ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

New research reveals that 44 percent of Earth's land area -- some 64 million square kilometers (24.7 million square miles) requires conservation to safeguard biodiversity.

Global warming has a particularly pronounced impact on the Alpine region. Like the Arctic, this European mountain range is becoming greener. Researchers have now used satellite data to show that vegetation above the tree line has increased in nearly 80% of the Alps. Snow cover is also decreasing, albeit so far only slightly.

Medical researchers have found that Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, or FMT, is an optimal cost-effective treatment for first recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection.

They click. They whistle. They love seafood. They are New York City's nearshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that return to feed in local waters from spring to fall each year, and a team of scientists is tracking them.

The AREDS2 dietary supplement formula not only reduces risk of lung cancer due to beta-carotene, but is also more effective at reducing risk of AMD progression, compared to the original AREDS formula.

Some behaviours that are crucial to survival appear to be hard-wired, meaning that they occur without previous experience. For example, many prey organisms naturally know how to escape to safety from perceived threats. However, it is also important for an organism to learn about the world and adapt to its ever-changing circumstances. How does the nervous system enact such flexible decisions over a lifetime?

Analysis of long-term monitoring data for almost 1,500 species in Finland shows that four decades of climate change has led species to shift between the 'better' and 'worse' parts of their climatic niches, and that these impacts were most pronounced at higher latitudes.

If you need another reason to start the day drinking a cup of joe, a recent study has revealed that consuming at least one cup of coffee a day may reduce the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) when compared to those who do not drink coffee.

Giant kelp forests around the world have struggled to stay healthy in recent decades, with some vanishing altogether. But along Patagonia's rugged southwestern coast, giant kelp are thriving, showing remarkable stability for almost 200 years. New research suggests frequent marine cold spells could help keep kelp happy.

Soon, electric passenger ferries skimming above the surface across the seas may become a reality. A research team has created a unique method for further developing hydrofoils that can significantly increase the range of electric vessels and reduce the fuel consumption of fossil-powered ships by 80 per cent.

Scientists have come up with a new classification scheme for mountain belts that uses just a single number to describe whether the elevation of the mountain belt is controlled mainly by weathering and erosion or by properties of the Earth's crust, i.e., the lithospheric strength and tectonic forces.

Modern humans are characterized by their prosociality, a broad term that encompasses intraspecies empathy, social tolerance, cooperation and altruism. These facets of social cognition have been associated with variations in the oxytocin and vasotocin genes (OT and VT) and their receptors (OTR and VTR).To shed light on the genetic basis of this behavior, scientists carried out a new study comparing the available genomic sequences of these genes between modern humans, non-human primate species (e.g., chimpanzees, bonobos, and macaques) and archaic humans, using all the available genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans.

To prevent the worst outcomes from climate change, the U.S. will need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in the next eight years. Scientists from around the nation have developed a blueprint for success.

Tobacco hawkmoths can distinguish crucial from irrelevant odors in a complex odorous mixture to locate food sources and host plants for laying their eggs.