Ecology / Conservation posts
- June 19, 2013
- 09:29 AM
- 11 views
Scientists Model Biofuel Production After Ants’ Fungus Gardens
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Bacteriology are studying the colonies of leaf-cutter ants as they cultivate thriving communities of fungi and bacteria using freshly cut plant material. While these fungi provide nutrients for the ants, researchers are hoping to replicate the process and apply it for better biofuel production.... Read more »
Aylward, F., Burnum-Johnson, K., Tringe, S., Teiling, C., Tremmel, D., Moeller, J., Scott, J., Barry, K., Piehowski, P., Nicora, C.... (2013) Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Produces Diverse Enzymes for the Degradation of Recalcitrant Plant Polymers in Leaf-Cutter Ant Fungus Gardens. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 79(12), 3770-3778. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03833-12
- June 17, 2013
- 08:00 AM
- 36 views
After the Devastation: Is There Hope For Large Wildlife Conservation Following Mountaintop Removal?
by David Steen in Living Alongside Wildlife
By David Jachowski
Photo by biotour13 via Flicker and a Creative Commons License
What if the future of biodiversity conservation isn't in National Parks and protected areas, but in abandoned places? The played-out farm fields or remains after mountaintop removal for a seam of coal. Those overused and now typically overlooked parcels of land that saw a brief boom in... Read more »
Wood, P., & Williams, J. (2013) Impact of Valley Fills on Streamside Salamanders in Southern West Virginia. Journal of Herpetology, 47(1), 119-125. DOI: 10.1670/11-187
Larkin, J., Maehr, D., Cox, J., Bolin, D., & Wichrowski, M. (2003) Demographic Characteristics of a Reintroduced Elk Population in Kentucky. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 67(3), 467. DOI: 10.2307/3802704
- June 17, 2013
- 07:41 AM
- 37 views
Calling into question the accuracy of the ‘Standard Otter Survey’
by Denise O'Meara in A dribble of knowledge
A new study by Reid et al. question the accuracy of a standardised survey method used across Europe to report the conservation status of the European otter (Lutra lutra). Reid et al. have found that the current survey method under detected otter presence at 22% of sites in Ireland, taking rainfall, surveyor variability and the number of bridges and confluences into account. ... Read more »
Reid, N., Lundy, M., Hayden, B., Lynn, D., Marnell, F., McDonald, R., & Montgomery, W. (2013) Detecting detectability: identifying and correcting bias in binary wildlife surveys demonstrates their potential impact on conservation assessments. European Journal of Wildlife Research. DOI: 10.1007/s10344-013-0741-8
- June 11, 2013
- 12:12 PM
- 40 views
Rutgers Findings May Predict the Future of Coral Reefs in a Changing World
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
Study is first to pinpoint how coral make their mineral skeletons; process also works in more acidic water
(further reading and links)... Read more »
Carl Blesch. (2013) Rutgers Findings May Predict the Future of Coral Reefs in a Changing World. Rutgers Today. info:/
- June 11, 2013
- 10:26 AM
- 51 views
Moths Wait until Bats Lock On, Then Jam Their Sonar
by Elizabeth Preston in Inkfish
If you are a human reader, you've probably never seen your lunch put up an invisibility shield and perform an evasive maneuver just as you reached for it. But spare a thought for the bats. If your peanut-butter sandwich were anything like a tiger moth, you'd have a hard time finding a meal.
Several kinds of insects are able to detect the echolocation calls of a bat that's approaching like an enemy submarine. Moths may fly in another direction if they hear a bat nearby, or even drop into an e........ Read more »
Corcoran, A., Wagner, R., & Conner, W. (2013) Optimal Predator Risk Assessment by the Sonar-Jamming Arctiine Moth Bertholdia trigona. PLoS ONE, 8(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063609
- June 11, 2013
- 08:37 AM
- 56 views
Mysterious Underwater Structure Discovered in Israel
by Anouk Vleugels in United Academics
Researchers stumbled upon the cone-shaped monument, that weighs about 60,000 ton, while executing geophysical research in the southern Sea of Galilee.
