Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Released: 20-Dec-2013 12:00 PM EST
Research Raises Concerns About Future Global Crop Yields
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Yields of rice, wheat and corn appear to have maxed out on 30 percent of the world's agricultural croplands, according to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study published in Nature Communications.

Released: 19-Dec-2013 12:00 PM EST
New York State to Hold Hearing on Ivory Trade
Wildlife Conservation Society

The New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation announced a public hearing on ways to improve the effectiveness of the state’s laws and regulations restricting the sales of ivory.

Released: 18-Dec-2013 3:00 PM EST
Emerald Ash Borer May Have Met His Match
University of Illinois Chicago

Woodpeckers find emerald ash borers a handy food source and may slow the spread of this noxious pest, even ultimately controlling it, suggest researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Released: 18-Dec-2013 11:00 AM EST
New Study Sheds Light for Those Working to Save World’s Endangered Crocodiles
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Researchers discover there are seven distinct African crocodile species, not just three.

16-Dec-2013 11:00 PM EST
A Roly-Poly Pika Gathers Much Moss
University of Utah

In some mountain ranges, Earth’s warming climate is driving rabbit relatives known as pikas to higher elevations or wiping them out. But University of Utah biologists discovered that roly-poly pikas living in rockslides near sea level in Oregon can survive hot weather by eating more moss than any other mammal.

Released: 17-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
UF Research Shows Coral Reefs Worth Saving
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Scientists from the University of Florida and the Caribbean study a reef off Little Cayman Island for 14 years and find damaged reefs can recover, if left alone.

Released: 17-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
Hack the Planet? Geoengineering Research, Ethics, Governance Explored
University of Washington

A special interdisciplinary issue of the journal Climatic Change includes the most detailed description yet of the proposed Oxford Principles to govern geoengineering research, and surveys the technical hurdles, ethics and regulatory issues related to deliberately manipulating the planet's climate.

13-Dec-2013 10:00 AM EST
Lost Freshwater May Double Climate Change Effects on Agriculture
Globus

A new analysis combining climate, agricultural, and hydrological models finds that shortages of freshwater used for irrigation could double the detrimental effects of climate change on agriculture.

Released: 13-Dec-2013 9:00 AM EST
Evidence of Mass Extinction Associated with Climate Change 375 Million Years Ago Discovered in Central Asia
Appalachian State University

Members of a U.N.-sponsored research team with members from Appalachian State University’s Department of Geology have found evidence for catastrophic oceanographic events associated with climate change and a mass extinction 375 million years ago that devastated tropical marine ecosystems.

Released: 12-Dec-2013 4:00 PM EST
Can We Turn Unwanted Carbon Dioxide Into Electricity?
Ohio State University

Researchers are developing a new kind of geothermal power plant that will lock away unwanted carbon dioxide (CO2) underground—and use it as a tool to boost electric power generation by at least 10 times compared to existing geothermal energy approaches.

Released: 12-Dec-2013 9:05 AM EST
Tooth Structure and Wear Provide Clues to Ecology and Evolution of Ancient Marine Creatures
NYIT

Published studies from an NYIT Anatomy Professor and international colleagues shed new light on ancient creatures' dental structure and wear -- and how these unique characteristics helped them live and adapt to their environments.

6-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Where Water Is Limited, Researchers Determine How Much Water Is Enough
Journal of Visualized Experiments (JOVE)

Today, December 12, JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, has published an environmental research technique that could turn the age-old task of watering crops into an exact science.

Released: 12-Dec-2013 7:00 AM EST
Environment Drives Genetics in Evolution Canyon; Discovery Sheds Light on Climate Change
Virginia Tech

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute researchers studying life from a unique natural environment in Israel discover heat stress seems to influence a species' genetic makeup, a finding that may influence understanding of climate change.

11-Dec-2013 4:00 PM EST
Study Demonstrates That Indigenous Hunting with Fire Helps Sustain Brazil’s Savannas
Indiana University

Indigenous use of fire for hunting is an unlikely contributor to long-term carbon emissions, but it is an effective environmental management and recovery tool against agribusiness deforestation, a new study from Indiana University and Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation has found.

Released: 11-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
The Secret Life of a Lake
Union College

As you canoe over the placid surface of your favorite lake, have you ever wondered what lies beneath you? What kind of creatures lurk there? What do they look like and why, and how do they interact? By letting readers in on a lake's "secret life," and sharing some fascinating stories of a lake's inhabitants, the author hopes to provide a deeper understanding of these complex and dynamic ecosystems.

8-Dec-2013 11:00 PM EST
The Mystery of Lizard Breath
University of Utah

Air flows mostly in a one-way loop through the lungs of monitor lizards – a breathing method shared by birds, alligators and presumably dinosaurs, according to a new University of Utah study that may push the evolution of this trait back to 270 million years ago.

Released: 11-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Arctic Cyclones More Common Than Previously Thought
Ohio State University

From 2000 to 2010, about 1,900 cyclones churned across the top of the world each year, leaving warm water and air in their wakes—and melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. That’s about 40 percent more than previously thought, according to a new analysis of these Arctic storms.

