Environmentalism and Wildlife Conservation Discussion

Boy moms more social in chimpanzees: Watching adult males in action may help youngsters prepare: "Four decades of chimpanzee observations reveals the mothers of sons are 25 percent more social than the mothers of daughters, spending about two hours more per day with other chimpanzees than the girl moms did. Researchers believe mothers are giving young males the opportunity to observe males in social situations to help them develop the social skills they'll need to thrive in adult male competition."

Bee populations decline as they lose favorite pollinating plants: "Bee populations have declined in recent decades mainly due to a loss of biodiversity causing the disappearance of their favorite pollinating plants, according to a study published Monday."

Study shows Beijing haze linked directly to gaseous pollutants from traffic, industrial emissions: "A combined team of researchers from the U.S. and China has found a direct link between gaseous pollutants from motorized vehicles and industrial emissions and the thick haze that often covers the Chinese capital. In their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their study which included taking air samples over a long period of time and what they found in analyzing the data."

'Scary' centipede's genes reveal how life evolved on our planet: "Centipedes, those many-legged creatures that startle us in our homes and gardens, have been genetically sequenced for the first time. An international team of over 100 scientists today reveals how this humble arthropod’s DNA gave them new insight into how life developed on our planet."

New ant discovered already at risk for extinction: "A new species of ant has been discovered on the Spanish island of Mallorca. But it is already on the verge of extinction.

Lasius balearicus is the first ant known to be endemic to any of the Balearic islands in the Mediterranean."

Porpoise massacre: seals fingered in whodunnit: "For the better part of a decade, hundreds of harbour porpoises washed up along the southeastern coastline of the North Sea.

Their lifeless bodies were gashed with horrible injuries. The slash marks pointed to a pretty obvious perpetrator—some apex predator of the sea or maybe a ship's propellor.

Instead, many of the slayings should be laid at the flippered feet of the innocent-eyed grey seal, says a team of detective biologists in the Netherlands.

DNA found in bite wounds implicate grey seals in the massacre... suggesting the mammals may also pose a risk to humans, the researchers said."

Ultimate recycling Ж New plastic that disappears when you want it to: "Plastic populates our world through everything from electronics to packaging and vehicles. Once discarded, it resides almost permanently in landfills and oceans. A discovery by researchers at North Dakota State University, Fargo, holds scientific promise that could lead to a new type of plastic that can be broken down when exposed to a specific type of light and is reduced back to molecules, which could then be used to create new plastic."

Plans For A Futuristic, Atlantis-Style Underwater City Unveiled: "As global populations continue to rise at an alarming rate, we’re forced to start thinking about how to accommodate everyone when we start to run out of land on our little planet. Thinking outside the box seems to be the only way to go, and a few interesting ideas have been proposed in the past, such as giant floating cities and colonizing Mars. Now, a Japanese construction company, Shimizu Corp, has come up with another innovative plan for future living: an underwater metropolis, powered by energy from the seabed."

Well I should mention it here too. China is protesting the imprisonment of turtle poachers here in the Philippines because it was "their sovereign territory" (and for obvious reasons they won't actually prosecute them either; they give bonuses to anyone that "fishes" in waters that actually isn't theirs). They're also supposed to pay fines to our government but it seems that they're not paying.

Another human footprint in the ocean: Rising anthropogenic nitrate levels in North Pacific Ocean: "Human-induced changes to Earth's carbon cycle — for example, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and ocean acidification — have been observed for decades. However, a new study has shown that human activities, in particular industrial and agricultural processes, have also had significant impacts on the upper ocean nitrogen cycle."

In Nicaragua, tarantulas are latest cash crop: "Trade in tarantulas, which can live many years in captivity, is one of the ways Nicaragua is trying to diversify its exports by taking advantage of its rich biodiversity. The country is the second poorest in the Americas, after Haiti."

Predators and Isolation Shape the Evolution of 'Island Tameness,' Providing Conservation Insights: "While "island tameness" is an old idea, there have been few rigorous studies of the phenomenon. Many aspects remain unclear, including the mechanisms behind it and the speed at which it evolves in island populations.

