Ecology / Conservation posts
- April 26, 2013
- 07:11 AM
- 94 views
Intelligent Whales Have Their Own Culture
by Katja Keuchenius in United Academics
Whales already were one the most fascinating and intelligent creatures we know and they now also appear to work together in adapting to their environments. Just like us, they give each other tips. Is it in their songs?... Read more »
Allen, J., Weinrich, M., Hoppitt, W., & Rendell, L. (2013) Network-Based Diffusion Analysis Reveals Cultural Transmission of Lobtail Feeding in Humpback Whales. Science, 340(6131), 485-488. DOI: 10.1126/science.1231976
- April 25, 2013
- 07:59 AM
- 104 views
Rivers Carry Away Waste Heat Form Power Plants at a Cost to the Environment
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
Two computer models developed by the scientists from the University of New Hampshire show a detailed picture of how thermal power stations interact with climate, hydrology, and aquatic ecosystems. For example, models suggest that while rivers serve as “horizontal cooling towers” that provide an important service to the regional electricity sector, this comes at a cost to the environment.... Read more »
Stewart, R., Wollheim, W., Miara, A., Vörösmarty, C., Fekete, B., Lammers, R., & Rosenzweig, B. (2013) Horizontal cooling towers: riverine ecosystem services and the fate of thermoelectric heat in the contemporary Northeast US. Environmental Research Letters, 8(2), 25010. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/025010
- April 25, 2013
- 12:43 AM
- 93 views
A room with a view: what do dogs want?
by Cobb & Hecht in Do You Believe In Dog?
Putting the woof in tweet! (source)Hi Julie,Wow! Thanks for sharing the amazing fun tweet-week we had posting for @realscientists on Twitter. It was great to engage with so many people about so many areas of dog (and other animal!) behaviour and research. And poo. So many questions about dog poo! Some things can be relied upon in life; it’s good to know people are always curious about dog poo.If you want to revisit any of those posts or links we exchanged as part of the Real Scienti........ Read more »
Wells Deborah L., & Hepper Peter G. (1998) A note on the influence of visual conspecific contact on the behaviour of sheltered dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 60(1), 83-88. DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00146-4
Taylor K, & Mills D. (2007) The effect of the kennel environment on canine welfare: a critical review of experimental studies. Animal Welfare, 16(4), 435-447. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ufaw/aw/2007/00000016/00000004/art00003
Sop Shin Won. (2007) The influence of forest view through a window on job satisfaction and job stress. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 22(3), 248-253. DOI: 10.1080/02827580701262733
Verderber Stephen, & Reuman David. (1987) Windows, views, and health status in hospital therapeutic environments. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 4(2), 120-133. http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1988-30782-001
- April 22, 2013
- 09:11 PM
- 94 views
Nature is cool but we have to take care of it
by Usman Paracha in SayPeople
Main point:
Researchers have found that rivers act as the natural “horizontal cooling towers” for thermoelectric power plants but it needs attention to take care of its environment from the artificial disturbing sources.
