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Categories: Environmental: Wildfires, Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published A fairy-like robot flies by the power of wind and light
(via sciencedaily.com) The loss of pollinators, such as bees, is a huge challenge for global biodiversity and affects humanity by causing problems in food production. Researchers have now developed the first passively flying robot equipped with artificial muscle. Could this artificial fairy be utilized in pollination?
Published AI technology generates original proteins from scratch
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have created an AI system capable of generating artificial enzymes from scratch. In laboratory tests, some of these enzymes worked as well as those found in nature, even when their artificially generated amino acid sequences diverged significantly from any known natural protein.
Published What crocodile DNA reveals about the Ice Age
(via sciencedaily.com) What drives crocodile evolution? Is climate a major factor or changes in sea levels? Determined to find answers to these questions, researchers discovered that while changing temperatures and rainfall had little impact on the crocodiles' gene flow over the past three million years, changes to sea levels during the Ice Age had a different effect.
Published How to apply lessons from Colorado's costliest wildfire to drinking water systems
(via sciencedaily.com) While communities and governments nationwide have been facing the impact of wildfires on drinking water systems, no national synthesis of scientific and policy needs has been conducted. Now, a study has outlined the scientific and policy needs specific to drinking water systems' resilience to wildfires.
Published Humans can recognize and understand chimpanzee and bonobo gestures, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Humans retain an understanding of gestures made by other great apes, even though we no longer use them ourselves, according to a new study.
Published Unprecedented levels of high-severity fire burn in Sierra Nevada
(via sciencedaily.com) High-severity wildfire in California's Sierra Nevada forests has nearly quintupled compared to before Euro-American settlement, rising from less than 10% per year then to up to 43% today, a new study finds.
Published First computational reconstruction of a virus in its biological entirety
(via sciencedaily.com) A researcher has created a computer reconstruction of a virus, including its complete native genome. Although other researchers have created similar reconstructions, this is believed to be the first to replicate the exact chemical and 3D structure of a 'live' virus.
Published Parasitic mites' biting rate may drive transmission of Deformed wing virus in honey bees
(via sciencedaily.com) Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite that can cause European honey bee colonies to collapse by spreading Deformed wing virus as they feed. A study suggests a relatively small number of mites can contribute to a large number of infected bees.
Published Researchers uncover 92 fossil nests belonging to some of India's largest dinosaurs
(via sciencedaily.com) The discovery of more than 250 fossilized eggs reveals intimate details about the lives of titanosaurs in the Indian subcontinent, according to a new study.
Published Mummified crocodiles provide insights into mummy-making over time
(via sciencedaily.com) Crocodiles were mummified in a unique way at the Egyptian site of Qubbat al-Hawa during the 5th Century BC, according to a new study.
Published In the wake of a wildfire, embers of change in cognition and brain function linger
(via sciencedaily.com) Five years after the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history, researchers document persistent differences in cognitive function among survivors.
Published What's driving re-burns across California and the West?
(via sciencedaily.com) Seasonal temperature, moisture loss from plants and wind speed are what primarily drive fires that sweep across the same landscape multiple times, a new study reveals. These findings and others could help land managers plan more effective treatments in areas susceptible to fire, particularly in the fire-ravaged wildland-urban interfaces of California.
Published Blowing bubbles among echidna's tricks to beat the heat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research into how echidnas might respond to a warming climate has found clever techniques used by the animal to cope with heat, including blowing bubbles to wet its nose tip, with the moisture then evaporating and cooling its blood.
Published 20,000 premature US deaths caused by human-ignited fires each year
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study shows that smoke particles from human-lit fires are responsible for over 80% of smoke-related deaths each year. The study shows that smoke pollution is on the rise, reducing air quality, and leading to increased illness and premature deaths.
Published Bird diversity increased in severely burned forests of Southern Appalachian mountains
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study found bird diversity increased in North Carolina mountain forest areas severely burned by wildfire in 2016, reinforcing that while wildfire can pose risks to safety and property, it can be beneficial to wildlife. The study results could help forest managers better predict bird responses to wildfire, and manage forests to benefit birds.
Published Wildfire threats not commonly disclosed by US firms despite risk to economy
(via sciencedaily.com) U.S. firms rarely report their wildfire risks in required federal filings and instead bury such risks in nonspecific risk disclosures, according to new research.
Published Climate whiplash increased wildfires on California's west coast about 8,000 years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have been studying the effects of the sudden decrease in global temperatures that occurred about 8,200 years ago, the so-called 8.2-kiloyear event, with the help of mineral deposits present in White Moon Cave in Northern California. New indications show that oscillations between extreme wetness and aridity in California were closely linked with the occurrence of wildfires. The researchers have concluded that such events are likely to become more common in the face of human-induced climate change.
Published Americans flocking to fire: National migration study
(via sciencedaily.com) Americans are leaving many of the U.S. counties hit hardest by hurricanes and heatwaves -- and moving towards dangerous wildfires and warmer temperatures, says one of the largest studies of U.S. migration and natural disasters. These results are concerning, as wildfire and rising temperatures are projected to worsen with climate change. The study was inspired by the increasing number of headlines of record-breaking natural disasters.
Published For 400 years, Indigenous tribes buffered climate's impact on wildfires in the American Southwest
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Devastating megafires are becoming more common, in part, because the planet is warming. But a new study suggests bringing 'good fire' back to the U.S. and other wildfire fire-prone areas, as Native Americans once did, could potentially blunt the role of climate in triggering today's wildfires.
Published 'Digital footprints' central to new approach for studying post-disturbance recreation changes
(via sciencedaily.com) A new social media-based study of recreation visitation in the Gorge following the Eagle Creek Fire expands on research launched in 2016 -- and holds promise for other large, multi-ownership landscapes. The study shows how using new approaches that draw from social media data can help us better understand the complex relationships between wildfire, natural resource management, and people.