Early New Zealand population initiated rapid forest transition
Bozeman MT (SPX) Nov 06, 2014 -
Human-set fires by a small Polynesian population in New Zealand ~750 years ago may have caused fire-vulnerable forests to shift to shrub land over decades, rather than over centuries, as previously thought, according to a study published November 5, 2014 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by David McWethy from Montana State University and colleagues.
Human impacts on forest composition an ...
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Tricky take-off kept pterodactyls grounded
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 07, 2014 -
A new study, which teamed cutting-edge engineering techniques with paleontology, has found that take-off capacity may have determined body size limits in extinct flying reptiles. The research simulated pterodactyl flight using computer modeling, and will be presented at the upcoming Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Berlin. Findings suggest that a pterodactyl with a wingspan of 12m o ...
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When less is more: Death in moderation boosts population density in nature
Princeton NJ (SPX) Nov 06, 2014 -
In nature, the right amount of death at the right time might actually help boost a species' population density, according to new research that could help in understanding animal populations, pest control and managing fish and wildlife stocks.
In a paper in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, a Princeton University researcher and European colleagues conclude that the kind of positi ...
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Details on the November ENSO forecast: slip-slidin' away?
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 07, 2014 -
by Emily Becker
The CPC/IRI ENSO forecast has dropped the likelihood of El Nino again, to 58%, despite the presence of "borderline" El Nino conditions (i.e. warmer equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature, and some reduction in rain over Indonesia). El Nino is still expected, but with less confidence. What is it about this year that may be making it harder to forecast?
Many studies, usi ...
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Madagascar: Fossil skull analysis offers clue to mammals' evolution
Amherst MA (SPX) Nov 06, 2014 -
The surprise discovery of the fossilized skull of a 66- to 70-million-year-old, groundhog-like creature on Madagascar has led to new analyses of the lifestyle of the largest known mammal of its time by a team of specialists including biologist Elizabeth Dumont at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an expert in jaw structure and bite mechanics.
The skull of this animal, named Vintana ...
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Little evidence conservation organizations respond to economic signals
Knoxville TN (SPX) Nov 06, 2014 -
A University of Tennessee, Knoxville, study finds that nonprofit organizations aiming to protect biodiversity show little evidence of responding to economic signals, which could limit the effectiveness of future conservation efforts.
The relationship between economic conditions and conservation efforts is complicated. On the one hand, funding for conservation depends on a booming economy, ...
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A fraction of the global military spending could save the planet's biodiversity
New York NY (SPX) Nov 06, 2014 -
A fundamental step-change involving an increase in funding and political commitment is urgently needed to ensure that protected areas deliver their full conservation, social and economic potential, according to an article published in Nature by experts from Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Queensland, and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
The paper, The p ...
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