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envirobites

environmental science research for everyone

envirobites

Month: October 2017

Climate Environmental Science Science through time 

Ocean Acidification is in the Spotlight. How Can We Address Its Impacts?

Matt Baumann 0 Comments , , , , ,

The ocean has become 30% more acidic since the Industrial Revolution. This continuing change in ocean pH, or ocean acidification, will likely impact the economies of coastal communities. The science community must work together with industry, policymakers, other science disciplines, and coastal communities to find practical and applicable solutions to address the environmental impacts of ocean acidification. This integrated approach is known as transdisciplinary science and seeks to understand the interactions among ocean acidification, the ecosystem, and society.

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Environmental Science 

Where Have All the Insects Gone?

Carrie McDonough 0 Comments , , , ,

Insect populations have been plummeting for some time due to habitat destruction, climate change, and other pressures caused by growing human population, but now scientists in Germany are finding that declines in flying insects may be even more extreme than previously thought. Where have all the flying insects flown off to?

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Case Studies Climate Environmental Science 

From bad to worse: nitrogen deposition amplifies negative impacts of drought in California’s biodiversity hotspots

Pernilla Borgstrom 0 Comments , , ,

The release of excess nitrogen into nature, for example through fossil fuel combustion, still gets relatively little attention in the public debate about biodiversity threats, especially compared to climate change and habitat destruction. But human-driven nitrogen increases in natural ecosystems demand our attention, as they can worsen the negative effects of climate change in biodiversity hotspots, and threaten some already endangered species.

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Environmental Science 

Can you see the forest for the trees?

Elizabeth Whitney 0 Comments , ,

From iconic redwoods, to tropical palm trees, to the small windblown trees of subalpine threshold forests are just about everywhere. We assume that the vast majority of people know what a forest is and what it does, but is that so? Forests are being looked at through a new lens using new methods. Researchers are trying to answer questions like: what services do forests provide, how much biodiversity do they have, and what can be done to protect them amidst so many human and environmental threats?

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Cities Climate Environmental Science 

Betcha won’t drink it! The natural chemicals hiding in water, and how a new technique hopes to remove them using an unlikely ally- bacteria

Laura Mast 0 Comments , , ,

The amount of natural organic matter, or NOM, in water has been increasing for the past 20 years and is expected to increase. Higher amounts of NOM mean more expensive clean water- a high priority especially when considering communities at risk for clean water shortages due to storms. Environmental engineers work on ways to reduce NOM effectively in drinking water treatment plants, and sometimes, this means making unusual allies: bacteria.

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Cities Climate Environmental Science 

Connecting to nature and understanding ecosystem services: the urban perspective

Jessica Burnett 0 Comments , , , , , , , , , ,

Food and water – two resources vital for life on Earth. These are two prime examples of the products that arise from ecosystem services. There are four broad categories of ecosystem services: provisioning regulating, supporting, and cultural. Food and water are a form of ecosystem service provisioning – these are the products that directly benefit humans. Globalization and climate change are increasingly threatening food and water security, and other vital ecosystem services throughout the world.

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Environmental Science 

Predicting nature’s trends: What is behind leaf turnover in temperate deciduous forests?

Mary Grace Lemon 0 Comments ,

Finally, after five gruesome months spent doing field work in the Louisiana swamps sweating and inhaling mosquitos, I can sense the coming of fall. My coworker from Minnesota is not convinced however with temperatures still reaching above 90°F during the middle of the day. I try to explain that unlike further north where the changing of seasons is marked by an obvious change in temperature and vibrant alteration in the color of the landscape, seasonal change in the south takes a well trained eye to observe. The changes are a bit more obscure: A slight browning of the green swamp canopy, fewer bugs, and a small breeze. How do the trees decide the time is now to start the process of dropping all their precious foliage and why are there differences in preferred timing between various individuals living within the same area. More importantly, why do you care?

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