Winter drought grips southern Europe, northern Africa
Drought plaguing the Mediterranean has failed to recede over winter months that brought below-average rainfall, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service has reported, prompting water restrictions and state of emergency declarations......»»
Hunt for rare bird shows how Ecuador narco violence impedes research
Biologist Cesar Garzon was searching for a small, endangered parakeet in southern Ecuador when he was warned he may be kidnapped, highlighting the danger for scientists in the biodiverse country engulfed in narco violence......»»
Research highlights drought risk and awareness gaps in global society
Natural disasters have threatened human beings and the ecosystem. Among the various natural disasters, drought is one of the most insidious and costliest, adversely affecting the global economy and livelihoods. Unlike sudden disasters such as earthqu.....»»
Australian sauna helps save frogs from flesh-eating fungus
Hundreds of endangered Australian Green and Golden Bell frogs huddle inside a sauna, shielded from Sydney's winter chill......»»
Study reveals distinct roles of H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in winter wheat vernalization
Vernalization is the phenomenon whereby plants require prolonged exposure to low temperatures to flower. This ensures that overwintering plants undergo reproductive growth under suitable light and temperature conditions, thereby securing yield......»»
Africa"s "youthquake": Huge numbers of young people have no jobs, the wrong skills and little hope
By 2050, one in every three young people on Earth will be of African origin, according to the 2024 International Labor Organization's (ILO) Global Employment Trends for Youth report. Africa's young people will be key players in the direction of futur.....»»
South Africa"s coal workers face uncertainty—study shows they"re being left out of the green transition
South Africa is on the path to decarbonization—doing away with burning coal and other fossil fuels and moving towards renewable, clean energy, such as solar and wind power. However, the coal industry employs 91,000 people. If these workers lost the.....»»
Powerful Typhoon Shanshan slams into southern Japan
Typhoon Shanshan hit Japan with full force on Thursday, injuring dozens as howling winds smashed windows and blew tiles off houses while torrential rains turned rivers into raging torrents......»»
Study reveals isolation, endogamy and pathogens in early medieval Spanish community
An archaeogenetic study sheds new light on the isolated medieval community Las Gobas in northern Spain. Besides isolation and endogamy, researchers have also identified the variola virus, which can offer a new explanation of how smallpox entered Iber.....»»
Study links fear of conflict to population changes in Neolithic Europe
Since the end of the last Ice Age, growth of the human population has been far from uniform, marked instead by periods of rapid expansion followed by sharp declines. The reasons behind these fluctuations remain only partially understood......»»
Three missing as "extremely strong" typhoon nears Japan
Japan warned Wednesday that an "extremely strong" typhoon bearing down on the main southern island of Kyushu would bring unusually violent storms, as three people remained missing after a landslide......»»
Rare whale species observed during recent Antarctic expedition
Research by Wageningen Marine Research and partners on the relationship between sea ice and the Southern Ocean food web investigates various components of that food web, including the so-called "top predators," or seabirds and marine mammals. To map.....»»
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.....»»
How engineered walnuts combat drought through grafting
Drought is a major threat to walnut production globally, often resulting in lower yields and weaker trees. While grafting has traditionally been used to improve the resilience of fruit and nut trees, the exact mechanisms of signal transfer between ro.....»»
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.....»»
Widespread culling of crocodiles is not an effective way to stop attacks on humans, study shows
Education and community awareness, removal of problem animals and exclusion areas are significantly more effective in reducing saltwater crocodile attacks in the Northern Territory than a widespread culling program to reduce crocodile numbers, accord.....»»
The truth about Tasers: What UK statistics and research tell us
Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently urged the police to take "all necessary action" in response to unrest across cities and towns in England and Northern Ireland......»»
S.Africa plan to "bomb" mice that eat albatrosses alive
Conservationists said Saturday that they plan to bomb a remote South African island with tons of pesticide-laced pellets to kill mice that are eating albatrosses and other seabirds alive......»»
This bird species was extinct in Europe. Now it"s back, and humans must help it migrate for winter
How do you teach a bird how, and where, to fly? The distinctive Northern Bald Ibis, hunted essentially to extinction by the 17th century, was revived by breeding and rewilding efforts over the last two decades. But the birds—known for their distinc.....»»
South Africa"s scarce water needs careful management—study finds smaller, local systems offer more benefits
South Africa is a water-scarce country, the 30th driest in the world. Using water wisely will become more and more important as the population grows and droughts related to climate change increase. A lack of clean, fresh water has a negative impact o.....»»
Bird species are disappearing at an alarming rate in Kenya, study finds
Sub-Saharan Africa has a vast amount of uncultivated, arable land—about 2 million km2, accounting for about 50% of the global total. This land is a critical habitat for many animal species, including birds......»»