive days, and they are taking a long time to get back to normal," the 57-year-old told AFP from his surgery. "We are getting several heatstroke cases in a day. It's ... Read more ... |
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Study reveals uniqueness of naturally occurring monodominant forests in the Republic of Congo - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 1) |
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May 1 · A recent study published in the journal Plant Ecology and Evolution gives valuable insights into forest stands of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (G. dewevrei) in the Sangha Trinational region. G. dewevrei, known as "Bemba" or "Limbali" forest by Indigenous peoples and local communities, is a tree species endemic to the Congo Basin that is unusual in forming large stands where it is almost the only species present. The study focuses on the comparative analysis of the structure and composition of this G. dewevrei forest type compared to adjacent forest types. Using data from plot inventories and herbarium specimens, researchers evaluated several parameters, including stem ... Read more ... |
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Texans encouraged to turn off nighttime lights during bird migration - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (May 1) |
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May 1 · Texas residents who look up at the night sky over the next few weeks might catch a glimpse of an avian superhighway. Migratory birds like whooping cranes and tiny songbirds are making their seasonal flights over Texas to northern breeding grounds, with peak migration occurring from April 22 to May 12, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Nearly two billion birds of around 400 different species travel over the state each spring. To help ensure their safe passage, the National Audubon Society is asking Texans to dim their lights as part of "Lights Out, Texas!" The biannual campaign was launched as a statewide effort in 2020 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and ... Read more ... |
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'Bloodsicles', baths keep Philippine zoo animals cool as heat wave hits - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (Apr 30) |
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Apr 30 · A Philippine zoo is giving tigers frozen treats made of animal blood and preventing lions from mating during the hottest time of the day as a heat wave scorches the country. Unusually hot weather has sent temperatures in the capital Manila to a record high in recent days and forced schools across the archipelago nation to suspend in-person classes. As people flock to air-conditioned shopping malls and swimming pools for relief from the extreme heat, animals at Manila Zoo are also trying to cool off. Preventing heat stroke, particularly among the big cats, was the "main priority", zoo veterinarian Dave Vinas told AFP on Tuesday when the mercury hit 37 degrees ... Read more ... |
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A rare and little-known group of monkeys could help save Africa's tropical forests - PHYS.ORG - Biology  (Apr 30) |
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Apr 30 · At a time when hunting of wildlife and habitat loss are driving long-term changes to ecosystems, including stark wildlife population declines and greater vulnerability to climate change and zoonotic disease transmission, the scientists identified red colobus monkeys as key indicators of tropical forest health and flagships for local and international conservation initiatives. Writing in the journal Conservation Letters, the authors focus on five priority action areas: The above actions build on the Red Colobus Conservation Action Plan, initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group and the ... Read more ... |
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