news 2017
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Life Sciences - Environment - 20.09.2017
Environment - Earth Sciences - 20.09.2017
Environment - Life Sciences - 19.09.2017
Life Sciences - Environment - 18.09.2017 
A Cereal survives heat and drought
Pearl millet genome sequence provides a resource to improve agronomic traits in extreme environments An international consortium under the lead of the non-profit organization "International Crops Res
Astronomy / Space Science - Environment - 14.09.2017 
Bidding farewell to Cassini mission that explored Saturn
Scientists led the development of two scientific sensors on NASA's spacecraft Cassini. "It's an extraordinarily difficult mission, but one with extraordinary rewards: giving us a glimpse into how our solar system formed and how it operates today. Watching a mission come to an end is always bittersweet, but we're proud to have been a part of something so successful that will continue to inform our understanding of our universe." Los Alamos National Laboratory played part in two major discoveries and powered the spacecraft during its 20-year flight Los Alamos, N.M. Sept.
Environment - Life Sciences - 14.09.2017 
Unexpected facets of Antarctica emerge from the labs
Six months after the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition ended, the teams that ran the 22 scientific projects are hard at work sorting through the many samples they collected. Some preliminary findings were announced during a conference in Crans Montana organized by the Swiss Polar Institute, who just appointed Konrad Steffen as new academic director.
Environment - 12.09.2017
Environment - 12.09.2017 
Palm Islands coral loss long precedes 2016 mass bleaching
Extensive loss of branching corals and changes in coral community structure in Australia's Palm Islands region over the past century has been revealed in a new study. Dr Tara Clark of The University of Queensland Radiogenic Isotope Facility in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences said these corals were highly sensitive to environmental change.
Health - Environment - 11.09.2017
Chemistry - Environment - 07.09.2017 
Chemists discover molecular iodine in Arctic atmosphere, released by snowpack
ANN ARBOR-For the first time, scientists have measured molecular iodine in the atmosphere of the Arctic and discovered that it is being released by the Arctic's snowpack in the changing polar climate, according to research led by the University of Michigan Department of Chemistry. "Essentially, we've found this unique chemistry occurring within the Arctic snowpack that hadn't previously been observed.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 07.09.2017 
New research disputes claims that climate change helped spark the Syrian civil war
New research disputes claims that climate change helped spark the Syrian civil war A new study, published today in the journal Political Geography , shows that there is no sound evidence that global climate change was a factor in causing the Syrian civil war. Claims that a major drought caused by anthropogenic climate change was a key factor in starting the Syrian civil war have gained considerable traction since 2015 and have become an accepted narrative in the press, most recently repeated by former US vice president Al Gore in relation to Brexit.
Environment - Life Sciences - 07.09.2017 
Eighteenth century nautical charts reveal coral loss
Centuries-old nautical charts, mapped by long-deceased sailors to avoid shipwrecks, have been used by modern scientists to study loss of coral reefs. A new US and Australian study - including research from The University of Queensland and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies - compared early British charts to modern coral habitat maps to understand changes to reef environments.
Environment - Administration - 06.09.2017 
Biodiversity proves its real-world value
ANN ARBOR-Hundreds of experiments have suggested that biodiversity fosters healthier, more productive ecosystems. But many experts doubted that results from small-scale experiments would hold up in real-world ecosystems where nature is most unpredictable and complex. A Smithsonian Institution and University of Michigan study scheduled for publication Sept.
Environment - Life Sciences - 04.09.2017
Environment - Computer Science - 31.08.2017 
A new mobile application helps scientists map the sound environment
Anyone who owns an Android smartphone will soon be able to contribute to a research project, simply by recording surrounding noise.
Environment - Life Sciences - 30.08.2017
Environment - Earth Sciences - 29.08.2017
Environment - Social Sciences - 23.08.2017 
Using compost to preserve forests in Madagascar
Research by an EPFL PhD student has found a way to boost Madagascar's corn crop yields up to five times while decreasing deforestation at the same time.
Environment - 23.08.2017 
Sub-tropical corals vulnerable, new study shows
The vulnerability and conservation value of sub-tropical reefs south of the Great Barrier Reef - regarded as climate change refuges - has been highlighted in a new study. University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences researcher Dr Brigitte Sommer said the study of Eastern Australian reefs revealed coral species would likely shift their distribution southward in response to climate change.
