Direct lightning strikes cause minimal damage to Dipteryx oleifera. But these same strikes effectively kill parasitic vines and neighboring trees that compete with the species for light and nutrients.
ecology
Los incendios forestales amenazan los suelos volcánicos de los Andes peruanos
Los frágiles ecosistemas de las tierras altas mostraron baja resiliencia a los incendios, lo que los hace más vulnerables a la degradación a largo plazo.
Investigadores cuantifican el impacto de los animales en la transformación de la Tierra
Los animales salvajes utilizan 76,000 gigajulios de energía—el equivalente a cientos de miles de monzones o inundaciones—moldeando los ecosistemas terrestres y de agua dulce de nuestro planeta.
Researchers Put a Number on Animals’ Earth-Shaping Effects
Wild animals expend 76,000 gigajoules of energy—the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of monsoons or floods—shaping our planet’s terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.
Wildfires Pose a Threat to Volcanic Soils in the Peruvian Andes
Fragile highland ecosystems showed low resilience to fire, which renders them more vulnerable to long-term degradation.
Snowmelt Sends Caribou Packing
Researchers compared caribou tracking data with satellite observations to learn whether snowpack conditions trigger the animals’ arduous annual migration.
Planetary Perturbations May Strengthen Gaia
Large-scale disruptions to life may ultimately increase ecological complexity over geologic timescales, though the risk of extinction always looms.
Next NASA Field Campaign Could Fund Projects in Drylands or Tropics
Scientific feedback can improve proposals and signal support for large-scale, intensive climate research.
The Dirt on Biocrusts: Why Scientists Are Working to Save Earth’s Living Skin
Think twice before stepping on that crunchy top layer of soil. It may be a vital ecosystem—one that you can help protect.
Spectral Solar Radiative Transfer in Plant Canopies
Spectrally resolved radiative transfer is needed to compute reliable estimates of sunlight transmission and photolysis of molecules within plant canopies.