A new University of Michigan-led study of Aegean wall lizard populations on 37 Greek islands shows that island tameness is determined by both the diversity of the local predator populations and the length of time an island has been separated from the mainland."

Bugs in Manhattan eat thousands of kilograms of trash each year: "The next time you spot a fly, don’t be so quick to swat it. A new study finds that insects, millipedes, and other arthropods consume thousands of kilograms of food litter every year, at least in New York City. By placing bits of potato chips, cookies, and hot dogs in cages throughout Manhattan, scientists were able to determine how much food the tiny animals eat. Contrary to their hypothesis, arthropods in hotter, drier environments with more pavement and lower biodiversity—like those found in medians between streets—consumed between two and three times more food waste than their counterparts living in parks."

edited 2nd Dec '14 1:03:11 PM by rmctagg09

Study of deadly bat disease finds surprising seasonal pattern of infections: "The deadly fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome has spread to bat colonies throughout eastern North America over the past seven years, causing bat populations to crash, with several species now at risk of extinction. The devastating impact of this disease is due in part to the seasonal dynamics of infection and transmission, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and published December 3 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B."

Buckyballs enhance carbon capture: Environmentally friendly material targets flue gases, wells: "Rice University scientists have discovered an environmentally friendly carbon-capture method that could be equally adept at drawing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial flue gases and natural gas wells.

The Rice lab of chemist Andrew Barron revealed in a proof-of-concept study that amine-rich compounds are highly effective at capturing the greenhouse gas when combined with carbon-60 molecules.

The research is the subject of an open-access paper today in Nature's online journal Scientific Reports."

Arabian sea humpback whales isolated for 70,000 years: "Scientists have made a fascinating discovery in the northern Indian Ocean: humpback whales inhabiting the Arabian Sea are the most genetically distinct humpback whales in the world and may be the most isolated whale population on earth. The results suggest they have remained separate from other humpback whale populations for perhaps 70,000 years, extremely unusual in a species famed for long distance migrations."

Tinkering with the Tao of pandas: "Good news on the panda front: Turns out they're not quite as delicate — and picky — as thought. Up until now, information gleaned from 30 years worth of scientific literature suggested that pandas were inflexible about habitat. Those conclusions morphed into conventional wisdom and thus have guided policy in China. But a new researcher has led a deep dive into aggregate data and emerged with evidence that the endangered animal is more resilient and flexible than previously believed."

New study suggests US fracking boom may not last as long as predicted: "A team of researchers with the University of Texas has conducted an analysis of the fracking business in the United States and has found that the estimates made by other groups, most specifically the Energy Information Administration (EIA) regarding the amount of natural gas that can be extracted, is much too high. In a Nature News Feature, team lead Mason Inman suggests that the boom may last just half as long as predicted."

Africa's forgotten cats: "Africa’s iconic big cats are well documented, but the continent’s plains, grasslands, forests and wetlands are home to smaller felids whose statistics are just as impressive."

Drugs in the environment affect plant growth: "By assessing the impacts of a range of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, research has shown that the growth of edible crops can be affected by these chemicals — even at the very low concentrations found in the environment. The research focused its analysis on lettuce and radish plants and tested the effects of several commonly prescribed drugs, including diclofenac and ibuprofen. These drugs are among the most common and widely used group of pharmaceuticals, with more than 30 million prescribed across the world every day."

Evidence suggests California's drought is the worst in 1,200 years: "As California finally experiences the arrival of a rain-bearing Pineapple Express this week, two climate scientists from the University of Minnesota and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have shown that the drought of 2012-2014 has been the worst in 1,200 years.

Daniel Griffin, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Society at the University of Minnesota, and Kevin Anchukaitis, an assistant scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, asked the question, 'How unusual is the ongoing California drought?' Watching the severity of the California drought intensify since last autumn, they wondered how it would eventually compare to other extreme droughts throughout the state's history.

To answer those questions, Griffin and Anchukaitis collected new tree-ring samples from blue oak trees in southern and central California. 'California's old blue oaks are as close to nature's rain gauges as we get,' says Griffin. 'They thrive in some of California's driest environments.' These trees are particularly sensitive to moisture changes and their tree rings display moisture fluctuations vividly."

