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This news release is embargoed until 29-Feb-2024 11:00 AM EST Released to reporters: 27-Feb-2024 4:05 PM EST

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Newswise: Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems, but this “dilution effect” can vary strikingly in magnitude
23-Feb-2024 2:40 PM EST
Biodiversity appears to strongly suppress pathogens and pests in many plant and animal systems, but this “dilution effect” can vary strikingly in magnitude
PLOS

This study uses forest inventory data from over 25,000 plots to show that the prevalence of tree pests is jointly controlled by the diversity and phylogenetic composition of forests.

Newswise: Protecting fish doesn’t have to mean neglecting people, study concludes
Released: 27-Feb-2024 7:05 AM EST
Protecting fish doesn’t have to mean neglecting people, study concludes
Duke University

With fish stocks declining globally, more than 190 countries recently made a commitment to protect about a third of the world’s oceans within “Marine Protected Areas,” or MPAs by the year 2030.

Newswise: New discovery suggests significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s
Released: 27-Feb-2024 6:05 AM EST
New discovery suggests significant glacial retreat in West Antarctica began in 1940s
University of Houston

Among the vast expanse of Antarctica lies the Thwaites Glacier, the world’s widest glacier measuring about 80 miles on the western edge of the continent.

Newswise: Birds and bee lessons as Pacific field trips also solve 'Michener's mystery'
Released: 26-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Birds and bee lessons as Pacific field trips also solve 'Michener's mystery'
Flinders University

Eight new Pacific bee species and new insights into Fijian bird behaviour on Viti Levu Island have been described in new scientific studies led by Flinders University.

Newswise: How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery
Released: 26-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery
Frontiers

In 1934, American entomologist Elwood Zimmerman, then an undergraduate student at Berkeley, participated in the ‘Mangarevan expedition’ to Polynesia.

Released: 26-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Vanishing forests and suffering children: The hidden toll of deforestation in Cambodia
Sophia University

Deforestation, a critical consequence of human activity, has garnered significant attention due to its impact on environmental sustainability, biodiversity and climate change.

   
Newswise: Turning Waste into Wealth: Breakthrough in Metal Recovery from Copper Slag
Released: 26-Feb-2024 9:00 AM EST
Turning Waste into Wealth: Breakthrough in Metal Recovery from Copper Slag
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Copper smelting, a critical process in metal production, often leads to the generation of slag containing valuable metals. Traditionally, this slag has been discarded, causing environmental issues and resource loss. A recent study introduce a method for recovering copper, lead, and zinc from copper smelting slag, addressing both environmental concerns and resource recovery.

Released: 22-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
Side effects of wide scale forestation could reduce carbon removal benefits by up to a third
University of Sheffield

The side effects of large-scale forestation initiatives could reduce the CO2 removal benefits by up to a third, a pioneering study has found.

Newswise: Cooler, wetter parts of Pacific Northwest likely to see more fires, new simulations predict
Released: 22-Feb-2024 6:05 PM EST
Cooler, wetter parts of Pacific Northwest likely to see more fires, new simulations predict
Newswise Review

Forests in the coolest, wettest parts of the western Pacific Northwest are likely to see the biggest increases in burn probability, fire size and number of blazes as the climate continues to get warmer and drier, according to new modeling led by an Oregon State University scientist.

Newswise: Snakes: An Evolutionary Winner
19-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Snakes: An Evolutionary Winner
Stony Brook University

A study of more than 60,000 specimens of snakes and lizards worldwide reveals that snakes stand out alone in the evolution of reptiles. The team of scientists discovered that snakes evolved incredibly fast, as their ancestors shed limbs and adapted on multiple levels to live and spread out into thousands of species of snakes over 66 million years, up to today.

Newswise: Study Details Toxic Elements Found in Stranded Whales, Dolphins Over 15 Years
Released: 21-Feb-2024 8:30 AM EST
Study Details Toxic Elements Found in Stranded Whales, Dolphins Over 15 Years
Florida Atlantic University

Researchers evaluated the prevalence, concentration and tissue distribution of essential and non-essential trace elements, including heavy metal toxicants in tissue (blubber, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle, skin) and fecal samples. Findings reveal how toxicant levels relate to their sex, breed, age and other demographic factors.

Newswise: First-ever report of Nesting of incredibly rare and endangered giant turtle
Released: 21-Feb-2024 4:05 AM EST
First-ever report of Nesting of incredibly rare and endangered giant turtle
University of Portsmouth

Biologists have discovered a breeding population of a Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle, as part of conservation efforts in the south of India.

Newswise: Membrane Technology: Looking Deep into Smallest Pores
Released: 21-Feb-2024 4:05 AM EST
Membrane Technology: Looking Deep into Smallest Pores
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Membranes of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VaCNT) can be used to clean or desalinate water at high flow rate and low pressure. Recently, researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and partners carried out steroid hormone adsorption experiments to study the interplay of forces in the small pores. They found that VaCNT of specific pore geometry and pore surface structure are suited for use as highly selective membranes. The researchers report in Nature Communications. (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44883-2)

Newswise: Genetic insights and conservation challenges of Nara's sacred deer
Released: 21-Feb-2024 3:05 AM EST
Genetic insights and conservation challenges of Nara's sacred deer
Fukushima University

In a world where human activities have left an indelible mark on ecosystems, the preservation of species and natural landscapes has become an urgent global concern.

