Nature – Page 7 – PossibleThreat Articles

Rare 'itinerant breeding' behavior revealed in California bird

October 15, 2019 0 Comments Bird Flu Research, Birds, Endangered Animals, Mating and Breeding, Nature, New Species, Wild Animals, Zoology

Only two bird species have ever been shown to undertake what scientists call 'itinerant breeding': nesting in one area, migrating to another region, and nesting again there within the same year, to take advantage of shifting food resources. However, new research provides strong evidence of this rare behavior in a third bird — the Phainopepla, a unique bird found in the southwestern US and the northernmost member of an otherwise tropical family.

News Science

Investing in love and affection pays off for species that mate for life

October 14, 2019 0 Comments Birds, Evolutionary Biology, Fish, Insects (including Butterflies), Mating and Breeding, Nature, New Species, Zoology

A new study by biologists explains how sexual cooperation and bonding evolves in bird species that form pair bonds.

News Science

Lakes worldwide are experiencing more severe algal blooms

October 14, 2019 0 Comments Botany, Climate, Ecology Research, Endangered Animals, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Nature, Water

The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global survey of dozens of large, freshwater lakes. Researchers used 30 years of data from the Landsat 5 near-Earth satellite and created a partnership with Google Earth Engine to reveal long-term trends in summer algal blooms in 71 large lakes in 33 countries on six continents.

News Science

Evolutionary history of oaks

October 14, 2019 0 Comments Anthropology, Early Humans, Ecology, Evolution, Evolutionary Biology, Exotic Species, Forest, Nature, Trees

Oaks have a complex evolutionary history that has long eluded scientists. New research, however, provides the most detailed account to date of the evolution of oaks, recovering the 56-million-year history that has made the oaks one of the most diverse, abundant and important woody plant groups to the ecology and economy of the northern hemisphere.

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New tool enables Nova Scotia lobster fishery to address impacts of climate change

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Climate, Environmental Awareness, Fish, Fisheries, Global Warming, Marine Biology, Nature, Oceanography

Researchers use long-term survey data sets and climate models to help fishing communities plan for a warmer ocean. Researchers have developed a tool that incorporates projected changes in ocean climate onto a geographic fishery management area. Now fishermen, resource managers, and policy-makers can use it to plan for the future sustainability of the lobster fishery in Nova Scotia and Canadian waters of the Gulf of Maine.

News Science

The impact of human-caused noise pollution on birds

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Birds, Endangered Animals, Extinction, Life Sciences, Mating and Breeding, Nature, New Species, Wild Animals

Anthropogenic noise pollution (ANP) is a globally invasive phenomenon impacting natural systems, but most research has occurred at local scales with few species. Researchers in this study investigated continental-scale breeding season associations with ANP for 322 bird species to test whether local-scale predictions are consistent at broad spatial extents for an extensive group of North American bird species in the continental United States.

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Fairy-wrens change breeding habits to cope with climate change

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Behavioral Science, Climate, Environmental Awareness, Genetics, Global Warming, Hurricanes and Cyclones, Mating and Breeding, Nature

Warmer temperatures linked to climate change are having a big impact on the breeding habits of one of Australia's most recognisable bird species.

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Scientists 'must be allowed to cry' about destruction of nature

October 10, 2019 0 Comments Child Psychology, Earth Science, Ecology, Environmental Issues, Environmental Policies, Marine Biology, Monkeys, Nature, Ocean Policy, PTSD, Social Psychology, World Development

Scientists witnessing the destruction of the natural world must be supported and 'allowed to cry,' researchers say.

News Science

Carnivorous plant study captures universal rules of leaf making

October 10, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Biology, Botany, Developmental Biology, Endangered Plants, Evolutionary Biology, Nature, Trees

Leaves display a remarkable range of forms from flat sheets with simple outlines to the cup-shaped traps found in carnivorous plants.

News Science

New tool visualizes nature's benefits worldwide

October 10, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Ecology, Ecology Research, Endangered Plants, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Nature, Sustainability

The researchers set out to understand where nature contributes the most to people and how many people may be affected by future changes. By 2050, up to 5 billion people could be at higher risk of water pollution, coastal storms and under-pollinated crops.