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.....»»
Risk of urban tree falls in São Paulo is influenced by building height and neighborhood age, study shows
According to a study in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, the factors that most influence and increase the risk of tree failure in São Paulo (the capital of São Paulo state in Brazil) are the height of nearby buildings and the age of the.....»»
More naturally occurring trees and less clustering could benefit urban forests
Excessive clustering of tree species in urban forests and overreliance on introduced species may make urban forests more vulnerable to pests or disease and reduce their ecosystem benefits, a study published today in eLife shows......»»
This tree owns itself—and is fighting for its own survival
An artwork part of the 58th Carnegie International art exhibition, the legally autonomous tree will own the land it grows on. On a few square feet of land on the campus of the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, a black gum tree has.....»»
Higher temperatures make it difficult for fig tree pollinators
Researchers from Uppsala University and elsewhere have been studying the effect of rising temperatures on the lifespan of pollinating fig wasps. The findings show that the wasps lived much shorter lives at high temperatures, which would make it diffi.....»»
Tracking the origin of southern California"s latest invasive pest
In 2012, a crop of California's most prized ornamental trees was overrun by an invisible invader. The growing shoots of coral beans—the official city tree of Los Angeles—began wilting and falling away, revealing stems that had been hollowed out f.....»»
Strange Tree Fern Has a Surprisingly Enormous Genome
A new study explores how the flying spider-monkey tree fern might hoard chromosomes.....»»
Discovering sirtuin longevity proteins in early branches of animal life
Animals on the early branches of the tree of life, such as jellyfish and sea sponges, defy the usual conventions of aging. Some show abilities to regenerate damaged or missing tissues, halt or reverse aging, and in the case of at least one jellyfish.....»»
Trees can"t outrun climate change. Should humans give them a lift?
One tree at a time, David Saville has made it his life's work to bring back West Virginia's red spruce forests—and maybe help preserve the species hundreds of miles farther north while he's at it......»»
New clue found in "alien goldfish" suggests it may have been a mollusk
A pair of researchers, one with the University of Cambridge, the other the Royal Ontario Museum, has found a clue that might help place Typhloesus wellsi, nicknamed the "alien goldfish," on the tree of life. In their paper published in the journal Bi.....»»
Scientists studying tree rings see climate change clues
Sometimes getting to where you want to go is a matter of finding the right guide......»»
Biomimetic dual-color domes programmable for encryption
Many organisms in nature have evolved spots with two structural colors on their bodies, like the Papilio Palinurus butterfly. The green color on its wings derives from the turquoise-yellow dual color spots......»»
Fungi and insect herbivores affect herb diversity depending on species traits of herbs and neighboring tree composition
The mechanisms of biodiversity maintenance have been a hot topic in ecology for decades. Fungi and insect herbivores contribute to the diversity of plants in grasslands, which has been frequently reported. However, evidence about their driving roles.....»»
Study quantifies impact of human activity on Atlantic Rainforest"s carbon storage capacity
The countless benefits of native forests include the capacity of tree biomass to store large amounts of carbon, which can counterbalance greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. A paper published in the journal Science Advances reports on an inn.....»»
Environmental scientists explain why so many tree species going extinct is so bad for the planet
A team of environmental scientists has written a follow-up paper to their study published last year that warned that approximately one-third of tree species around the world are in danger of extinction. In this new paper, published in the journal Pla.....»»
MOXIE experiment reliably produces oxygen on Mars
On the red and dusty surface of Mars, nearly 100 million miles from Earth, an instrument the size of a lunchbox is proving it can reliably do the work of a small tree......»»
Space invaders: Radiata pine spread more widely in NZ than previously thought
Radiata pine (Pinus radiata, or Monterey pine) is native to North America, where it is narrowly distributed along the Californian coast, but is one of the most widely planted tree species in the southern hemisphere. It had naturalized in New Zealand.....»»
Teachers want support to embrace nature play in primary education
From tree-branch tepees to bush tucker gardens, mud kitchens and even functional fire pits, primary schools are sprouting all sorts of nature play environments in an effort to better connect primary students with the outdoors......»»
Look up this spring and you might see little ravens build soft, cozy nests from your garden trees
Spring is nearing and birds will soon start nesting in trees in backyards across Australia. The trees in our garden are now 40 years old—not old by tree standards, but old enough to be among the tallest in our suburb, offering refuge for local nati.....»»
AI Diagnoses Devastating Olive Tree Infection
Predicting severity can help address deadly effects to olive groves.....»»
Why banning hikes to the world"s tallest tree will never work
The National Park Service is trying to preserve the world's tallest tree by banning hikes to it. But this approach will never completely work since the location of the 380-foot redwood is an open secret. Instagrammers and the Guinness Book of World R.....»»