Mastodawn

RashaKamel Apr 12, 2025

"Researchers have demonstrated a link between urbanization and the plumage color of birds. Species that thrive in cities are less brown and sport more elaborate colors. These color differences are probably due to differences in habitat structure and predation pressure—cities are less forested, have different background colors and a lower number of avian predator species".

#urbanization #birds #cities #predators #colors #habitats
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-bird-species-urban-areas-brown.html

Bird species that do well in urban areas are more colorful and less brown, study finds

Researchers at the University of Granada and the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence have demonstrated a link between urbanization and the plumage color of birds. Species that thrive in cities are less brown and sport more elaborate colors. These color differences are probably due to differences in habitat structure and predation pressure—cities are less forested, have different background colors and a lower number of avian predator species.

Phys.org

RashaKamel Apr 4, 2025

"Storm forecasting is traditionally based on studying atmospheric conditions but ground-breaking research that also looks at land surface conditions is set to transform early warning systems in tropical regions. This will enable communities to better adapt to the destructive impacts of climate change".

#tropicalregions #climatechange #strom
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079339

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

Storm forecasting is traditionally based on studying atmospheric conditions but ground-breaking research that also looks at land surface conditions is set to transform early warning systems in tropical regions. This will enable communities to better adapt to the destructive impacts of climate change. The new study led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has shown that a large contrast in soil moisture levels over a range of hundreds of kilometres results in atmospheric changes that increase rainfall area and amount in several megastorm hotspots globally. This increase ranges from 10 to 30% depending on the region and size of the storm.

EurekAlert!

RashaKamel Apr 4, 2025

"Commonly called the “corpse flower,” Amorphophallus titanum is endangered for many reasons, including habitat destruction, climate change and encroachment from invasive species".

#amorphallustitanum #endangered #climatechange #habitat
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1078889

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Plant biologists examined records for nearly 1,200 individual corpse flower plants from 111 institutions around the world. The data and records were severely lacking and not standardized. Without complete information, conservationists were unable to make informed decisions about breeding their plants. Out of the plants studied, 24% were clones and 27% were offspring from closely related individuals. Low genetic diversity could lead to further endangerment and even extinction.

EurekAlert!

RashaKamel Apr 4, 2025

"Insects are the dominant form of animal life on our planet, providing humans and wildlife with pollination, food, and recycling services but, despite concerns about population declines, little is known about how 99% of species globally are faring".

#insects #decline #pollinators
https://phys.org/news/2025-04-insects-declining.html

Some insects are declining, but what's happening to the other 99%?

Insects are the dominant form of animal life on our planet, providing humans and wildlife with pollination, food, and recycling services but, despite concerns about population declines, little is known about how 99% of species globally are faring.

Phys.org

RashaKamel Mar 30, 2025

Carrie BK Mar 30, 2025

Black-necked Stilt

#blackneckedstilt #naturephotography #nature #birds #birders #birdwatchers #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #frogtown #DailyBird #BirdsOfPixelfed #BirdsOfMastodon #naturephotos #LAWildlife #losangeles #lariver

RashaKamel Mar 30, 2025

Bird of the day Mar 30, 2025

Koklass Pheasant

A large and timid partridge-like pheasant of high-to-mid-altitude forests. Males have a silver-plumed body, maroon breast stripe, white neck patch, and dark greenish-black head topped with a long crest that, when erect, gives it the profile of a startled rabbit. Females are streaky brown with a faded version of the male’s white patch and breast stripe; note her short crest, buffy eyebrow, white throat bordered by dark.

Link: https://ebird.org/species/kokphe1
Photo Location: India

Koklass Pheasant - eBird

RashaKamel Mar 24, 2025

"The musky rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus) weighs only 500 grams and looks a bit like a potoroo. It's part of a lineage that extends back to before kangaroos evolved their distinctive hopping gait.
Unlike their bigger relatives, muskies can be seen out and about during the day, foraging in the forest litter for fruits, fungi and invertebrates".

#muskyrat #kangaroo
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-kangaroo-doesnt-roos-evolved-quirky.html

Researches find the only kangaroo that doesn't hop—and it can teach us how roos evolved their quirky gait

In the remnant rainforests of coastal far-north Queensland, bushwalkers may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a diminutive marsupial that's the last living representative of its family.

Phys.org

RashaKamel Mar 24, 2025

"Freshwater ecosystems require adequate oxygen levels to sustain aerobic life and maintain healthy biological communities. However, both long-term climate warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of short-term heat waves are significantly reducing surface dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in lakes worldwide"

#ecosystems #globalwarming #freshwater #oxigination #aerobicorganism
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-climate-global-lake-deoxygenation.html

Climate warming and heat waves are accelerating global lake deoxygenation, study finds

Freshwater ecosystems require adequate oxygen levels to sustain aerobic life and maintain healthy biological communities. However, both long-term climate warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of short-term heat waves are significantly reducing surface dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in lakes worldwide, according to a study published in Science Advances.

Phys.org

RashaKamel Mar 24, 2025

"A forest with high tree-species diversity is better at buffering heat peaks in summer and cold peaks in winter than a forest with fewer tree species. This is the result of a study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University, and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU)".

#forest #biodiversity #heatpeaks #trees
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1077914

Tree diversity helps reduce heat peaks in forests

A forest with high tree-species diversity is better at buffering heat peaks in summer and cold peaks in winter than a forest with fewer tree species. This is the result of a study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University, and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The study was carried out in a large-scale planted forest experiment in China, and has been published in the journal Ecology Letters. It provides yet another argument for diversifying tree species in forests, especially under ongoing climate change.

EurekAlert!

RashaKamel Mar 21, 2025

"Freshwater ecosystems require adequate oxygen levels to sustain aerobic life and maintain healthy biological communities. However, both long-term climate warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of short-term heatwaves are significantly reducing surface dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in lakes worldwide, according to a new study"

#ecosystem #freshwater #heatwaves #globalwarming
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1077716

Climate warming and heatwaves accelerate global lake deoxygenation, study reveals

Freshwater ecosystems require adequate oxygen levels to sustain aerobic life and maintain healthy biological communities. However, both long-term climate warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of short-term heatwaves are significantly reducing surface dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in lakes worldwide, according to a new study published in Science Advances.

EurekAlert!