Feds designate southwest Alaska shoreline as protected habitat for threatened sea ottersOctober 7th, 2009 Feds give sea otters habitat protection in AlaskaANCHORAGE, Alaska — Four years after being placed on the Endangered Species List, the dwindling sea otters of southwest Alaska on Wednesday were given an important recovery tool. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated nearly 5,900 square miles as critical habitat for sea otters in the Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea and Alaska Peninsula.
Strategy outlined for growing bioenergy while protecting wildlifeOctober 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that careful planning, together with the use of feedstocks from perennial-dominated prairie, could minimize the adverse effects of expanding bioenergy use on wildlife. The study, described in the October issue of BioScience identifies diverse native prairie as holding promise for yielding bioenergy feedstocks while minimizing harm to wildlife.
Animals can take advantage of emerging habitat resulting from climate changeAugust 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists have found that elephant seals traveled surprisingly far when ice retreated from part of the Antarctic mainland about 7500 years ago, indicating that the animals may be able to take advantage of emerging habitat resulting from climate change. According to a report in ABC Science, researchers found that despite their rapid relocation, the enormous animals multiplied remarkably quickly, and when the ice returned a few thousand years later, they returned to their original habitat 2500 kilometers away.
New energy-efficient method could revolutionize production of biofuelsAugust 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists has developed a more energy-efficient method of chemical separations that could revolutionize processes in the petrochemical and biofuels industries. The method has been developed by a team of researchers, led by chemical engineering and materials science professor Michael Tsapatsis in the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology.
2008 China earthquake destroyed 23 percent of the pandas' habitatJuly 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists have shown that when the magnitude 8 Sichuan earthquake struck southern China in May 2008, more than 23 percent of the pandas' habitat was destroyed in the area. The Sichuan region is designated as one of 25 global hotspots for biodiversity conservation.
Report: Pandas face uncertain future because of earthquake damage in SW ChinaJuly 27th, 2009 Pandas face uncertain future after China quakeBEIJING — About 35 pandas at a reserve in southwestern China face an uncertain future after nearly a quarter of their habitat was destroyed by last year's powerful earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people, according to a study published Monday. Large parts of Sichuan province — where most of the world's remaining wild pandas live — were devastated by the massive May 12 earthquake, which sent landslides crashing into river valleys and leaving 5 million homeless.
New technologies essential to make conversion of biomass to biofuels more cost-effectiveJuly 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has determined that new technologies are essential to make the conversion of biomass to biofuels more cost-effective. The study was conducted by Dr.
'Hotspots' of human impact on coastal areas rankedJuly 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has ranked 'hotspots' among coastal marine ecosystems that are at risk worldwide as a result of human activities. The study, by scientists at UC (University of California) Santa Barbara, US, is the first integrated analysis of all coastal areas of the world.
Seals quickly respond to gain and loss of habitat under climate changeJuly 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has indicated that seals can quickly respond to gain and loss of habitat under climate change. The study was conducted by an international research team, including post-doctorate Dr Mark de Bruyn and collaborators from the US, South Africa and Italy, led by Professor Rus Hoelzel from the School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University.
Forest fire prevention efforts can add to greenhouse warmingJuly 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Forestry researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have said in a new report that widely sought efforts to reduce fuels that increase catastrophic fire in Pacific Northwest forests will be counterproductive to another important societal goal of sequestering carbon to help offset global warming. The study showed that even if the biofuels were used in an optimal manner to produce electricity or make cellulosic ethanol, there would still be a net loss of carbon sequestration in forests of the Coast Range and the west side of the Cascade Mountains for at least 100 years - and probably much longer.
Biofuels may be used to clean up Chernobyl 'badlands'June 29th, 2009 LONDON - Belarus, a country affected much by the fallout of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986, is planning to grow biofuels to make its soil fit to grow food again within decades rather than hundreds of years. The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union.
Agriculture on the way 'up' for next 10 yearsJune 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has indicated that despite certain uncertainties, 'up' is precisely the direction an Iowa State researcher believes agriculture is headed for at least the next 10 years. Wally Huffman, professor in agricultural economics and Charles F.
Developing biofuels as alternative to imported oil may damage water resourcesJune 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at Rice University have warned that the US must be careful that the new emphasis on developing biofuels as an alternative to imported oil takes into account potential damage to the nation's water resources. "The ongoing, rapid growth in biofuels production could have far-reaching environmental and economic repercussions, and it will likely highlight the interdependence and growing tension between energy and water security," according to a report titled "The Water Footprint of Biofuels: A Drink or Drive Issue?"
The report, written by Pedro Alvarez, the George R.
Alterations in bird songs linked to habitat changeJune 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An American study has found a link between alterations in bird songs and the rapid change in the surrounding habitat. Elizabeth Derryberry, a behavioural ecologist and post-doctoral researcher at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, says that she has studied this phenomenon since her time as a graduate student at Duke University, where she discovered tapes from ornithologist Luis Baptista.
Reducing gasoline emissions will benefit human healthMay 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that shown that a biofuel eliminating even 10-percent of current gasoline pollutant emissions would have a beneficial impact on human health. While the focus of a shift from gasoline to biofuels has been on global warming, such a shift could also impact human health.
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