Nature & Environment : Science World Report

Aug 13, 2019 04:38 AM EDT

Asian Longhorned Beetle Larvae Eat Plant Tissues that Their Parents Cannot

Despite the buzz in recent years about other invasive insects that pose an even larger threat to agriculture and trees -- such as the spotted lanternfly, the stink bug, and the emerald ash borer -- Penn State researchers have continued to study another damaging pest, the Asian longhorned beetle. ...

Aug 12, 2019 02:18 AM EDT

Low-Income, Black Neighborhoods Still Hit Hard by Air Pollution

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Disease-causing air pollution remains high in pockets of America - particularly those where many low-income and African-American people live, a disparity highlighted in research presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in New York.

Aug 09, 2019 03:32 AM EDT

Back-to-Back Low Snow Years Will Become More Common, Study Projects

WASHINGTON--Consecutive low snow years may become six times more common across the Western United States over the latter half of this century, leading to ecological and economic challenges such as expanded fire seasons and poor snow conditions at ski resorts, according to a study.

Aug 08, 2019 03:42 AM EDT

'Mega-Fires' May Be Too Extreme Even for a Bird That Loves Fire

Fire is a natural part of western forests, but the changing nature of fire in many parts of North America may pose challenges for birds.

Aug 06, 2019 04:38 AM EDT

New Zealand's Biodiversity Will Take Millions of Years to Recover

The arrival of humans in New Zealand, some 700 years ago, triggered a wave of extinction among native bird species. Many more species are currently under threat.

Aug 05, 2019 03:17 AM EDT

TV Crews Capture First Evidence of Leopard Seals Sharing Food

Drone footage captured by crews filming the Netflix series Our Planet - narrated by Sir David Attenborough - has shown never-before-seen behavior of two leopard seals sharing food. Despite being considered a charismatic and enigmatic Antarctic predator, leopard seals are normally thought of as being...

Aug 02, 2019 03:11 AM EDT

Eleven New Species of Rain Frogs Discovered in the Tropical Andes

Eleven new to science species of rain frogs are described by two scientists from the Museum of Zoology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in the open-access journal ZooKeys. Discovered in the Ecuadorian Andes, the species are characterized in detail on the basis of genetic, morphologic...

Aug 02, 2019 03:01 AM EDT

Study Identifies Way to Enhance the Sustainability of Manufactured Soils

A combination of waste materials supplemented with a product of biomass could help in the search for high-quality soils, a new study suggests. Soil degradation is posing a huge threat to global food security and every year, around 12 million hectares of cropland are lost to soil erosion.

Aug 02, 2019 02:49 AM EDT

Study Suggests Economic Growth Benefits Wildlife but Growing Human Populations Do Not

In a world-first, researchers at ZSL and UCL compared changes in bird and mammal populations with socio-economic trends in low- and lower-middle-income countries over the past 20 years. Their results suggest that national-level economic growth and more gender-balanced governments enhance wildlife po...

Aug 01, 2019 03:57 AM EDT

Baby Spiders Really are Watching You

Baby jumping spiders can hunt prey just like their parents do because they have vision nearly as good. A study published in the journal Vision Research helps explain how animals the size of a bread crumb fit all the complex architecture of adult eyes into a much tinier package.

Aug 01, 2019 03:35 AM EDT

A Scientific Approach to Recreate Metabolic Evolution in Plants

Plants have evolved to produce a variety of compounds that vary from species to species. These compounds play a key role in the survival strategies of plants. Compounds that are bitter and poisonous protect the plants from being eaten by insects and animals.

Jul 23, 2019 08:16 PM EDT

Climate Changes Faster Than Animals Adapt

Climate change can threaten species and extinctions can impact ecosystem health. It is therefore of vital importance to assess to which degree animals can respond to changing environmental conditions - for example by shifting the timing of breeding - and whether these shifts enable the persistence o...