http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ecosystems/ Ecology news. Learn about ecosystems at risk. Read current events articles on fragile ecosystems and what can be done to protect them. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/ecosystems/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215155300.htm Based on more than 25 years of data, ecologists looked at how droughts and heat waves affect grass growth during different months of the year. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215155300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215095843.htm With missions scheduled throughout the year, 2012 is shaping up to be an extraordinary time for NASA's Airborne Science Program and Earth system science research. Multiple aircraft and specialized instruments will operate in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America this year in support of studies conducted by NASA and the Earth science community, improving scientists' understanding of our planet. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215095843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154055.htm Fossil record of graptoloids challenges the theory that immediately after a mass extinction, species develop new physical traits at a rapid pace. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208103226.htm A new study shows that the impact of fishing for tuna and similar species during the last 50 years has lessened the abundance of all these populations by an average of 60%. Experts add that the majority of tuna fish have been exploited to the limits of sustainability. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208103226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207152545.htm It's big, it's old and it lives under the sea -- and now an international research collaboration has confirmed that an ancient seagrass holds the secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth. Ancient giant Posidonia oceanica reproduces asexually, generating clones of itself. A single organism -- which has been found to span up to 15 kilometers in width and reach more than 6,000 metric tonnes in mass -- may well be more than 100,000 years old. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207152545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214226.htm A new study provides compelling evidence that the arrival of the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird (ladybug) to mainland Europe and subsequent spread has led to a rapid decline in historically-widespread species of ladybird in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. The analysis is further evidence that harlequin ladybirds are displacing some native ladybirds, most probably through predation and competition. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203102414.htm They are tiny, ugly, disease-carrying little blood-suckers that most people have never seen or heard of, but a new discovery in a one-of-a-kind fossil shows that "bat flies" have been doing their noxious business with bats for at least 20 million years. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203102414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202164821.htm Scientists have advanced a method that allowed them to single out a marine microorganism and map its genome even though the organism made up less than 10 percent of a water sample teeming with many millions of individuals from dozens of identifiable groups of microbes. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202164821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181220.htm Blooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations -- clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants -- and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. Now, a new study questions claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide and suggests claims are not supported with any hard evidence or scientific analyses to date. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201180612.htm Mediterranean seagrass meadows contain genetically identical clones up to 15 kilometers apart, suggesting that these organisms must be thousands to tens of thousands of years old. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201180612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173254.htm A global study has questioned claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide. Blooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations -- clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants -- and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. Now, a new global and collaborative study questions claims that jellyfish are increasing worldwide and suggests claims are not supported with any hard evidence or scientific analyses to date. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201173254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175625.htm A new species of prehistoric crocodile has been discovered. The extinct creature, nicknamed "Shieldcroc" due to a thick-skinned shield on its head, is an ancestor of today's crocodiles. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135205.htm New research links precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131135205.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130193241.htm Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park in Florida have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to new research. The study, the first to document the ecological impacts of this invasive species, strongly supports that animal communities in the 1.5-million-acre park have been markedly altered by the introduction of pythons within 11 years of their establishment as an invasive species. Mid-sized mammals are the most dramatically affected, but some Everglades pythons are as large as 16 feet long, and their prey have included animals as large as deer and alligators. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130193241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130171913.htm Two decades after the United Nations established the Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to "prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system", the Arctic shows the first signs of a dangerous climate change. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130171913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130093113.htm Researchers are working on long-term sustainability study to prepare for an oil spill that could catastrophically impact Florida. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130093113.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129232818.htm Killer whales are the top marine predator. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behavior and diet in the Arctic. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129232818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224515.htm Over dinner on R.V. Calypso while anchored on the lee side of Glover's Reef in Belize, Jacques Cousteau told Phil Dustan that he suspected humans were having a negative impact on coral reefs. Dustan -- a young ocean ecologist who had worked in the lush coral reefs of the Caribbean and Sinai Peninsula -- found this difficult to believe. It was December 1974. But Cousteau was right. During the following three-plus decades, Dustan, an ocean ecologist and biology professor at the University of Charleston in South Carolina, has witnessed widespread coral reef degradation and bleaching from up close. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126223929.htm The Andes-Amazon basin of Peru and Bolivia is one of the most biologically rich and rapidly changing areas of the world. A new study has used information collected over the last 100 years by explorers and from satellite images which reveals detailed patterns of species and ecosystems that occur only in this region. Worryingly, the study also finds that many of these unique species and ecosystems are lacking vital national level protection. Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126223929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126115125.htm A new study comparing the carbon-holding power of freshwater wetlands has produced measurements suggesting that wetlands in temperate regions are more valuable as carbon sinks than current policies imply. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126115125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125172315.htm Coastal storms are known to cause serious damage along the shoreline, but they also cause significant disruption of the deep-sea ecosystem as well. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125172315.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124184157.htm Half of all wetlands in the US, Europe and China were destroyed during the 20th century, but a thriving restoration effort aims to recreate marshes and other ecosystems lost. A new study cautions, however, that restored wetlands do not recover to the condition of a natural, undamaged wetland for hundreds of years, if ever. This calls into question mitigation banks that allow developers to destroy one wetland if they create another. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124184157.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124150415.htm Scientists have observed toxicity to marine organisms resulting from exposure to a nanoparticle that had not previously been shown to be toxic under similar conditions. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124150415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163358.htm Might a penguin's next meal be affected by the exhaust from your tailpipe? The answer may be yes, when you add your exhaust fumes to the total amount of carbon dioxide lofted into the atmosphere by humans since the industrial revolution. One-third of that carbon dioxide is absorbed by the world's oceans, making them more acidic and affecting marine life. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123163358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094801.htm Lessons from tens of millions of years ago are pointing to new ways to save and protect today's coral reefs and their myriad of beautiful and many-hued fishes at a time of huge change in the Earth's systems. Today's complex relationship between fishes and corals developed relatively recently in geological terms -- and is a major factor in shielding reef species from extinction, say experts. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152542.htm Recent carbon dioxide emissions have pushed the level of seawater acidity far above the range of the natural variability that existed for thousands of years, affecting the calcification rates of shell-forming organism. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184235.htm Researchers were stunned to rediscover one of the rarest primates in Borneo, the grizzled langur, thought by many to be extinct. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183034.htm A new insight into the impact that warmer temperatures could have across the world has been uncovered by scientists. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120182709.htm An expert on the protection of threatened marine ecosystems has commented on the potential for ecological disaster posed by the 2,300 tons of fuel oil still aboard the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120182709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120010357.htm Biodiversity is declining rapidly throughout the world. The challenges of conserving the world's species are perhaps even larger than mitigating the negative effects of global climate change, experts say. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120010357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143338.htm The bottom of a glacier is not the most hospitable place on Earth, but at least two types of bacteria happily live there, according to researchers. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143338.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119102008.htm A comprehensive multi-disciplinary synthesis reveals the urgent need for further investigation and policy development to address significant environmental, social and economic impacts of invasive alien species and climate change. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119102008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118173701.htm Portions of the Amazon basin are experiencing a transition in energy and water cycles. Evidence suggests that the Amazon may also be transitioning from a net carbon sink to a net source. This research shows that although the Amazon is resilient to individual disturbances, such as drought, multiple disturbances override this, increasing the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to degradation. This review provides a framework for understanding the associations between natural variability and drivers of change. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118173701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095816.htm Scientists have finished a global empirical study that suggests that preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113210347.htm Based on a hominid molar, scientists from Germany, Bulgaria and France have documented that great apes survived in Europe in savannah-like landscapes until seven million years ago. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113210347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142241.htm Wandering albatrosses have altered their foraging due to changes in wind fields in the southern hemisphere during the last decades. Since winds have increased in intensity and moved to the south, the flight speed of albatrosses increased and they spend less time foraging. As a consequence, breeding success has improved and birds have gained 1 kilogram. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142232.htm Scientists have shown that a newly discovered molecule in Earth's atmosphere has the potential to play a significant role in offsetting global warming by cooling the planet. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142226.htm Preserving diverse plant life will be crucial to buffer the negative effects of climate change and desertification in in the world's drylands, according to a new landmark study. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112142226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111223352.htm Biologists just discovered two new species of frogs in New Guinea, one of which is now the world's tiniest known vertebrate, averaging only 7.7 millimeters in size -- less than one-third of an inch. It ousts Paedocypris progenetica, an Indonesian fish averaging more than 8 millimeters, from the record. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111223352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110193930.htm Of all the habitable parts of our planet, one ecosystem still remains largely unexplored and unknown to science: The igneous ocean crust. This rocky realm of hard volcanic lava exists beneath ocean sediments that lie at the bottom of much of the world's oceans. While scientists have estimated that microbes living in deep ocean sediments may represent as much as one-third of Earth's total biomass, the habitable portion of the rocky ocean crust may be 10 times as great. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110193930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110192723.htm Scientists have studied Lake Erie over the past five winters during mid-winter, a time when the lake is more than 70 percent covered by ice. They've documented very high concentrations of algae thriving in the water below the ice -- even in the ice itself. