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Categories: Ecology: Animals, Geoscience: Geography
Published 3000+ billion tons of ice lost from Antarctic Ice Sheet over 25 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have calculated that the fastest changing Antarctic region?-?the Amundsen Sea Embayment?-?has lost more than 3,000 billion tonnes of ice over a 25-year?period.??
Published Defunding prevention and climate change drive rebound of malaria in Peru
(via sciencedaily.com) Malaria control programs in Amazonian Peru helped reduce the incidence of the deadly parasitic disease by 78 percent. That is, until the programs ceased to operate. Within four years of the programs being de-funded, malaria rates where right back where they started. The rebound was driven not only by the removal of prevention programs, but also by climate change. Average temperatures in Peru have risen a half-degree Centigrade in the last 20 years.
Published Biodiversity amid climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Fewer parasites in U.S. waters might be seen by many as a good thing, but a biologist says the trend signals potential danger for fish and other wildlife.
Published Jellyfish size might influence their nutritional value
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers confirmed what was already known: jellyfish eat bigger prey as they grow, which means they also occupy a higher position in the food web as they grow. They also found that some of the concentrations of 'healthy fats,' increase as jellyfish grow. These changes might be influenced by their diet, and as they feed on bigger prey with higher levels of fatty acids, the jellyfish accumulate more of these fatty acids.
Published Genome research: Origin and evolution of vine
(via sciencedaily.com) Cultivation and growth of grapevines have strongly influenced European civilizations, but where the grapevine comes from and how it has spread across the globe has been highly disputed so far. In an extensive genome project, researchers have determined its origin and evolution from the wild vine to today's cultivar by analyzing thousands of vine genomes collected along the Silk Road from China to Western Europe.
Published Coffee plantations limit birds' diets
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study explores a record of birds' diets preserved in their feathers and radio tracking of their movements to find that birds eat far fewer invertebrates in coffee plantations than in forests, suggesting that the disturbance of their ecosystem significantly impacts the birds' dietary options.
Published Inbreeding contributes to decline of endangered killer whales
(via sciencedaily.com) The small size and isolation of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have led to high levels of inbreeding. This inbreeding has contributed to their decline, which has continued as surrounding killer whale populations expand, according to new research.
Published Stressed out: Mapping the human footprint on coastal areas globally
(via sciencedaily.com) A global mapping project has revealed the major stressors placed upon global coastlines by human activity.
Published Parasites alter likelihood of fish being caught by anglers
(via sciencedaily.com) Parasitic infections in salmonid fish can increase or decrease their vulnerability to angling, depending on their body condition.
Published Hummingbirds use torpor in varying ways to survive cold temps
(via sciencedaily.com) Hummingbirds use the hibernation-like state of torpor in varying ways, depending on their physical condition and what is happening in their environment, according to new research.
Published 3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier
(via sciencedaily.com) Mapping a large coastal glacier in Alaska revealed that its bulk sits below sea level and is undercut by channels, making it vulnerable to accelerated melting in an already deteriorating coastal habitat.
Published Mountain forests are being lost at an accelerating rate, putting biodiversity at risk
(via sciencedaily.com) More than 85% of the world's bird, mammal, and amphibian species live in mountains, particularly in forest habitats, but researchers report that these forests are disappearing at an accelerating rate. Globally, we have lost 78.1 million hectares (7.1%) of mountain forest since 2000 -- an area larger than the size of Texas. Much of the loss occurred in tropical biodiversity hotspots, putting increasing pressure on threatened species.
Published Rivers and streams in the Andean Cordillera are hot spots for greenhouse gases emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers show that rivers in the Andean mountains contribute 35% and 72% of riverine emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and methane (CH4 ) in the Amazon basin, the world's largest river.
Published How can we tackle the biggest challenges? Ask a plant
(via sciencedaily.com) Without plants, we'd have no air to breathe or food to eat, yet plant science lingers in the shadowy wings while other fields take center stage. With the goal of shining the spotlight on plants, a new study presents the field's top 100 most pressing questions for research to address the greatest challenges facing humanity.
Published Where the sidewalk ends
(via sciencedaily.com) Most cities don't map their own pedestrian networks. Now, researchers have built the first open-source tool to let planners do just that. Researchers have built TILE2NET, an open-source tool that uses aerial imagery and image-recognition to create complete maps of sidewalks and crosswalks. The tool can help planners, policymakers, and urbanists who want to expand pedestrian infrastructure.
Published New study provides first comprehensive look at oxygen loss on coral reefs
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study is providing an unprecedented examination of oxygen loss on coral reefs around the globe under ocean warming. The study captures the current state of hypoxia -- or low oxygen levels -- at 32 different sites, and reveals that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs.
Published Activity deep in Earth affects the global magnetic field
(via sciencedaily.com) Compass readings that do not show the direction of true north and interference with the operations of satellites are a few of the problems caused by peculiarities of the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic field radiates around the world and far into space, but it is set by processes that happen deep within the Earth's core, where temperatures exceed 5,000-degrees C. New research from geophysicists suggests that the way this super-hot core is cooled is key to understanding the causes of the peculiarities -- or anomalies, as scientists call them -- of the Earth's magnetic field.
Published Humans are altering the diet of Tasmanian devils, which may accelerate their decline
(via sciencedaily.com) New research shows how human-modified landscapes affect the diets of these marsupial scavengers.
Published Bigger flowers, greater rewards: Plants adapt to climate disruptions to lure pollinators
(via sciencedaily.com) There's been a well-documented shift toward earlier springtime flowering in many plants as the world warms. The trend alarms biologists because it has the potential to disrupt carefully choreographed interactions between plants and the creatures -- butterflies, bees, birds, bats and others -- that pollinate them.
Published Indigenous Ashaninka DNA helps geneticists write new chapters of pre-colonial history in South America
(via sciencedaily.com) Geneticists have written new chapters in the reconstruction of pre-colonial Americas history after using DNA from the indigenous Ashaninka people from Amazonian Peru. They have discovered previously unexpected levels of genetic variation in this group and uncovered a strong hint that these people were involved in a South-to-North migration that led to the transition from an archaic to ceramic culture in the Caribbean islands.