Fish more tolerant than expected to low oxygen events
Fish may be more tolerant than previously thought to periods of low oxygen in the oceans, new research shows.
Read moreEnvironmental Issues
How rat-eating monkeys help keep palm oil plants alive
Found as an ingredient in many processed and packaged foods, palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil. Now, researchers have discovered an unlikely ally for palm oil production: pig-tailed macaques.
Read moreClimate warming promises more frequent extreme El Niño events
New research, based on 33 historical El Niño events from 1901 to 2017, show climate change effects have shifted the El Niño onset location from the eastern Pacific to the western Pacific and caused more frequent extreme El Niño events since the 1970's. Continued warming over the western Pacific warm pool, driven by anthropogenic climate change, promises conditions that will trigger more extreme events in the future.
Read moreLead pollution from Native Americans attributed to crushing galena for glitter paint
A new study of Native American use of galena increases understanding of how they were using the land and its resources.
Read moreLarge-scale afforestation of African savannas will destroy valuable ecosystems
Scientists from around the world argue that the suggested afforestation of large areas of Africa to mitigate climate change will destroy valuable ecological, agricultural, and tourist areas, while doing little to reduce global CO2 levels.
Read moreIt takes two — a two-atom catalyst, that is — to make oxygen from water
The search for sustainable approaches to generating new fuels has brought scientists back to one of the most abundant materials on Earth — reddish iron oxide in the form of hematite, also known as rust.
Read moreMaking connections: Bringing astrophysical processes down to Earth
Magnetic reconnection, a process in which magnetic field lines tear and come back together, releasing large amounts of kinetic energy, occurs throughout the universe. The process gives rise to auroras, solar flares and geomagnetic storms that can disrupt cell phone service and electric grids on Earth. A major challenge in the study of magnetic reconnection, however, is bridging the gap between these large-scale astrophysical scenarios and small-scale experiments that can be done in a lab.
Read morePlant physiology will be major contributor to future river flooding
Researchers describe the emerging role of ecophysiology in riparian flooding. As an adaptation to an overabundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, trees, plants and grasses constrict their stomatal pores to regulate the amount of the gas they consume, a mechanism that limits the release of water from leaves through evaporation. This saturates soils and causes more efficient run off and river flooding.
Read moreNo place like home: Species are on the move, but many have nowhere to go
Since the 1970s, insects in the warmer half of Britain have been flying, hopping and crawling northwards at an average rate of around five metres per day. However, a new study has analysed 25 million recorded sightings of 300 different insect species and found there is huge variation in the rates at which they are moving and that not all species are able to keep pace with the warming conditions.
Read moreAssessing the benefits and risks of land-based greenhouse gas removal
Researchers have assessed the benefits and risks associated with six different land-based greenhouse gas removal options in light of their potential impacts on ecosystems services and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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