Released: 11-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
East Antarctica Is Sliding Sideways
Ohio State University

It's official: East Antarctica is pushing West Antarctica around. Now that West Antarctica is losing weight--that is, billions of tons of ice per year--its softer mantle rock is being nudged westward by the harder mantle beneath East Antarctica.

Released: 11-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Alpine Glacier, Unchanged for Thousands of Years, Now Melting
Ohio State University

Less than 20 miles from the site where melting ice exposed the 5,000-year-old body of Ötzi the Iceman, scientists have discovered new and compelling evidence that the Italian Alps are warming at an unprecedented rate. Part of that evidence comes in the form of a single dried-out leaf from a larch tree that grew thousands of years ago.

Released: 9-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
New Long-Lived Greenhouse Gas Discovered by University of Toronto Chemistry Team
University of Toronto

Scientists from U of T’s Department of Chemistry have discovered a novel chemical lurking in the atmosphere that appears to be a long-lived greenhouse gas (LLGHG). The chemical – perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) – is the most radiatively efficient chemical found to date, breaking all other chemical records for its potential to impact climate.

Released: 9-Dec-2013 11:00 AM EST
Hawaiian Monk Seal Toy Raises Funds to Save Endangered Species
University of California, Santa Cruz

For that special Christmas gift, how about saving an endangered species? That's the goal of the Real Seal, a 6-inch plush Hawaiian monk seal toy designed by monk seal researchers at UC Santa Cruz.

8-Dec-2013 8:00 PM EST
URI Scientists Investigating Life, Geologic Processes Deep Inside Earth as Part of Deep Carbon Observatory
University of Rhode Island

Scientists at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography are shedding light on the genetic makeup of Earth’s deep microbial life and the geochemistry of the lavas that form the Earth’s crust through research conducted as part of the Deep Carbon Observatory, a 10-year international collaboration unraveling the mysteries of Earth’s inner workings.

8-Dec-2013 8:30 PM EST
Media Tip Sheet: URI research to be presented at AGU meeting, Dec. 9-13
University of Rhode Island

The following is a sampling of research results that will be presented by University of Rhode Island scientists at the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in San Francisco from Dec. 9 to 13:

Released: 6-Dec-2013 11:35 AM EST
At Agu: Shale Sequestration, Water for Energy & Soil Microbes
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PNNL scientists will present research on carbon sequestration at shale gas sites, water needs for energy production and climate-induced changes in microbes at the 2013 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Dec. 9-13.

3-Dec-2013 3:45 PM EST
Deep-Sea Study Reveals Cause of 2011 Tsunami
McGill University

The tsunami that struck Japan’s Tohoku region in 2011 was touched off by a submarine earthquake far more massive than anything geologists had expected in that zone. Now, a team of scientists has published a set of studies in the journal Science that shed light on what caused the dramatic displacement of the seafloor.

Released: 5-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
Thin Soil Layers Contributed To Devastating 2011 Japan
Texas A&M University

An extremely thin layer of clay sediment below the ocean floor is a primary cause of the huge tsunami associated with the 2011 Japan earthquake, according to research by an international team of scientists that include a Texas A&M University professor.

Released: 5-Dec-2013 10:00 AM EST
UF Researchers’ Experiment Is First to Simulate Warming of Arctic Permafrost
University of Florida

Although vegetation growth in the Arctic is boosted by global warming, it’s not enough to offset the carbon released by the thawing of the permafrost beneath the surface, University of Florida researchers have found in the first experiment in the Arctic environment to simulate thawing of permafrost in a warming world.

2-Dec-2013 7:00 PM EST
New Finding Based on Nearly Two Decades of Field Research Shows That Mother Sharks “Home” to Their Birthplace to Give Birth
Stony Brook University

Research conducted in Bimini in The Bahamas spanning almost two decades shows that female lemon sharks that were born there returned 15 years later to give birth to their own young, confirming this behavior for the first time in sharks. The study began in 1995, and has resulted in the capture, tagging, and release of more than 2,000 baby sharks.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 7:00 PM EST
Rising Ocean Acidification Leads to Anxiety in Fish
University of California San Diego

A new research study combining marine physiology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and behavioral psychology has revealed a surprising outcome from increases of carbon dioxide uptake in the oceans: anxious fish.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 2:00 PM EST
Coastal Sea Change Could Impact Climate Predictions
University of Delaware

Carbon dioxide pumped into the air since the Industrial Revolution appears to have changed the way the coastal ocean functions, according to a new analysis published this week in Nature. A comprehensive review of research on carbon cycling in rivers, estuaries and continental shelves suggests that collectively this coastal zone now takes in more carbon dioxide than it releases. The shift could impact global models of carbon’s flow through the environment and future predictions related to climate change.

4-Dec-2013 9:00 AM EST
Industrial Age Helps Some Coastal Regions Capture Carbon Dioxide
Ohio State University

Coastal portions of the world’s oceans, once believed to be a source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere, are now thought to absorb as much as two-thirds more carbon than they emitted in the preindustrial age, researchers estimate.

