October 2017 – envirobites

Friday, May 20, 2022

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

October 31, 2017October 31, 2017 Matt Baumann 0 Comments Climate Change, ecosystems, Ocean, ocean acidification, policy, socioeconomics

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.

Environmental Science

Where Have All the Insects Gone?

October 30, 2017October 30, 2017 Carrie McDonough 0 Comments agriculture, bees, ecosystem health, flying insects, pesticides

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?

Case Studies Climate Environmental Science

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

October 25, 2017October 25, 2017 Pernilla Borgstrom 0 Comments Climate Change, coastal sage scrub, drought, nitrogen deposition

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.

Environmental Science

Can you see the forest for the trees?

October 24, 2017 Elizabeth Whitney 0 Comments forest managment, forestry, forests

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?

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

October 23, 2017October 23, 2017 Laura Mast 0 Comments bacteria, drinking water treatment, environmental engineering, water quality

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.

Environmental Science

Environmentally friendly fertilizer: Is there such a thing?

October 19, 2017October 23, 2017 Katelyn Szura 1 Comment fertilizer, nitrogen, nutrient cycles

“No farms, no food” is a common phrase. And just as true is no fertilizer, no food. But extensive use of fertilizer can lead to problems of pollution. To combat fertilizer pollution, the use of more environmentally friendly fertilizers has been explored. The question now is, how effective are they?

Cities Climate Environmental Science

Connecting to nature and understanding ecosystem services: the urban perspective

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 Jessica Burnett 0 Comments city design, city planningc, Climate Change, green infrastructure, resilience, social-ecological, urban ecology, urban hydrology, urban water management, water, water management

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.

Climate

Why are the tropics expanding?

October 16, 2017 Geneva Gray 0 Comments Climate, Climate Change, Climate Variability, El Niño Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Tropics, Weather

The tropical belt around the globe is expanding. Is climate change the culprit, or could it be something else?

Environmental Science

Mini Exploration of a Salt Marsh

October 12, 2017October 12, 2017 Aidan Barry 0 Comments Climate Change, sea level rise

There’s much more to this world than meets the eye. This study examines the potential role of microbial communities in salt marshes and how their community and role of decomposition may be altered by rising sea levels.

Environmental Science

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

October 10, 2017October 11, 2017 Mary Grace Lemon 0 Comments forests, water

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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