How a butterfly tree becomes a web
Evolution is often portrayed as a tree, with new species branching off from existing lineages, never again to meet. The truth however is often much messier. In the case of adaptive radiation, in which species diversify rapidly to fill different ecolo.....»»
Arthropods in high-diversity forests found to contribute to improved productivity
An international team of researchers led by Prof. Ma Keping from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS) has shown that forests with higher tree species richness tend to have greater arthropod diversity......»»
World"s "oldest" tree able to reveal planet"s secrets
In a forest in southern Chile, a giant tree has survived for thousands of years and is in the process of being recognized as the oldest in the world......»»
What role do forests play as a feeding habitat for honeybees?
Bees are generally associated with flowering meadows rather than with dense forests. Woodland, however, is considered the original habitat of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), as it offers nesting sites in the form of tree cavities. Researchers.....»»
Tracing the migration path of painted lady butterflies across Africa
An international research team in search of painted lady butterfly breeding grounds in Africa has published the results of years of fieldwork. In the paper, "The Afrotropical breeding grounds of the Palearctic-African migratory painted lady butterfli.....»»
Enset, Ethiopia"s remarkable "tree against hunger" flowers at Kew Gardens for the first time
Enset (Ensete ventricosum), an African relative of the much-beloved banana plant, is flowering inside of Kew Gardens' Temperate House, marking the very first time this extraordinary plant has produced an inflorescence at the botanic garden. Royal Bot.....»»
Severe droughts devastate eucalyptus trees that predate Ice Age
South Australian scientists have documented the catastrophic decline of a stand of red stringybark in the Clare Valley, a tree species that has survived in the region for 40,000 years but is now at risk of extinction due to climate change......»»
Colorado snow survey scoops up evidence for "wet year" in US West
High up in a dazzlingly white, tree-lined valley of the Rocky Mountains, two scientists armed with skis and clipboards peer at the long hollow tube they have just thrust vertically into a pristine snow drift......»»
Would more parks and trees help LA County residents live longer?
Improving tree coverage and access to parks and green spaces in Los Angeles County, particularly in lower-income communities of color, could significantly boost life expectancy for local residents, according to a new study by UCLA public health resea.....»»
Climate extremes and forest age mediate drought-induced forest mortality in northeast China
Drought-induced forest mortality is associated with climatic factors (e.g., high-temperature, precipitation deficit) and forest age, but may vary due to differences among tree species. However, a large-scale survey of forest mortality cannot usually.....»»
Jellyfish and flies use the same hormone when they’ve had enough to eat
The regulation of hunger may go back to the base of the animal family tree. Enlarge / A Moon jellyfish. (credit: Dan Kitwood / Getty Images) The sensation of hunger seems pretty simple on the surface, but behind the sce.....»»
How Pink Floyd inspired research into medieval monks and volcanology
Study combines medieval European, Middle Eastern texts with ice core and tree ring data Enlarge / Illumination from the late 14th or early 15th century, which portrays two individuals observing a lunar eclipse. It features the wo.....»»
Researchers assemble pathogen "tree of life"
A new online tool—the first of its kind for plant pathogens—will help researchers across the globe identify, detect and monitor species of Phytophthora, which have been responsible for plant diseases ranging from the devastating 1840s Irish potat.....»»
Britain"s wild woods are under threat and we"re running out of time to save them, says researcher
The UK has a strange relationship with its woodlands. Trees and woods form part of the national identity, yet with only about 13% tree cover, it is one of the least wooded countries in Europe......»»
Can insights from the soapbark tree change the way we make vaccines?
The medicinal secrets of the Chilean soapbark tree have been laid bare, unlocking a future of more potent, affordable, and sustainably sought vaccines......»»
The biggest Apple design fails and screw-ups of all time
Even Apple can get a design badly wrong, and these products are the proof. From the butterfly keyboard to the Newton MessagePad, here’s Apple’s hall of shame......»»
What do we define as urban green space?
When do we define a piece of nature in the city as a park? And when is something a tree or shrub? It may seem obvious, but in scientific literature the definitions vary quite a bit. That makes comparisons difficult. Environmental scientist Joeri Morp.....»»
Update of a local tree field guide offers "antidote for plant blindness"
Asked to name his favorite tree, Paul W. Meyer, the former director of Penn's Morris Arboretum, likens the task to "asking a parent to name their favorite child.".....»»
How climate change and invasive species threaten tree frogs
A new study from the University of Florida investigates how climate change and the spread of invasive species can combine to create a dual threat to biodiversity......»»
A non-native tree species reclaims its prominence after extreme weather
The long-term effects on forests of more extreme climate events, plus other drivers of forest change, are highly uncertain. A new study of the tropical forests across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), spanning 19 years, found that after.....»»
Study examines the effects of using insecticides for spotted lanternfly control
Neonicotinoid insecticides used to control spotted lanternflies have the potential to harm pollinators, but the degree of risk depends on multiple factors, such as application timing, type of neonicotinoid, the species of tree being treated and polli.....»»