http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/nature/ Nature. Read the latest scientific research on the natural world, ecology and climate change. en-us Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:05:01 EDT Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/nature/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091125.htm Tropical wetlands are able to absorb and hold onto about 80 percent more carbon than can wetlands in temperate zones, according to a new study. The scientists extracted soil cores from wetlands in Costa Rica and in Ohio and analyzed the contents of the sediment from the past 40 years. Based on their analysis, they estimated that the tropical wetland accumulated a little over 1 ton of carbon per acre per year, and the temperate wetland accumulated .6 tons of carbon per acre per year. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008091125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013142545.htm Thirty-five percent of the world's birds, 52 percent of amphibians and 71 percent of warm-water reef-building corals are likely to be particularly susceptible to climate change, the first results of an IUCN study have revealed. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013142545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012105113.htm Half to three-quarters of major Antarctic penguin colonies face decline or disappearance if global temperatures are allowed to climb by more than 2°C. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081012105113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002091915.htm A group has filed a scientific petition with the federal government seeking endangered species protection for the Atlantic wolffish, a fish threatened with extinction due to years of overharvesting and habitat loss due to modern fishing gear. If the petition is successful, this will be the first listing of a marine fish as an endangered in New England. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002091915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013143031.htm Climate change is having an impact on the water cycle, raising the issue of whether we should be investing in adapting to these impacts or focusing on more pressing water resource issues, such as providing water and sanitation for increasing populations? If investment in adapting to climate change is a priority, then is it best to invest in protecting natural ecosystems or developing engineered infrastructure? Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013143031.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013124419.htm In a population survey of West African chimpanzees living in Côte d'Ivoire, researchers estimate that this endangered subspecies has dropped in numbers by a whopping 90 percent since the last survey was conducted 18 years ago. The few remaining chimpanzees are now highly fragmented, with only one viable population living in Taï National Park, according to a report in Current Biology. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081013124419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008113434.htm A report scheduled to be published this week in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that maintaining the proper balance of herbivorous fishes may be critical to restoring coral reefs, which are declining dramatically worldwide. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008113434.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093458.htm Chalk up another environmental benefit for shade-grown Latin American coffee: University of Michigan researchers say the technique will provide a buffer against the ravages of climate change in the coming decades. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093458.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143700.htm Contrary to conventional wisdom, tropical plant and animal species living in some of the warmest places on Earth may be threatened by global warming, according to ecologists. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009143700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm The songbird has a friend in the beaver. According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the busy beaver's signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008151316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144059.htm Will climate change exceed life's ability to respond? Biodiversity in a Warmer World, published in the Oct. 10, 2008, issue of the journal, Science, illustrates that cross-disciplinary research fostered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama clearly informs this urgent debate. Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081009144059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180811.htm This one's for the birds. A study by biologists shows that the more diverse a bird population is in an area, the less chance humans have of exposure to West Nile Virus. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006180811.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073928.htm A new report lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, with potential impacts to both human and wildlife health and global economies. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007073928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172005.htm Researchers have harnessed the power of 21st century computing to confirm an idea first proposed in 1916 -- that plants with rapid reproductive cycles evolve faster. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081002172005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092643.htm From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006092643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006154952.htm The most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006154952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926100636.htm A new experiment to find out how British plant ecosystems may be affected by future changes to climate and biodiversity is underway at Imperial College London. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080926100636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924075311.htm Researchers have found that the main source of food for many fish -- including cod -- in the North Atlantic appears to adapt in order to survive climate change. Billions of Calanus finmarchicus, a plankton species, which are just a few millimeters in size, live in the waters of the North Atlantic where the research was carried out. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924075311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006155929.htm Scientists have found lichens can give insight into nitrogen air pollution effects on Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino mountain ecosystems, and protecting them provides safeguards for less sensitive species. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006155929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130457.htm Several mamalogists at Chicago's Field Museum participated in the IUCN survey of the world's mammals, using the Museum's extensive mammal collections for reference. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081006130457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085541.htm More plant species grow in German towns and cities than in the countryside, but those in towns and cities are more closely related and are often functionally similar. This makes urban ecosystems more susceptible to environmental impacts. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081635.htm Sea otters are known as a keystone species, filling such an important niche in ocean communities that without them, entire ecosystems can collapse. Scientists are finding, however, that sea otters can have even farther-reaching effects that extend to terrestrial communities and alter the behavior of another top predator: the bald eagle. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081003081635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145202.htm Eye color and hair color play a role in human partner choice, but visual stimuli can also determine mating preferences in the animal kingdom. In many species, the male's fortunes in the mating stakes are decided by a conspicuous breeding dress. A study of brightly colored fish has now demonstrated that this has less to do with aesthetics than with the sensitivity of female eyes, which varies as a result of adaptation to the environment. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093500.htm Wind farms pose less of a threat to farmland birds than previously feared, new research has found. The study helps resolve a potentially major environmental conflict: how to meet renewable energy targets at the same time as reversing dramatic declines in biodiversity on European farmland. