Fungi help some trees weather acid rain, not all
...acid-base ratios to levels that probably existed a century ago, before industrial pollution began to change the chemical landscape of the northeastern United States. The Hubbard Brook researchers were using stable isotope tracing to learn the sources of calcium in plant matter. They found that a significant...DNA shows genetic variability of the nene lost more than 500 years ago, not during the 20th century
...ene pool to a puddle, or was it caused by the 20th century population decline? How did they survive and recover when many other species of flightless Hawaiian birds disappeared altogether before recorded history? Research reported in today's edition of the journal Science suggests that a boom in the human p...Science editor explores the role of environmental change on global security
... then the number of extreme weather events in this century will increase a situation that could have an especially serious impact on low-lying countries as sea levels rise. Kennedy pointed to his previous study in which he and his co-workers analyzed the Ganges-Brahmaputra river delta in Bangladesh an are...NHGRI prioritizes model organisms for sequencing
...nter. "The white papers are the ticket to the 21st century Noah's Ark." The first set of white papers was submitted in February 2002 and reviewed by a new NHGRI review group called the Genome Resources and Sequencing Priority Panel (GRASPP) in March 2002. The review included an assessment of the medical imp...Changes in rainfall patterns spur plant growth, carbon absorption across U.S.
...atterns over much of the United States in the last century have allowed plants to grow more vigorously and absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In the presence of water and sunlight, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) during photosynthesis to create fuel, glucose and other sugars, for building p...End of 'free ride' on ecosystem CO2 absorption
...ion of 550 ppm -- the expected level over the next century -- and the plants' CO2 absorption reduces this to 350 ppm at the opposite end. The chamber also includes controls to ensure that moisture and temperature levels match those outside. "There have been few experiments, even in growth chambers, that cou...Vitamin C transporter gene discovery in mice
...n hemorrhages, and death, first discovered in 18th century maritime sailors when their diet was found to be deprived of vitamin C-rich fruit. The normal recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C for women is 75 mg daily, which is increased by 10 mg during pregnancy, a little more than the amount in th...Single gene leap led to flea-borne transmission of plague bacterium
...orne agent of the "Black Death," which in the 14th century killed one-fourth of Europe's population. The new research adds an important piece to understanding the forces behind the emergence of plague, which occurred within the past 1,500 to 20,000 years. "Our research illustrates how a single genetic chang...Extensive research survey confirms life on Earth now being affected by global warming
...dvertently or intentionally--by humans. Whereas a century ago a species might not have been able to survive in a given location, that same species might thrive there today if climate changes have made the location more suitable for that species. "Although ecologists have a really good grasp on how abiotic ...Bug vs. bug: scientists use microorganisms to target destructive termites
...have arrived in the continental U.S. nearly a half century ago. It is believed that the insects were first carried here as unwanted stowaways aboard wooden shipping crates carrying supplies home from the Pacific following World War II. Environmental factors here, including high humidity and moderate temperat...Sea level rise threatens marshes in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
...ead disappearance of these marshes during the 21st century could severely affect coastal ecosystems, particularly food sources at the bottom of the chain. In addition, the sediments now held by the marshes would erode into coastal waters, seriously affecting their quality. Part of this sediment consists of l......lower than the norm for the first half of the 20th century but, as the thirsty landscape soaks up more moisture, this has led to a 40 per cent reduction in inflow to Perths dams. At the start of this summer, the dams were less than a third of capacity. The immediate cause, says Dr Bates, is a clearly discer...'Summer of the Shark in 2001 more hype than fact, new numbers show
...as been a gradual upswing in attacks over the past century as humans have spent more time in the water and shark attack reporting techniques improved, he said. In another high-profile attack last year, Krishna Thompson, 36, of New York, lost a leg in the Bahamas on Aug. 4. Then on Labor Day weekend two fat...Scientists prove mature adult cells can be cloned
...e taken a significant step toward answering a half century old questiondo clones, like Dolly, derived from adult cells develop from a fully mature adult cell or do they develop from rare stem cells found in adult tissues? The researchers have proved for the first time that fully differentiated adult cells ca...Scientists to examine DNA of George Washington trees
...owing his crops. I think it's great that this 18th century site can still take the lead in research." The 13 Washington Trees, the only trees now living that are known to have been planted at Washington's direction, are seven American Holly, one Canadian Hemlock, two Tulip Poplar, two White Ash, and one Whit...High CO2 levels hamper nitrate incorporation by plants
...level that is likely to be reached within the next century -- the leaves of plants receiving ammonium increased in size by nearly 49 percent, while plants receiving nitrate increased by only 24 percent. In short, the plants receiving ammonium responded much more to the increased carbon dioxide than did the p...Cave men diets offer insights to today's health problems, study shows
...d the !Kung of Africa that remained into the 20th century and found that modern maladies, such as heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes, are rare in these populations. "Over the past several decades, numerous studies have found that indigenous populations have low serum cholesterol and trigl...Discovery overturns long-held genetic belief
...ur chromosomes of the fruit fly. Despite the fly's century in the laboratory limelight, it's tiny fourth chromosome -- which contains only one percent of the insect's coding DNA -- has been comparatively neglected. Based on limited evidence available at the time, the pioneers, including Calvin Bridges and No...18th Century Reverend enlightens evolutionary biologists
...ormulated the basic principles already in the 18th century but the approach was not feasible for most problems until computers could be used to solve the difficult equations numerically. Scientists from the US and from the Evolutionary biology Centre at Uppsala University have now developed computer-based m......n dioxidelevels continue to rise as projected this century and if farmersadapt their agricultural practices to the resulting climate change.The findings are being presented this week in San Francisco at theannual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The researchers entered various scenarios into ...