Environment - Life Sciences - 21.08.2017 
Urban butterflies under threat of extinction
According to an EPFL study, butterflies living in urban areas face the threat of consanguinity and potential extinction.
Environment
Results 101 - 120 of 330.
10,000 year-old DNA proves when fish colonialized our lakes
DNA in lake sediment forms a natural archive displaying when various fish species colonized lakes after the glacial period. This according to researchers at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umeå University in a study published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Their analyses of the prevalence of whitefish DNA in sediment reveal that the whitefish came to Lake Stora Lögdasjön in Västerbotten already 10,000 years ago, whereas Lake Hotagen in Jämtland had its whitefish only 2,200 years ago.
DNA in lake sediment forms a natural archive displaying when various fish species colonized lakes after the glacial period. This according to researchers at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science at Umeå University in a study published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Their analyses of the prevalence of whitefish DNA in sediment reveal that the whitefish came to Lake Stora Lögdasjön in Västerbotten already 10,000 years ago, whereas Lake Hotagen in Jämtland had its whitefish only 2,200 years ago.
New Forecast Model to Help Severe Weather Preparation
The two year project looks to improve forecast predictions that would look three to four weeks out, considered the "new frontier" in forecasting. Predicting the weather three to four weeks in advance is extremely challenging, yet many critical decisions affecting communities and economies must be made that far in advance.
The two year project looks to improve forecast predictions that would look three to four weeks out, considered the "new frontier" in forecasting. Predicting the weather three to four weeks in advance is extremely challenging, yet many critical decisions affecting communities and economies must be made that far in advance.
Size matters in battle against extinction, scientists find
Researchers have found the Goldilocks zone for animals lies in being mid-sized, with apex predators over-hunted and small vertebrates like pollinators threatened by habitat changes because they cannot move far from home. Quick overview of the findings Filmed by Dr Newsome; edited by the Australian Science Media Centre.
Researchers have found the Goldilocks zone for animals lies in being mid-sized, with apex predators over-hunted and small vertebrates like pollinators threatened by habitat changes because they cannot move far from home. Quick overview of the findings Filmed by Dr Newsome; edited by the Australian Science Media Centre.
Pearl millet genome sequence provides a resource to improve agronomic traits in extreme environments An international consortium under the lead of the non-profit organization "International Crops Res
Scientists led the development of two scientific sensors on NASA's spacecraft Cassini. "It's an extraordinarily difficult mission, but one with extraordinary rewards: giving us a glimpse into how our solar system formed and how it operates today. Watching a mission come to an end is always bittersweet, but we're proud to have been a part of something so successful that will continue to inform our understanding of our universe." Los Alamos National Laboratory played part in two major discoveries and powered the spacecraft during its 20-year flight Los Alamos, N.M. Sept.
Six months after the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition ended, the teams that ran the 22 scientific projects are hard at work sorting through the many samples they collected. Some preliminary findings were announced during a conference in Crans Montana organized by the Swiss Polar Institute, who just appointed Konrad Steffen as new academic director.
Biding time could improve conservation outcomes
Strategic delays in conservation efforts could be the key to protecting more species according to researchers at The University of Queensland. The new study found instead of spending project funds immediately, conservation organisations could use the right amount of delay to improve the benefits achieved from their funding by focussing first on investment, capacity building, or monitoring and research.
Strategic delays in conservation efforts could be the key to protecting more species according to researchers at The University of Queensland. The new study found instead of spending project funds immediately, conservation organisations could use the right amount of delay to improve the benefits achieved from their funding by focussing first on investment, capacity building, or monitoring and research.
Extensive loss of branching corals and changes in coral community structure in Australia's Palm Islands region over the past century has been revealed in a new study. Dr Tara Clark of The University of Queensland Radiogenic Isotope Facility in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences said these corals were highly sensitive to environmental change.
Air pollution cuts three years off lifespans in northern China
Editor's note: This story has been translated into Chinese. There are currently an estimated 4.5 billion people around the world exposed to levels of particulate air pollution that are at least twice what the World Health Organization considers safe. Yet the impact of sustained exposure to pollution on a person's life expectancy has largely remained a vexingly unanswered question-until now.