Journal:
Environmental Research Letters
Study Further:
In thermoelectric power plants, water is boiled to create steam to produce electricity by driving turbines. This raises the temperature and to cut the temperature, water is withdrawn and evaporated........ Read more »
Stewart, R., Wollheim, W., Miara, A., Vörösmarty, C., Fekete, B., Lammers, R., & Rosenzweig, B. (2013) Horizontal cooling towers: riverine ecosystem services and the fate of thermoelectric heat in the contemporary Northeast US. Environmental Research Letters, 8(2), 25010. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/025010
- April 22, 2013
- 11:18 AM
- 74 views
A Moment in the Sun for Biomimicry
by Whitney Campbell in Green Screen
Already inspired by botany, solar panels imitate photosynthesizing plants with their conversion of the sun's light into usable energy. Through this process, flowers and shrubs seem effortlessly self-sustaining, but designers of solar panels must innovate ways to capture with a cell what plants can innately.... Read more »
Dang, X., Yi, H., Ham, M., Qi, J., Yun, D., Ladewski, R., Strano, M., Hammond, P., & Belcher, A. (2011) Virus-templated self-assembled single-walled carbon nanotubes for highly efficient electron collection in photovoltaic devices. Nature Nanotechnology, 377-384. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.50
Barr, M., Rowehl, J., Lunt, R., Xu, J., Wang, A., Boyce, C., Im, S., Bulović, V., & Gleason, K. (2011) Direct monolithic integration of organic photovoltaic circuits on unmodified paper. Advanced Materials, 3500-3505. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201101263
Shockley, W., & Queisser, H. (1961) Detailed balance limit of efficiency of p-n junction solar cells. Journal of Applied Physics, 510. DOI: 10.1063/1.1736034
King, R., Law, D., Edmondson, K., Fetzer, C., Kinsey, G., Yoon, H., Sherif, R., & Karam, N. (2007) 40% efficient metamorphic GaInP∕GaInAs∕Ge multijunction solar cells. Applied Physics Letters, 183516. DOI: 10.1063/1.2734507
Krogstrup, P., Jørgensen, H., Heiss, M., Demichel, O., Holm, J., Aagesen, M., Nygard, J., & Fontcuberta i Morral, A. (2013) Single-nanowire solar cells beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit. Nature Photonics, 306-310. DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.32
- April 18, 2013
- 12:39 PM
- 86 views
Too Much Energy Efficiency Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
A study done at the University of Leeds suggests that the risk of hospital infection could dramatically increase when the windows in the ward are closed.... Read more »
Gilkeson, C., Camargo-Valero, M., Pickin, L., & Noakes, C. (2013) Measurement of Ventilation and Airborne Infection Risk in Large Naturally Ventilated Hospital Wards. Building and Environment. DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.03.006
- April 18, 2013
- 07:13 AM
- 75 views
If You Could, Would You Eat Wood?
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
It doesn’t sound very appetizing; eating a tree branch or a wooden plank. But an engineering researcher at the Virginia Polytechnical Institute (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg has found a way to convert the cellulose that makes up wood into starch.... Read more »
You C, Chen H, Myung S, Sathitsuksanoh N, Ma H, Zhang XZ, Li J, & Zhang YH. (2013) Enzymatic transformation of nonfood biomass to starch. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. PMID: 23589840
- April 15, 2013
- 03:47 AM
- 73 views
Arctic Sea Ice Will Vanish in 30 years
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
The data were a shock even to climate scientists. Four years ago, researchers noticed that Arctic sea ice was melting much faster than expected; it’s so bad now that these same scientists predict that all Arctic sea ice will be gone by 2050. That’s bad news for a warming planet.... Read more »
Overland, J., & Wang, M. (2013) When will the summer arctic be nearly sea ice free?. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI: 10.1002/grl.50316
- April 12, 2013
- 10:44 PM
- 87 views
The Artful Badger
by Denise O'Meara in A dribble of knowledge
Badgers (Meles meles) In Ireland...... Read more »
Del Cerro, I., Marmi, J., Ferrando, A., Chashchin, P., Taberlet, P., & Bosch, M. (2010) Nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenies provide evidence for four species of Eurasian badgers (Carnivora). Zoologica Scripta, 39(5), 415-425. DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00436.x
O'Meara, D., Edwards, C., Sleeman, D., Cross, T., Statham, M., Mcdowell, J., Dillane, E., Coughlan, J., O'Leary, D., O'Reilly, C.... (2012) Genetic structure of Eurasian badgers Meles meles (Carnivora: Mustelidae) and the colonization history of Ireland. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 106(4), 893-909. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01927.x
Zachos, F., Apollonio, M., Bärmann, E., Festa-Bianchet, M., Göhlich, U., Habel, J., Haring, E., Kruckenhauser, L., Lovari, S., McDevitt, A.... (2013) Species inflation and taxonomic artefacts—A critical comment on recent trends in mammalian classification. Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 78(1), 1-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2012.07.083
- April 10, 2013
- 09:19 PM
- 87 views
Looking to large tributaries for conservation gains
by Liza Lester in EcoTone
On big rivers like the Mississippi, the infrastructure of modern civilization – dams, locks, dikes, power plants, cities – has made life easier for people, but harder for fish and other denizens of the river. Restoration is a tricky problem. Economic reliance on these big rivers makes fundamental reversals like dam removals unlikely.... Read more »
Pracheil, B., McIntyre, P., & Lyons, J. (2013) Enhancing conservation of large-river biodiversity by accounting for tributaries. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11(3), 124-128. DOI: 10.1890/120179
- April 10, 2013
- 05:25 PM
- 88 views
Common birds: Rattling cisticola and why birds hold territories?
