What climate change means for leaf litter
The carbon dioxide coming from some of Earth's tiniest residents may not be increasing as quickly as some believed in the face of global climate change.
View ArticleScientists go out on a limb to study tree-climbing land snails
Land snails are generally believed to be ground-dwelling creatures, preferring dark and humid places, like the forest floor, or a suburban garden. So why do we find some species of snails in the tops...
View ArticleA 'bionic leaf' could help feed the world
In the second half of the 20th century, the mass use of fertilizer was part of an agricultural boom called the "green revolution" that was largely credited with averting a global food crisis. Now, the...
View ArticleEcology team finds leaf litter has slower decomposition rate in warm...
The time it takes for a leaf to decompose might be the key to understanding how temperature affects ecosystems, according to Kansas State University ecologists.
View ArticleLeaping lizards: Research tests the limits of gecko adhesion
Many geckos inhabit trees, often living high in the canopy. Relying on their incredible adhesive strength to help them break their fall, they jump from trees, and land on either leaves or relatively...
View ArticleLitter bugs may protect chocolate supply
Those who crave brownies or hot cocoa may be happy to hear that heroes too small to be seen may help to protect the world's chocolate supply. Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute...
View ArticleResearchers find corn gene conferring resistance to multiple plant leaf diseases
Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a specific gene in corn that appears to be associated with resistance to two and possibly three different plant leaf diseases.
View ArticleWho's afraid of the giant African land snail? Perhaps we shouldn't be
The giant African land snail is a poster child of a global epidemic: the threat of invasive species. The snails are native to coastal East Africa, but are now found across Asia, the Pacific and the...
View ArticleMangroves vital for environmental decontamination
Grey mangrove trees, Avicennia marina, filter heavy metals out of the surrounding soil and water. A new study from Indonesia has found that their leaf litter accumulates the most copper, followed by...
View ArticleThe key to drought-tolerant crops may be in the leaves
A solution to help farmers to grow crops in dry areas or during stretches of drought may depend on breeding and cultivating plants that protect themselves with a thicker layer of leaf wax, a new study...
View ArticleLeaf sensors can tell farmers when crops need to be watered
Plant-based sensors that measure the thickness and electrical capacitance of leaves show great promise for telling farmers when to activate their irrigation systems, preventing both water waste and...
View ArticleFrost risk predicts leaf size worldwide
Why is a banana leaf a million times bigger than a common heather leaf? And why are leaves generally much larger in tropical jungles than in temperate forests and deserts?
View ArticleNew research unlocks the mystery of leaf size
Why is a banana leaf a million times bigger than a common heather leaf? Why are leaves generally much larger in tropical jungles than in temperate forests and deserts? The textbooks say it's a balance...
View ArticleNissan adds range to cheaper Leaf, but new drivers are key
Nissan's new Leaf electric car will go farther on a charge and has a new type of drive technology and the possibility of single-pedal driving. It will also be cheaper, though the world's top-selling...
View ArticleImage: ESA's Large European Acoustic Facility
ESA's Large European Acoustic Facility (LEAF) will be on view to visitors at next month's ESA Open Day in the Netherlands, along with other facilities in the establishment's Test Centre.
View ArticleAuxin drives leaf flattening
The vast majority of higher plants use leaves to harvest solar energy. A common feature of leaves is their flat blades. Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology in Beijing...
View ArticleBorrowing from nature to tap the power of the sun
An artificial leaf that can harvest energy from the sun faster than a natural one could lead to a new generation of renewable energy and medical technologies.
View ArticleSynthetic material acts like an insect cloaking device
Synthetic microspheres with nanoscale holes can absorb light from all directions across a wide range of frequencies, making them a candidate for antireflective coatings, according to a team of Penn...
View ArticleFive reasons not to spray the bugs in your garden
The weather is getting warmer, and gardens are coming alive with bees, flies, butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantises, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders.
View ArticleMicrobial resident enables beetles to feed on a leafy diet
An international team including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has described a bacterium residing in a species of leaf beetles which has an unexpected feature: it...
View Article