New study shows extent of harmful human influences on global ecosystems
More than 40 percent of the worlds oceans are heavily impacted by human activities, including overfishing and pollution, according to a new study that will appear in tomorrows peer-reviewed journal Science. Dr. Kenneth Casey, with NOAAs National Oceanographic Data Center in Silver Spring, Md....Global Seagrass Decline Affects Shallow-water Ecosystems
Disappearance of seagrass beds around the world has resulted in sharp decline in important habitats, food sources and sediment stabilizers affecting the shallow-water ecosystems // , according to Frederick Short, researcher of natural resources and marine science, University of New Hampshire. ...There's a sensor in your pocket
... invisible. "Participatory Sensing" allows individuals to identify, measure, and address problems as diverse as air pollution or the damage to fragile ecosystems using mobile phones with basic sensing and communication systems like cameras, global positioning systems (GPS), and text messaging. A new paper, "...Discovery in amber reveals ancient biology of termites
...lions of years later. This phenomenon has been invaluable in scientific and ecological research, and allows researchers to characterize the biology of ecosystems that existed millions of years ago. The amber that contained the termite used in this study came from a mine first excavated in 2001 in the Hukawng...The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Donates $136 Million to Charities
...g providing funds to programs that promote youth educational opportunities. In the area of conservation, grants will help to preserve threatened ecosystems by creating partnerships that address the root causes leading to their destruction. The initial conservation work of the Trust will focus on supporti...Federal funding gap cited for research on human health impacts due to climate change
...ases associated with exposure to ozone and allergens from the air. Health effects are also likely to result from altered air, water, agriculture, and ecosystems processes, according to the report. "This paper highlights the gap in our understanding of current impacts of climate on health, and how those imp...Papua New Guinea declares first national conservation area
...nea, home to some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, has created its first national conservat...protect their forest homeland and the wildlife and ecosystems so vital to their culture and sustenance. While...es of the YUS region for protecting such essential ecosystems and all the benefits they provide. Hopefully, othe...Purdue study projects weakened monsoon season in South Asia
...n the rainy periods. Noah Diffenbaugh, whose research group led the study, said the summer monsoon affects water resources, agriculture, economics, ecosystems and human health throughout South Asia. "Almost half of the world's population lives in areas affected by these monsoons, and even slight deviation...Study of ancient and modern plagues finds common features
...ing the pandemic of 1918-19. Other factors underlying many instances of emergent diseases are poverty, lack of political will, and changes in climate, ecosystems and land use, the authors contend. "A better understanding of these determinants is essential for our preparedness for the next emerging or re-emergin...Yale study: Most polluted ecosystems recoverable
New Haven, Conn.Most polluted or damaged ecosystems worldwide can recover within a lifetime if societies commit to their cleanup or restoration, according to an analysis of 240 independent studies by researchers at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Their findings will appear in ...Study: Future snowmelt in West twice as early as expected; threatens ecosystems and water reserves
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - According to a new study, global warming could lead to larger changes in snowmelt in the western United States than was previously thought, possibly increasing wildfire risk and creating new water management challenges for agriculture, ecosystems and urban populations. Re...New report available on ecosystems and climate change
(Washington, D.C. June 20, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a report that can help reduce the potential impact of climate change on estuaries, forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and other sensitive ecosystems. The report, entitled Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options ...The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity- TEEB
At CBD COP 9 today, 29th May, a report setting out a "comprehensive and compelling economic case for the conservation of biodiversity" was presented by the report's author Mr. Pavan Sukhdev. The work was launched in 2007 by Minister Sigmar Gabriel of Germany and Stavros Dimas the Commissioner resp...Ancient ecosystems organized much like our own
It was an Anomalocaris-eat-trilobite world, filled with species like nothing on today's Earth. But the ecology of Cambrian communities was remarkably modern, say researchers behind the first study to reconstruct detailed food webs for ancient ecosystems. Their paper, published this week in the ope...Rats on islands disrupt ecosystems from land to sea, researchers find
