Green Space in Cities – How to make the most of their cooling effects
Park, J., J. Kim, D.K. Lee, C.Y. Park, S.G. Jeong. 2017. The influence of small green space type and structure
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Environmental Science
Cats and Dogs: Canine Distemper Virus and the Endangered Amur Tiger
Canine Distemper Virus, commonly found in domesticated dogs, in increasingly common in Amur tigers, which are the least numerous of the major tiger subspecies. Recent research challenges long-held ideas about CDV transmission, and present new strategies to counteract CDVs deadly effects on endangered Amur tigers.
Read MoreDead plants breathe new life into botanical research
I’ll never forget the first time that I stepped into a herbarium. Picture a room full of towering metal cabinets. Inside, there are thousands of pressed plants carefully glued onto special paper upon which thoughtfully recorded field notes describe the plant’s habitat, location, life stage, and more. At a moment’s notice I can still recall the unique smell of preserved plants, reminiscent of the comforting scent that lofts when ruffling the pages of an old book. In those days, as a budding botanist, I never questioned the immense value of these collections. Then, when I learned that one herbarium in seven has closed in the last twenty-five years (Deng 2015), I realized that we simply aren’t talking enough about all the unique ways that old plants can fuel modern science.
Read MoreWaste-to-Energy or Wasted Energy?
What happens with our waste? Out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Despite our best efforts, and maybe a few new year’s resolutions, a lot
Read MoreThe Issues of Using Militarization to Mitigate Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade
Original Paper: Duffy, R., Massé, F., Smidt, E., Marijnen, E., Büscher, B., Verweijen, J., Ramutsindela, M., Simlai, T., Joanny, L.
Read MoreWhen lightning strikes, it’s best not to be a giraffe
Standing at over five metres tall, giraffe exploit a feeding niche unavailable to most hooved animals. However, standing out from the crowd can also result in unexpected dangers. When violent storms clash in the skies above, giraffe become vulnerable to death by lightning strikes.
Read MoreCat-agorizing Cat Owners to Reduce Environmental Harm caused by Domestic House Cats
According to conservationists, domestic cats belong indoors for their safety and the safety of other animals. But, some cat owners disagree, causing rifts between pro-outdoor and pro-indoor cat parents. In a new study, researchers interviewed cat owners across the United Kingdom and cat-agorized cat owners into six distinct groups. Depending on the cat owner’s views , conservationists may have a larger impact if they target their message towards the emotional connection owners have with their feline friends.
Read MoreWhat is to blame for harmful algal blooms?
The world’s largest dam provides a massive amount of energy, but has unintended consequences as well.
Read MoreBlue and green make grey work better: how blue and green infrastructure can improve equity of ecosystem services in urban areas
Andersson, E. J. Langemeyer, S. Borgström, T. McPhearson, D. Haase, J. Kronenberg, D.N. Barton, M. Davis, S. Naumann, L. Röschel,
Read MoreWhere Categorizing Hurricanes Falls Short
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating hurricanes in history, leading to over 1800 fatalities and tying Hurricane Harvey as the costliest hurricane on record. But at the time Katrina made landfall, it was “only” ranked as Category 3 by the Saffir-Simpson scale, which goes up to Category 5. So why did Katrina, at only Category 3, cause so much more destruction than most Category 5 storms? And what does that tell us about what the Saffir-Simpson scale is missing?
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