Articles tagged with Ecological Modeling
University of Michigan researchers developed a statistical method to give a more complete sense of human ancestry. The Gaia algorithm estimates an individual's genetic ancestors, identifies their average location based on movement assumptions, and tracks it back over centuries.
Crop mapping uses satellite imagery to create accurate crop type maps in various regions. The research team trained machines to recognize crops from satellite images, achieving high accuracy rates. However, models pre-trained on general image datasets performed better than those pre-trained on satellite images.
A study led by Evan Gora found that Dipteryx oleifera trees can survive direct lightning strikes with minor damage, while other trees are badly damaged. The researchers discovered that these trees tend to have fewer lianas and are more likely to gain an advantage in competing for light and space after being struck by lightning.
A new study suggests that easing L.A.'s outdated tree planting rules could significantly grow the city's urban tree canopy without compromising safety. By relaxing restrictions near intersections, utility poles, gas lines, and other infrastructure, tree coverage in lower-income neighborhoods like Boyle Heights could increase by up to 26%.
The new Individual-based Ecology journal publishes its first articles, offering a fresh perspective on how individual organisms and ecological systems dynamics are linked. The journal focuses on individual-based perspectives in ecology, complementing other ecological disciplines.
Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution develop a novel approach to assess extinction risk for emperor penguins, revealing they meet criteria for Vulnerable to Endangered under IUCN guidelines. This change highlights the elevated risk emperor penguins face due to future changes in their Antarctic habitat.
A recent study refines Siberia's land cover data using machine learning techniques, revealing a high-precision map that enhances climatic predictions. The new dataset improves assessments of carbon flux and ecosystem changes, providing essential insights for climate scientists.
A comprehensive analysis of butterfly data in the US found that butterfly abundance fell by 22% between 2000 and 2020. The study, led by Eliza Grames at Binghamton University, examined data from over 12.6 million butterflies across the continental US.
A new study suggests that artificial intelligence can effectively detect wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, using satellite imaging and deep learning. The technology achieved a 93% success rate in training models via datasets of images with and without wildfires.
A new study by UNSW researchers predicts the heat tolerance of 60% of the world's amphibian species, revealing that 2% are already exposed to overheating in shaded terrestrial conditions. A 4°C global temperature increase could push 7.5% of species beyond their physiological limits.
Researchers propose a new biological hypothesis that combines tree dispersal modes and mycorrhizal types to explain the latitudinal variation in forest biodiversity. Advanced spatial analysis techniques reveal a negative aggregation–abundance relationship, stronger in temperate forests, which is linked to animal seed dispersal and myco...
Soil microbial diversity decreases in alpine pioneer community degradation, while ecosystem functions initially increase before declining. Fungal communities are more vulnerable to environmental changes than bacterial ones.
A team of scientists has developed a new method to monitor undersea sediment flows, allowing them to track the longest-runout sediment flows ever recorded. The study reveals that turbulent mixing with seawater influences the behavior of these powerful canyon-flushing turbidity currents over long distances.
A new remote sensing algorithm enhances lake ecological management and controlling eutrophication by providing a more accurate tool for assessing lake health. The algorithm overcomes traditional limitations by considering the entire water column, resulting in more comprehensive assessments of algal biomass.
A new method developed by Osaka Metropolitan University accurately predicts housing prices in Osaka City, with neighborhood perception being a key factor. The approach achieves nearly 75% accuracy by combining existing property data with machine-learning-processed street view images.
A new study from the University of Illinois explores how differences in ownership motivation affect willingness to control invasive plants and pests. The research suggests that providing subsidies to the weakest link, such as recreationist landowners, can optimize the effect of control efforts and reduce costs.
A new bioenergetic model reveals that sea ice loss and feeding limitations are the primary drivers of a ~50% polar bear population decline since the mid-1990s. The study's findings have implications for conservation efforts, suggesting that individual energetic constraints can shape population-level outcomes.
A new study reveals that India's successful tiger recovery is driven by factors such as protection, prey availability, peace, and prosperity. The country has managed to double its tiger population since 2010, thanks in part to the establishment of protected areas and conservation efforts.
Researchers introduce 'fitness centrality,' a faster method to identify crucial elements in any network, with practical applications in supply chains, ecological conservation, and cybersecurity. The approach streamlines analysis, making it practical for vast networks.
A three-year project aims to proactively ensure circularity of solar panels by providing solutions to barriers throughout the supply chain. The team will develop reverse logistics models and next-generation data-driven supply chains for recycling solar panels and reusing critical materials like silicon and silver.
