What’s the best way to survive if you get lost in the wilderness?
Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were lost in the wilderness with no way of getting back, no water, and no shelter? Read More
Future storms will likely permanently alter tropical forests
Hurricane Maria wiped out more trees than any known storm, taking out mostly older trees that were thought to be resistant to storms. According to the study authors, the damage may be a warning of similar events to come. The researchers determined that Maria killed twice as many trees and broke more than three times as many trunks compared to previous storms. The species that suffered the worst from Maria, with breakage rates up to 12 times those of the other hurricanes, were valuable hardwoods that had a history of being the most resilient to major storms. These giant trees offer specialized habitats for many birds and other animals that smaller trees do not provide. Read More
Neanderthal tooth offers clues to ancient paleo diet
Thanks to a Neanderthal tooth, anthropologists now know a lot more about what humans’ ancient cousins ate. And they definitely weren’t vegetarians, the tooth revealed. “These new compound-specific isotope measurements confirm earlier interpretations of Neanderthal diets as being composed of mainly large herbivores, although of course they also consumed other foods such as plants.” Read More
Where did all of these stink bugs come from?
I visited the uninhabited attic room in my childhood home and the floors were carpeted with dead stink bugs that had failed to make their way outdoors after their hibernations in previous years. They weren’t always botanical pillagers. They once lived in relative harmony with their fellow creatures. In their native Asia, where they range through China, Korea, and Japan, they are kept in check by parasitic wasps. While they are pests there, their depredations are not nearly so severe. It was when they voyaged across the Atlantic and settled in North America that their rapacious tendencies really blossomed. Up to 90% of stink bug eggs are parasitized where the wasp’s range overlaps with that of the stink bug in their native habitat. Agricultural Research (ARS) scientists discovered the miniature wasp, hardly bigger than a period, in the stink bug’s native Asian range. Predaceous insects native to or already well-established in North America may be having an effect as well. Praying mantises—originally from the BSMB’s native China—have been observed eating them and so have some spiders. Some birds, too, have been seen gobbling up them up. This may explain the fact that populations are declining in some of their East Coast strongholds. Cold winters, too, may have taken out some of the insect mercenaries. Read More
Exploring the Connections between the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico
Learn about how the Mississippi River Delta interacts with swimming animals and nutrients as well as how hurricanes influence hypoxia through our interactive graphic. Read More
Exposure to nature is tied to huge educational benefits for kids
Experts find that spending time in nature improves health development and educational achievement in children. Read More
How mako sharks can swim as fast as 80 miles per hour
Mako sharks can zip through the water at estimated speeds of 70 to 80 miles per hour, making them the “cheetahs of the ocean.” Read More
Eco-friendly choices don’t compensate for environmental harm
The experts suggest that we treat our relationship with the environment like a social exchange, believing that environmentally friendly behavior can compensate for harmful behavior. Read More
Female fish delivers offspring after eggs are fertilized inside of her
Although this accidental find revealed a vanishingly rare phenomenon, it might help us to understand an important change throughout the tree of life. Read More
Harness the power of wetlands to tackle climate change
Coastal wetlands, including mangroves and coral reefs, absorb the shock and reduce the impact of storm surges and tsunamis on coastal communities. Healthy coral reefs - an estimated 90 percent of which will die off with a global warming of 1.5°C - provide double the protection of dead reefs. Read More
