Articles tagged with Seasonal Changes
Researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that birds play a crucial role in protecting Neotropical forests by consuming leaf-eating insects. By eating caterpillars on leaves, birds drastically reduce damage to foliage, with average damage levels increasing by 86% where they could not reach.
Scientists investigated how day length affects soybean flowering, finding early flowering is more active and controlled by small developing leaves or buds. The study's results could help develop cultivars adapted to short growing seasons for northern Canadian soybean producers.
Archaeologists have uncovered a large storage bin with numerous seal impressions, indicating the presence of an elite population with special rights and elevated status. The findings suggest widespread trade and cultural exchange between western India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia during this period.
Prehispanic farmers in the southwest US employed ingenious strategies to overcome challenges like limited moisture and short growing seasons, including moving run-off water and using gravel mulch. They were able to extend frost-free periods and grow crops like cotton in marginal areas.
Researchers found that female Mexican Spotted Owls spent 60% less time on prey-handling activities with high hiking intensity. The study recommends protecting owl habitat during the nesting season by limiting hiking or establishing buffers around nest sites.
Archaeologist Walberg uncovers Late Bronze-Age tomb in Bamboula, yielding over 200 artifacts, including a rare jar containing unburnt human bones. The findings also shed light on the presence of dogs in ancient Greek society.
A NHTSA analysis shows that states without open-container laws experience more alcohol-involved fatal crashes. Four of every 10 highway fatalities involve alcohol, highlighting the need for better laws. Dr. Phillip Brewer calls on emergency physicians to advocate for stronger laws.
Researchers used radium isotopes to measure seasonal changes in groundwater supply, finding highest input in summer and lowest in winter. This study provides valuable data on groundwater supply, crucial for addressing increasing water demands.
The TRUST 2002 study found high resistance rates to penicillin (18.4%) and azithromycin (27.5%), but low levofloxacin resistance (<1%). Levofloxacin's minimal inhibitory concentrations did not correlate with those of other antibiotics.
Active mountains, despite constant uplift, do not get taller because of erosion forces balancing uplift and sediment transport. Researchers found that river erosion rates closely match the rate at which rocks move up, with abrasion by suspended particles doing most of the down cutting.
Researchers at TSRI have uncovered a mechanism by which plants adjust their flowering cycles to optimize productivity. By manipulating the timing of plant development, crops may be able to produce faster and more nutritious yields.
The TOPP program will track the movements of 15 species, including great white sharks and tuna fish, across immense Pacific Ocean areas. Scientists aim to understand migration patterns, diving behaviors, and ocean conditions affecting these marine animals.
Despite expected global warming impacts, a NASA study reveals an increase in Antarctic sea ice coverage, with the area lengthening by at least one day per year spanning around 5.6 million square kilometers.
Satellite observations show northern regions experiencing a 'greening' trend over the past two decades, with spring advancing by about a week and summer maximum leaf cover increasing. The LPJ model confirms this trend, attributing it to warming caused by climate change, while also highlighting other factors such as increased carbon dio...
Researchers found a strong relationship between climate event El Niño and outbreaks of Bartonellosis, an insect-borne disease highly fatal to humans. The study suggests that warming of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean is closely linked to the worst outbreaks, occurring one to three months after El Niño.
A new NASA study warns of increased winter flooding in California as global warming alters streamflow patterns. The study projects a drier growing season, with snowmelt-driven watersheds experiencing early streamflow increases and higher flood risks.
A new method significantly improves U.S. seasonal forecast accuracy by analyzing changes in sea surface temperatures across various ocean basins. The approach raises the bar for seasonal and inter-annual climate forecasts, with increases in predictability noted during spring and summer months.
A recent study by Ohio State University researchers found that palivizumab adherence is key to keeping babies virus-free. Among the surveyed families, those with higher perceptions of protection from palivizumab were more likely to adhere to the monthly dosing schedule. Conversely, children whose families had difficulty accessing healt...
A new study published in the Journal of Animal Science reveals that early weaning and high-energy diets can produce higher-quality beef with increased marbling and reduced waste fat. This approach may help cattle producers achieve consumer demand for leaner beef while reducing feed costs.
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography has developed a groundbreaking wildfire forecast for the western United States, using statistical methods to predict fire seasons and fuel availability. The 2001 forecast suggests a much milder wildfire season compared to 2000, which burned over 7 million acres and caused $1.6 billion in damage.