Neuromorphic computing is poised to emerge into full-scale commercial use, driven by the need for energy-efficient solutions. The review article proposes strategies for building large-scale neuromorphic systems that can tackle complex real-world challenges.
A Politecnico study proposes a global model that optimizes agricultural and water resources, making the EAT-Lancet diet a sustainable possibility. The model suggests crop redistribution and trade flow improvements could reduce global cropland by 37-40% and irrigation water use by 78%.
The study utilizes infrared spectroscopy and a machine-learned protocol to map spectroscopic fingerprints to atomistic structures. The authors demonstrate the accuracy of their network in predicting local atomistic structures and energetic variations, enabling the tracking of dynamic C–C coupling on Cu surfaces.
The Ecological Peace Corridors concept aims to connect fragmented protected areas across international borders, promoting cooperation and minimizing disputes over resources. By leveraging artificial intelligence and zoning systems, these corridors could foster peacebuilding before conflicts escalate or in post-conflict efforts.
Mayo Clinic is developing foundation models with Microsoft Research and Cerebras Systems to personalize patient care, accelerating diagnostic time and improving accuracy. These multimodal models integrate radiology images and genomic sequencing data to transform clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Researchers developed a cutting-edge method leveraging Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) to predict mesozooplankton community dynamics and visualize their interactions. The study achieved remarkable improvements in forecasting accuracy by integrating inter-series relationships and temporal dependencies among input-variables.
Long-term drainage increases bound OC% in non-Sphagnum wetlands due to reactive metal oxides, but decreases it in Sphagnum wetlands. This mechanism helps compensate for lost unbound SOC components in non-Sphagnum wetlands.
Physicists at MIT have devised a formula predicting which invasive species will succeed in an ecosystem, based on analysis of soil bacteria. The researchers found that population fluctuations are key to invasion success, and that diversity can either help or hinder the invader.
Research integrating natural archive data and modelled atmospheric mercury deposition reveals ecosystem responses to Hg input. Ecosystems like lake sediments exhibit trends similar to atmospheric Hg deposition, while ice and marine sediments show less pronounced responses.
Environmental heterogeneity consistently increases pathogen virulence and infectivity. Modest variations in local conditions can lead to up to 40% higher evolved virulence compared to homogeneous metapopulations.
A French research team has developed a method to manage animal-vehicle collisions by deploying camera trap networks and leveraging artificial intelligence and ecological modeling. The approach simulates animal movements, identifies collision hotspots, and estimates species abundance, providing a map of collision risk.
Researchers found that giraffes prefer flat terrain and avoid steep slopes of more than 20° due to energy requirements and risk of falling. This limits their access to habitats in protected reserves, with nearly half of Namibia's habitat being unusable for giraffes.
Researchers found that soil contains antibiotic resistance genes that can be transmitted to humans, making it a pressing public health threat. The study reveals how these genes spread through the environment and highlights the importance of understanding soil ecosystems to control antibiotic resistance.
A hybrid method links bottom-up behaviors and top-down causation in a single theory to capture interactions between small-scale behaviors and system-level properties in disturbed systems. The approach has been tested in examples such as post-fire forest ecosystems and pandemics, predicting ecological patterns and system dynamics.
A new AI model, Spherical DYffusion, can predict climate patterns over 100 years in just 25 hours, making it 25 times faster than the state of the art. The model uses generative AI and physics data to achieve this breakthrough, reducing the need for supercomputers.
Researchers confirm oil presence in Mauritius mangrove forest close to Ramsar conservation sites, three years after MV Wakashio spill. The oil has undergone weathering and biodegradation, but its ongoing presence poses an unknown risk to the sensitive ecosystem.
Researchers at Uppsala University developed a mathematical model to understand how seabird species coexist on isolated islands. The model shows that different species use distinct fishing zones, maximizing energy intake based on traits like wing length and diving depth.
A team of researchers analyzed historical marking data from the Discovery Marking Program to investigate Antarctic blue whale population structure. They found frequent mixing among ocean basins, indicating a single circumpolar population. This study provides valuable insights into the conservation of this endangered species.
A new study reveals that European forests before modern humans arrived were dominated by light woodland and open vegetation. Hazel, oak, and yew thrived in these dynamic ecosystems, providing a diverse mix of habitats.
Researchers developed an innovative automated wildlife camera network to monitor species in a Dutch coastal dunes nature reserve. The system, which combines autonomous cameras, wireless data transmission and AI-driven species identification, has been shown to be cost-efficient and efficient, providing new insights into the habitat use ...
