ScienceDaily: Earth & Climate News

Precipitation more than temperature influenced the distribution of herbivorous dinosaurs in what is now Alaska, according to new research. The finding discusses the distribution of hadrosaurids and ceratopsids -- the megaherbivores of the Late Cretaceous Period, 100.5 million to 66 million years ago.

Engineers have developed a high-performance nanowire catalyst that pulls ammonia and solid ammonia (fertilizer) from nitrate, a common contaminant in industrial wastewater and polluted groundwater.

Scientists reveal that different corals and environments influence the likelihood of their survival when ocean temperatures rise. The findings also demonstrate that advanced remote sensing technologies provide an opportunity to scale-up reef monitoring like never before.

A new study describes a period of rapid global climate change in an ice-capped world much like the present -- but 304 million years ago. Within about 300,000 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels doubled, oceans became anoxic, and biodiversity dropped on land and at sea.

For the last decade, biologists have documented a worrying decline in insect abundance, which some fear may prelude an arthropod apocalypse. These studies, however, are primarily carried out in temperature regions while the tropics, which harbor the vast majority of insect species, largely remains a black box. In a new study, biologists turn to the aid of park rangers in Ecuador's Yasuní National Park -- considered one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet -- to assess changes to insect abundance.

Tree-ring, ice core and volcano experts teamed up to identify one of the most climatically impactful volcanic eruptions in 4,000 years -- Aniakchak II. In the process, they narrowed down potential dates for the Thera volcano eruption.

Geophysicists have developed a method that allows them to investigate the composition of the Earth with better results.

By quantifying the seed production of more than 700 trees species worldwide and how each species' productivity can vary by location, two new studies can help boost the success of efforts to replant and restore forests after devastating wildfires, droughts or other disturbances. The studies, which synthesize data on species from the tropics to subarctic regions, are the first to quantify global patterns in tree seed production.

The absence of large herbivores after the extinction of the dinosaurs changed the evolution of plants. The 25 million years of large herbivore absence slowed down the evolution of new plant species. Defensive features such as spines regressed and fruit sizes increased. The research has demonstrated this using palm trees as a model system.

Scientists have developed a tracking system that can be attached to monarch butterflies and transmit data about their location all throughout their three-month migratory journey south.

Study of Campanula americana supports strengthening conservation efforts in glacial refugia areas because of their high genetic diversity. Conservation of those areas in the southern Appalachians and the Gulf Coast has implications for other areas of the country.

Climate change is already affecting plants and animals worldwide and is a growing threat to biodiversity, adding a new layer to the existing challenges of habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, and overexploitation. A new study surveyed the recommendations of scientists for managing biodiversity in the face of climate change, providing a summary of practical guidance and identifying areas in need of further research.

Seagrasses play an important role in our climate. They are one of the most efficient sinks of carbon dioxide on Earth. A team of scientists now reports that seagrasses release large amounts of sugar, largely in the form of sucrose, into their soils -- worldwide more than 1 million tons of sucrose, enough for 32 billion cans of coke. Such high concentrations of sugar are surprising. Normally, microorganisms quickly consume any free sugars in their environment. The scientists found that seagrasses excrete phenolic compounds, and these deter most microorganisms from degrading the sucrose. This ensures that the sucrose remains buried underneath the meadows and cannot be converted into CO2 and returned to the ocean and atmosphere.

A recent study provides insights for developing climate-smart conservation strategies by looking at the global network of protected areas, evaluating potential for shifts in where plants and animals occur due to climate change. Findings point to the need for strategic conservation plans that transcend international borders to protect at-risk species.

When it comes to fixing carbon, plants have nothing on soil bacteria that can do it 20 times faster. The secret is an enzyme that 'juggles' reaction ingredients. Scientists hope to optimize this process for producing fuels, antibiotics and other products from CO2.

Researchers have shown that exposure to endocrine disruptors during pregnancy can lead to medium and long-term health problems for both the mother and the fetus. They conducted an exhaustive review of the literature on more than a dozen of the most common endocrine disruptors (EDs), as well as several whose effects are less well-known.

An innovation interface tailors 3D-printed reefs to their marine environment and may curb reef devastation plaguing global coral ecosystems.