ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Too little nitrogen may restrain plants' carbon storage capability
• One glue, two functions: Spider webs stick to the ground and elevated surfaces differently
• The science behind those eye-popping northern lights
• Superman-strength bacteria produce 24-karat gold
• Solar cell consisting of a single molecule: Individual protein complex generates electric current
• 'Let’s-go rumble': For elephants, deciding to leave the watering hole demands conversation
• Manatees reflect quality of health in marine ecosystems, longterm study finds
• Amazonian tribal warfare sheds light on modern violence, says anthropologist
• Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral in the last 27 years
• 'Superweeds' linked to rising herbicide use in GM crops, study finds
• New antibiotic cures disease by disarming pathogens, not killing them
• Prehistoric builders reveal trade secrets: Long-overlooked museum fossil is clue to vanished skills of prehistoric animal architects
• Geofoam protects pipelines from earthquakes

Too little nitrogen may restrain plants' carbon storage capability Posted: 02 Oct 2012 01:19 PM PDT Plants' ability to absorb increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air may have been overestimated, a new study shows. According to the study, even though plants absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide and actually can benefit from higher levels of it, they may not get enough of the nutrients they need from typical soils to absorb as much CO2 as scientists had previously estimated.

One glue, two functions: Spider webs stick to the ground and elevated surfaces differently Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:42 PM PDT Polymer scientists and biologists have discovered that a house spider -- in order to more efficiently capture different types of prey -- performs an uncommon feat. It tailors one glue to demonstrate two adhesive strengths: firm and weak.

The science behind those eye-popping northern lights Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:41 PM PDT Stormy weather on the sun drives the glistening aurorae in our clear night skies.

Superman-strength bacteria produce 24-karat gold Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT At a time when the value of gold has reached an all-time high, researchers have discovered a bacterium's ability to withstand incredible amounts of toxicity is key to creating 24-karat gold.

Solar cell consisting of a single molecule: Individual protein complex generates electric current Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT Photosynthesis allows plants to convert light into chemical energy. Utilizing this process to produce electrical energy is a research goal worldwide. Scientists have now demonstrated that a photosynthetic protein system can be integrated into artificial photovoltaic device architectures while retaining biomolecular functional properties. The proteins represent light-driven, highly efficient single-molecule electron pumps that can act as current generators in nanoscale electric circuits.

'Let’s-go rumble': For elephants, deciding to leave the watering hole demands conversation Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:57 AM PDT In the wilds of Africa, when it's time for a family of elephants gathered at a watering hole to leave, the matriarch of the group gives the "let's-go rumble." This behavior shows how this cognitively advanced species uses well-coordinated "conversations" to initiate cooperation within the group.

Manatees reflect quality of health in marine ecosystems, longterm study finds Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:54 AM PDT A longterm study conducted by researchers at George Mason University may be a benchmark in determining health threats to marine mammals. Over ten years of research in Belize was conducted studying the behavioral ecology, life history and health of manatees in an area relatively undisturbed by humankind.

Amazonian tribal warfare sheds light on modern violence, says anthropologist Posted: 02 Oct 2012 11:54 AM PDT In the tribal societies of the Amazon forest, violent conflict accounted for 30 percent of all deaths before contact with Europeans, according to a recent study by anthropologists. Understanding the reasons behind those altercations in the Amazon sheds light on the instinctual motivations that continue to drive human groups to violence, as well as the ways culture influences the intensity and frequency of violence.

Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral in the last 27 years Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:41 AM PDT The Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral cover in the last 27 years. The loss was due to storm damage (48%), crown of thorns starfish (42%), and bleaching (10%), according to a new study by researchers in Australia.

'Superweeds' linked to rising herbicide use in GM crops, study finds Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT The use of herbicides in the production of three genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops -- cotton, soybeans and corn -- has actually increased, according to a new study. This counterintuitive finding is based on an exhaustive analysis of publicly available data.

New antibiotic cures disease by disarming pathogens, not killing them Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:28 AM PDT A new type of antibiotic can effectively treat an antibiotic-resistant infection by disarming instead of killing the bacteria that cause it.

Prehistoric builders reveal trade secrets: Long-overlooked museum fossil is clue to vanished skills of prehistoric animal architects Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:23 AM PDT A fossil which has lain in a museum drawer for over a century has been recognized by a geologist as a unique clue to the long-lost skills of some of the most sophisticated animal architects that have ever lived on this planet.

Geofoam protects pipelines from earthquakes Posted: 02 Oct 2012 06:19 AM PDT Lightweight and stiff as a board, a plastic foam material is being used to protect Utah's natural gas pipelines from rupturing during earthquakes.

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