Extreme fishing: hunting for deadly sea snakes: "Each month, fishermen in the Gulf of Thailand risk their lives harvesting live sea snakes. It's risky for both parties: the snakes are in danger of being over-harvested and the fishermen could get bitten.

Scientists are now calling for a monitoring programme to assess the impact the on-going trade will have on their population numbers and to look how it affects the ecosystem.

A team reports in the journal Conservation Biology that fishermen have noticed a decline in their population since 2009. The researchers now want to understand if this is due to overfishing or other factors like pollution."

edited 5th Dec '14 12:48:25 PM by rmctagg09

'Family' matters when predicting ecosystems' reaction to global change, study finds: "Humans are rapidly changing the look and function of earth's ecosystems, from the increase of greenhouse gases to the unintentional and harmful spread of plants and animals to new environments. A major challenge for ecologists is to understand how and why communities respond to factors that underlie global change.

A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, study is finding some clues. It shows that just as our family histories dictate what we look like and how we act, plant evolutionary history shapes community responses to interacting agents of global change."

Rare insect found only in glacier national park imperiled by melting glaciers: "The persistence of an already rare aquatic insect, the western glacier stonefly, is being imperiled by the loss of glaciers and increased stream temperatures due to climate warming in mountain ecosystems, according to a new study released in Freshwater Science.

In the study, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Bucknell University, and the University of Montana illustrate the shrinking habitat of the western glacier stonefly (Zapada glacier) associated with glacial recession using data spanning from 1960 – 2012. The western glacier stonefly is only found in Glacier National Park and was first identified in streams there in 1963.

In a two year period beginning in 2011, scientists resampled six streams throughout the stonefly's historical range and, using species identification and genetic analysis, found the western glacier stonefly in only one previously occupied stream and in two new locations at higher elevations."

US naturalist battles with snake for TV, but not eaten alive (Update): "When naturalist Paul Rosolie wanted to focus attention on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, he decided he needed a stunt guaranteed to get people looking.

So the staunch environmentalist offered himself as dinner to an anaconda—and was prepared to be swallowed alive, filming every moment.

But in the end, Rosolie wasn't exactly ingested by the snake, disappointing viewers who expected a journey into the belly of the deadly beast.

Instead he let the anaconda coil around him before calling the mission off, fearing he might get seriously injured."

These 'Sea Trees' offer protected city-living to wildlife: "A Dutch architectural firm has come up with a plan to give birds, insects, and sea life new, protected habitats along city waterways, and has set its sights set on Mumbai or New York for the prototype."

Abandoned oil and gas wells emit 'significant' methane: "A significant amount of the potent greenhouse gas methane may be leaking into the atmosphere from abandoned oil and gas wells, according to a study in Pennsylvania out Monday.

The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is based on direct measurements of methane outflow from and near 19 abandoned oil and gas wells in the northeastern US state.

World's first underground park to open in New York by 2018: "The first underground park ever built is now planned for New York City, following the success of the High Line project, which turned over 2 km of defunct rail lines into a public promenade brimming with greenery and art.

The project is being spearheaded by Lowline, a New York-based organisation that has brought together architects, engineers and industrial designers to build what will be named Lowline Park. The park will be situated in the 116-year-old, 0.4-hectare Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal in the Lower East Side of Manhattan - claimed to be one of the 'least green' areas of New York City. Construction is expected to begin in 2017, with the park to be opened to the public in 2018."

How pace of climate change will challenge ectotherms: "40 years of data has been analyzed to outline climate change challenge for ectotherms (animals who rely on external sources of heat to control body temperature). The research showed that many groups of ectotherms, which make up more than 90 percent of all animals, are able to change their physiological function to cope with an altered environment, but the rapid pace and fluctuations of human-induced climate change present serious challenges."

NASA study shows 13-year record of drying Amazon caused vegetation declines: "A 13-year decline in vegetation in the eastern and southeastern Amazon has been linked to a decade-long rainfall decline in the region, a new NASA-funded study finds.