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110192723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140235.htm Climate change in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains is causing powerful and cascading shifts in mountainous plant and bird communities through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a groundbreaking study. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140223.htm With recent advances in technology and design, treating municipal wastewater and reusing it for drinking water, irrigation, industry, and other applications could significantly increase the nation's total available water resources, particularly in coastal areas facing water shortages. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110140223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120108143601.htm Those making land use decisions to reduce the harmful effects of climate change have focused almost exclusively on greenhouse gases -- analyzing, for example, how much carbon dioxide is released when a forest is cleared to grow crops. A new study aims to present a more complete picture -- to incorporate other characteristics of ecosystems that also influence climate. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120108143601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106164913.htm Scientists work to assist fishermen in ways to avoid accidentally hauling in butterfish, a species protected by fishing limits. The researchers develop models to predict where the fish will be. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120106164913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153749.htm A hemisphere-wide phenomenon -- and not just regional forces -- has caused record-breaking amounts of freshwater to accumulate in the Arctic's Beaufort Sea, researchers have found. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153741.htm Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103185246.htm Communities of species previously unknown to science have been discovered on the seafloor near Antarctica, clustered in the hot, dark environment surrounding hydrothermal vents. The discoveries include new species of yeti crab, starfish, barnacles, sea anemones, and potentially an octopus. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120103185246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228134844.htm An increase in human activity is posing a threat to natural aquatic ecosystems in Tanzania and contributing to environmental damage and ecological changes. New research shows that agriculture and livestock farming leads to eutrophication in lakes and the proliferation of cyanobacteria which produce microcystins. New information about microcystins and other mycotoxins in Tanzanian lakes is useful for appraising the risk linked to drinking water and edible fish, which in turn affects the health of both humans and animals. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228134844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222152018.htm Coral reefs are extremely diverse ecosystems that support enormous biodiversity. But they are at risk. Carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying the ocean, threatening reefs and other marine organisms. New research analyzed the role of sea cucumbers in portions of the Great Barrier Reef and determined that their dietary process of dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding reef accounts for about half of at the total nighttime dissolution for the reef. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222152018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222105510.htm A dramatic photo of a female jaguar and her two cubs near the Isoso Station of the Santa Cruz-Puerto Suarez Gas Pipeline in Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia has just been released. The adult jaguar, nicknamed Kaaiyana, has been seen with her cubs in the area for over a month; though conservationists have confirmed she has been a resident in the vicinity for at least six years. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222105510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103116.htm Ocean acidification research is a relatively new study topic as scientists have only appreciated the potential extent of acidification within the last decade. As greenhouse gas emissions have accelerated in the past century, the oceans have taken up about a third of the carbon dioxide produced by human activities. That excess beyond natural levels increases amounts of carbonic acid in seawater. New research shows that some organisms are already experiencing ocean acidification levels not predicted to be reached until 2100. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222103116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221211229.htm A 14-year study in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover's Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fish, which feed on the algae that smother corals and inhibit reef recovery. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221211229.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221140710.htm On the 15th anniversary of the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, a quiet but profound rebirth of life and ecosystem health is emerging, scientists conclude in a new report. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:07:07 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111221140710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133913.htm Forest thinning to help prevent or reduce severe wildfire will release more carbon to the atmosphere than any amount saved by successful fire prevention. There may be valid reasons to thin forests – such as restoration of forest structure or health, wildlife enhancement or public safety – but increased carbon sequestration is not one of them. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219203947.htm A new study on the endangered Ozark Hellbender giant salamander is the first to detail its skin microbes, the bacteria and fungi that defend against pathogens. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219203947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218221321.htm By 2100, global climate change will modify plant communities covering almost half of Earth's land surface and will drive the conversion of nearly 40 percent of land-based ecosystems from one major ecological community type -- such as forest, grassland or tundra -- toward another, according to a new NASA and university computer modeling study. Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218221321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218150303.htm New research shows that the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere work to transform elemental mercury into oxidized mercury, which can easily be deposited into aquatic ecosystems and ultimately enter the food chain. Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218150303.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112510.htm Nitrogen from human activity has been polluting lakes in the northern hemisphere since the late 19th century. The clear signs of industrialization can be found even in very remote lakes, thousands of kilometers from the nearest city. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216084215.htm Large forest regions in Canada are apparently about to experience rapid change. Based on models, scientists can now show that there are threshold values for wildfires just like there are for epidemics. Large areas of Canada are apparently approaching this threshold value and may in future exceed it due to climate change. As a result both the area burnt down annually and the average size of the fires would increase, researchers say. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216084215.htm