Expected is that the structure was built 6000 years ago. According to Prof. Shmulik Marco, who took part in the research, this is an impressive accomplishment since the stones had to be carried more than a mile – and be arranged according to a specific plan.... Read more »
Paz, Y., Moshe, R., Zvi, B., Shmuel, M., Tibor, G., & Nadel, D. (2013) A Submerged Monumental Structure in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 42(1), 189-193. DOI: 10.1111/1095-9270.12005
- June 10, 2013
- 06:49 PM
- 53 views
Double-blind peer review at Nature Geoscience
by Joerg Heber in All That Matters
The purpose of the editorial process at scientific journals is to select the papers that fit the editorial scope of the journal, and – within the limited means of the review scheme – try to make sure that published papers are technically correct and a fair representation of the scientific results presented. For most modern […]... Read more »
Editorial. (2013) Double-blind peer review. Nature Geoscience, 6(6), 413-413. DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1853
Editorial. (2012) Feedback received. Nature Geoscience, 5(9), 585-585. DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1575
- June 10, 2013
- 05:41 PM
- 44 views
Wood-Eating Bug Helps Produce Biofuel from Waste
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Scientists have discovered a new enzyme that could prove an important step in the quest to turn waste (such as paper, scrap wood and straw) into liquid fuel.... Read more »
Kern, M., McGeehan, J., Streeter, S., Martin, R., Besser, K., Elias, L., Eborall, W., Malyon, G., Payne, C., Himmel, M.... (2013) Structural characterization of a unique marine animal family 7 cellobiohydrolase suggests a mechanism of cellulase salt tolerance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301502110
- June 9, 2013
- 01:04 PM
- 46 views
Ghosts of the Appalachians or the Missing Actors?
by David Steen in Living Alongside Wildlife
When we pass through the Appalachian Mountains along its vast extent
from the humid southeast of Alabama and Georgia to the cold and barren of Nova
Scotia and Newfoundland, we cannot help but marvel of its beauty and
extensiveness. Unlike its western cousin, the Rocky Mountains, which is a mixture of forested ranges imbedded in
a matrix of lowland shrub and grass ... Read more »
Laundré JW. (2010) Behavioral response races, predator-prey shell games, ecology of fear, and patch use of pumas and their ungulate prey. Ecology, 91(10), 2995-3007. PMID: 21058559
RIPPLE, W., & BESCHTA, R. (2004) Wolves and the Ecology of Fear: Can Predation Risk Structure Ecosystems?. BioScience, 54(8), 755. DOI: 10.1641/0006-3568(2004)054[0755:WATEOF]2.0.CO;2
- June 7, 2013
- 05:28 PM
- 48 views
Water for the trees
by Liza Lester in EcoTone
Saving forests from drought as the climate warms.... Read more »
Grant, G., Tague, C., & Allen, C. (2013) Watering the forest for the trees: an emerging priority for managing water in forest landscapes. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1890/120209
- June 6, 2013
- 05:25 PM
- 39 views
Scientists Develop Cheap and Efficient Nanostructured-Carbon-Based Catalyst
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists have designed a new type of nanostructured-carbon-based catalyst that could pave the way for reliable, economical next-generation batteries and alkaline fuel cells, providing for practical use of wind- and solar-powered electricity, as well as enhanced hybrid electric vehicles.... Read more »
Chung, H., Won, J., & Zelenay, P. (2013) Active and stable carbon nanotube/nanoparticle composite electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction. Nature Communications, 1922. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2944
- June 6, 2013
- 10:50 AM
- 47 views
The Science of Melting Ice Sheets: New review in Nature
by Greg Laden in Greg Laden's Blog
A paper came out in today’s Nature about glacial melting and its contribution to sea level rise. This paper does not present new research, but rather summarizes and evaluates the last several years of research on modeling and measuring contiental glaciers and their dynamics. From the Abstract: Since the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change…... Read more »
Hanna, E., Navarro, F., Pattyn, F., Domingues, C., Fettweis, X., Ivins, E., Nicholls, R., Ritz, C., Smith, B., Tulaczyk, S.... (2013) Ice-sheet mass balance and climate change. Nature, 498(7452), 51-59. DOI: 10.1038/nature12238
- June 5, 2013
- 01:19 PM
- 48 views
It Depends on Your Point of View: “A Water Moccasin Tried to Get in My Boat” (Guest Post)
by David Steen in Living Alongside Wildlife
Besides
the myth that Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus, on right) bask in trees along waterways and plop into boats and the unfounded legend that Cottonmouths are aggressive and attack people, the next most common misconception about the Cottonmouth is that
they try to “get into” boats. At first glance this may appear to be a variant
of the “falling into boats” ... Read more »
S.P. Graham. (2013) How frequently do Cottonmouths bask in Trees?. Journal of Herpetology. info:/
- June 5, 2013
- 01:06 PM
- 42 views
Using Existing Data to Assess Tidal Power Potential
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
In a new thesis on marine current power at Uppsala University, Emilia Lalander shows that currently available water data are valuable for estimating the movement speed of water and thereby the potential energy resource available in a particular area.... Read more »
Lalander, E., Grabbe, M., & Leijon, M. (2013) On the velocity distribution for hydro-kinetic energy conversion from tidal currents and rivers. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 5(2), 23115. DOI: 10.1063/1.4795398
- June 5, 2013
- 10:09 AM
- 40 views
Cicadian Rhythms: Why Does The 17-Year Cicada Emerge Like Clockwork?