by Colin Beale in Safari Ecology
Rattling Cisticola, near Arusha, March 2011. Something of a birder's bird? Returning to my recent theme of common birds, what could be more suitable as the rains begin than a look a Cisticola chiniana? Whilst small, streaked and brown might make this something of a 'birder's bird', I'm happy to think there's plenty to interest everyone in this species too.First the identification. Let's be honest, Cisticolas can be something of a challenge to identify! It doesn't help that there are seven pages ........ Read more »
Carlson, A. (1986) Group Territoriality in the Rattling Cisticola, Cisticola chiniana. Oikos, 47(2), 181. DOI: 10.2307/3566044
- April 10, 2013
- 09:40 AM
- 119 views
Not Quite Like a Rolling Stone
by Miss Behavior in The Scorpion and the Frog
Dung beetles are competitive little critters. And who can blame them? When a fresh pile of poo is at stake, wouldn’t we all be a bit competitive? …Okay, maybe not. But animal dung is actually chock-full of nutrients, which makes it a precious resource to the animals that can make use of them. The approximately 6,000 species of dung beetles and their babies are among the animals that make excellent use of those resources.Mmmm... A poo-pile worth fighting for! Image by Duwwel at Wikimedia.But........ Read more »
Dacke M, Byrne M, Smolka J, Warrant E, & Baird E. (2013) Dung beetles ignore landmarks for straight-line orientation. Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology, 199(1), 17-23. PMID: 23076443
- April 10, 2013
- 12:33 AM
- 11 views
Counterintuitive Conservation
by Emarkham in GeneticCuckoo
An analysis of the proposal to legalize the trade in rhino horn in order to reduce the poaching of the remaining wild rhinos. Legalizing the trade of rhino horn is claimed to reduce the demand on the black market and is likely to be the best method for conserving the remaining rhinos, however other factors can influence the potential success of this. ... Read more »
E Markham. (2013) Counterintuitive Conservation. Blogspot. info:/
- April 9, 2013
- 01:19 PM
- 102 views
EPA Standards Will Shift Power Plants to Natural Gas
by dailyfusion in The Daily Fusion
In order to comply to the new strict EPA emission standards power plants would have to shift from coal to natural gas. A new study from the Duke University suggests that the air-quality regulations, especially the ones on on sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and mercury, will make nearly two-thirds of the nation’s coal-fired power plants as expensive to run as plants powered by natural gas.... Read more »
Pratson, L., Haerer, D., & Patiño-Echeverri, D. (2013) Fuel Prices, Emission Standards, and Generation Costs for Coal vs Natural Gas Power Plants. Environmental Science , 2147483647. DOI: 10.1021/es4001642
- April 9, 2013
- 04:55 AM
- 111 views
Blastocystis in Non-Human Primates
by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog
A blog post summarising some of the findings in a major molecular epidemiological study of Blastocystis in non-human primates, including apes, Old and New World monkeys, and prosimians.... Read more »
Yildirim S, Yeoman CJ, Sipos M, Torralba M, Wilson BA, Goldberg TL, Stumpf RM, Leigh SR, White BA, & Nelson KE. (2010) Characterization of the fecal microbiome from non-human wild primates reveals species specific microbial communities. PloS one, 5(11). PMID: 21103066
ALFELLANI, M., JACOB, A., PEREA, N., KRECEK, R., TANER-MULLA, D., VERWEIJ, J., LEVECKE, B., TANNICH, E., CLARK, C., & STENSVOLD, C. (2013) Diversity and distribution of Blastocystis sp. subtypes in non-human primates. Parasitology, 1-6. DOI: 10.1017/S0031182013000255
