Ecosystems


EPA to Protect Water Quality in Appalachian Communities from Mountaintop Mining

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released final guidance on Appalachian surface coal mining, designed to ensure more consistent, effective, and timely review of surface coal mining permits under the Clean Water Act and other statutes.

Wildfires Ignite Issues of Land Management and Public Trust in Agencies

The wildfires currently raging in the southwestern United States bring issues of land management into the public eye. Land management actions, such as prescribed fire, grazing, herbicides, felling trees and mowing, can restore native plants and reduce wildfire. However, the public’s view of land management and their trust in land management agencies can pose another obstacle.

New Study Explores Using Oceans and Lakes as Renewable Energy Resources

As the demand for energy increases worldwide, the search for renewable and viable sources of power intensifies.

Toxicologists Find Deepwater Horizon Crude Less Toxic to Bird Eggs After Weathering at Sea

After collecting weathered crude oil from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers at Texas Tech University have reported that only 8 to 9 percent coverage on the shells of fertilized mallard duck eggs resulted in a 50 percent mortality rate.

How the Honey Bee Tolerates Some Synthetic Pesticides

A new study reveals how enzymes in the honey bee gut detoxify pesticides commonly used to kill mites in the honey bee hive.

Social Gamers Plant 25,000 Real Trees with the Click of a Button

Ecotopia players proved social games can have a real-world impact, having planted 25,000 trees in-game in 25 days, in response to the Plant a Real Forest Challenge issued by independent games studio Talkie last month.

The Coast Guard's Arctic Agenda Heats Up

If regions were given hospitality rankings, the Arctic would fall somewhere between zero and below zero. Temperatures can plunge to −60 degrees Farenheit, and winds can exceed 75 mph. Half the year, skies are black, making icebergs dangerous obstacles.

NASA's Aura Satellite Measures Pollution 'Butterfly' from Fires in Central Africa

Fires raging in central Africa are generating a high amount of pollution that is showing up in data from NASA's Aura Satellite, with the ominous shape of a dark red butterfly in the skies over southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Angola.



Camp Company Fined $38,000 for Filling Wetlands in North Carolina

Camp Clearwater Enterprises Inc. will pay $38,000 for illegally filling wetlands on its property in White Lake, N.C., in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

Shrinking Greenland Glacier Grew Rapidly During Cooler Times

Large, marine-calving glaciers have the ability not only to shrink rapidly in response to global warming, but also to grow at a remarkable pace during periods of global cooling, according to University at Buffalo geologists working in Greenland.

Greenstar Recycling Helps Houston Lead Green Job Economy Growth

A new study by two of the nation’s top consulting organizations that demonstrates Houston’s impressive record at creating environmentally responsible “green jobs” helps spotlight the contributions of Greenstar Recycling.

Earthquake Soil Effects Study Could Improve Buildings

The findings were reported in a special issue of the Earth, Planets and Space (EPS) journal. The research was sponsored the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC).

Snow Leopard Population Discovered in Afghanistan

The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of northeastern Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, according to a new study.

Rising Above The Recycling Decline

The United States is lagging behind other countries when it comes down to overall recycling efforts. As the world’s largest trash producing country at 1,609 pounds of trash per person, per year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it raises questions why the land of opportunity isn’t taking advantage of its position to help reduce some of the Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions.

2011 ‘Dead Zone’ Could Be Biggest Ever

Researchers from Texas A&M University have returned from a trip to examine the scope and size of this year’s “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico and have measured it at about 3,300 square miles, or roughly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Some researchers anticipate it becoming much larger.

Wood Products Part of Winning Carbon Emissions Equation

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to grow, so forests have long been proposed as a way to offset climate change.

EPA Urges Residents of Joplin, Mo., to Keep Tornado Debris Segregated

As the process of recovering from the May 22 tornado in Joplin, Mo., nears the end of its eighth week, EPA Region 7 is urging residents and cleanup crews to keep residential storm debris segregated into six categories to speed curbside collection efforts.

Loss of Top Animal Predators Has Massive Ecological Effects

In the Science journal, a review paper titled, “Trophic Downgrading of Planet Earth,” concludes that the decline of large predators and herbivores in all regions of the world is causing substantial changes to Earth’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Tsunami Airglow Signature Could Lead to Early Detection System

Researchers at the University of Illinois have recorded an airglow signature in the upper atmosphere produced by a tsunami using a camera system based in Maui, Hawaii.

The Future of Cover Crops

Winter cover crops are an important component of nutrient cycling, soil cover and organic matter content. Although its benefits are well documented, cover crop use in farming systems is relatively low.