A new crowdsourcing system, FireLoc, uses a network of low-cost mobile phones to detect wildfires minutes—even seconds—after they ignite. The system prioritizes privacy and accurately maps wilderness fires to within 180 feet of their origin.
The John Innes Centre, LMU Munich, and Leiden University have secured €8.3m in funding to study circadian rhythms in non-photosynthetic bacteria, which could have significant implications for human health and the environment. The project aims to understand the properties and ecology of biological clocks across a new kingdom of life.
A computer modeling study found that glacial isostatic adjustment caused downward movements in the eastern US, while upward movements occurred in eastern Canada, contributing to relative sea-level rise. The research will help generate maps for aquifer management and inform decisions on sea-level rise impacts.
Researchers develop model to calculate ideal learning rate based on environmental change and life cycle. The optimal pace of learning increases in the same way regardless of environmental changes, suggesting a generalizable phenomenon underlying learning in various ecosystems.
A Colombian research team introduced transformative mapping techniques using community science data and innovative modeling to create detailed maps of bird species distribution across Colombia. These maps showcase the country's biodiversity, particularly in understudied regions like the Andean-Amazon transition zone.
A new parasite, Pachysentis canicola, has been discovered on the Channel Island fox, causing severe intestinal damage and inflammation in infected individuals. The study highlights the importance of biosecurity in the Channel Islands National Park and underscores the impact of human activity on isolated ecosystems.
The COP16 policy brief recommends implementing FAIR data principles to enhance biodiversity monitoring. This approach enables standardization of indicators, streamlined reporting, and improved global tracking.
A collaborative research team introduced a new approach to sustainable development in arid river basins through a Grey Fractional Multi-Objective Programming (GFMOP) model. The study found that improving water use efficiency can reduce carbon emissions while safeguarding the environment.
A new study reveals that mountainous regions played a key role in human evolution, providing increased biodiversity and food resources. The Diversity Selection Hypothesis suggests that early humans adapted to steep terrain due to its enhanced environmental conditions.
The SAGA Survey has found that the Milky Way Galaxy appears to be an outlier in terms of its satellite galaxies, having acquired only two large satellites recently compared to other systems. The survey also explores the mechanisms that would stop star formation in these small galaxies, finding that environmental factors play a role.
A recent FAU study reveals that mesophotic corals can replenish declining shallow reef populations with strong genetic connectivity between shallow and deep zones. The research suggests that deeper corals could be a key source of genetic diversity for shallow reefs, providing valuable opportunities for recovery and restoration efforts.
A new study reveals that palaeolithic hunter-gatherers on Cyprus are responsible for the disappearance of two species of megafauna: dwarf elephants and hippos. The research suggests that these small human populations could have driven both species to extinction due to their hunting practices.
Pioneer plants facilitate other plant species through resource sharing, while also benefiting from the interaction. Over time, as more species grow, competition increases, and pioneers become disadvantaged.
A systematic review of pharmacogenomics clinical decision support systems found that e-health tools can help integrate personalized medicine into everyday clinical practice. However, current implementation is limited, particularly in non-US healthcare systems.
A Mayo Clinic team developed a computational tool that analyzes the gut microbiome with at least 80% accuracy. The Gut Microbiome Wellness Index 2 identifies subtle changes in gut health, enabling proactive health indicators and potential prevention of chronic diseases.
Researchers found that stock assessments have often been overly optimistic, with a third of sustainably fished stocks classified as overfished. They call for simpler models and greater use of the precautionary principle to protect fish stocks.
Researchers found that floating objects can reach Antarctic waters from more sources than previously thought, threatening the continent's unique ecosystems. Non-native marine species can colonize Antarctica by catching a ride on kelp, driftwood, and plastic debris.
A new study led by Dartmouth researchers questions the rapid polar ice collapse model used in the IPCC's sixth assessment report. The team found that the expected rate of retreat is significantly lower than predicted, making the worst-case scenario less likely, but still dire due to ongoing ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica.
Research by University of Queensland reveals that Australian environmental laws are inadequate in stopping high rates of tree clearing for agriculture and development. The study found that 75% of cases in Queensland were exempt from assessment under the state's main vegetation management law, leading to severe deforestation rates.
Researchers analyzed nighttime light data to assess power restoration rates in urban and rural areas, finding disparities between socioeconomic status and community type. The study highlights the need for targeted policy solutions to address these disparities and improve disaster recovery.