A new study on Lake Titicaca reveals dramatic changes in the lake's water level and precipitation patterns over the past 25,000 years. The research suggests that natural climate variability, including changes in Earth's orbit around the sun, may be influencing global climate change.
A Canadian Medical Association Journal article explores the pros and cons of Ontario's no-cost flu vaccine program, which aims to ease pressure on emergency services. Experts argue that while the program may be a step forward in influenza control, its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness are uncertain.
A study found that inactivated flu vaccine (TIV) was associated with lower health care visits and hospitalizations for pneumonia and influenza compared to the intranasal live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) among US military personnel. TIV may be more effective than LAIV in preventing morbidity in highly immunized adult populations.
Researchers used a new technique to analyze fossilized otoliths, revealing seasonal temperature records that led to the discovery of colder winters as the cause of the Eocene/Oligocene boundary mass extinction. This finding sheds light on the global-scale problem and provides new insights into climate change's impact on evolution and e...
A new study revealed that seasonal temperature changes, specifically colder winters, contributed to the Eocene/Oligocene mass extinction. Researchers analyzed otoliths from fish that survived the event, discovering a 4-degree Celsius drop in winter temperatures.
A new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study found six high school football players died from brain injuries in 1999. The deaths were attributed to improper tackling techniques and inadequate precautions, leading to a focus on coach education and player safety measures.
Scientists are using harmonic analysis on satellite images to study changes in vegetation during growing seasons and land use patterns. They can detect desertification, forest regeneration, and climate change by analyzing wave patterns and amplitude measurements.
A new study of borehole temperatures reveals that the 20th century was the warmest of the past five centuries, with Earth's temperature increasing about 1 degree Celsius since 1500. The analysis, which combined data from over 600 sites worldwide, found a greater warming trend in the Northern Hemisphere than previously estimated.
A study published in The Lancet found that El Nino increased diarrheal disease admissions by 200% in children from 1993-1998. Diarrhea causes one billion episodes and three million deaths annually in children under five worldwide, and the researchers estimate a significant increase in cases with each degree of temperature rise.
Avalanches claim over 150 lives worldwide each year, with Colorado leading the nation in fatalities. The state's steep terrain and unpredictable snowpack make it particularly hazardous for hikers, skiers, and snowboarders.
The Monitoring the Future study found that overall illicit drug use among American teens remained steady in 1999, with only modest changes in various drug categories. Inhalant use continued its gradual decline, while crack cocaine use decreased significantly among younger teens. Conversely, MDMA use increased among older teens.
Scientists have found that sea surface temperatures in Atlantic, Pacific, and Western Pacific oceans significantly impact rainfall patterns in the Amazon. Sea surface temperatures play a crucial role in predicting drought or floods in the region.
The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team predicts a moderate 2000 season with fewer storms than recent years. This is attributed to the La Niña phenomenon weakening by next season, which should reduce its enhancing effect on hurricane formation in the Atlantic Basin.
The Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington predicts significant climate changes in the NW region by 2050, including warmer temperatures, wetter winters, and shrinking snowpack. The report highlights the need for regional water management and planning to mitigate these impacts.
A CU study of ice-age sediment cores found that temperature fluctuations in the warm Atlantic Ocean were as large as those seen during the last ice age, raising concerns about future climate change. The research suggests that human-induced changes to ocean circulation could trigger global climate impacts.
Researchers analyzed fossilized eggshell samples to determine the impact of human activity on Australian ecology. They found that environmental factors other than climate have significantly influenced the continent over the past 65,000 years.
Researchers analyzed fossilized emu eggshells to create a continuous vegetation record from the Australian interior extending back 65,000 years. The evidence suggests human activity led to dramatic changes in vegetation and rainfall patterns, supporting the burning hypothesis.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified melatonin as a key hormone that regulates brain plasticity in songbirds. The study found that melatonin reduces overall volume of the high vocal center, a brain area involved in song production, despite exposure to artificial daylight hours.
The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team predicts a highly active 1999 hurricane season with landfall probabilities above average for the East Coast and Florida Peninsula. The team expects four major hurricanes with minimum winds of 111 mph, which historically cause most hurricane-spawned destruction.
A $500,000 grant will support research to develop methods for estimating the productivity of Pacific salmon stocks and improving pre-season forecasting. The goal is to help managers choose appropriate target numbers of spawners in response to changing environmental conditions.
