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New markers of climate change
July 13, 2005A new way to monitor the effects of climate change on rainforests is being investigated at Cambridge University. Researchers are using biomarkers in the shape of epiphytes ('air-plants' which grow on other plants) to find out how their photosynthesis and water evaporation have been affected by climate change over the last 50 years.
Using types of epiphytes known as bromeliads, Monica Mejia-Chang from Professor Howard Griffiths' lab in Cambridge has been measuring the levels of two stable isotopes, 13C and 18O in the organic material and leaf-water of the plants. These isotopes accumulate in the plant over time and are indicators of photosynthesis and water evaporation, respectively. Because the plants are subjected to conditions such as fog and high rainfall, the levels of these two isotopes can be matched against the changing environments to which the plants have been exposed. If successful, these plants could be used as bioindicators of climate change throughout the tropics.
Monica will be presenting her work at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting in Barcelona, on Wednesday 13th July [session P9.30].
Society for Experimental Biology
Society for Experimental Biology
Climate Change Current Events and Climate Change News RSSMost US organizations not adapting to climate change
Organizations in the United States that are at the highest risk of sustaining damage from climate change are not adapting enough to the dangers posed by rising temperatures, according to a Yale report.
Rivers are carbon processors, not inert pipelines
Microorganisms in rivers and streams play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle that has not previously been considered.
Foretelling a major meltdown
By discovering the meaning of a rare mineral that can be used to track ancient climates, Binghamton University geologist Tim Lowenstein is helping climatologists and others better understand what we're probably in for over the next century or two as global warming begins to crank up the heat - and, ultimately, to change life as we know it.
Ice beetles impacted by climate change
In the summer of 1968, Dave Kavanaugh set off on a hike that would change the course of his life. As a second-year medical student at the University of Colorado, he had joined a climbing club with a few members of the biophysics department, and the group had set their sights on Gray's Peak-the ninth highest mountain in Colorado.
Estrogen therapy could be dangerous for women with existing heart risk
Hormone therapy could accentuate certain pre-existing heart disease risk factors and a heart health evaluation should become the norm when considering estrogen replacement, new research suggests.
Ocean growing more acidic faster than once thought
University of Chicago scientists have documented that the ocean is growing more acidic faster than previously thought. In addition, they have found that the increasing acidity correlates with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Getting Warmer? Prehistoric Climate Can Help Forecast Future Changes
The first comprehensive reconstruction of an extreme warm period shows the sensitivity of the climate system to changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels as well as the strong influence of ocean temperatures, heat transport from equatorial regions, and greenhouse gases on Earth's temperature.
Sea level rise alters bay's salinity
While global-warming-induced coastal flooding moves populations inland, the changes in sea level will affect the salinity of estuaries, which influences aquatic life, fishing and recreation.
The Flash Before the Flood
Flash floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States, and because of their unpredictability they're the leading weather-related cause of death for Americans.
Global warming predictions are overestimated, suggests study on black carbon
A detailed analysis of black carbon -- the residue of burned organic matter -- in computer climate models suggests that those models may be overestimating global warming predictions.
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