by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog
Does your back yard look like this? This swarm of periodical cicadas was photographed by Greg Hume at Wikimedia. The 2013 Swarmageddon is here! After years of their absence, cicadas are overrunning parks, forests and communities all across the central-eastern United States. Periodical cicadas (from the genus Magicicada) are known for their synchronized emergence at 13- and 17-year intervals. Simply the fact that they can live this long is extraordinary: periodical cicadas have the longest life s........ Read more »
Koenig, W., & Liebhold, A. (2013) Avian Predation Pressure as a Potential Driver of Periodical Cicada Cycle Length. The American Naturalist, 181(1), 145-149. DOI: 10.1086/668596
Koenig WD, Ries L, Olsen VB, & Liebhold AM. (2011) Avian predators are less abundant during periodical cicada emergences, but why?. Ecology, 92(3), 784-90. PMID: 21608486
- June 5, 2013
- 05:10 AM
- 38 views
Extinct Frog Not Extinct, But “Living Fossil” Instead
by Anouk Vleugels in United Academics
The Hula painted frog was the first amphibian to be declared officially extinct in 1996. In 2011, however, the frog reappeared in Israel. Now it turns out the species is actually an unique “living fossil,” without close relatives among other living frogs.
A recent study published in Nature Communications offers an in-depth genetic analysis of the amphibian. The results show that the Hula painted frog is not related to any living frog species, yet the sole representative of an preh........ Read more »
Biton, R., Geffen, E., Vences, M., Cohen, O., Bailon, S., Rabinovich, R., Malka, Y., Oron, T., Boistel, R., Brumfeld, V.... (2013) The rediscovered Hula painted frog is a living fossil. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2959
- June 4, 2013
- 02:56 PM
- 30 views
Hedgerow cutting: an eco-worrier response
by Denise O'Meara in A dribble of knowledge
Hedgerows are important habitat features in the Irish landscape, and the Irish law protects hedgerows from cutting between March 31st and August 31st to coincide with the bird nesting season. However, exceptions are allowed in cases of health and safety. This blog gives recent examples of how these clauses are being used by some government bodies. ... Read more »
E.J.Lindquist,, R. D’Annunzio, A. Gerrand, K. MacDicken, F. Achard, R. Beuchle, A. Brink, H.D. Eva,, & P. Mayaux, J. San-Miguel-Ayanz . (2012) Global forest land-use change 1990–2005. . Stibig. FAO Forestry Paper No. 169. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and European Commission Joint Research Centre. Rome, FAO. info:/
- June 3, 2013
- 12:50 PM
- 59 views
A bite of fresh lilac: The age-old allure of edible flowers
by Maria Konnikova in Literally Psyched
Why do we like to eat flowers - and what are we gaining, health-wise?... Read more »
Kelley, K. M., Behe, B. K., Biernbaum, J. A., & Poff, K. L. (2001) Consumer Preference for Edible-flower Color, Container Size, and Price. HortScience, 36(4), 801-804. info:/
Mlcek, J., & Rop, O. (2011) Fresh edible flowers of ornamental plants – A new source of nutraceutical foods. Trends in Food Science , 22(10), 561-569. DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2011.04.006
Rop, O., Mlcek, J., Jurikova, T., Neugebauerova, J., & Vabkova, J. (2012) Edible Flowers—A New Promising Source of Mineral Elements in Human Nutrition. Molecules, 17(12), 6672-6683. DOI: 10.3390/molecules17066672
- June 3, 2013
- 12:49 PM
- 49 views
Two Biofuel Production Processes Offer Significant Emission Reduction
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
According to research published in the Forest Products Journal and currently featured on its publications page, there are two technologies for producing transportation fuels from woody biomass that can potentially exceed the current Environmental Protection Agency emission requirements for renewable fuels.... Read more »
Wang, M., Han, J., Haq, Z., Tyner, W., Wu, M., & Elgowainy, A. (2011) Energy and greenhouse gas emission effects of corn and cellulosic ethanol with technology improvements and land use changes. Biomass and Bioenergy, 35(5), 1885-1896. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2011.01.028
- May 31, 2013
- 12:12 PM
- 62 views
Loud and Clear: Marine Mammals and Military Sonar
by Whitney Campbell in Green Screen
Good conservationists, like all good scientists, know that correlation doesn't mean causation. Typically, they also don't make announcements that certain incidents have not occurred. Luckily, a team of Spanish scientists recently have made exceptions to the rules by suggesting a cause for a happy non-event: since a moratorium on sonar was passed in 2004 for the Canary Islands, no mass strandings of whales or dolphins have happened there.... Read more »
Fernández, A., Arbelo, M., . (2013) Whales: No mass strandings since sonar ban. Nature, 317-317. DOI: 10.1038/497317d
Fernández, A., Edwards, J.F., Rodríguez, F.,Espinosa de los Monteros, A.,Herráez, P.,Castro, P., Jaber, J.R., Martín, V., Arbelo, M. (2005) "Gas and fat embolic syndrome" involving a mass stranding of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae) exposed to anthropogenic sonar signals. Veterinary pathology, 446-457. PMID: 16006604
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