Nature"s checkup: Surveying biodiversity with environmental DNA sequencing
A thousand kilometers south of Tokyo, far into the largest ocean on Earth, lies a chain of small, volcanic islands—the Ogasawara Islands. Nature has been able to develop on its own terms here, far from both humans and the warm Kuroshio current, whi.....»»
A much faster way to encode DNA with usable digital data
An international team of molecular biologists, computer scientists and physicists has found a way to encode useable digital data onto DNA strands 350 times faster than current approaches. In their study, published in the journal Nature, the group use.....»»
$79 billion—the hidden climate costs of US materials production
A study published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters, has revealed a staggering $79 billion in annual climate-related costs from the production of common materials in the United States. These costs, which stem from greenhouse gas emi.....»»
Marri trees are a lifeline for many native bee species in a biodiversity hotspot
New Curtin University-led research has revealed that Marri trees are critical to the survival of more than 80 species of native bee in Western Australia's South West region, which is one of the world's most biologically rich but threatened biodiversi.....»»
Molecular insights into the dynamic dance of nanoplastics and natural organic matter
Nanoplastics, emerging as persistent environmental pollutants, pose significant threats due to their durability and wide distribution in water bodies. Their interactions with natural organic matter are critical, influencing pollutant retention, micro.....»»
Cross-boundary regions need urgent targeted conservation interventions, says study
The Pan-Himalayan biogeographic domain is a significant region for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. It has both tropical and extratropical flora and holds ecological, cultural, and socio-economic importance. However, there is still l.....»»
River flow responses to heat waves may change more rapidly under climate change, research finds
A pair of studies by researchers in Simon Fraser University's School of Environmental Science examine how climate change could alter the way Canadian rivers respond to extreme heat events......»»
Insect and spider biodiversity increases organic nutrient availability across ecosystems, large-scale study shows
Insects and spiders are important elements in the food webs of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. With declines in their biodiversity, the food supply for birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals is not only becoming scarcer, but also poo.....»»
Compost produced from organic solid waste could replace 21% of industrial fertilizers in urban agriculture
The organic solid waste that citizens deposit in brown recycling bins could currently produce the amount of compost needed to satisfy 8% of the nutrients demanded by urban and peri-urban agriculture, reducing environmental impacts such as soil eutrop.....»»
How bioacoustics and AI can help study animal populations in the forest and beneath the waves
Animal sounds combined with artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize biodiversity monitoring both on land and in aquatic settings according to researchers from the University of Copenhagen. By analyzing wildlife sounds, AI can now identify spec.....»»
Through the looking glass: A cross-chiral reaction challenges our definition of life
Just like your left and right hand exist as mirror images of each other, many biological molecules have their own form of left- and right-handedness, called chirality. Our DNA, for example, is made of right-handed chiral molecules which combine to fo.....»»
Apple supporting national parks initiative in China, likely for two reasons
Apple is supporting a national parks initiative in China, geared to providing training and education within the field of nature conservation. The work in five of China’s national parks is being done through the China Green Carbon Sink Foundation.....»»
Review of global conservation policies reveals equity key to combating biodiversity loss
New research reveals major global conservation policies lack clarity and thoroughness in how they deal with equity......»»
Polar bears are sustaining ice-related paw injuries in a warming Arctic
Polar bears in some parts of the high Arctic are developing ice buildup and related injuries to their feet, apparently due to changing sea ice conditions in a warming Arctic. While surveying the health of two polar bear populations, researchers found.....»»
Microplastics and PFAS: Daphnia study finds combined impact results in greater environmental harm
The combined impact of so-called "forever chemicals" is more harmful to the environment than single chemicals in isolation, a new study shows. Researchers at the University of Birmingham investigated the environmental effects of microplastics and PFA.....»»
Massive biodiversity data collection improves ecosystem predictions
A team at the University of Córdoba verifies that large biodiversity databases, in which citizens record observations of flora, are capable of calibrating joint species distribution models, even when conducted individually, provided that more than 5.....»»
Observations explore the nature of stellar stream Icarus
Astronomers from Italy and Chile have investigated an accreted stellar stream named Icarus in the Milky Way's disk. Results of the study, detailed in a research paper published October 16 on the preprint server arXiv, yield crucial information regard.....»»
UN biodiversity summit hears appeals for action, money to save nature
The world's biggest nature protection conference opened in Colombia on Monday with calls for urgent action and financing to reverse humankind's rapacious destruction of biodiversity......»»
Accurately weighing costs and benefits of different methods for controlling invasive species
Invasive insect species bring a host of health, social, ecological and economic consequences, including crop damage, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, human disease transmission and rising allergy rates......»»
Physicists uncover universal non-equilibrium quantum dynamics in randomly interacting spin models
A new study has uncovered the universal dynamics far from equilibrium in randomly interacting spin models, thereby complementing the well-established universality in low-energy equilibrium physics. The study, recently published in Nature Physics, was.....»»
Loss of "nitrogen fixers" threatens biodiversity, ecosystems, say biologists
Mississippi State University is part of a European-American collaboration studying how human activities, like fertilizer use and pollution, are impacting nitrogen-fixing plants which are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems by adding nitrogen t.....»»