Leaf Senescence: More Than a Color Show
Leaves change colors during the fall as part of a process called leaf senescence. Why is this process important, and what causes it?
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Climate
Resetting the Internal Clock: Adaptable Butterflies’ Response to Climate Warming
As the climate warms, habitats near the poles are becoming increasingly hospitable for many plants, animals, and insects. But it remains uncertain whether species’ range expansions might eventually be hindered by differences in daylength at higher latitudes. Wall brown butterflies are making the journey northwards from Europe in response to climate warming. How do differences in daylength at higher latitudes affect them, and what can they do to survive in these new conditions?
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Managing soil carbon for short and long-term benefits: Have we cracked the code?
Increasing carbon in soils has potential to help fight climate change and support crop growth, but researchers are still figuring out if and how we can do both at the same time. Read on to find out if they’ve discovered a solution!
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The Great Oxidation Event: How our atmosphere went from deadly gas to fresh air
In the beginning, Earth’s atmosphere had no oxygen. Then photosynthesis made life as we know it possible, produced much of our mineable iron, and caused an ice age.
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Is the Bark Stronger Than the Bite? The Use of Models to Predict Bark Beetle-Induced Tree Mortality
Bark beetles can cause widespread tree mortality by disrupting the flow of water and nutrients. These trees are critical in sequestering carbon from greenhouse gas emissions. By accounting for beetle phenology as well as tree physiology, modeling can help predict bark-beetle induced tree mortality that can result from climate change.
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Relief for the Reef – Connecting Coral Resilience with Restoration Efforts
Coral reefs are ecologically important for both marine and land species, offering support for high biodiversity. They also represent one of the most threatened ecosystems, especially as a result of climate change and human intervention. Due to their vulnerability and significance, many efforts have been made to restore these vital ecosystems, yet the worldwide success rates for coral reef restoration aren’t nearly as high as scientists had hoped. So, now the question is: is there anything that can be done to make coral reefs and their restoration more resilient to the threats they face?
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The colorful world of coral
A diversity of coral reef color leads to a diversity in fish color, and by extension, a diversity of fish species. With temperatures rising, the loss of colorful coral may lead to a loss of fish and an ocean in grayscale.
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Rising Sea Levels Call for Rising Wetlands
Amid the search for protection against rising sea levels, many have turned to remediating or reconstructing traditional wetland ecosystems.
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The Forest of Drunken Trees
Black spruce forests in northern regions are tipping over. A new study seeks to understand why, and uncovers the role climate change plays in tilting trees.
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The Potential of Parasites
Although parasites have a negative reputation, they can be a valuable conservation tool. Their diversity means they can be used in many applications, and this range of known potential purposes will only increase with further exploration. This article explores how parasites have been used to better understand habitat fragmentation, invasive species movement, harvested species overexploitation, and even climate change!
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