Tropical dry forests disappearing rapidly around the globe
Dry tropical forests are important ecosystems, yet these forests are increasingly threatened, a new study discovers. An innovative approach to characterize how deforestation took place since 2000 showed that more than 71 million hectares of tropical.....»»
How many trees does it take to cool a city? Researchers develop tool to set urban tree canopy goals
Cities around the globe are increasingly experiencing dangerous heat as urban concrete and asphalt amplify rising temperatures. Tree-planting programs are a popular, nature-based way to cool cities, but these initiatives have been largely based on gu.....»»
Did the world"s best-preserved dinosaurs really die in "Pompeii-type" events?
Between about 120 million and 130 million years ago, during the age of dinosaurs, temperate forests and lakes hosted a lively ecosystem in what is now northeast China. Diverse fossils from that time remained pretty much undisturbed until the 1980s, w.....»»
Advanced AI techniques enhance crop leaf disease detection in tropical agriculture
Researchers have made significant progress in the field of artificial intelligence by applying deep learning techniques to automate the detection and classification of crop leaf diseases......»»
Mangrove degradation threatens carbon storage in China"s Pearl Bay
Carbon sinks are important in the fight against climate change as they draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by storing organic carbon in the oceans and soil, for example. Within tropical and subtropical intertidal locations, wetland plant comm.....»»
A Greek mountain could help solve the mystery of cloud formation
On the rocky slopes high above lush pine forests and mountain lakes, a group of researchers have just finished setting up their gear......»»
Tropics Update: Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen has been declared
Tropics Update: Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen has been declared.....»»
Green shoots spring from ashes in Brazil"s fire-resistant savanna
The huge wildfires that ripped through Brazil recently did not spare its vast tropical savanna, but green shoots are already emerging from the ashes there, proof of the vast grasslands' rare gift for fire resistance......»»
Japan urges 200,000 people to evacuate due to heavy rain
Nearly 200,000 people in western Japan were urged to evacuate on Saturday as authorities warned of landslides and floods, while the remnants of a tropical storm trickle over the country......»»
Increasing chances for tropical development in Caribbean Sea
Increasing chances for tropical development in Caribbean Sea.....»»
A comparison of bat and bird wings reveals their evolutionary paths are vastly different
Bats are incredibly diverse animals: They can climb onto other animals to drink their blood, pluck insects from leaves or hover to drink nectar from tropical flowers, all of which require distinctive wing designs......»»
Advances in taro research: New gene silencing system enables rapid gene function verification
A research team has established a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system in taro, enabling researchers to rapidly verify gene functions in this underutilized crop. Utilizing a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based vector, the study paves the way for s.....»»
Satellite imagery may help protect coastal forests from climate change
Sea-level rise caused by climate change poses a serious and often unpredictable threat to coastal forests, and new tools are needed to help mitigate damage and allocate conservation resources......»»
In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies—implications for global pest control
Take a stroll along one of the beaches on Hawaii Island in late summer, and you'll likely stumble upon almond-shaped fruits lying in the sand. Known as false kamani nuts, or tropical almonds, they fall from tall, shady Terminalia catappa trees that l.....»»
Deep learning enhances accuracy and efficiency in protein structure prediction
In the rapidly advancing field of computational biology, a review explores the transformative role of deep learning techniques in revolutionizing protein structure prediction. The review, published in MedComm—Future Medicine, is led by Dr. Xi Yu an.....»»
Experts call for trillions of dollars spent on fossil fuels to be redirected
New global findings in the 8th annual indicator report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change reveal that people in every country face record-breaking threats to health and survival from the rapidly changing climate, with 10 of 15 indic.....»»
Where has all the rain gone? Bone-dry October strikes much of US
A bone-dry October is pushing nearly half of the United States into a flash drought, leading to fires in the Midwest and hindering shipping on the Mississippi River......»»
Mars may have been habitable much more recently than thought
Evidence suggests Mars could very well have been teeming with life billions of years ago. Now cold, dry, and stripped of what was once a potentially protective magnetic field, the red planet is a kind of forensic scene for scientists investigating wh.....»»
Japan-style "tiny forests" are taking root in British cities
A staggering 1 in 3 people in England lack access to nature-rich spaces within a short walk from their homes. Now, a growing movement is bringing nature back to cities across the UK. The Miyawaki forest method involves planting a diverse mix of dense.....»»
Newly discovered cyanobacteria could help sequester carbon from oceans and factories
An international coalition of researchers from the United States and Italy has discovered a novel strain of cyanobacteria, or algae, isolated from volcanic ocean vents that is especially adept at growing rapidly in the presence of CO2 and readily si.....»»
Tracking a disappearing mantle plume in ancient Samoa: Researchers shed light on a 30-million-year gap
When plumes of magma well up through Earth's lithosphere, they create volcanoes, islands, seamounts, and other features on the surface. Telltale hot spot tracks form as tectonic plates move over these plumes, marking plume locations and the movement.....»»