How does a tree know it’s autumn? Thanks to its genes, which are turned on and off in a pre-determined order. But in what order? Scientists at Umeå Plant Science Center and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm have now brought to light the autumn “genetic timetable” of a tree.
Philosophers like Winnie the Pooh are not the only ones who try to understand what goes on when nature explodes in a pageant of color during the fall. Researchers ask themselves those deep questions to
The role between plant genotypes and beavers in building ecosystems
The beaver (Castor canadensis), well known for altering ecosystems, may be more influential than originally suspected. Living along streams and rivers across the United States, many beavers encounter different varieties of cottonwoods. In a study published in the March issue of Ecology, “Beavers as molecular geneticists: a genetic basis to the foraging of an ecosystem engineer,” researchers from Northern Arizona Unive
If Washington state issues additional permits for water to be diverted from the Columbia River for farm irrigation, it should do so only under the condition that withdrawals can be stopped if river flows become critically low for endangered and threatened salmon, says a new report from the National Academies’ National Research Council. Salmon are at increased risk during periods of low flows and high water temperatures, conditions that are most likely to occur during the summer months when deman
Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a novel material that can remove mercury and other toxic substances from coal-burning power-plant waste water.
Mercury pollution is widely recognized as a growing risk to both the environment and public health. It is estimated that coal-burning power plants contribute about 48 tons of mercury to the United States environment each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate th
A staple of chemistry classroom demonstrations may offer a solution for cleaning up decades’ worth of toxic solvents polluting the environment, new research suggests.
Potassium permanganate is a disinfectant used by water treatment plants, and is sometimes also used to treat pollution stemming from industrial-grade solvents that were buried 30 to 40 years ago.
“But most people who use potassium permanganate to treat pollution pump it into a well in liquid form every day for a cou
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the U.S. Department of Energy are developing “smart” nanoparticles to clean up environmental toxins that resist conventional remediation methods. This research is being presented by Greg Lowry on Wednesday, March 31, at the 227th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, Cal. (ENVR 52, Marriott-Grand Ballroom D).
Pollutants in the ground that do not easily mix with water, such as organic solvents, are a continued source of groun
British meteorologists are to use the world’s largest supercomputer to help them predict the evolution of the Earth’s climate in the 21st century with unprecedented accuracy.
Scientists at the NCAS Centre for Global Atmospheric Modelling (CGAM), based at the University of Reading, have been awarded £700,000 from NERC to work with the state-of-the-art Earth Simulator in Yokohama, Japan. This is part of a formal collaboration between CGAM, the Met Office’s Hadley Centre, the University of Toky
Cockles and mussels harvested on the shores of the Irish Sea may have provided a staple diet for Molly Malone and her fellow Dubliners, but for scientists at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth they are, along with longer living species such as the clam Arctica islandica*, a detailed record of pollution extending back over two centuries.
The shells of molluscs are made up of layers of calcium carbonate which grow in regular cycles. With each cycle a layer is added causing an effect similar
Ecologists and environmental scientists received £1.8 million today to investigate the sustainability of ecosystems, landscapes and livelihoods and how climate change will affect biodiversity in Britain.
The new network links population biology to ecosystem science and economics and is a joint venture between the Natural Environment Research Council (£1.5m) and English Nature (£300K).
It will carry out seven major projects each year and provide a network for scientists, policy-mak
Are you a mosquito magnet? If you are, it’s not your sweet smelling blood that attracts them, scientists say – you simply lack a chemical that some humans produce that masks your attractiveness to bugs, tricking them into thinking that you are not a suitable host. “For the first time, we can identify exactly which chemicals the insects respond to”, says James Logan, who will be presenting his work at the annual SEB meeting in Edinburgh (29th March – 2nd April 2004, session A6.9). James Logan (Rotham
Jim Clapp (University of Ulster) will reveal how bird droppings can be used to measure radioactive fall-out in the environment. Solid urate spheres found in bird excretions can be screened for man-made pollutants such as radioactive caesium, providing a new non-invasive way to monitor the environment. Mr. Clapp will present his latest results today at the annual meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (29 March – 2 April 2004).
“This is a new meth
A promising enterprise became an economical and ecological disaster. The golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) that was brought to Asia in 1980 to be cultured in ponds for human consumption instead spread through rice fields, irrigation channels and wetlands. It had a voracious appetite for rice seedlings and soon became a dreaded pest in the rice fields. In the Philippines alone, accumulative crop losses since the snail introduction is estimated to 1 billion US dollars. The snail is still spread
GAIKER Technological Centre is leading a European project on evaluating the uses for agricultural food residues. The project analyses the generation of residues in the meat, fish, milk products, wine production and processed vegetable sectors and the uses to which these are put in other sectors.
In Europe 220 million tons of agrifood residues and by-products are generated each year from industrial processes). This study, led by Gaiker, points to the great possibilities of putting these resi
A £5.85 million pound study of the soil in the Cheviot Hills has finally come to an end, producing a huge wealth of new information for scientists.
“I suspect we know more about the biodiversity of this one field at Sourhope than any other soil on this planet,” said Professor Michael Usher, the chairman of the Soil Biodiversity Programme steering committee.
The seven-year study, involving 120 scientists and the largest of its kind in the world, aims to improve knowledge of soil bio
In spring, thoughts turn to sex, and three-spined stickleback females set about finding the most attractive mate. Their method of selection is to choose the male with the most attractive red belly, so it’s not surprising that Dr. Victoria Braithwaite (University of Edinburgh) has discovered that female sticklebacks become more sensitive to red during the breeding season. What is surprising is that the males do too! “This actually makes good sense” says Dr. Braithwaite. “Sticklebacks are very territo
Scientists have developed a ‘magic box’ containing dormant organisms that can be woken up anytime and anywhere to test the toxicity of contaminated waters and soils. This new technology, called Toxkits, will be described by Professor Guido Persoone (Gent University, Belgium) and Dr. Kirit Wadhia (ALcontrol laboratories) on Monday 29th March at the annual SEB meeting in Edinburgh (29th March – 2nd April 2004, sessions A13.12 and A13.13).
“Toxkits are revolutionary tools which provide a cheape
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