Air Pollution May Keep Insects From Stopping to Smell the Flowers
Researchers ran an outdoor experiment to see if diesel exhaust and ozone would interfere with pollinators’ search for floral scents......»»
Russian state media outlet RT banned by Facebook “for foreign interference”
US said Russian media worked with Kremlin to influence election, foment unrest. Enlarge / Russia President Vladimir Putin presents flowers to editor-in-chief of Russian broadcaster RT Margarita Simonyan after awarding her with th.....»»
Fungi to the rescue: South African scientists use innovative approach to protect apple trees
Gardeners the world over dread the appearance of aphids on their plants. There are around 4,000 species of these sap-sucking insects and about 250 are pests that can wreak havoc on crops in a garden or orchard......»»
Possum shrimp use their cave"s special smell to trace their way home, study finds
Homing is an animal's ability to navigate towards an original location, such as a breeding spot or foraging territory. Salmon and racing pigeons are famous for homing, but similar behaviors occur in groups as diverse as bees, frogs, rats, and sea tur.....»»
Earth"s greatest mass extinction 250 million years ago shows what happens when El Niño gets out of control
Around 252 million years ago, the world suddenly heated up. Over a geologically brief period of tens of thousands of years, 90% of species were wiped out. Even insects, which are rarely touched by such events, suffered catastrophic losses. The Permia.....»»
What killed fish for miles in the South River? Atlanta officials are investigating
Officials are investigating a pollution incident that occurred earlier this month a few miles south of downtown Atlanta, which local water advocates say sent toxins into a tributary of the South River and killed fish for miles downstream......»»
San Diego County air pollution officers to develop alert system for noxious sewage odors
The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District will be expanding its role in addressing the foul odors affecting communities near where sewage spills over the U.S.-Mexico border, following conflicting reports earlier this week about whether the.....»»
The air quality in Big Bear suddenly reached hazardous levels this week: What happened?
Plumes of smoke from Southern California's fires blew across Big Bear on Sept. 11, causing local air quality meters to return off-the-chart readings for particulate pollution......»»
Flowers use adjustable "paint by numbers" petal designs to attract pollinators, researchers discover
Flowers like hibiscus use an invisible blueprint established very early in petal formation that dictates the size of their bullseyes—a crucial pre-pattern that can significantly impact their ability to attract pollinating bees......»»
Edible insects show promise as sustainable nutritional source
As the global population grows and traditional livestock production increasingly strains environmental resources, there is a rising interest in alternative protein sources. Edible insects, particularly grasshoppers, are abundant in regions like Camer.....»»
Image: Chili flowers bloom in International Space Station
In July 2021, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station started growing chili peppers in the Advanced Plant Habitat, as part of the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment......»»
Ozone pollution reduces yearly tropical forest growth by 5.1%, study finds
Ozone gas is reducing the growth of tropical forests—leaving an estimated 290 million tonnes of carbon uncaptured each year, new research shows......»»
"Art for insects" could help save pollinators
Gardens can become "living artworks" to help prevent the disastrous decline of pollinating insects, according to researchers working on a new project......»»
Long stems on flowers are an adaptation that encourages bat pollination, research suggests
Flowers that are pollinated by bats tend to have long stems that make them stand out from the surrounding foliage. New research published in New Phytologist reveals the evolutionary advantage that this characteristic provides to plants to ensure that.....»»
Pollution of the potent warming gas methane soars and people are mostly to blame
The amount and proportion of the powerful heat-trapping gas methane that humans spew into the atmosphere is rising, helping to turbocharge climate change, a new study finds......»»
The fascinating secrets of plant reproduction that scientists are still uncovering
You might think flowers don't have much choice about who they mate with, given they are rooted to the ground and can't move......»»
How viruses move through insects for transmission of diseases
Viruses are master parasites that have adapted to infect many host species. Some viruses even use multiple hosts to spread their infections—such as arboviruses that use insects to move their infections to mammalian hosts like humans. Understanding.....»»
Sweeping global study charts a path forward for climate-resilient agriculture
Around the world, research on climate change and agriculture has revealed a complex two-way relationship. Global agriculture is a major driver of climate change, extinctions and pollution, and its influence on the environment is growing. At the same.....»»
The amazing flowers growing in pavement cracks and why you shouldn"t pass them by
In spring and summer flowers pop up spontaneously in lawns, playgrounds, fields and even cracks in the pavement. But what do you see: weeds or wildflowers?.....»»
The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year
The world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people's bodies, according to a new study that also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Gl.....»»
Plastic pollution hotspots pinpointed in new research—India ranks top due to high levels of uncollected waste
We have used machine learning to identify the biggest plastic pollution hotspots across more than 50,000 towns, cities and rural areas worldwide. Our new global model reveals the most detailed picture of plastic pollution ever created with the highes.....»»