Stensvold CR, Arendrup MC, Nielsen HV, Bada A, & Thorsen S. (2008) Symptomatic infection with Blastocystis sp. subtype 8 successfully treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology, 102(3), 271-4. PMID: 18348782
Stensvold CR, Alfellani M, & Clark CG. (2012) Levels of genetic diversity vary dramatically between Blastocystis subtypes. Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases, 12(2), 263-73. PMID: 22116021
- April 8, 2013
- 07:18 AM
- 82 views
U.K. Parliament Orders Halt to Bee-killing Pesticides
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
The United Kingdom’s House of Commons has ordered the British government to temporarily (at least) ban the use of three popular pesticides, because of their links to declines in honeybees, bumblebees and other pollinators.... Read more »
U.K. House of Commons. (2013) Pollinators and pesticides. UK House of Commons. info:/
- April 8, 2013
- 03:45 AM
- 97 views
VIDEO | Hyper-Invasive Green Crab Does Good, After All
by Andrew Porterfield in United Academics
The European Green Crab is possibly the most despised invasive organism in the world. It has either frightened, eaten or otherwise killed native species along all the planet’s coastlines. But in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, scientists noticed that a salt marsh cord grass was faring better in areas with lots of green crabs. Why? Because the cordgrass was previously being devoured by another species of crab–the purple marsh crab. It turns out that fishing and crabbing removed the purple cr........ Read more »
Bertness, M., & Coverdale, T. (2013) An invasive species facilitates the recovery of salt marsh ecosystems on Cape Cod. Ecology, 2147483647. DOI: 10.1890/12-2150.1
- April 7, 2013
- 09:51 AM
- 95 views
Genetic heritage of the pine marten
by Denise O'Meara in A dribble of knowledge
Tracing the historic DNA footprint of the pine marten ... Read more »
Ruiz-González, A., Madeira, M., Randi, E., Abramov, A., Davoli, F., . (2013) Phylogeography of the forest-dwelling European pine marten (Martes martes): new insights into cryptic northern glacial refugia. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. info:/10.1111/bij.12046
Jordan, N., Messenger, J., Turner, P., Croose, E., Birks, J., & O’Reilly, C. (2012) Molecular comparison of historical and contemporary pine marten (Martes martes) populations in the British Isles: evidence of differing origins and fates, and implications for conservation management. Conservation Genetics, 13(5), 1195-1212. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-012-0365-7
- April 6, 2013
- 09:07 PM
- 97 views
What triggers visitors to leave the designated trail?
by Ashley D in The Average Visitor
It’s spring in Utah! I can still see snow in the mountains but my yard is looking lush and green. I am enjoying the rain while I can; I know that once summer rolls around these steady rain storms will … Continue reading →... Read more »
Coppes, J., & Braunisch, V. (2013) Managing visitors in nature areas: where do they leave the trails? A spatial model. Wildlife Biology, 19(1), 1-11. DOI: 10.2981/12-054
- April 6, 2013
- 04:18 AM
- 135 views
Final frontiers: the Arctic
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
With the global population now well over seven billion there are few remaining parts of the world relatively untouched by human activity. We assess the current state and future prospects of five final frontiers: rainforests, Antarctica, the Arctic, the deep sea and space.... Read more »
Carlos Duarte. (2013) Final frontiers: the Arctic. The Conversation. info:/
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