Earth & Environment - Oct 18, 2011 9:43 - 0 Comments

Vehicles pump out more ammonia in winter

RICE U. (US) — The seasons play a role in the amount of ammonia produced by cars and trucks, with output greatest during the winter months, according to a new study. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 13, 2011 12:14 - 1 Comment

How to rein in toxic bloom’s perfect storm

CORNELL (US) — The combination of climate change and nutrient runoff is expected to escalate toxic aquatic blooms, but localized efforts may be successful in controlling their spread from farms and lawns to streams, lakes, and ultimately oceans. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 11, 2011 12:12 - 0 Comments

How plants roll with climate’s punches

BROWN (US) — The genetic flexibility of some plants to respond to climate change may be what gives them their best chance of survival. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 11, 2011 12:09 - 0 Comments

New view of California’s tectonic plates

BROWN (US) — The highest resolution picture ever obtained of southern California’s lithosphere shows its thickness differs markedly, offering new insight into how rifting shaped the area’s terrain. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 5, 2011 10:00 - 0 Comments

Climate could send animals packing

BROWN (US) — Which animals survive as climate changes may depend on their the ability to adapt to rapid temperature shifts and less-than-optimal conditions as they expand their range. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 5, 2011 9:19 - 1 Comment

Bacteria: First responders in Gulf spill

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Bacteria present in the Gulf of Mexico were responsible for consuming large amounts of natural gas immediately following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Oct 4, 2011 10:42 - 0 Comments

Autumn predicts fate of summer sea ice

U. WASHINGTON (US) — Relatively accurate predictions for the extent of Arctic sea ice in a given summer can be made by assessing conditions the previous autumn—but only to a point. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 30, 2011 13:48 - 0 Comments

Rock nitrogen helps trees soak up CO2

UC DAVIS (US) — Forest trees have the ability to tap into nitrogen found in rocks, boosting the trees’ growth and their ability to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
(more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 30, 2011 13:39 - 0 Comments

Immunity gene shields frogs from fungus

CORNELL (US) — A genetic mechanism in lowland leopard frogs makes them resistant to a deadly fungus that has been decimating other frog species for decades. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 27, 2011 11:14 - 0 Comments

Biomass link to plant diversity questioned

IOWA STATE (US) — New research calls into question a decades-old theory about the relationship between how much biomass plant species produce and how many species can co-exist. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 26, 2011 8:09 - 0 Comments

Genuflecting plant discovered in Brazil

RUTGERS (US) — A newly discovered Brazilian plant bends down after its fruits are formed and plants its own seeds in the ground. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 22, 2011 10:21 - 1 Comment

Worms keep the peace in ‘Spore Wars’

U. CARDIFF (UK) — Lice, millipedes, and worms act as woodland diplomats, ensuring the survival of weaker species of fungi that compete with stronger creatures for space and resources. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 21, 2011 10:29 - 3 Comments

Florida: No. 1 in world for invasive reptiles

U. FLORIDA (US) — Florida has the world’s worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, with 137 non-native species introduced into the state between 1863 and 2010. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 20, 2011 12:46 - 2 Comments

Salmon can’t handle heat in streams

UC DAVIS (US) — Warming streams could spell the end of spring-run Chinook salmon in California by the end of the century, according to a study. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 20, 2011 10:49 - 0 Comments

Climbing goats threaten oil-rich trees

UC DAVIS (US) — Global demand for argan oil may be a two-edged sword—providing economic and social benefits for Morocco’s rural communities at the same time it threatens the health and future of native forests. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 19, 2011 11:51 - 1 Comment

Downward slide for arctic sea ice

U. COLORADO-BOULDER (US) — The blanket of sea ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean appears to have reached its lowest extent for 2011, the second lowest recorded since satellites began measuring it in 1979. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 15, 2011 11:15 - 5 Comments

Don’t blame clouds for climate change

TEXAS A&M (US) — Clouds are not the root cause of climate change, but only amplify global warming brought on by human activity, according to a new study. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 13, 2011 10:26 - 0 Comments

Volcanic vents belch pure CO2 into sea

STANFORD (US) — Rare volcanic vents in the Mediterranean Sea bubble carbon dioxide, making the water more acidic—a glimpse of how marine ecosystems may be affected as global warming intensifies. (more…)

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