Wings, not webs: Certain bugs are the winners of urbanization, impacting cities" insect diversity
Cities are bursting with life, both human and animal. The smallest of them—insects, spiders and ants—are easily overlooked, but their presence—or absence—in cities has wide-reaching effects. Scientists in Austria have published a study in Fro.....»»
Freezing and melting reshape diversity and structure of glacier microbial communities
With the increasing attention on global climate change and glacier retreat, the study of glacier microbiota has gradually become an important field of research......»»
Japanese honeybees slap nest-invading ants with their wings to knock them away
A trio of environmental specialists at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, in Japan, has found that Japanese honeybees sometimes resort to slapping ants with their wings to prevent their entry into their nest......»»
It doesn’t look like anyone can beat T-Mobile
T-Mobile still commands a healthy lead over its rivals, but 5G performance is skyrocketing in major U.S. cities......»»
Scientists use machine learning to predict diversity of tree species in forests
A collaborative team of researchers led by Ben Weinstein of the University of Florida, Oregon, US, used machine learning to generate highly detailed maps of over 100 million individual trees from 24 sites across the U.S., and published their findings.....»»
Online sales of a wild bat sold as décor threaten species
A fiery orange bat, its wings folded and tiny teeth forever bared on its fuzzy face, is mounted inside a 6-inch, black coffin. Its retail price: $59. Or, for $140, you can get one framed with its black and orange wings spread, deliverable in two days.....»»
Asexual reproduction usually leads to a lack of genetic diversity. Not for these ants
Genetic diversity is essential to the survival of a species. It's easy enough to maintain if a species reproduces sexually; an egg and a sperm combine genetic material from two creatures into one, forming a genomically robust offspring with two disti.....»»
Climate change threatens overall firefly populations, study shows, but Midwest could see increase
For many who grew up east of the Mississippi River, yellow twinkling lights punctuate magical childhood memories. New England natives call them fireflies, but they're known as lightning bugs from the Midwest to the South. No matter their regional nam.....»»
Minneapolis is on the leading edge of biochar, a carbon sequestering material full of promise and still under research
Minneapolis is on track to become one of the first U.S. cities to invest in biochar, a multifunctional, charcoal-like material said to help grow bigger plants, reduce storm water runoff and remove carbon from the atmosphere......»»
Study examines urban forests across the United States
In recent years, tree-planting campaigns have been underway in the United States, especially in cities, as part of climate mitigation efforts......»»
Much of Neanderthal genetic diversity came from modern humans
Neanderthals' low diversity means their population was even smaller than we thought. Enlarge (credit: Halamka) The basic outline of the interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals is now well established. The two.....»»
Bridging culture, cuisine, and urban planning: New book explores the connections between food and urban spaces
Agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering—through thousands of years of urbanization, these ways of acquiring food, which were deciding factors in settlement landscape patterns in the primitive society, have gradually been replaced by the manufa.....»»
Hatcheries can boost wild salmon numbers but reduce diversity, research shows
The ability of salmon hatcheries to increase wild salmon abundance may come at the cost of reduced diversity among wild salmon, according to a new University of Alaska Fairbanks–led study......»»
In Cuba, a haven for the world"s tiniest bird
The wings of the world's tiniest birds are a near-invisible blur as they whizz around tourists visiting a private Cuban garden that has become a haven for the declining species......»»
Scientists pay tribute to tennis players with new insect species named after them
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will go down in history as two of the greatest tennis players of our time, but their names have also been immortalized in science, as two new insect species were just named in honor of the athletes......»»
Researchers explore the role of children in community participatory planning process
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defined child-friendly cities as those that prioritize children's access to safe environments, health care, education, green spaces, and the right to participate in decision-making processes ab.....»»
Air pollution harms pollinators more than pests, study finds
Bees and other beneficial bugs are disproportionately harmed by air pollution when compared to crop-destroying pests, a new study published in Nature Communications has found......»»
How cities can use AI to adapt to climate change
Urban spaces are particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change, such as heat waves, floods, and storms. But which areas of a city are affected, and how can city planners respond?.....»»
Island biogeography theory and habitat heterogeneity help explain global patterns of Rhododendron diversity
Mountains are defined by their prominence, steep sides, and significant height above the surrounding regions. They harbor exceptionally high levels of biodiversity and a great number of endemic species worldwide, which are also extremely sensitive to.....»»
Diversity in typhoid bacteria linked to higher mortality rates
Worldwide, 20% of the bacterial strains that cause typhoid fever have genetic variations in their external layer, called Vi capsule, that provide higher virulence, higher infectivity and high antibiotic resistance, Cornell researchers have discovered.....»»
High elevation regions may become wildlife refuges through climate change
As climate change advances, its impacts are not universally equal, with temperature rising differently by latitude and elevation. Climate heterogeneity is the study of this diversity in Earth's climate patterns, and the focus of recent research publi.....»»