ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Human influence on climate clear, IPCC report says
• Biologists confirm role of sperm competition in formation of new species
• New gut bacterium discovered in termite's digestion of wood
• Wildlife face 'Armageddon' as forests shrink
• Antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments: A call to action
• Methane Out, Carbon Dioxide In?
• First long temperature reconstruction for the eastern Mediterranean based on tree rings
• Microbes facilitate the persistence, spread of invasive plant species by changing soil chemistry
• Future sea level rises should not restrict new island formation in the Maldives

Human influence on climate clear, IPCC report says Posted: 27 Sep 2013 06:23 AM PDT Human influence on the climate system is clear. This is evident in most regions of the globe, a new assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes. It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. The evidence for this has grown, thanks to more and better observations, an improved understanding of the climate system response and improved climate models.

Biologists confirm role of sperm competition in formation of new species Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:50 PM PDT Female promiscuity -- something that occurs in a majority of species, including humans -- results in the ejaculates from two or more males overlapping within her reproductive tract. When this happens, sperm compete for fertilization of the female's eggs. In addition, the female has the opportunity to bias fertilization of her eggs in favor of one male's sperm over others.

New gut bacterium discovered in termite's digestion of wood Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT When termites munch on wood, the small bits feed a community of microbes living in their guts. In a process called acetogenesis, some of these microbes turn the hard, fibrous material into a nutritious meal for the termite host. Researchers have now discovered a previously unidentified bacterium -- living on the surface of a larger microorganism in the gut -- that may be responsible for most gut acetogenesis.

Wildlife face 'Armageddon' as forests shrink Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:31 AM PDT Species living in rainforest fragments could be far more likely to disappear than was previously thought, says an international team of scientists. In a study spanning two decades, the researchers witnessed the near-complete extinction of native small mammals on forest islands created by a large hydroelectric reservoir in Thailand.

Antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments: A call to action Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:29 AM PDT Antibiotic resistant (ABR) pathogens are an emerging, critical human health issue. ABR has been found in soils dating back for millennia. Current research illustrates the need for considering natural, background resistance in soils in any scientific study examining the effects of antibiotics on the environment.

Methane Out, Carbon Dioxide In? Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Researchers have found that the Marcellus Shale geological formation in Pennsylvania has the potential to store roughly 50 percent of the U.S. carbon dioxide emissions produced from stationary sources between 2018 and 2030.

First long temperature reconstruction for the eastern Mediterranean based on tree rings Posted: 26 Sep 2013 10:16 AM PDT For the eastern Mediterranean, an exactly dated time series of almost 900 year length was established, exhibiting the medieval warm period, the little ice age between the 16th and 19th century as well as the transition into the modern warm phase.

Microbes facilitate the persistence, spread of invasive plant species by changing soil chemistry Posted: 26 Sep 2013 10:16 AM PDT Invasive species are among the world's greatest threats to native species and biodiversity. Once established, invasive plants can alter soil chemistry and shift nutrient cycling in an ecosystem, impacting not only plant composition, diversity, and succession within a community, but also in the cycling of critical elements like carbon and nitrogen on a much larger scale. Could changes in soil biogeochemistry be due to an advantage that invasive plants get from interacting with their microbiome?

Future sea level rises should not restrict new island formation in the Maldives Posted: 26 Sep 2013 09:34 AM PDT The continued accumulation of sand within the iconic ring-shaped reefs inside Maldivian atolls could provide a foundation for future island development new research suggests. Islands like the Maldives are considered likely to be the first to feel the effects of climate change induced sea level rise, with future island growth essential to counter the threat of rising sea levels.

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