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Understanding our restoring force

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An expansive project led by Michigan State University’s Lars Brudvig is examining the benefits, and limits, of environmental restoration on developed land after humans are done with it.

Experts estimate there are up to 17 million square miles of land worldwide that have been altered by humans – through cultivation say – and then abandoned. That’s more than four times the size of the continental United States.

Once humans change a landscape, their impacts linger long after they’ve moved on. However, humans can heal some of that damage by working to restore the land to its natural state. [Read more…] about Understanding our restoring force

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  • Fossil trees on Peru's Central Andean Plateau tell a tale of dramatic environmental change
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    Fossil trees on Peru's Central Andean Plateau tell a tale of dramatic environmental changeOn an expedition to the Central Andean Plateau, researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and colleagues were astounded to find a huge fossil-tree buried in the cold, grassy plain. The plant fossil record from this high-altitude site in southern Peru contains dramatic reminders that the environment in the…
    Tags: trees, researchers, history, project, environment, site

Forest elephants are now critically endangered. Scientists figure out how to count them

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A team of scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and working closely with experts from the Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux du Gabon (ANPN) compared methodologies to count African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis), which were recently acknowledged by IUCN as a separate, Critically Endangered species from African savannah elephants. 

The study is part of a larger initiative in partnership with Vulcan Inc to provide the first nationwide census in Gabon for more than 30 years. The results of the census are expected later this year.

Contrary to savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) which can be counted directly, usually through aerial survey, accurately censusing elusive forest elephants is more challenging and refinements of methods were needed. [Read more…] about Forest elephants are now critically endangered. Scientists figure out how to count them

Adjusting interactions help some California’s wild bee populations survive

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Across California’s Central Valley, under stress from large-scale agriculture and climate change, native bee species that are flexible in their pollination behavior when around other wild bee populations appear best suited for survival in shrinking habitats.

That’s the primary finding of a study published online April 1 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

A research team led by University of Oregon biologist Lauren C. Ponisio identified 1,150 network interactions involving 157 wild bee species and 152 plant species at 63 sites spread across three counties. [Read more…] about Adjusting interactions help some California’s wild bee populations survive

Apples to apples: Neural network uses orchard data to predict fruit quality after storage

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A researcher from Skoltech and his German colleagues have developed a neural network-based classification algorithm that can use data from an apple orchard to predict how well apples will fare in long-term storage. The paper was published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.

Before the fruit and vegetables we all like end up on our tables, they have to be stored for quite some time, and during this time they can develop physiological disorders such as flesh browning or superficial scald (brown or black patches on the skin of the fruit).

These disorders contribute to the loss of a substantial amount of product, and a lot of research effort is dedicated to the development of robust methods of disorder prediction – a notoriously difficult task due to the multitude of factors involved, both at the orchard and in the storage facility. [Read more…] about Apples to apples: Neural network uses orchard data to predict fruit quality after storage

International investigation discovers bald eagles’ killer

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The alarm bells began ringing when dozens of eagles were found dead near an Arkansas lake.

Their deaths – and, later, the deaths of other waterfowl, amphibians and fish – were the result of a neurological disease that caused holes to form in the white matter of their brains.

Field and laboratory research over nearly three decades has established the primary clues needed to solve this wildlife mystery: Eagle and waterfowl deaths occur in late fall and winter within reservoirs with excess invasive aquatic weeds, and birds can die within five days after arrival. [Read more…] about International investigation discovers bald eagles’ killer

Millions of birds die in collisions each year, but lights could change that

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Millions of birds die each year in collisions with planes, and airports have used everything from fireworks to herding dogs to scare them away.

Some methods have been relatively successful, but they’re useless after the plane takes off. Researchers at Purdue University may have just found a solution.

Red and blue LED lights lead some birds in the opposite direction, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PeerJ. [Read more…] about Millions of birds die in collisions each year, but lights could change that

Pigeons can discriminate both space and time

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Pigeons aren’t so bird-brained after all.

New research at the University of Iowa shows that pigeons can discriminate the abstract concepts of space and time – and seem to use a different region of the brain than humans and primates to do so.

In experiments, pigeons were shown on a computer screen a static horizontal line and had to judge its length or the amount of time it was visible to them. Pigeons judged longer lines to also have longer duration and judged lines longer in duration to also be longer in length. [Read more…] about Pigeons can discriminate both space and time

Birds can ‘read’ the Earth’s magnetic signature well enough to get back on course

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Birdwatchers get very excited when a “rare” migratory bird makes landfall having been blown off-course and flown beyond its normal range. But these are rare for a reason – most birds that have made the journey before are able to correct for large displacements and find their final destination.

Now, new research by an international team shows for the first time, how birds displaced in this way are able to navigate back to their migratory route and gives us an insight into how they accomplish this feat.

Writing in Current Biology, the team from Bangor and Keele Universities describe how reed warblers can navigate from a “magnetic position” beyond what they have experienced in their normal migration route, back towards that correct route. [Read more…] about Birds can ‘read’ the Earth’s magnetic signature well enough to get back on course

Firefly tourism takes flight, sparking wonder and concern

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Firefly beetles rank among the world’s most charismatic creatures, with luminous courtship displays that have now turned them into a popular attraction for wildlife tourists.

In the first comprehensive review of firefly tourism, published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, an international team of biologists led by a Tufts University researcher, reveal that an estimated 1 million people now travel each year to witness bioluminescent performances starring some two dozen firefly species around the world.

But the authors also point out that while this unique, insect-based tourism can bring economic, social, and psychological benefits to local communities and tourists alike, it also threatens to extinguish some local firefly populations unless adequate protections are put in place. [Read more…] about Firefly tourism takes flight, sparking wonder and concern

New type of collagen could give cosmetics ‘highest biocompatibility’ with human skin

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A completely new type of collagen developed by researchers could give cosmetics the “highest biocompatibility” with human skin, possibly leading to less dryness and slower ageing. 

The dream of eternal youth is as old as mankind. There actually is no remedy for the ageing process; that is proved with a simple look in the mirror. Skin ageing is the most visible sign of progressing ageing.

Now scientific findings seem to explain why human skin changes so noticeably. Skin ageing starts as early as in the 20s or 30s, although initially it is hardly visible. Elasticity and resilience decrease and first small wrinkles develop. [Read more…] about New type of collagen could give cosmetics ‘highest biocompatibility’ with human skin