SANTA CRUZ, CA--Seabird colonies on islands are highly vulnerable to introduced rats, which find the ground-nesting birds to be easy prey. But the ecological impacts of rats on islands extend far beyond seabird nesting colonies, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Californ...Adapting local ecosystems can soften impact of global climate change
BOSTON -- Think globally, act locally makes for a nice bumper sticker but is it an effective policy for coping with global climate change? Can local actions make a difference in a process principally driven by worldwide trends? The short answer is no, according to the Intergovernmental Panel ...First map of threats to marine ecosystems shows all the world's oceans are affected
CHAPEL HILL As vast and far-reaching as the worlds oceans are, every square kilometer is affected by human activities, according to a study in the journal Science by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and others. The international team of scientists integrated globa...At the root of nutrient limitation, ecosystems are not as different as they seem
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Anyone who has thrown a backyard barbecue knows that hot dogs are inexplicably packaged in different numbers than buns eight hot dogs per pack versus 10 hot dog buns. Put in ecological terms, this means that weenie roasts are hot-dog limited the extra buns are worthless without h...University of Miami receives stimulus funds for study of hurricane impacts on structures, ecosystems
MIAMI Hurricanes are the costliest natural disasters that strike the United States. A better understanding of how structures withstand -- or fail to withstand a hurricane could lead to improved construction standards and practices designed to protect human lives and enhance resiliency. The N...Model predicts evolution of Mediterranean landscape following fires
...persal of plants (by shoots or seeds), their distribution over space and time, and the resources they compete for (primarily light and water). Such ecosystems can generally evolve from grassland to scrubland (with rock rose, lavender and broom), later to transitional woodland (with pines, juniper and some Ho...Nature parks can save species as climate changes
...f IBAs and takes account of the critical role that ecosystems play in helping wildlife and people adapt." Rut...e natural resources and services provided by these ecosystems is vital for people too. Healthy ecosystems are the first line of defence against the impacts ...Internet can warn of ecological changes
...However, these are threatened by sudden changes in ecosystems caused by various pressures like climate change an...ies and the irreversible degradation of freshwater ecosystems and coral reefs are examples that have already bee...using information posted on the Internet to detect ecosystems on the brink of change. List servers fundamenta...Microsoft scientist highlights urgent need for new computer models to address climate change
... need for additional study and resources. Purves said, "It is imperative that we create the tools and science to accurately understand the reaction of ecosystems to climate change and other forces not just for plants and animals, but for our children and succeeding generations." This research is part of the...Experts prove the geochemical origin of part of the CO2 emissions in semiarid climates
...tion and in the conservation of one of the richest ecosystems of Spain. One of the most recent studied on the ... Carbon and water balance in Mediterranean thicket ecosystems in Andalusia: Effect of the climatic change projec...en 10 and 20 times lower than arable land and tree ecosystems respectively). Extreme climate What is the ...ORNL 'resilience' plan to help Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina communities beat disaster
...ather and precipitation patterns. Government leaders are beginning to look at climate change as a national security issue and examining its impacts on ecosystems and economies. While the immediate purpose of the study is to examine communities resilience to storms, this work has definite implications for cli...The sea ice is getting thinner
...rculation of the water masses, physical characteristics of sea-ice and transport of biological and geochemical components in ice and seawater. Sea-ice ecosystems in the seawater and on the ocean floor will also be a focus of investigations. Scientists will take sediments from the ocean floor in order to recons...Rice Centromere, Supposedly Quiet Genetic Domain, Surprises
...tionary stages. The evolutionary progression of the centromeres, Jiang suggests, may be analogous to how temperate forests evolve from more diverse ecosystems to climax forests where a single species of tree dominates. In the rice centromere, it may be that evolution has not yet purged active genes to be rep...Competitive exclusion principle
...llows from abstract mathematical modeling . The conditions under which competitive exclusion must hold are not very well understood; several natural ecosystems are known in which competitive exclusion seems to be violated. The best known example is the paradox of the plankton (or short plankton paradox )...