Poplar DNA code cracked -- a step in combating global warming?
...gating which genes are crucial to the formation of wood and how they might optimize the structure and composition of wood to improve the production of paper....The book opens on the first tree genome
...It will help us farm trees with desired growth and wood quality characteristics, while protecting our fore.... The many unique properties of trees, for example wood formation, longevity, seasonal growth and hardiness patterns, mean that Populus now can be used to s...Termites could hold the key to self-sufficient buildings
...side the mound. They supply the fungus with chewed wood fibre which the fungus breaks down into nutritious food. The structure of the mound ensures a constant and optimum environment for the fungus to thrive. The human equivalent of these 'smart' mounds would be buildings that meet all energy, waste mana...DuPont introduces in-home personal protection from dangers of hurricanes
...o deflect a 12-foot, 15-pound two-by-four piece of wood shot out of a cannon at 100 miles per hour. This represents the speed at which a 250-miles-per-hour wind would propel the timber. The DuPont TM StormRoom TM with Kevlar will be available initially in Florida this month through authorized constru...Analysis fingers causes of desertification
...xtension of infrastructure, increased aridity, and wood extraction. Desertification, sometimes referred to as dryland degradation, directly affects over 250 million people and threatens another billion in at-risk countries, many of them among the world's poorest. The new meta-analysis, conducted by Helm...Environmental costs of home construction lower with wise choice, reuse of building materials
...higher than the comparable wood-frame. The use of wood products instead of steel or concrete can farther ...ction. There are a number of products other than wood that are common to all the designs, such as glass for windows, gypsum for wall board and sheathing, ...Near-zero-energy buildings blessing to owners, environment
...imes more airtight than similar houses with 2-by-4 wood frame construction. This and mechanical ventilation, which brings outside air into the house, play a huge role in making the design effective. While the fourth Near-Zero-Energy Habitat for Humanity House was just completed, the first house ...Forest fire sensor inspired by nature
...sect: the jewel beetle, which lays its eggs in the wood of freshly burned trees, is said to be able to detect forest fires from a distance of 80 kilometres. The biologists now want to perform more tests on their little model to determine the limits of this new method of measurement. This "fire beetle" lov...Global competition closes Texas sawmills/paper mills
... While Texas' consumption of hardwood and softwood wood has increased increased in the last two decades, t...omated, they have also become more efficient. Less wood is wasted to produce lumber, paper and other wood products. More efficient means less need for labo...Purdue yeast makes ethanol from agricultural waste more effectively
...sugars in plant matter - corn stalks, tree leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, and even cardboard - into ethanol. "Ethanol produced from cellulosic materials is an ideal, domestically available fuel," Ho said. In 1993, Ho's group became the first in the world to produce a genetically engineered Saccharo...NASA scientists get global fix on food, wood & fiber use
...of Earth's plant life humans need for food, fiber, wood and fuel. The study identifies human impact on ecosystems. Satellite measurements were fed into computer models to calculate the annual net primary production (NPP) of plant growth on land. NASA developed models were used to estimate the ann...Next best thing: wood chip bedding for cattle
...iculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) suggests that wood chip bedding for beef cattle can be an economic al...anure from cattle bedded with traditional straw or wood chips to determine the respective levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The work was conducted in the ...Monkey business: Studies show tiny callimicos have unusual characteristics
...ys switch to fungi that live on bamboo and rotting wood as a dietary staple. The animals have fairly large home ranges and are widely but patchily distributed in the western Amazon basin. However, no one knows exactly how many callimicos there are, she said. Porter hopes to continue her research with a...Domesticated tree crops may be the 'future of forestry'
...aracteristics, such as insect resistance, improved wood properties or delayed flower production, and then producing multiple trees with those traits, he said. Meilan and his colleagues used two related techniques known as "gene trapping" and "enhancer trapping" to identify genes in this study. He reported...JGI decodes wood & toxic waste-degrading fungus genome
...ooner." White rots are filamentous, or threadlike, wood decay fungi commonly found inhabiting forest detri... consume the lignin and leave the cellulose of the wood virtually untouched--a major asset in paper production. White rot fungi catalyze the initial decompo...American Lung Association's 2004 State of the Air report ranks cities and counties with dirty air
...duced by power plant emissions, diesel exhaust and wood burning, among other sources, particle pollution c...ing outside on high pollution days and not burning wood or trash. The American Lung Association also urges taking steps to help clean up the air, including...Researchers find no safe place to sit in California tick-infested forest
... percent of the time." Why the difference between wood products and leaf litter? The clue may be in an im... exposure. "I would avoid prolonged contact with wood as well as with leaf-litter areas, and I would strongly suggest that people inspect themselves caref......rests to clear land for farming or to harvest fuel wood for cooking. Women typically face the greatest burdens of this daily struggle for survival, and often suffer the added hardships of legal and social discrimination. In the rich countries, where basic human needs are exceeded by a very wide margin, ...Office Depot partners with Conservation Organizations to incorporate science into paper procurement
...te, tropical and boreal regions of the world where wood fiber production for paper products plays a defining role in land use and natural resource management. Throughout this process, the Alliance will seek broad consultation among interested stakeholders that share its goals. ...Tips from the Journals of the American Society for Microbiology
...nternational historic sites, have begun to exhibit wood degradation over the past several decades. "I... the researchers. "Nonbiological deterioration of wood from the huts and artifacts caused by salt corrosion has resulted in significant damage. Microbial ...