"Devastatingly cute" bats look for bugs in forest clearings and corridors
Forest managers cut down trees, but their ultimate goal is to keep forests healthy and growing. Bats might help with that, according to recent University of Illinois research, thanks to their appetite for bugs that could otherwise destroy tree seedli.....»»
Which animals carry mpox? Our study identified African forest dwelling rodents as one source
Mpox is a disease caused by the highly infectious monkeypox virus. It's quite easily passed on from one person to another. But it originally came from infected animals......»»
Researchers identify two primary tree movement patterns that help them survive high winds and prevent damage
Destructive winds during storms and cyclones often cause tree failures, especially through uprooting and stem breakage. However, how trees respond to wind under various forest configurations and weather conditions remains unclear......»»
Birds, bees and bats working together means more macadamia nuts
An international research team led by the universities of Göttingen and Hohenheim in Germany has gained new insights into how the interaction of birds, bees and bats significantly increases the quantity and quality of macadamia nuts. Furthermore, th.....»»
White truffles, Italy"s gold, menaced by climate change
Deep in a thick forest in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region, the hunt is on for the white Alba truffle, with excited dogs zigzagging and digging into the wet earth......»»
New tools give researchers hope for fungus-ravaged US bats
Standing at a woodland entrance to the world's longest cave system in Kentucky, a park ranger warns those about to enter of an extremely deadly fungus—not for humans, but for the bat populations it has devastated across North America......»»
Brazil"s Amazon posts lowest deforestation in nine years: govt
The Brazilian Amazon experienced its smallest amount of yearly deforestation in nearly a decade, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government reported Wednesday, in line with its promise to combat forest loss......»»
Making farming better for bees: Can we breed crops that produce more nectar and pollen?
Where once there were vast areas of forest and other natural habitats, farmland now covers much of Earth—including 70% of the UK. This transition has helped feed a growing number of people......»»
Vampire bats" metabolism mirrors that of blood-sucking insects, biologists find
A pair of biologists at the University of Toronto has found that vampire bats are able to burn amino acids as a fuel source similarly to blood-sucking insects. In their study published in the journal Biology Letters, Giulia Rossi and Kenneth Welch co.....»»
Are these tiny insects the world"s laziest bugs?
At less than 3mm long, you may not think Dunatothrips aneurae seem like much. And—as I have shown in a new study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology—you'd be absolutely right. That's because these may be the world's laziest insects......»»
Braving sharks and hordes of urchins, scientists are growing kelp one forest at a time
The weathered UC Davis Marine Laboratory looms in thick fog on the edge of the ocean near Bodega Bay. Inside, an experiment is playing out that gives a badly-needed boost to Northern California's kelp forests—underwater cathedrals of green and gold.....»»
New plant bug species discovered in French Polynesia
Seventeen new species of plant bugs—a group of insects with a strawlike mouth used to feed on plant and animal matter—have been identified on the islands of French Polynesia, and their names honor scientists, actors, and Vice President Kamala Har.....»»
Study examines effects of Atlantic circulation on the Amazon rainforest
The Amazon region is a global hotspot of biodiversity and plays a key role in the climate system because of its ability to store large amounts of carbon and its influence on the global water cycle. The rain forest is threatened, however, by climate c.....»»
215 million hectares of forest—an area bigger than Mexico—could grow back by itself, if we can just leave it alone
About 215 million hectares of land—an area bigger than Mexico—could be reforested naturally and without costly manual planting, our new research shows......»»
Ancient mud reveals Australia"s burning history over the past 130,000 years—and a way forward in current fire crisis
Increased land management by Aboriginal people in southeastern Australia around 6,000 years ago cut forest shrub cover in half, according to our new study published in Science of fossil pollen trapped in ancient mud......»»
3 great free movies to stream this weekend (November 1-3)
From November 1-3, stream these great movies for free, including a murder mystery, a James Bond installment, and a cute football story. .....»»
Bats use echolocation to make mental maps for navigation
Despite only working over short distances, echolocation is enough to get bats home. Many species of bats use echolocation to avoid obstacles like tree branches and hunt small inse.....»»
A comparison of bat and bird wings reveals their evolutionary paths are vastly different
Bats are incredibly diverse animals: They can climb onto other animals to drink their blood, pluck insects from leaves or hover to drink nectar from tropical flowers, all of which require distinctive wing designs......»»
Better understanding of Indigenous cultural burning may lead to improved forest management in Australia
Ancient cultural burning practices carried out by Indigenous Australians limited fuel availability and prevented high intensity fires in southeastern Australia for thousands of years, according to new research from The Australian National University.....»»
The mortality rate of bats at modern-day swimming pools is comparable to that at Messel 47 million years ago
More than 500 bat fossils have been discovered at the Messel Pit UNESCO World Heritage Site over 42 years. A new study, published today in the journal Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, investigates whether the high number of fossils is due t.....»»
Study shows bats have acoustic cognitive maps
Echolocating bats have been found to possess an acoustic cognitive map of their home range, enabling them to navigate over kilometer-scale distances using echolocation alone......»»