#Mathematical patterns developed by Alan Turing help researchers understand bird behavior

“#Mathematical patterns developed by Alan Turing help researchers understand bird behavior” Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Scientists from the University of Sheffield have used mathematical modelling to understand why flocks of long-tailed tits segregate themselves into different parts of the landscape. The team tracked the birds around Sheffield’s Rivelin Valley which eventually produced a pattern across…

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#Forest growth in drier climates will be impacted by reduced snowpack, study finds

“#Forest growth in drier climates will be impacted by reduced snowpack, study finds” A high-density ponderosa pine forest at the Fort Valley Experimental Forest site near Flagstaff, Arizona. Credit: Kelly Gleason | Portland State University A new study suggests that future reductions in seasonal snowpack as a result of climate change may negatively influence forest…

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#Spotted lanternfly task force brings together expertise of scientists, agencies

“#Spotted lanternfly task force brings together expertise of scientists, agencies” Nina Jenkins, senior research associate in entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, inspects a monitoring band for spotted lanternflies at a research site at Blue Marsh Lake property in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Credit: Brian Walsh, Penn State Spotted lanternfly task force brings together…

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#How fish stocks will change in warming seas

“#How fish stocks will change in warming seas” Fishing boat. Credit: Katherine Maltby New research out today highlights the future effects of climate change on important fish stocks for south-west UK fisheries. The study, which generated future projections of climate impacts on fish in a rapidly warming sea region, suggests changes in the availability and…

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#Virus-quieted oceans open window for Shark Week researchers

“#Virus-quieted oceans open window for Shark Week researchers” This image released by Discovery Channel shows a shark breaking through the water in a scene from “Shark Lockdown,” premiering Sunday, Aug. 9, one of three programs kicking off Shark Week 2020 on the Discovery Channel. (Discovery Channel via AP) The coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay…

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#Study finds platypus paddles in ‘surprising’ Sydney waterways

“#Study finds platypus paddles in ‘surprising’ Sydney waterways” Western Sydney University student Gabrielle Sabatino and PhD Candidate Katherine Morrison collecting water samples. Credit: Western Sydney University A pilot study of one of Australia’s most elusive creatures, the platypus, has revealed they are living in unlikely, urban locations in Sydney. A research team from Western Sydney…

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#Why it’s important to save parasites

“#Why it’s important to save parasites” A cichlid showing the white spots characteristic of the fish parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Thomas Kaczmarczyk Unlike the many charismatic mammals, fish and birds that receive our attention, parasites are thought of as something to eradicate—not something to protect. But only 4% of known parasites can infect humans,…

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#Building a prairie and watching for bees

“#Building a prairie and watching for bees” Entomology professor Alexandra Harmon-Threatt and undergraduate student Sabine Miller prepare for an evening of work in a prairie the professor created to study ground-nesting bees. Credit: Fred Zwicky It’s early evening as I follow the researchers to their work site on the Phillips Tract, just east of Urbana….

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