ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Traditional Medicine: Environment change threatens indigenous know-how
• Missing monsoon lead to 'years without a summer'
• We will fight them with mosquitoes: Historical evidence of biological weapons research in Nazi Germany
• Why did the orangutan come down from the trees?
• Fossil teeth shows that environment, as well as diet, may impact dental wear
• Reindeer counteract certain effects of climate change
• Geophysicist teams with mathematicians to describe how river rocks round
• Ancient settlements and modern cities follow same rules of development
• Whales viewed from space: Satellite technology can be used to count whales
• Ancient reptile birth preserved in fossil: Ichthyosaur fossil may show oldest live reptilian birth
• Debilitating effects of disease on toy dog breeds uncovered
• US Southwest irrigation system facing decline after four centuries
• Relocating 'nuisance' animals often unhealthy for wildlife
• Valentine's Day! Chocolate 101
• Solving an evolutionary puzzle: Atlantic killifish thriving in highly polluted water
• Meeting the eye-witnesses of ocean change
• Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel
• Investigating the fiber of our being: How our gut bacteria metabolize complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables
• Madagascar sells first forest carbon credits to Microsoft
• Genome of clonal raider ant provides promising model to study social evolution and behavior
• New species of Oak hidden away in the greenery of Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary
• Weather changes may be linked with stroke hospitalization, death
• Concentrating solar power: Similar values in two technologies
• Lost and found: New beetle collected by Darwin 180 years ago published on his birthday
• Icing wind tunnel blows cold and hard to study ice on wings, turbine blades
• Genomes of Richard III and his proven relative to be sequenced

Traditional Medicine: Environment change threatens indigenous know-how Posted: 13 Feb 2014 07:35 AM PST Traditional medicine provides health care for more than half the world's population, but no one has really looked at how the environment affects traditional medicine. Studying 12 ethnic groups from Nepal biologists found that plant availability in the local environment has a stronger influence on the make-up of a culture's medicinal floras. This means that the environment plays a huge role in shaping traditional knowledge. This is very important, especially when you think of the risks that these cultures are already facing.

Missing monsoon lead to 'years without a summer' Posted: 13 Feb 2014 07:34 AM PST Why do cold, rainy summers in Europe follow intense volcanic eruptions in the tropics? A research team may have found the answer: volcanic emissions in the atmosphere block sunlight and can thereby affect the amount of precipitation in other parts of the world.

We will fight them with mosquitoes: Historical evidence of biological weapons research in Nazi Germany Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:51 AM PST Scientist finds historical evidence of biological weapons research in Nazi Germany. Researchers came to the conclusion that, although a major entomological institute was established to combat insect-borne diseases such as typhoid, it also carried out research into whether mosquitoes -- which host malaria -- could be used in biological warfare.

Why did the orangutan come down from the trees? Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:51 AM PST Orangutans come down from the trees and spend more time on the ground than previously realized -- but this behavior may be partly influenced by humans, a new study has found.

Fossil teeth shows that environment, as well as diet, may impact dental wear Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:50 AM PST Researchers have established that pits and scratches on the teeth of mammal fossils give important clues to the diet of creatures that lived millions of years ago. A new study of dental microwear on shrews suggests that environment may impact teeth, as well.

Reindeer counteract certain effects of climate change Posted: 13 Feb 2014 05:40 AM PST One of the consequences of a warmer climate can be that lowland and southern plants migrate higher up in the mountains. Ecologists now show that reindeer, voles and hare can prevent these invasions.

Geophysicist teams with mathematicians to describe how river rocks round Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:37 PM PST For centuries, geologists have recognized that the rocks that line riverbeds tend to be smaller and rounder further downstream. But these experts have not agreed on the reason these patterns exist. Abrasion causes rocks to grind down and become rounder as they are transported down the river. Does this grinding reduce the size of rocks significantly, or is it that smaller rocks are simply more easily transported downstream? A new study has arrived at a resolution to this puzzle.

Ancient settlements and modern cities follow same rules of development Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:37 PM PST Recently derived equations that describe development patterns in modern urban areas appear to work equally well to describe ancient cities settled thousands of years ago, according to a new study.

Whales viewed from space: Satellite technology can be used to count whales Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:37 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated how new satellite technology can be used to count whales, and ultimately estimate their population size. Using Very High Resolution satellite imagery, alongside image processing software, they were able to automatically detect and count whales breeding in part of the Golfo Nuevo, Peninsula Valdes in Argentina.

Ancient reptile birth preserved in fossil: Ichthyosaur fossil may show oldest live reptilian birth Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:37 PM PST Ichthyosaurs were giant marine reptiles that evolved from land reptiles and moved to the water. Scientists report a new fossil specimen that belongs to Chaohusaurus (Reptilia, Ichthyopterygia), the oldest of Mesozoic marine reptiles that lived approximately 248 million years ago. The partial skeleton was recovered in China and may show a live birth.