Newswise: Giant new snake species identified in the Amazon
Released: 21-Feb-2024 2:05 AM EST
Giant new snake species identified in the Amazon
University of Queensland

A team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda.

Newswise: Giant Antarctic sea spiders reproductive mystery solved by UH researchers
Released: 19-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Giant Antarctic sea spiders reproductive mystery solved by UH researchers
University of Hawaii at Manoa

The reproduction of giant sea spiders in Antarctica has been largely unknown to researchers for more than 140 years, until now.

Newswise: Pollinator's death trap turns into nursery
Released: 19-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Pollinator's death trap turns into nursery
Kobe University

In a group of plants that is famous for luring its pollinators into a death trap, one species offers its flowers as a nursery in exchange.

Newswise: Invasive weed could be turned into a viable economic crop
Released: 19-Feb-2024 6:05 PM EST
Invasive weed could be turned into a viable economic crop
University of South Australia

One of the most invasive Australian weeds is being touted as a potential economic crop, with benefits for the construction, mining and forestry industries, and potentially many First Nations communities.

Newswise: Increased access to water a threat to nomadic livestock farmers
Released: 16-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Increased access to water a threat to nomadic livestock farmers
Uppsala University

Increasing access to water in extremely arid parts of sub-Saharan Africa can help nomadic livestock farmers in the short term.

Newswise: Early-stage subduction invasion
Released: 15-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
Early-stage subduction invasion
Geological Society of America (GSA)

Our planet’s lithosphere is broken into several tectonic plates. Their configuration is ever-shifting, as supercontinents are assembled and broken up, and oceans form, grow, and then start to close in what is known as the Wilson cycle.

Newswise: How is deforested land in Africa used?
Released: 15-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
How is deforested land in Africa used?
GFZ GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam

Africa's forested areas – an estimated 14 % of the global forest area – are continuing to decline at an increasing rate – mostly because of human activities to convert forest land for economic purposes.

Newswise:Video Embedded meow-or-rooaaar-exotic-cats-ability-to-recognize-familiar-caregivers-voices
VIDEO
Released: 15-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
Meow or rooaaar - exotic cats' ability to recognize familiar caregivers' voices
PeerJ

In a recent PeerJ Life & Environment study, Professor Jennifer Vonk from Oakland University presents compelling evidence that exotic cats possess the remarkable ability to discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar human voices.

Newswise: Tawny owl’s pale grey color linked to vital functions ensuring survival in extreme conditions
Released: 14-Feb-2024 11:05 PM EST
Tawny owl’s pale grey color linked to vital functions ensuring survival in extreme conditions
University of Turku (Turun yliopisto)

A recent genetic discovery has revealed that the pale grey plumage of the tawny owl is linked to crucial functions that aid the bird's survival in cold environments.

Released: 14-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Is the Amazon forest approaching a tipping point?
University of Birmingham

Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it towards partial or total collapse.

Released: 14-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Amazon rainforest at the threshold: loss of forest worsens climate change
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

The Amazon rainforest could approach a tipping point, which could lead to a large-scale collapse with serious implications for the global climate system.

Newswise: If we can't untangle this mess, Norway's blue industry will never be green
Released: 13-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
If we can't untangle this mess, Norway's blue industry will never be green
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

One recent study estimates that the total amount of fishing line lost annually could stretch from the moon and back. A new study from Norway shows that roughly one-third of lines could be recycled.

Newswise: Polar bears unlikely to adapt to longer summers
Released: 13-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Polar bears unlikely to adapt to longer summers
Washington State University

More time stranded on land means greater risk of starvation for polar bears, a new study indicates.

Newswise: Researchers learn how nectar-laden honey bees avoid overheating
Released: 13-Feb-2024 7:05 PM EST
Researchers learn how nectar-laden honey bees avoid overheating
University of Wyoming

Honey bees carrying nectar have the remarkable ability to adjust their flight behavior to avoid overheating when air temperatures increase, according to research led by a University of Wyoming scientist.

Released: 13-Feb-2024 12:05 PM EST
New AI tool helps leverage database of 10 million biology images
Ohio State University

Researchers have developed the largest-ever dataset of biological images suitable for use by machine learning – and a new vision-based artificial intelligence tool to learn from it.

Newswise: Five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers discovered in Colombia and Ecuador
Released: 13-Feb-2024 1:05 AM EST
Five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers discovered in Colombia and Ecuador
Pensoft Publishers

A group of scientists led by researchers of Khamai Foundation discovered five dazzling new species of eyelash vipers in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Released: 12-Feb-2024 11:05 PM EST
When the global climate has the hiccups
University of Basel

In recent geological history, the so-called Quaternary period, there have been repeated ice ages and warm periods.

