Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2010 11:04 - 0 Comments

Drowsy bees can’t dance

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Sleep-starved honey bees perform a less precise version of the waggle dance, a movement that tells hive mates where food is located. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 13, 2010 1:05 - 1 Comment

Take some advice from an extinct reptile

U. MICHIGAN (US) — As habitats shrink—and the climate warms—plants and animals could run out of options, like many reptile populations have on the Greek islands over the past 15,000 years. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 10, 2010 16:42 - 0 Comments

State’s iron legacy still toxic to soil

PENN STATE (US) — Some areas of soil in the state of Pennsylvania contain 14,000 parts per million of manganese—more than 17 times as much as in the surrounding bedrock. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 10, 2010 12:18 - 4 Comments

4 degrees could displace millions

U. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — Sea levels can be expected to rise from between .5m and 2m by 2100 if temperatures see a warming of 4°C, according to new research. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 8, 2010 13:11 - 0 Comments

These online tweets are the real deal

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — A growing online library of bird sounds, photos, and information offers a new resource for backyard birders and seasoned ornithologists alike. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 8, 2010 12:16 - 1 Comment

Heat helped hasten life’s beginnings

UNC CHAPEL HILL (US) — The time required for evolution on a warm earth is shorter than previously thought, according to new research investigating the effect of temperature on extremely slow chemical reactions. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 7, 2010 12:30 - 0 Comments

Species decline compounds health risks

CORNELL (US) — The decline of species due to habitat loss, pollution, and climate change increases the risk of infectious diseases for humans, animals, and plants. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 2, 2010 14:59 - 0 Comments

Fire and ice found in Antarctic cores

STONY BROOK (US) — Biomass burning in the Southern Hemisphere over the past 650 years appears to be the cause of a fluctuating pattern of carbon monoxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 1, 2010 10:55 - 1 Comment

Reforestation efforts a zero sum game?

STANFORD (US) — Forest restoration efforts in developing countries have been largely offset by the population’s growing demand for timber and agricultural products harvested elsewhere. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 30, 2010 13:32 - 1 Comment

Dietary needs of a dying species

RICE / UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — More than half of all species are believed to change their diets—sometimes more than once—between birth and adulthood. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 30, 2010 12:14 - 0 Comments

Farm drainage choking life from Gulf

CORNELL/U. ILLINOIS (US) — Tile drainage systems in upper Mississippi farmlands are the biggest contributors of nitrogen runoff into the Gulf of Mexico. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 19, 2010 12:02 - 1 Comment

‘Sky is falling’ warnings backfire

UC BERKELEY (US) — Dire or emotionally charged warnings about the consequences of global warming can backfire if presented too negatively, making people less amenable to reducing their carbon footprint. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 18, 2010 14:11 - 0 Comments

Why volcanos do what they do

PENN STATE (US) — Ongoing observations of the Soufriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat since it erupted in 1995 are expected to advance understanding of the workings of andesite volcanos. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 18, 2010 13:46 - 0 Comments

Fast coastal waters flow with diversity

BROWN U. (US) — The faster coastal waters flow, the greater the number of invertebrate species that live on rocks beneath the tides. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 17, 2010 17:22 - 0 Comments

Warmer temps slow sap to a trickle

CORNELL (US) — As the climate warms, maple syrup production in the Northeast is expected to decline slightly by the turn of the century and the window for tapping trees will advance by about a month. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 17, 2010 14:40 - 0 Comments

Is time running out to save Lake Tahoe?

UC DAVIS (US) — By the year 2100, average snowpack in the Lake Tahoe basin is expected to decline by as much as 60 percent and prolonged droughts will become more common. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 15, 2010 16:27 - 1 Comment

King crab invasion threatens Antarctica

U. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — Antarctica’s unique continental shelf ecosystem could be under threat from the invasion of a particularly voracious predatory crab due to global warming. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 15, 2010 11:45 - 1 Comment

Is virus bad news for biomass?

U. ILLINOIS (US) — Researchers have confirmed reports of a new virus that affects switchgrass, a biomass crop being considered for commercial ethanol production. (more…)

Earth & Environment