Of ants and trees: "Evolutionary déjà vu" in the tropical rainforest
Ants are famous for their regimented and complex social behaviors. In the tropics, they are also famous for forming mutualisms with plants. Certain species of trees have conspicuous hollow swellings that house ants, often feeding the ants with specia.....»»
Tropical forests can"t recover naturally without fruit eating birds, carbon recovery study shows
New research from the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich illustrates a critical barrier to natural regeneration of tropical forests. Their models—from ground-based data gathered in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil—show that when wild tropical birds move fre.....»»
Scientists find vast numbers of illegal "ghost roads" used to crack open pristine rainforest
One of Brazil's top scientists, Eneas Salati, once said, "The best thing you could do for the Amazon rainforest is to blow up all the roads." He wasn't joking. And he had a point......»»
Sweet lessons: Taiwan urban beekeeping gets positive buzz
Under mulberry trees at a bee farm in Taipei's suburbs, students watched intently as instructor Tsai Ming-hsien wafted smoke over a hive box, explaining to aspiring apiarists how to keep the insects happy in an urban setting......»»
Despite what you might hear, weather prediction is getting better, not worse
Australia's weather bureau copped harsh criticism after El Niño failed to deliver a much-vaunted dry summer in eastern Australia. Parts of northern Queensland in the path of Tropical Cyclone Jasper had a record wet December and areas of central Vict.....»»
Plant more native trees to reduce landslide risk, control erosion, say researchers
Landslides typically occur under heavy rain. With the potential for increased precipitation due to climate change and a possible return to La Niña reinforcing slopes with native trees and shrubs could be an effective, economical and sustainable solu.....»»
A landslide forced me from my home—and I experienced our failure to deal with climate change at first hand
One stormy evening in February 2024, I heard the sickening sound of trees breaking just beyond my garden in the town of Hastings on England's south coast. Heading outside to investigate, I soon found cracks opening up in the ground near our property'.....»»
Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems
Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific, according to new research from University of British Columbia botanists......»»
A new tool for tracing the family trees of cells
EPFL researchers have developed GEMLI, a pioneering tool that could democratize and vastly improve how we study the journey of cells from their embryonic state through to specialized roles in the body, as well as their changes in cancer and other dis.....»»
Ghost roads speed destruction of Asia-Pacific tropical forests, finds study
Researchers mapping tropical forests have found many more roads than declared by official sources, which is raising fears of a huge increase in environmental degradation as the pace of road building increases......»»
Scientists are grasping at straws while trying to protect infant corals from hungry fish
South Florida researchers trying to prevent predatory fish from devouring laboratory-grown coral are grasping at biodegradable straws in an effort to restore what some call the rainforest of the sea......»»
Ants in Colorado are on the move due to climate change
Over the past 60 years, climate change has forced certain ant species, unable to tolerate higher temperatures, out of their original habitats in Gregory Canyon near Boulder, Colorado, according to a new research published April 9 in the journal Ecolo.....»»
Fox bones found in ancient Argentinian burial site might have been from a human pet
A team of archaeologists, anthropologists and evolutionary specialists from Argentina, the U.K. and Germany has found possible evidence of a tamed fox living with a human hunter/gatherer companion, approximately 1,500 years ago in what is now Argenti.....»»
Certified timber harvesting of tropical forests proves beneficial for gorillas and elephants
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified timber harvesting areas in Gabon and Congo boast a greater abundance of larger mammals, such as leopards, gorillas, and elephants, than non-FSC forests......»»
Caribbean nation of Aruba backs itself up to Internet Archive
Aruba's National Archives and National Library are now on Internet Archive. Enlarge / Divi Divi trees on a sandy beach in Aruba. (credit: Cavan Images via Getty) Aruba has long been a special place for Stacy Argondizzo......»»
Researchers develop better way to make painkiller from trees
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to make a popular pain reliever and other valuable products from plants instead of petroleum......»»
Jurassic shuotheriids reveal earliest dental diversification of mammaliaforms
Paleontologists have presented a new insight into the initial dental variations across mammaliaforms, providing a fresh perspective on the evolutionary past of these ancient beasts......»»
Out of alignment: How clashing policies make for terrible environmental outcomes
Policy alignment sounds dry. But think of it like this: you want to make suburbs cooler and more liveable, so you plant large trees. But then you find the trees run afoul of fire and safety provisions, and they're cut down......»»
Research shows animals can live alongside humans by being experts at judging risk
New research suggests animals can thrive in human-dominated environments by being expert judges of risk. Alexis Breen from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, and Dominik Deffner from the Max Planck Institute for Human.....»»
Catkins are flowering at different times, threatening their pollination and the wildlife that feed on them
As the days grow longer and the air warms up, nature is bursting back to life. Even before their leaves return, trees produce delicate, fuzzy structures known as catkins. These tiny, downy threads, often described as kitten tails (thanks to a fun tra.....»»
Ancient trees help to protect an endangered species
The oldest trees in the forest help to prevent the disappearance of endangered species in the natural environment, according to a study led by the University of Barcelona. This is the case of the wolf lichen—threatened throughout Europe—which now.....»»