Debilitating effects of disease on toy dog breeds uncovered Posted: 12 Feb 2014 03:35 PM PST A new study has identified the specific effect Chiari malformation has on the shape of a dog's skull and brain. This condition has become prevalent as a result of selective breeding and affects many toy dog breeds which have been bred to look more doll-like, including Griffon Bruxellois, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chihuahuas and their crosses.

US Southwest irrigation system facing decline after four centuries Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:44 PM PST Communal irrigation systems known as acequias that have sustained farming villages in the arid southwestern United States for centuries are struggling because of dwindling snowmelt runoff and social and economic factors that favor modernism over tradition, a new study finds.

Relocating 'nuisance' animals often unhealthy for wildlife Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:43 PM PST The long-distance relocation of nuisance animals may appear to benefit both people and wildlife, but often the animals end up dead. Research suggests such human/animal conflicts are best solved with short-distance relocations instead.

Valentine's Day! Chocolate 101 Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:43 PM PST Here's a brief look at where chocolate comes from, nutritional information, how it's made, and the ingredients that make chocolate – whether milk, dark or white – a memorable treat.

Solving an evolutionary puzzle: Atlantic killifish thriving in highly polluted water Posted: 12 Feb 2014 11:46 AM PST For four decades, waste from nearby manufacturing plants flowed into the waters of New Bedford Harbor -- an 18,000-acre estuary and busy seaport. The harbor, which is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals, is one of the EPA's largest Superfund cleanup sites. It's also the site of an evolutionary puzzle that researchers have been working to solve.

Meeting the eye-witnesses of ocean change Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:29 AM PST Scientists are developing a model that links ecosystem changes triggered by ocean acidification and climate change with their economic and societal consequences.

Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:28 AM PST Plastic shopping bags, an abundant source of litter on land and at sea, can be converted into diesel, natural gas and other useful petroleum products, researchers report. The conversion produces significantly more energy than it requires and results in transportation fuels -- diesel, for example -- that can be blended with existing ultra-low-sulfur diesels and biodiesels.

Investigating the fiber of our being: How our gut bacteria metabolize complex carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:28 AM PST We are all aware of the health benefits of dietary fiber. But what is dietary fiber and how do we metabolize it? Researchers begun to uncover how our gut bacteria metabolize the complex dietary carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables. Trillions of bacteria live in human intestines -- there are about ten times more bacterial cells in the average person's body than human ones. Known as "microbiota," these bacteria have a vital role to play in human health: they are central to our metabolism and well-being.

Madagascar sells first forest carbon credits to Microsoft Posted: 12 Feb 2014 10:26 AM PST The Government of Madagascar has approved carbon sales with Microsoft and its carbon offset partner, The CarbonNeutral Company, and Zoo Zurich.

Genome of clonal raider ant provides promising model to study social evolution and behavior Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:28 AM PST The genome of clonal raider ant provides a promising model to study social evolution and behavior.

New species of Oak hidden away in the greenery of Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:26 AM PST Scientists describe a new species of Stone Oak uncovered amidst the astonishing biodiversity of the Ton Pariwat Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand. The new species is distinguished by its uniquely shaped acorns and is endemic not only for Thailand but at the moment there are no other records known outside the heart of this wildlife sanctuary.

Weather changes may be linked with stroke hospitalization, death Posted: 12 Feb 2014 08:25 AM PST Stroke hospitalization and death rates may be associated with changes in environmental temperature and dew point. Large daily temperature changes and higher average dew points may be linked with higher stroke hospitalizations.

Concentrating solar power: Similar values in two technologies Posted: 12 Feb 2014 06:33 AM PST Parabolic troughs and dry-cooled towers deliver similar value for concentrating solar power plants, despite different solar profiles, a new report has found.

Lost and found: New beetle collected by Darwin 180 years ago published on his birthday Posted: 12 Feb 2014 06:33 AM PST On Feb. 12, Darwin's birthday, scientists name a long lost new beetle genus and species after him to commemorate the legacy of the father of evolution. The beetle was collected by Charles Darwin in 1832 in Argentina during the Beagle's voyage. The specimen was considered lost for many years until it was rediscovered recently in the Natural History Museum, London.

Icing wind tunnel blows cold and hard to study ice on wings, turbine blades Posted: 12 Feb 2014 06:31 AM PST Engineers have refurbished an icing wind tunnel and are using it to study ice buildup on aircraft wings and wind turbine blades. A better understanding of the icing problems could lead to better solutions.

Genomes of Richard III and his proven relative to be sequenced Posted: 12 Feb 2014 04:49 AM PST The genomes of King Richard III and one of his family's direct living descendants are to be sequenced.

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