With global climate models projecting further drying over the Amazon in the future, the potential loss of vegetation and the associated loss of carbon storage may speed up global climate change."

Trawling makes for skinny flatfish: "Trawling the seabed doesn't just remove some of the fishes living there; it also makes some of the survivors thinner and less healthy by forcing them to use more energy finding less nutritious food."

Two Species of Blind ‘Pseudoscorpions’ Discovered In Grand Canyon Cave: "Sorry, arachnophobes, but two new species of ‘pseudoscorpion’ are officially on the books. The newly-discovered creatures are completely harmless to humans, and were discovered in a small cave in the Grand Canyon’s northern rim. The work was completed by Mark Harvey of the Western Australian Museum and J. Judson Wynne of Northern Arizona University. The two species were described in the Journal of Arachnology."

Peru moves to sue Greenpeace over Nazca banner: "Peru says it will sue activists from the environmental pressure group Greenpeace after they placed a banner next to the Nazca Lines heritage site.

The activists entered a restricted area next to the ancient ground markings depicting a hummingbird and laid down letters advocating renewable energy."

I still have to say, WTF Greenpeace?

Hypocrisy at it's finest.

Despite being man-made, the lines have been there for thousands of years. No reason to screw them up.

Looking at the image◊, it seems that they actually stayed clear of the lines themselves. Still quite close, though.

EDIT: Oh, now I see what's the problem. They distorted up the overall image by creating new "lines" with their footsteps.

edited 14th Dec '14 9:13:29 AM by MarqFJA

Enviro-tracker is wearable for citizen monitoring: "Mobile hardware and software allow us to count our steps, and to count our calories, but a Vancouver, Canada, startup group asked, what about tracking our environment? TZOA was founded in 2013. Laura Moe, the company's co-founder, said, 'We felt there was a missing puzzle piece, that is, and that is, the story of what is happening on the outside of our body—things like sunshine and air quality, intangibles but things that impact our health and well being.' What they had in mind was a wearable that could create citizen scientists, out to monitor air quality and UV exposure. The result: A Kickstarter campaign which is going on now for their TZOA enviro-tracker; the device was designed to measure air pollution and UV exposure in the immediate environment. For a smartphone app, TZOA uses Bluetooth Smart to send and share data to the smartphone so that the iOS and Android apps visualize the environment, as to how air pollution and UV impact the user."

Why the Taj Mahal is turning brown

Basically, it's due to particles absorbing ultraviolet light.

There are now just five northern white rhinos left in the world: "One of the last remaining male northern white rhinos has died of old age in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park."

Study reveals abundance of microplastics in the world's deep seas: "The deep sea is becoming a collecting ground for plastic waste, according to research led by scientists from Plymouth University and Natural History Museum.

The new study, published today in Royal Society Open Science, reveals around four billion microscopic plastic fibres could be littering each square kilometre of deep sea sediment around the world."

DNA sheds light on why largest lemurs disappeared: Giant lemurs' demise linked to size, low numbers: "DNA from giant lemurs that lived thousands of years ago in Madagascar may help explain why the animals went extinct, and what makes some lemurs more at risk today. Scientists have little doubt that humans played a role in the giant lemurs' demise. By comparing the species that died out to those that survived, scientists hope to better predict which lemurs are most in need of protection in the future."

NASA data underscore severity of California drought: "It will take about 11 trillion gallons of water (42 cubic kilometers) — around 1.5 times the maximum volume of the largest U.S. reservoir — to recover from California's continuing drought, according to a new analysis of NASA satellite data."

New conversion process turns biomass 'waste' into lucrative chemical products (w/ Video): "A new catalytic process is able to convert what was once considered biomass waste into lucrative chemical products that can be used in fragrances, flavorings or to create high-octane fuel for racecars and jets.

A team of researchers from Purdue University's Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels, or C 3 Bio, has developed a process that uses a chemical catalyst and heat to spur reactions that convert lignin into valuable chemical commodities. Lignin is a tough and highly complex molecule that gives the plant cell wall its rigid structure."

edited 17th Dec '14 9:19:35 PM by rmctagg09