environmental science research for everyone
Experiencing nature has been linked to many mental health benefits, and now we know it can even lighten the mood on Twitter. Researchers have found that visits to urban greenspaces result in happier, less negative, and less self-absorbed tweets.
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Bird feeding is a popular activity enjoyed around the globe. However, we don’t really understand how bird feeding can impact the behavior of birds. A new study from China took on this question by studying black-headed gulls. Read on to find out how food provisionings affected the behaviors of these birds
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The visible cringe. The reflex to cover your ears. A constant piercing noise can be a horrific experience for a person. Research has shown that noise pollution can negatively impact the health of humans, animals and possibly entire ecosystems. What are the consequences of a lifetime surrounded by noise? Two scientists aim to characterize the costs of chronic noise pollution on the survival, growth and reproductive success of animals over their entire lifetime.
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Anywhere people live, we build things! Along the coast, our construction projects are especially important for protecting us from strong wind and waves, and for providing opportunities for recreation in and along the water. This development is important, but how is it impacting the animals and algae that make their homes on the coast?
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Silver carp are a notorious invasive fish that are spreading throughout the Mississippi River Basin. Despite their rapid-fire range expansion, silver carp have yet to make it to the Great Lakes. A recent study explores the possibility that polluted Chicago-area waters may be preventing the spread of silver carp into Lake Michigan and beyond.
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Understanding trends about how connected to nature different age groups typically feel is critical because it could potentially help target conservation efforts in the future. If certain groups are losing connection to nature, how can educators or policymakers intervene to counteract that? If there is an age where connection to nature tends to increase, how can conservationists reinforce that trend? A recent study surveyed over two thousand people in the United Kingdom and found that teenagers tended to show lower levels of connection to nature than both children and adults.
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Urban trees may — in some contexts — make residential greenhouse emissions worse.
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Did your chemistry teacher tell you that chemistry is all around you? It very literally is! You can find chemistry in many places, and the air around you is one of those places. Scientists use chemistry to figure out how to keep our air clean so we can stay healthy.
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Pavement, smog, and lack of shade can increase temperatures in cities by up to 6ºF above the surrounding rural and suburban areas. We know the higher temperatures directly impact many species of animals, but is it possible that they could also affect the course of evolution and change the physiology of future generations? To answer this question, researchers from the Netherlands used a popular citizen science platform to gather data about the appearance of snails throughout a wide range of habitats.
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Rats have shared our cities for a long time. Because of this they can be used a model to learn more about how animals colonized cities and what features of cities can be advantageous for some species. A new study focuses their attention on whether 19th century city mice had an advantage over their rural neighbors. Read on to find out more!
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