Newswise Feature Channel: Nature

Simulations Predict How Pesticides May Affect Honeybee Colonies

American Chemical Society (ACS) — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 10:55:03 EST

Researchers in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology demonstrate that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system combined with a computer model can link the exposure of neonicotinoid pesticides on individual honeybees to the health of the whole colony.

Woodrats' Immunity to Snake Venom Changes with the Weather

University of Utah — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 17:55:29 EST

Woodrats are basically desert superheroes, able to eat toxic plants and survive rattlesnake bites. But researchers from the University of Utah and University of Michigan have found their venom resistance drops when it's cold.

In Remote Tanzania, Research Expedition Uncovers Critically Endangered Species and Paves the Way for Country's First-Ever Offshore MPA

Wildlife Conservation Society — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 16:50:36 EST

A first-of-its-kind research expedition to Latham Island has unveiled one of Tanzania's most ecologically significant marine ecosystems, with thriving seabird colonies, critically endangered sharks, and climate-resilient coral reefs.

UAlbany Launches Student-Run Tree Nursery to Improve Urban Forests

University at Albany, State University of New York — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 10:00:34 EST

Ahead of Earth Day, the University at Albany announced funding for a new student-run tree nursery that will help boost climate resilience and urban forestry in the region.

Study Shows Mammals' Daily Schedules More Varied Than Thought

Texas A&M AgriLife — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:45:47 EST

Historical beliefs of mammals' daily activity periods may not hold true -- especially in regions seeing increased human development, according to a global study.

First Caribbean 'Dirt Ant' Found in 16-Million-Year-Old Amber

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:55:43 EST

Wherever there's dirt there's bound to be ants, but one particular group is so adept at blending in with the ground that they hold the name "dirt ant" (Basiceros) all to themselves. ...

Gorillas in Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park Scratch the Ground for Truffles, Not for Insects as Long Assumed

Wildlife Conservation Society — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:05:27 EST

A scientific paper recently published reveals that soil scratching by gorillas in Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park is a foraging strategy to access a species of deer truffle, identified as Elaphomyces labyrinthinus, and not insects, as long assumed.

You Can Heal More Wounds with Honey

Universite de Montreal — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:20:58 EST

UdeM pharmacy professor Simon Matoori has reviewed studies on the therapeutic properties of honey in the treatment of both acute and chronic wounds.

Satellite Mapping of European Forest Fuels Aids Wildfire Prediction

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:10:16 EST

Satellite data and artificial intelligence, researchers have mapped two crucial forest fire risk indicators--canopy base height (CBH) and canopy bulk density (CBD)--with an impressive resolution of 100 meters. These detailed maps play a pivotal role in fire behavior modeling, enabling better strategies for wildfire mitigation in an era of escalating fire risks driven by climate change. The study holds particular significance for regions prone to extreme fire events, providing a new approach to fire prevention and managements.

Tropical Bounty: How Forests Can Turn Into Chemical Factories

Washington University in St. Louis — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:05:11 EST

A new study led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden has uncovered a surprising layer of diversity in tropical forests.

New Study Finds Research Bias in the World of Fancy Birds

Cornell College — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 08:00:19 EST

In the newly published study, "Six-decade research bias towards fancy and familiar bird species," a team of researchers studied nearly 300 North American species of passerines and near-passerines.

Bunnies for Biodiversity

University of Rhode Island — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 18:55:16 EST

University of Rhode Island animal science and technology majors are working on conservation efforts for the imperiled New England cottontail rabbit, considered a vulnerable species in the region because of their decreasing population. The students are helping efforts at Providence's Roger Williams Park Zoo.

How a New Drone System May Transform Next-Gen Ecology Research

Ohio State University — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 18:50:50 EST

A new autonomous drone system could provide ecologists with deeper insights into animal behavior in the wild, a study suggests.

A Subatomic Challenge Resolved: Supercomputer Calculations Produce the First Accurate Theoretical View of the Sigma Meson

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 18:30:46 EST

The sigma meson exists only for a fleeting moment before decaying into a pair of pions, making it hard to study. Nuclear physicists recently combined modern supercomputer calculations with more traditional theoretical tools to study the sigma meson, producing the first accurate theoretical view of the sigma as a system of quarks and gluons. This will aid in understanding the role the sigma meson plays in proton-neutron interactions and other phenomena.

Tuskan Awarded Marcus Wallenberg Prize, Forestry's Top Honor

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:15:04 EST

Gerald Tuskan, director of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, and a Corporate Fellow at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been awarded the Marcus Wallenberg Prize, the world's highest honor in the field of forestry, for his pioneering work in sequencing and analyzing the first tree genome.

Innovative Partnerships Advancing Ocean Observations

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 20:15:34 EST

An initiative between Cargo marine vessel (MV) Oleander, WHOI and ASU BIOS is contributing to ocean observations and data collection, and offering peer-reviewed data. Since the 1970s, scientific equipment has been mounted on three different container ships operating consecutively on the "Oleander Line," which runs between New Jersey and Bermuda, resulting in decades of scientific data. The newest MV Oleander came into service in 2019, and is now providing regular water column, sea surface, and atmospheric measurements. The project is a part of WHOI's Science RoCs (Research on Commercial Ships) initiative, which aims to equip many more commercial vessels with sensors to measure physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the ocean along the world's major shipping routes.

Scarlet Macaw Chicks Get a Helping Hand from Humans Before Being Released into the Wild

Wildlife Conservation Society — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:10:23 EST

Scarlet macaws in Mesoamerica are highly threatened by poaching and habitat loss. In Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve, only a few hundred remain.

Alpine Craftsmanship Inspires New Materials

Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:00:26 EST

Traditional shingle production has inspired researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich to develop new types of wood-based panels made from split wooden sticks. Thanks to an AI-optimized process, these panels should be suitable for load-bearing components in the future - even if produced from lower-quality wood and tree trunks.

Hidden Forces Shape Plants From the Inside Out

Universite de Montreal — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:30:27 EST

UdeM scientists use a combination of experimental data and modelling to reveal how physical forces help plants to generate their complex 3D shapes.

Spring Break is Fire for Students Conducting Prescribed Burns in Georgia

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:05:09 EST

Students from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) chose to spend spring break in Georgia, engaging in prescribed burns -- a forestry management practice that involves intentionally setting fires to promote forest health, support wildlife biodiversity, and increase resilience to future wildfires.