How does mercury accumulation vary in tropical forests?
As a global pollutant, mercury (Hg) is emitted directly into the atmosphere from geogenic and anthropogenic sources and previously deposited Hg in natural surfaces. Previous studies in subtropical evergreen forests have shown that climate, vegetation.....»»
An ecological history of resilience and rewilding of a tall forest in southern Italy
Human disturbance has altered the integrity and functionality of forests throughout the globe, with the greatest impact on regions characterized by historical human cultural development and long-term natural resource exploitation. This is the case in.....»»
Chinese cities suspend schools, cancel flights ahead of super typhoon Yagi
Cities in southern China suspended schools and cancelled some flights on Thursday, as tropical storm Yagi strengthened into a super typhoon and barreled straight for the holiday island province of Hainan......»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
Tropical forests face increased soil carbon loss due to climate change
Tropical forests account for more than 50% of the global terrestrial carbon sink, but climate change threatens to alter the carbon balance of these ecosystems......»»
Genomic study illuminates mango"s heritage and future
Mango, a tropical fruit with a long cultivation history, faces significant challenges such as low genetic diversity and limited breeding improvements due to complex domestication and self-pollination. These issues hinder genetic advancements in trait.....»»
Fourth Mercury flyby begins BepiColombo"s new trajectory
Teams from across ESA and industry have worked continuously over the past four months to overcome a glitch that prevented BepiColombo's thrusters from operating at full power. The ESA/JAXA mission is still on track, with a new trajectory that will ta.....»»
Q&A: Scientist discusses the MESSENGER mission to Mercury
Twenty years ago, the MESSENGER mission revolutionized our understanding of Mercury. We sat down with project head and former Carnegie Science director Sean Solomon to talk about how the mission came together and the groundbreaking work it enabled......»»
Weakening Shanshan rains still disrupting transport in Japan
A powerful typhoon now downgraded to a tropical storm was still disrupting flights and trains in Japan Saturday, with authorities warning of possible landslides caused by heavy rain......»»
California legislature passes controversial “kill switch” AI safety bill
Governor will balance worries about "over-regulation" with calls from AI luminaries. Enlarge / California governor Gavin Newsom will likely soon face a decision on whether to sign SB-1047. (credit: Ray Chavez/The Mercury News via.....»»
AI peers into the deep: High-resolution 3D tracking of coral reef fish
A study by the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) is employing new methods in coral reef research. Under the leadership of fish ecologist Dr. Julian Lilkendey, an international research team utilized innovative AI technologies to analy.....»»
Minnesota, US are losing valuable wetlands at an increasing rate
Marshes were drained and replaced by shallow, lifeless ponds. Old floodplain forests were cut down with no plan for them to grow back. Swamps and bogs were permanently drowned by open water......»»
Killings of invasive owls to ramp up on US West Coast in a bid to save native birds
U.S. wildlife officials beginning next year will drastically scale up efforts to kill invasive barred owls that are crowding out imperiled native owls from West Coast forests, under a plan finalized Wednesday that faces challenges from barred owls re.....»»
Climate change feedbacks lead to surge in natural methane emissions
Attempts to cut greenhouse gases made tougher by increased emissions. Enlarge / A view of the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil. New research shows a large chunk of global methane emissions are from rotting vegetation in tropical wetla.....»»
A price on their heads? Implications of international trade for African hornbills in Cameroon
Tropical birds known for their massive bills, hornbills include 32 Asian and 27 African species in the avian family Bucerotidae. Many hornbills have a casque on their upper mandible, which in some species is spectacularly colorful. Many species also.....»»
Researchers study carbon capture in Upper Newport Bay salt marshes
Despite covering just 2% of the ocean, coastal wetlands—such as tidal salt marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass beds—are responsible for storing nearly half of all carbon found in ocean sediment. These "blue carbon" ecosystems naturally absorb.....»»
Algorithm raises new questions about Cascadia earthquake record
The Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest has a history of producing powerful and destructive earthquakes that have sunk forests and spawned tsunamis that reached all the way to the shores of Japan......»»
Kamikaze termites protect their colony with the help of a special enzyme whose secrets have now been uncovered
Researchers from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with colleagues from the Faculty of Tropical AgriScience of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, are unraveling the myst.....»»
Record-breaking drought in southern China linked to Eurasian warming and tropical sea surface temperature
Southern China experienced an extreme drought that persisted from summer to autumn in 2022, ranking as the most severe drought since 1980. The reason for the occurrence of this extreme drought event was investigated. It shows that both the Eurasian w.....»»
Satellites reveal ecosystems most vulnerable to drought
More severe droughts that will also last longer: this will primarily be a problem for irrigated croplands, as discovered by environmental scientist Qi Chen. Mixed forests with a variety of plant species will be the least vulnerable. Chen compared the.....»»
Carbon emissions from forest soil will likely grow with rising temperatures
The soils of northern forests are key reservoirs that help keep the carbon dioxide that trees inhale and use for photosynthesis from making it back into the atmosphere. But a unique experiment led by Peter Reich of the University of Michigan is showi.....»»