Released: 4-Dec-2013 1:00 PM EST
Sea-Level Rise to Drive Coastal Flooding, Regardless of Changes in Cyclone Activity
Virginia Tech

A review of scientific studies show that sea-level rise and shoreline retreat will drive an increase in future flood risk from hurricanes.

Released: 3-Dec-2013 6:00 PM EST
Scripps Leads First Global Snapshot of Key Coral Reef Fishes
University of California San Diego

In the first global assessment of its kind, a science team led by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has produced a landmark report on the impact of fishing on a group of fish known to protect the health of coral reefs. The report, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biological Sciences), offers key data for setting management and conservation targets to protect and preserve fragile coral reefs.

Released: 3-Dec-2013 11:50 AM EST
Study Documents Catastrophic Collapse of Sahara's Wildlife
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoological Society or London warns that the world’s largest tropical desert, the Sahara, has suffered a catastrophic collapse of its wildlife populations.

Released: 3-Dec-2013 11:00 AM EST
UAH Atmospheric Scientists Chasing Lake-Effect Snows
University of Alabama Huntsville

An intrepid atmospheric science department team from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is tracking and measuring lake-effect snowstorms from the southern banks of Lake Ontario, all in the name of better future weather forecasting.

Released: 2-Dec-2013 12:00 PM EST
Process Holds Promise for Production of Synthetic Gasoline
University of Illinois Chicago

A chemical system developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago can efficiently perform the first step in the process of creating syngas, gasoline and other energy-rich products out of carbon dioxide.

Released: 27-Nov-2013 2:00 PM EST
Glaciers Sizzle as They Disappear into Warmer Water
Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

The sounds of bubbles escaping from melting ice make underwater glacial fjords one of the loudest natural marine environments on earth, according to research to be presented at the fall meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).

Released: 26-Nov-2013 11:30 AM EST
Study Finds the Forgotten Ape Threatened by Human Activity and Forest Loss
Wildlife Conservation Society

The most detailed range-wide assessment of the bonobo (formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee) ever conducted has revealed that this poorly known and endangered great ape is quickly losing space in a world with growing human populations. The loss of usable habitat is attributed to both forest fragmentation and poaching, according to a new study by University of Georgia, University of Maryland, the Wildlife Conservation Society, ICCN (Congolese Wildlife Authority), African Wildlife Foundation, Zoological Society of Milwaukee, World Wildlife Fund, Max Planck Institute, Lukuru Foundation, University of Stirling, Kyoto University, and other groups.

Released: 26-Nov-2013 11:00 AM EST
The Lingering Clouds
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A new study reveals how pollution causes thunderstorms to leave behind larger, deeper, longer lasting clouds. Appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 26, the results solve a long-standing debate and reveal how pollution plays into climate warming. The work can also provide a gauge for the accuracy of weather and climate models.

Released: 25-Nov-2013 10:00 AM EST
Thanksgiving Day Marks the 100-Year Anniversary of Historic Transfer of Endangered Bison
Wildlife Conservation Society

This Thanksgiving, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) are marking the 100-year anniversary of the transfer and restocking of 14 bison from the Bronx Zoo to WCNP in South Dakota.

Released: 22-Nov-2013 1:40 PM EST
Greenland’s Shrunken Ice Sheet: We've Been Here Before
University at Buffalo

Think Greenland’s ice sheet is small today? It was smaller — as small as it's been in recent history — from 3-5,000 years ago, according to scientists who studied the ice sheet’s history using a new technique they developed for interpreting the Arctic fossil record.

Released: 21-Nov-2013 8:00 AM EST
Amazon Drones: The Latest Weapon in Combatting Climate Change
Wake Forest University

A flying, insect-like robot will give an unprecedented look at Peru’s tropical cloud forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems and a key indicator of global climate change.

Released: 19-Nov-2013 1:00 PM EST
The Human Health Costs of Losing Natural Systems: Quantifying Earth’s Worth to Public Health
Wildlife Conservation Society

A new paper from members of the HEAL (Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages) consortium delineates a new branch of environmental health that focuses on the public health risks of human-caused changes to Earth’s natural systems.

Released: 18-Nov-2013 11:00 AM EST
Volcano Discovered Smoldering Under a Kilometer of Ice in West Antarctica
Washington University in St. Louis

A temporary seismic array in Marie Byrd Land in West Antarctica recorded two bursts of activity in 2010 and 2011. Careful analysis of the events shows they originate from a subglacial volcano at the leading end of a volcanic mountain chain. The volcano is unlikely to erupt through the kilometer of ice that covers it but it will melt enough ice to change the way the ice in its vicinity flows.

Released: 15-Nov-2013 9:40 AM EST
Feral Cats Avoid Urban Coyotes, Are Surprisingly Healthy
Ohio State University

Cats that live outdoors in the city do their darnedest to steer clear of urban coyotes. The cats cause less damage to wildlife in urban green spaces, such as city parks and nature preserves, because of that dodging, a new study suggests.



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