ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Genetic analysis saves major apple-producing region of Washington state
• Acoustic monitoring of Atlantic cod reveals clues to spawning behavior
• Computer simulations yield clues to how cells interact with surroundings
• When a gene is worth two: Same gene fulfills different biological roles in plants
• Invasive species: Understanding the threat before it's too late
• Peru surprises with two new amazing species of woodlizards
• Long-term water quality trends in near-pristine streams
• A milestone for new carbon-dioxide capture/clean coal technology
• How does the price of cheese influence perceptions of wolves?
• Hunting for meat impacts on rainforest, fruit tree seed dispersal
• Becoming a parent: Brain changes that underlie transition from aggressive to parental behavior in male mice described
• 'Kill Bill' character inspires the name of a new parasitoid wasp species
• Can a tropical water flea invade European lakes?

Genetic analysis saves major apple-producing region of Washington state Posted: 23 Mar 2013 12:29 PM PDT A genetic analysis has saved a major apple-producing region of Washington state.

Acoustic monitoring of Atlantic cod reveals clues to spawning behavior Posted: 23 Mar 2013 12:29 PM PDT For decades researchers have recorded sounds from whales and other marine mammals, using a variety of methods including passive acoustic monitoring to better understand how these animals use sound to interact with each other and with the environment. Now, for the first time, researchers report using this technology to record spawning cod in the wild.

Computer simulations yield clues to how cells interact with surroundings Posted: 22 Mar 2013 02:43 PM PDT Scientists have developed a computer model of a protein that helps cells interact with their surroundings. Like its biological counterpart, the virtual integrin snippet is about twenty nanometers long. It also responds to changes in energy and other stimuli just as integrins do in real life. The result is a new way to explore how the protein connects a cell's inner and outer environments.

When a gene is worth two: Same gene fulfills different biological roles in plants Posted: 22 Mar 2013 12:41 PM PDT The notion that each gene can only codify for a single protein has been challenged for some years. Yet, the functional outcomes that may result from genes encoding more than one protein are still largely unknown. Now, botanists have discovered a gene -- ZIFL1 -- that produces two different proteins with completely distinct locations and functions in the plant.

Invasive species: Understanding the threat before it's too late Posted: 22 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT Catching rides on cargo ships and fishing boats, many invasive species are now covering our shorelines and compromising the existence of our native marine life. Scientists have examined what factors allow some invasive species to survive in their new environments and others to fail.

Peru surprises with two new amazing species of woodlizards Posted: 20 Mar 2013 08:52 AM PDT Two new beautifully coloured woodlizard species from the genus Enyalioides have been discovered during expeditions to the unexplored jungles of Cordillera Azul National Park in the Peruvian Andes. Woodlizards Enyalioides are represented by as little as ten currently recognized species that occur on both sides of the Andes.

Long-term water quality trends in near-pristine streams Posted: 20 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT For the first time, a study has compared water quality trends in forested streams across the U.S. that are largely undisturbed by land use or land cover changes.

A milestone for new carbon-dioxide capture/clean coal technology Posted: 20 Mar 2013 06:54 AM PDT An innovative new process that releases the energy in coal without burning -- while capturing carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas -- has passed a milestone on the route to possible commercial use, scientists are reporting. Their study describes results of a successful 200-hour test on a sub-pilot scale version of the technology using two inexpensive but highly polluting forms of coal.

How does the price of cheese influence perceptions of wolves? Posted: 20 Mar 2013 06:51 AM PDT Relationships between humans and wolves are often linked to conflicts with livestock breeding activities. Contrary to a widespread belief among western environmentalists, these conflicts don't only occur only in western countries, even though their intensity often appears lower in other places. Indeed, in many countries, livestock breeding activities have been dealing with wolves for centuries and rural societies have developed paths to coexistence through protection of livestock and control of wolf populations.

Hunting for meat impacts on rainforest, fruit tree seed dispersal Posted: 20 Mar 2013 06:48 AM PDT Hunting for meat in the African rainforests has halved the number of primates. However, the hunting also has other negative consequences. The decline in the number of primates causes a reduction in the dispersal of seed by the primates, and this leads to a reduction in the numbers of important fruit trees and changes to the rainforest.

Becoming a parent: Brain changes that underlie transition from aggressive to parental behavior in male mice described Posted: 19 Mar 2013 05:20 PM PDT Sexually naïve male mice respond differently to the chemical signals emitted by newborn pups than males that have mated and lived with pregnant females, according to a new study. The findings may help scientists to better understand the changes that take place in the brains of some mammals during the transition into parenthood.

'Kill Bill' character inspires the name of a new parasitoid wasp species Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:43 AM PDT Three new parasitoid wasp species from the genus Cystomastacoides have been described from Thailand and Papua New Guinea. A character from Tarantino's "Kill Bill", a supernatural murder mystery novelist, and the fatal end of the wasp's host inspire the names of the new species, referring to their deadly biology. The paper offers a first record of the host and a considerable expansion of the genus range.

Can a tropical water flea invade European lakes? Posted: 19 Mar 2013 09:42 AM PDT Daphnia lumholtzi is a small crustacean that lives in the tropics. This plankton-like creature is also an invasive species in North America -- and so far, it has never been detected in Europe's lakes and ponds. A possible invasion in Europe is examined in a recent paper.

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