Scientists sequence genome of kind of organism central to biosphere's carbon cycle
...mounts comparable to all the world's tropical rain forests combined. "These organisms are incredibly important in the global carbon cycle," says Virginia Armbrust, a University of Washington associate professor of oceanography and lead author of a research article in the Oct. 1 issue of Science . Togethe...'Most recent common ancestor' of all living humans surprisingly recent
...pes of the Ukraine, who hunted giant sloths in the forests of North and South America, and who labored to build the Great Pyramid of Khufu." The results can also work backwards, into the future. According to Chang, "Within two thousand years, it is likely that everyone on earth will be descended from mos...Study: Emission of smog ingredients from trees is increasing rapidly
Changes in U.S. forests caused by land use practices may have inadvertentl... because something as seemingly benign as planting forests can have a substantial impact. "You can't identify any of these processes as 'natural,'" said Purve...Hidden diversity: DNA 'barcoding' reveals a common butterfly is actually 10 different species
..., a large conservation zone of dry, rain and cloud forests in northwestern Costa Rica. They noticed that, amid the more than 2,500 wild-caught caterpillars of A. fulgerator, many could be separated by slight variations in color, which then could be linked to the particular plants the caterpillars ate. It...Researchers devise potent new tools to curb ivory poaching
... but it is much harder to do the same in the dense forests of central and western Africa. Those forests are where elephants are currently being slaughtered wholesale, said Samuel Wasser, who holds the UW'...The book opens on the first tree genome
...wood quality characteristics, while protecting our forests from pests and diseases through the development of tools for early detection, diagnosis, and control, allowing for more vigilant conservation and forest management." The Biological and Environmental Research program in the Department of Energy's Of...NSF and AIBS sign cooperative agreement for NEON project office
...'s biosphere, like the impact of climate change on forests and agriculture, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and the causes and consequences of invasive species all result from complex interactions between human, natural and physical systems," said Elizabeth Blood, program director in NSF's d...US investment firm gives away Rhode Island-sized lands in Chile
...e to the world's southernmost stands of old growth forests as well as unique grasslands, rivers and wetlands containing extraordinary wildlife. The more than 680,000 acres (272,000 hectares) of Chilean land were donated to WCS by the Goldman Sachs Charitable Fund in a novel and powerful alliance that will en...Computer models expose humans as main cause of caribou decline
...logical environment with large areas of old-growth forests in order to survive, and most things that disrupt ... good indicator to gauge the overall health of the forests where they live," he added. Working in the U of A Department of Renewable Resources, Weclaw and his ...Scientists fear new Ebola outbreak may explain sudden gorilla disappearance
...ver attack unless provoked. The relatively intact forests of Western Equatorial Africa are regarded as the last strongholds of African apes. Gabon and the Congo hold 80 percent of the world's gorillas and most of the Central African chimpanzees. The population of apes in the Congo declined by more than half...Two warbler species find the West isn't big enough for both of them
...end's warbler, which lives in the damp Douglas fir forests of Western North America, has been steadily displa..., that is farther south and west. But Douglas fir forests only extend so far, and current trends would mean the hermit warbler probably will become extinct in...For Africa's valuable mahoganies, it's the soil, stupid
...ld have huge implications on how Africa's tropical forests are managed. The study, appearing in the latest is...the results could have far-reaching impacts on how forests are managed and maintained by logging regimes. "In practical terms, regenerating these high value s...Afghan sees opportunity in nation's recovery from war
...ergy needs might strip the country of its precious forests and result in inefficient buildings. Applying energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will have a huge positive impact on the health and the social and economic well being of Afghans, as well as their environment, he said. Other notable c......ress the status of plants in the area's old growth forests as well as the roles of insects, mammals, and birds in reconstructing the environment post-eruption. The dramatic transformation of Spirit Lake as well as the eruption's consequences on fish and amphibians will be addressed by Charlie Crisafulli (US ...Huge market for forest moss raises concerns
..., millions of pounds of moss are leaving America's forests every year, and that has ecologists concerned. "When large amounts of moss are taken from an area, we aren't sure what species may grow back in their place," Muir said. "There may be some inadvertent removal of endangered species. We could b...Climate change could doom Alaska's tundra
... these vast regions of cold, dry, lands to support forests and other vegetation that will dramatically alter ...let said. Among the predictions: Boreal mixed forests could yield to a maritime and temperate conifer forest much like those of southeast Alaska, and cove...New England forests at greater risk from air pollution
...t nutrient cycling or slower forest growth. "While forests are important for timber production, they are also...k. These results, Will-Wolf explains, suggest that forests in New England, compared to those in the Southeast, are at greater risk from air pollution because t...Forest managers can fight invasive species that come with roads
...icy aimed at conserving roadless areas in national forests and grasslands; the rule has been the target of litigation in several states, and has recently been changed to allow state governors to build roads in formerly roadless areas for certain purposes....Warmer weather, human disturbances interact to change forests
... in shaping forests. "Harvesting helped create the forests we know today, and will continue to be a primary driver of change," he says. "If the climate changes, harvesting may provide opportunities for southern species to take hold in northern forests." However, there is a natural lag between climate change ...American Society of Mammalogists honors CI president Russell Mittermeier with Aldo Leopold award
...d popular articles on primates, reptiles, tropical forests and biodiversity. In addition to his work at CI, Mittermeier is Chairman of the IUCN-World Conservation Union Species Survival Commission's Primate Specialist Group, Adjunct Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and President...