Showing 20 articles starting at article 461
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Ecology: Research, Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published Important additional driver of insect decline identified: Weather explains the decline and rise of insect biomass over 34 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Combinations of unfavorable weather conditions over several years can cause a decline in insect biomass.
Published Powering the quantum revolution: Quantum engines on the horizon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists unveil exciting possibilities for the development of highly efficient quantum devices.
Published Protecting lands slows biodiversity loss among vertebrates by five times
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Protecting large swaths of Earth's land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss -- especially when those protected areas are in less disturbed landscapes and in countries with effective national governance. A new study looked at how amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds fared in protected versus unprotected areas worldwide. Vertebrate abundance decreased five times more slowly inside protected areas, offering much-needed support for the United Nations' '30 by 30' conservation initiative.
Published How to save plants from climate change? Just ask them
(via sciencedaily.com) Climate change and a range of human-caused factors have disrupted the habitats of many California native trees and other plant species. Efforts to protect or relocate plant species would be bolstered by understanding which habitats are best suited for each species. A new study identified a range of characteristics from more than 100 types of plants that can be analyzed to determine each species' preferred temperature and rainfall amount.
Published Decreasing biodiversity may promote spread of viruses
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How are environmental changes, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of pathogens connected? The answer is a puzzle. Researchers have now described one piece of that puzzle, showing that the destruction of tropical rainforests harms the diversity of mosquito species. At the same time, more resilient species of mosquitoes become more prevalent -- which also means the viruses they carry are more abundant. If there are many individuals of a given species, those viruses can spread quickly.
Published One-hour training is all you need to control a third robotic arm, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study has found that people can learn to use supernumerary robotic arms as effectively as working with a partner in just one hour of training.
Published Theories about the natural world may need to change to reflect human impact
(via sciencedaily.com) New research has validated at scale, one of the theories that has underpinned ecology for over half a century. In doing so, the findings raise further questions about whether models should be revised to capture human impacts on natural systems.
Published Despite being properly treated and highly diluted, wastewater still impacts on the river ecosystem
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An experiment using water from a large wastewater treatment plant has shown that this water continues to affect river diversity and the trophic web (food web) despite being properly treated and highly diluted before discharge. The study shows that the limits currently in place and the procedures used to treat wastewater may not be sufficient to protect the natural properties of food webs.
Published By air, rain and land: How microbes return after a wildfire
(via sciencedaily.com) Ecological disturbances like wildfires disrupt microbial communities. Researchers found that dispersal played a pivotal role in re-establishing surface-level communities.
Published How climate warming could disrupt a deep-rooted relationship
(via sciencedaily.com) Trees depend on fungi for their well-being. As climate change and global warming cause higher temperatures and amplified drought, little is known about how these important fungi will respond. To investigate this issue, a research team conducted a climate change experiment where they exposed boreal and temperate tree species to warming and drought treatments to better understand how fungi and their tree hosts respond to environmental changes. Their findings revealed that the combined effects of warming and water stress will likely result in major disturbances of ectomycorrhizal networks and may harm forest resilience and function.
Published Monkeys cause a stink in response to human noise
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has found that monkeys increase their use of scent markings to compensate for human noise pollution. The study has investigated how primates change their communication strategies in response to noise pollution. The researchers studied endangered pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor), which use both vocal calls and scent markings. The researchers found that the frequency of scent marking directly increased in line with noise decibel levels.
Published Scientists successfully maneuver robot through living lung tissue
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have shown that their steerable lung robot can autonomously maneuver the intricacies of the lung, while avoiding important lung structures.
Published Combustion powers bug-sized robots to leap, lift and race
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers combined soft microactuators with high-energy-density chemical fuel to create an insect-scale quadrupedal robot that is powered by combustion and can outrace, outlift, outflex and outleap its electric-driven competitors.
Published Incubator or barrier? Exploring the links between agriculture, biodiversity and the spread of pathogens
(via sciencedaily.com) Many pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19, are thought to have originated in wild animals before spilling into human populations.
Published Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070
(via sciencedaily.com) The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.
Published Making AI smarter with an artificial, multisensory integrated neuron
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The feel of a cat's fur can reveal some information, but seeing the feline provides critical details: is it a housecat or a lion? While the sound of fire crackling may be ambiguous, its scent confirms the burning wood. Our senses synergize to give a comprehensive understanding, particularly when individual signals are subtle. The collective sum of biological inputs can be greater than their individual contributions. Robots tend to follow more straightforward addition, but researchers have now harnessed the biological concept for application in artificial intelligence (AI) to develop the first artificial, multisensory integrated neuron.
Published Study shows replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings accelerates restoration
(via sciencedaily.com) • Twenty-year experiment finds that active replanting beats natural recovery for restoring logged tropical forests. • The higher the diversity of replanted tree species, the more quickly canopy area and biomass recovered. • Results emphasize the importance of preserving biodiversity in pristine forests and restoring it in recovering logged forest.
Published Evolution wired human brains to act like supercomputers
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have confirmed that human brains are naturally wired to perform advanced calculations, much like a high-powered computer, to make sense of the world through a process known as Bayesian inference.
Published Battery-free robots use origami to change shape in mid-air
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by 'snapping' into a folded position during their descent. Each device has an onboard battery-free actuator, a solar power-harvesting circuit and controller to trigger these shape changes in mid-air.
Published Scientists find good places to grow long-spined sea urchins, a starting point to restore 'the lawn mowers of the reefs'
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists are trying to raise as many urchins as possible because they eat algae that could otherwise smother reef ecosystems and kill corals. Researchers have identified algae on which larval sea urchins grow into juveniles in a lab setting.