Released: 12-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Study: Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

About 10 percent of human-made mercury emissions into the atmosphere each year are the result of global deforestation, according to a new MIT study.

Released: 12-Feb-2024 7:05 AM EST
WCS Statement from CMS CoP14
Wildlife Conservation Society

“If governments do everything they have committed to do, then the next ‘State of the World’s Migratory Species’ will have some good news.” WCS VP of International Policy Susan Lieberman

Newswise: Surprising behavior in one of the least studied mammals in the world
Released: 11-Feb-2024 9:05 PM EST
Surprising behavior in one of the least studied mammals in the world
University of Southern Denmark

Some animals live in such remote and inaccessible regions of the globe that it is nearly impossible to study them in their natural habitats.

Released: 9-Feb-2024 12:05 PM EST
Wildlife Conservation Society Delegation Heading to Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) CoP14
Wildlife Conservation Society

A Wildlife Conservation Society delegation is heading to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals CoP14, Feb. 12-17, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Newswise: Surprise discovery of tiny insect-killing worm
Released: 8-Feb-2024 1:05 PM EST
Surprise discovery of tiny insect-killing worm
University of California, Riverside

UC Riverside scientists have discovered a tiny worm species that infects and kills insects.

Released: 7-Feb-2024 11:05 AM EST
New study sheds new light on forests' role in climate and water cycle
Stockholm University

Forests, which cover a third of Earth's land surface, are pivotal in carbon storage and the water cycle, though the full scope of their impact remains to be fully understood. In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from Stockholm University and international colleagues provide new insights into the complex role forests play in the climate system and water cycle.

Newswise: Inexpensive, carbon-neutral biofuels are finally possible
Released: 7-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Inexpensive, carbon-neutral biofuels are finally possible
University of California, Riverside

When it comes to making fuel from plants, the first step has always been the hardest — breaking down the plant matter

Released: 7-Feb-2024 5:00 AM EST
Nature is particularly beneficial for people on lower income
University of Vienna

Data from a representative sample of the Austrian population suggests that the relationship between nature contact and well-being is consistently stronger for people on lower than higher incomes.

   
Released: 6-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Mechanism of plants obtain nitrogen by supplying iron to symbiotic bacteria
University of Tsukuba

Leguminous plants have a mechanism (rhizobial symbiosis) to efficiently acquire nitrogen, which is an essential macronutrient for growth, through the nitrogen-fixing bacteria rhizobia.

Newswise: A rare recent case of retrovirus integration: An infectious gibbon ape leukaemia virus is colonising a rodent’s genome in New Guinea
Released: 5-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
A rare recent case of retrovirus integration: An infectious gibbon ape leukaemia virus is colonising a rodent’s genome in New Guinea
Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.

Retroviruses are viruses that multiply by incorporating their genes into the genome of a host cell. If the infected cell is a germ cell, the retrovirus can then be passed on to the next generation as an “endogenous” retrovirus (ERV) and spread as part of the host genome in that host species.

   
Newswise: Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
Released: 5-Feb-2024 5:05 PM EST
Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
Queen Mary University of London

A new study in Nature Communications unveils the hidden world of sensory evolution in fruit flies.

Newswise: Weather swings bring steadier results when studying crop adaptability
Released: 5-Feb-2024 4:05 PM EST
Weather swings bring steadier results when studying crop adaptability
Iowa State University

Efforts to breed more adaptable crops benefit from testing locations with wide ranges of weather, according to a study co-authored by an Iowa State University expert on phenotypic plasticity, the disparate ways plants respond in different environments.

Released: 5-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Small but mighty – study highlights the abundance and importance of the ocean’s tiniest inhabitants
University of Plymouth

Tiny plankton – measuring less than 20µm (or 0.02mm) in diameter – make up the majority of plankton in the ocean and play a critical role in the planet’s health, according to new research.

Released: 2-Feb-2024 5:05 AM EST
New study suggests culling animals who ‘don’t belong’ can be a flawed nature conservation practice
University of Oxford

New research published today in the journal Science has concluded that eradicating animals on the basis that they are not native in order to protect plant species, can be a flawed practice costing millions of dollars, and resulting in the slaughter of millions of healthy wild animals.

Released: 1-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Climate change: Fungal disease endangers wheat production
Technical University of Munich

Climate change poses a threat to yields and food security worldwide, with plant diseases as one of the main risks.

Newswise: Relocated songbirds can successfully learn the diversity of song they need to survive
Released: 1-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Relocated songbirds can successfully learn the diversity of song they need to survive
University of Plymouth

Nestling songbirds relocated as part of conservation programmes successfully learn the song repertoires they need to communicate – and ultimately survive – in the wild, a new study has found.

Newswise: Tidal landscapes a greater carbon sink than previously thought
Released: 1-Feb-2024 10:05 PM EST
Tidal landscapes a greater carbon sink than previously thought
University of Gothenburg

Mangroves and saltmarshes sequester large amounts of carbon, mitigating the greenhouse effect.



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