Editor's note: This story has been translated into Chinese. There are currently an estimated 4.5 billion people around the world exposed to levels of particulate air pollution that are at least twice what the World Health Organization considers safe. Yet the impact of sustained exposure to pollution on a person's life expectancy has largely remained a vexingly unanswered question-until now.
ANN ARBOR-For the first time, scientists have measured molecular iodine in the atmosphere of the Arctic and discovered that it is being released by the Arctic's snowpack in the changing polar climate, according to research led by the University of Michigan Department of Chemistry. "Essentially, we've found this unique chemistry occurring within the Arctic snowpack that hadn't previously been observed.
New research disputes claims that climate change helped spark the Syrian civil war A new study, published today in the journal Political Geography , shows that there is no sound evidence that global climate change was a factor in causing the Syrian civil war. Claims that a major drought caused by anthropogenic climate change was a key factor in starting the Syrian civil war have gained considerable traction since 2015 and have become an accepted narrative in the press, most recently repeated by former US vice president Al Gore in relation to Brexit.
Centuries-old nautical charts, mapped by long-deceased sailors to avoid shipwrecks, have been used by modern scientists to study loss of coral reefs. A new US and Australian study - including research from The University of Queensland and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies - compared early British charts to modern coral habitat maps to understand changes to reef environments.
ANN ARBOR-Hundreds of experiments have suggested that biodiversity fosters healthier, more productive ecosystems. But many experts doubted that results from small-scale experiments would hold up in real-world ecosystems where nature is most unpredictable and complex. A Smithsonian Institution and University of Michigan study scheduled for publication Sept.
Reindeer grazing protects tundra plant diversity in a warming climate
Climate warming reduces the number of plant species in the tundra, but plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can turn this negative effect into something positive. The results of a study coordinated from Umeå University in Sweden are now published. "By eating tall and wide-leaved plants, reindeer can increase light availability and thus allow more plant species to co-exist and benefit from warmer conditions," says Elina Kaarlejärvi, post-doctoral researcher at Umeå University, who led the study.
Climate warming reduces the number of plant species in the tundra, but plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can turn this negative effect into something positive. The results of a study coordinated from Umeå University in Sweden are now published. "By eating tall and wide-leaved plants, reindeer can increase light availability and thus allow more plant species to co-exist and benefit from warmer conditions," says Elina Kaarlejärvi, post-doctoral researcher at Umeå University, who led the study.
Anyone who owns an Android smartphone will soon be able to contribute to a research project, simply by recording surrounding noise.
A big difference between Asian and African elephants is diet
New research has shown that there are significant differences between the Asian and the African forest elephant - and it isn't just about size and the shape of their ears. It is about what they eat and how they affect forest ecosystems. See video here. As megaherbivores and the largest of our land animals, elephants have a significant impact on their habitat.
New research has shown that there are significant differences between the Asian and the African forest elephant - and it isn't just about size and the shape of their ears. It is about what they eat and how they affect forest ecosystems. See video here. As megaherbivores and the largest of our land animals, elephants have a significant impact on their habitat.
Conservation hindered by geographical mismatches between capacity and need
New research suggests that geographical mismatches between conservation needs and expertise may hinder global conservation goals. Experts from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and other institutions have examined geographical patterns within the leadership of the conservation science publishing system focusing on the affiliation of journal editors, who serve as gatekeepers and leaders in the scientific process.
New research suggests that geographical mismatches between conservation needs and expertise may hinder global conservation goals. Experts from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus and other institutions have examined geographical patterns within the leadership of the conservation science publishing system focusing on the affiliation of journal editors, who serve as gatekeepers and leaders in the scientific process.
Research by an EPFL PhD student has found a way to boost Madagascar's corn crop yields up to five times while decreasing deforestation at the same time.
The vulnerability and conservation value of sub-tropical reefs south of the Great Barrier Reef - regarded as climate change refuges - has been highlighted in a new study. University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences researcher Dr Brigitte Sommer said the study of Eastern Australian reefs revealed coral species would likely shift their distribution southward in response to climate change.
According to an EPFL study, butterflies living in urban areas face the threat of consanguinity and potential extinction.