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085543.htm Extreme flood events in floodplain grasslands affect carabid beetles and molluscs more than plants. Biologists did several years of observations before and after the Elbe floods of August 2002 in this study. Flow variations are known to be most important drivers in structuring riverine communities. However, until now, the effects of extreme flood events on the flora and fauna of floodplains have been largely unknown, despite the fact that such events are likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922174511.htm Researchers have uncovered the genetic pathway that controls abscission in the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. The ability to control abscission in plants is of special interest to those in the commercial fruit tree and cut flower industries, which rely heavily on abscission-promoting or inhibiting agents to regulate fruit quality and pre-harvest fruit drop. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922174511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923084535.htm Ammonia emissions from seabirds have been shown to be a significant source of nitrogen in remote coastal ecosystems, contributing to nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) and acidification in ecosystems. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923084535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155948.htm Two species of giraffe, several rhinos and five elephant relatives, along with multitudes of rodents, bush pigs, horses, antelope and apes, once inhabited what is now northern Pakistan. Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922100150.htm Reproductive plasticity -- the ability of individuals to modify their reproduction and the characteristics of their progeny according to environmental or social conditions -- is a crucial factor in the demographics of animal populations, including man. Scientists have now demonstrated the adaptive nature of the reproductive behavior of certain arthropods from one laying to another, in the same female. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922100150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922122427.htm A potentially deadly fungus that can kill frogs and toads was inadvertently introduced into Mallorca by a captive breeding program that was reintroducing a rare species of toad into the wild, according to a new study in the journal Current Biology. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922122427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919183823.htm Natural grass fires are evidently more important for the ecology of savannahs than has previously been assumed. This is the finding of a study carried out in Etosha National Park in the north of Namibia. It is the first study to have investigated the complex interplay of the factors fire, competition, moisture and seed availability in relation to a grass species. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919183823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918192933.htm Skin infections are common in pet lizards and can lead to fatal organ disease and septicaemia. The cause of these diseases has been unclear but now researchers in Belgium have discovered a new bacterium responsible for dermatitis in desert lizards. According to newly published research, the discovery could help control the disease and protect endangered species. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918192933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922175137.htm Ancient forests, which accumulate large quantities of carbon over the centuries, should be taken into account in global carbon balance assessments. However, such old growth forests were not included in the Kyoto protocol. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922175137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085545.htm Researchers at the University of Bath and conservationists from the Great Bustard Group will be releasing 19 birds on Salisbury Plain as part of an ongoing reintroduction project in the UK. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155914.htm How much carbon dioxide is too much? According to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere need to be stabilized at levels low enough to "prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." But scientists have come to realize that an even more acute danger than climate change is lurking in the world's oceans -- one that is likely to be triggered by CO₂ levels that are modest by climate standards. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922155914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918170825.htm A new iguana has been discovered in the central regions of Fiji. The colorful new species, named Brachylophus bulabula, joins only two other living Pacific iguana species, one of which is critically endangered. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918170825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919075127.htm Conservationists at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent, are celebrating a double achievement – the success of a conservation program in Rwanda that has helped turn gorilla poachers into ecotourism guides, and a major international award for the program’s founder, alumnus Edwin Sabuhoro. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080919075127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145131.htm Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research on the cover of this week's Nature finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years. The findings followed a four-year study of 12-ton containerized grassland plots at Nevada's Desert Research Institute. Plots were extracted intact from the Oklahoma prairie and sealed inside four, living-room-sized environment chambers. Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916101152.htm A new report from the Center for International Forestry Research, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and partners warns that an upsurge in hunting bushmeat -- including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians -- in tropical forests is unsustainable, and that it poses serious threats to food security for poor inhabitants of forests in Africa, who rely largely on bushmeat for protein. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916101152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145409.htm The number of alien plant species has more than tripled over the last 25 years. This is the finding of a study by European scientists who evaluated the data from 48 European countries and regions. A total of 5789 plant species were classified as alien. Of these, 2843 originating outside of Europe, according to the researchers. By contrast, in 1980 only 1568 alien species were registered. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145509.htm Even if greenhouse gas emissions are fixed at 2005 levels, a new analysis shows that irreversible warming will lead to biodiversity loss and substantial glacial melt. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080917145509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916154724.htm Houses made of hemp, timber or straw could help combat climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of building construction, according to researchers at the University of Bath. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916154724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915121221.htm The continued expansion of oil palm plantations will worsen the dual environmental crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, unless rainforests are better protected, warn scientists in the most comprehensive review of the subject to date. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915121221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915174538.htm A new species of blind, subterranean, predatory ant discovered in the Amazon rainforest is likely a descendant of the very first ants to evolve. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915174538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185330.htm Scientists who have determined how much carbon is stored annually in upper Midwest forests hope their findings will be used to accelerate global discussion about the strategy of managing forests to offset greenhouse gas emissions. In an era of competing land use demands, the researchers argue that forests help stabilize the climate and are abundant sources of other ecological goods and services -- such as cleansed air, fertile soil and filtered water. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910133934.htm Contrary to 40 years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" -- they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910133934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909105305.htm Using remote camera traps to lift the veil on Myanmar's dense northern wild lands, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have painstakingly gathered a bank of valuable data on the country's populations of tigers and other smaller, lesser known carnivores (see photo attachments). These findings will help in the formulation of conservation strategies for the country's wildlife. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080909105305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910141827.htm A set of stripy legs in a camera trap photo snapped in an African forest indicates something to cheer about, say researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910141827.htm