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Toxic Algae Expected at Lake Erie, Potentially Worst Ever
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on July 17th, 2015
Nature World: Summer is upon us, and that means one frightening truth for those living around the Great Lakes; soon, their water will start turning disturbing greens, browns, and reds. Soon, signs will start appearing at your favorite watering holes that advise against swimming. And for Lake Erie, the worst harmful algae bloom (HAB) ever measured might be right around the corner.
So what exactly is a HAB? Every summer freshwater cyanobacteria (aka: blue-green algae), and related saltwater "Red Tides" approach...
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World’s Most Iconic Ecosystems May Collapse Under Climate Change
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on March 21st, 2015
Nature World: Researchers warn that without better local management, some of the world's most iconic ecosystems may collapse under climate change.
It is well known that corals in the Great Barrier Reef, for example, are diminishing due to ocean acidification, and that the Amazon rainforest has been suffering from drought over the last decade. But in order to combat such climate change-related threats, we need to reduce the other pressures they face - for example, overfishing, fertilizer pollution or land clearing....
Deadly Frog Fungus Invades Madagascar
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on March 2nd, 2015
Nature World: A deadly fungus which has been ravaging amphibian populations across the world has somehow found its way to the isolated island of Madagascar, according to new surveys. And that's the stuff of nightmares for conservationists, as the island happens to be countless frog species, 99 percent of which can be found nowhere else in the world.
A study, recently published in the journal Nature details how the fatal fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) seems to have first appeared in the Madagascar...
Finding Farmland: Global Maps Help Fight Hunger
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on January 19th, 2015
Nature World: With the world growing increasingly warmer, experts have estimated that we are actually due to gain a great deal of farmland, even if the crop yield that that land could see may actually decrease. However, finding this land so that it can quickly be put to use remains a challenge. Now, two new global maps may provide some help in the search for fresh farmland.
The maps were released today in the journal Global Change Biology, and offer two types of data that experts argue is essential for the...
China’s Great Green Wall is Holding the Desert Back
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on December 15th, 2014
Nature World: China's arid north is slowly being invaded by its own desert, which is the source of growing dust storms and nearly useless land. To fight it, they are planting whole forests - a living wall of hearty trees to keep the desert at bay... and it's working.
That's at least according to a study recently published in the journal Land Use Policy, which details how China's "Great Green Wall" has helped shelter the country from dust storms while simultaneously helping to reintroduce vegetation into the...
23 New Species Wait for Endangered Species Act Protection
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on December 10th, 2014
Nature World: The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently released a new appraisal of plant and animal status, naming 23 new species that have been added to the list of candidates for Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection.
With these latest additions, there are now 146 different species that could get ESA protection in the near-future. However, it's important to note that being on this list does not necessarily mean that the named plants and animals are in immediate danger. Instead, it simply...
Australian Dredging Threatens Great Barrier Reef and Wetlands
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on November 13th, 2014
Nature World: Last September, conservationists were thrilled to see the Australian government rescind its plans to dump sediment from dredging into Great Barrier Reef waters. Now however, it has been revealed that four more dredging projects near the reef are still likely to occur, and sediment from these digs could still be dumped within the greater World Heritage Area.
The dredging in question is part of a consortium for port expansion along Australia's northeastern coast to help facilitate the export of...
Groundwater Crisis is Driving Global Conflict
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on November 8th, 2014
Nature World: With rising drought conditions and spiking populations, the world is becoming a very thirsty place. Now, one NASA researcher is highlighting the concerns of a great many experts, claiming that not only is the world facing a water crisis, but this crisis is a main but little-considered driver to violence in our world.
Violent protests, uprisings, militias, civil war - all have very obvious and very understandable political drivers in the world's most unstable countries. However, did it ever strike...
Invading Bullfrogs March Down the Yellowstone River
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on October 3rd, 2014
Nature World: Bullfrogs are bullying their way up the Yellow Stone River, invading the floodplains of Montana, according to a new study. And experts are saying that this may be one of the hardest invasions to fight. In most of the country, and even the world, amphibians are on the decline. Favoring wet marshlands, elevating temperatures and intense drought conditions are eliminating areas where these delicate creatures can mate and raise their offspring. However, the American bullfrog is one amphibian who didn't...
Converting Forests to Cropland Actually Cooled the Planet
Posted by Nature World: Brian Stallard on September 11th, 2014
Nature World: Researchers have recently discovered that over the last 150 years, the conversion of forests into cropland has actually resulted in a small amount of global cooling. These results underscore the overall complexity of the climate change issue.
According to a study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change, large-scale forest losses that have occurred over the last 150 years have actually reduced global emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) - agents that aid the...