A Colorado State University study found that warmer nights are extending the growing season, favoring cool-season grasses and weeds over native warm-season plants like blue grama grass. This shift could lead to a decline in blue grama, which is essential for the shortgrass steppe ecosystem.
The article explores how biotechnology is changing agriculture, including the use of transgenic crops and genetic engineering. While these technologies offer benefits like effective pest control, they also raise concerns about patenting life forms and potential problems with pest resistance.
The Colorado State University hurricane forecast team predicts 14 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 4 intense hurricanes for the 1999 season. The U.S. Atlantic coast has a higher probability of being hit by major storms, with the Gulf Coast facing an increased risk of landfall.
The 1998 hurricane season saw a significant increase in storm frequency and intensity, with three hurricanes and four tropical storms making landfall along the US coastline. The season was attributed to warming ocean temperatures and changes in atmospheric circulation patterns.
A numerical analyst developed a math model with algorithms to distribute Seattle Mariners' season tickets fairly among a group of friends. The technique uses mixed-integer programming to satisfy diverse requests and preferences, achieving 46.7% success rate in assigning top-ranked games.
A study by Columbia University biologist Ayako Yamaguchi found that male and female cardinals can distinguish each other's songs, with males learning from females and females from males. As birds grow, their songs change due to hormonal fluctuations, suggesting a unique process of vocal development.
Salmon returns have fallen short of expectations in Alaska, with declines attributed to natural ocean cycles and potential regime shifts. Scientists attribute the changes to shifts in phytoplankton species composition and plankton abundance.
University of Wisconsin Medical School researchers found that two connected brain structures control the way light affects rodent sleep activity, separate from the biological clock. The structures are part of the visual system and can override normal circadian rhythms with acute lighting changes.
Scientists will present evidence that global change exacerbates wildfires in the Mediterranean region by increasing air temperature, reducing precipitation, and altering landscape patterns. The study finds that water stress increases plant flammability, making conditions more favorable for wildfires in regions like Valencia, Spain.
Experimental data suggests that elevated CO2 may not stimulate agricultural yield as much as previously thought, with potential losses due to temperature increases and increased pest pressure. Computer models are being used to simulate the effects of climate change on crop yields in various regions.
African climate has abruptly turned from wet to dry in short time spans, every 1,500 years, according to Columbia University paleoclimatologist Peter deMenocal. This cycle matches a pattern of abrupt changes in the North Atlantic region and points to a persistent, naturally occurring cycle of climate change.
A University of Colorado researcher proposes that ancient Aboriginals' systematic burning of vegetation may have altered the Australian monsoon, leading to the continent's arid interior desertification. The study suggests that human activity had a significant impact on the climate and ecosystems.
A new study has confirmed that the Earth's surface temperature has increased by about 1 degree C over the last five centuries, with the majority of this warming happening in the last 100 years. The study used data from 300 underground boreholes across four continents to find a global average temperature increase since 1900.
Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison found that shifting tropical Atlantic monsoons and increased solar radiation led to a wetter Sahel region, driving vegetation growth and increasing rainfall. This study promises to improve computer models used for climate predictions.
A recent study found that five football players died in the 1996 season, with four resulting from brain injuries and one from a blow to the chest. Additionally, nine young men were permanently paralyzed, including six high school players, due to head injuries or heatstroke.
A new study analyzes US hurricane damage data, normalizing for inflation, coastal population increase, and wealth. It finds that landfalling hurricanes in the 1940s-1960s would have produced over $10 billion in damages if they struck today, contradicting claims of climate change causing recent damage increases.
A research team at Colorado State University predicts that the 1997 hurricane season will be above average, with 11 tropical storms expected to form. The team expects seven of these storms to become hurricanes, with three becoming major hurricanes, which cause 75% of all storm-spawned damage.
A half-million-year record of ostracodes shows that biodiversity declines during glacial periods and increases during interglacial periods. Global climate change may further affect the richness of life on Earth beyond habitat degradation.
Researchers have discovered that changing as few as six genes can rapidly change the pattern of spots on a butterfly's wings, leading to new species formation. This study provides insight into the genetic and molecular basis of animal evolution, seasonal variation, and geographical separation.
The U.S. National Science Foundation is supporting over 145 Antarctic investigations this season, focusing on carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean, deicing dynamics of sea life, archea ecology, UV-B impact on terrestrial plants, and drilling an ice dome in West Antarctica.