http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/drought/ Drought Research. Read where droughts are predicted, and what can be done about them. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/drought/ 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/2012/01/120129151054.htm The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage – a key factor in climate change – and new research shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091101.htm The upsurge in droughts is one of the main consequences of climate change, and affects crops in particular. However, a biologist has confirmed that in the case of barley at least, climate change itself is providing it with a self-defense mechanisms to tackle a lack of water. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153735.htm A recent analysis suggests that climate change predicted for the United States will boost demand for imported drought- and heat-tolerant landscaping plants from Africa and the Middle East. This greatly increases the risk that a new wave of invasives will overrun native ecosystems in the way kudzu, Oriental bittersweet and purple loosestrife have in the past, members of the international team say. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104153735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219152520.htm When a plant encounters drought, it does its best to cope with this stress by activating a set of protein molecules called receptors. Plant cell biologists have discovered how to rewire this cellular machinery to heighten the plants' stress response -- a finding that can be used to engineer crops to give them a better shot at surviving and displaying increased yield under drought conditions. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219152520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213110241.htm Crops that can cope with sudden fluctuations in the weather could be developed, thanks to fresh discoveries about the survival mechanisms of plants. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213110241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153127.htm Over the past 10 years, the death of forest trees due to drought and increased temperatures has been documented on all continents except Antarctica. This can in turn drive global warming by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by trees and by releasing carbon locked up in their wood. New research offers evidence for the physiological mechanism governing tree death in a drought. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115147.htm Not water, but sunlight is the main factor in determining the growth of the hundreds of tree species in tropical forests. The variation in physiological characteristics between tree species explains how the various species fit into their ecological niches, thereby contributing to diversity in tropical forests. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111106151015.htm Once referred to as an "orphan crop" mainly grown by poor farmers, pigeonpea is now set to join the world's league of major food crops with the completion of its genome sequence. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111106151015.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103081431.htm A huge "migration" of trees has begun across much of the West due to global warming, insect attack, diseases and fire, and many tree species are projected to decline or die out in regions where they have been present for centuries, while others move in and replace them. In an enormous display of survival of the fittest, the forests of the future are taking a new shape. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103081431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013135252.htm An eight-year study has concluded that increasingly frequent and severe drought, dropping water tables and dried-up springs have pushed some aquatic desert ecosystems into "catastrophic regime change," from which many species will not recover. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013135252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080514.htm Responding to appeals from African leaders for new tools to deal with the effects of climate change on food production, the researchers have released a series of studies focused on "climate proofing" crops critical to food security in the developing world. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003080514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928131804.htm Heifers can safely eat 20 percent less between weaning and breeding, according to a two-year study. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928131804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927112411.htm A sorghum hybrid that does not flower and accumulates as much as three times the amount of stem and leaf matter may help the bioenergy industry, according to a new study. Scientists have now discovered a gene that regulates sorghum flowering. Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927112411.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920111816.htm With the extended statewide dry spell, researchers have been focusing their attention on improving varieties of drought-tolerant melons. Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920111816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915102909.htm Restoring and preserving dryland forests and planting more trees to provide food, fodder and fertilizer on small farms are critical steps toward preventing the recurrence of the famine now threatening millions of people in the Horn of Africa, according to forestry experts. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915102909.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909111637.htm Rice is the world’s most commonly used cereal food, feeding half of humanity. However, rice production will have to double within 20 years from now to meet the needs of a growing population. Two species are used for cultivation, one Asian and the other African. The Asian species gives much stronger agronomic performances, but the African one is more rustic, more resistant to pathogens, more tolerant to drought and soil salinity. With the aim of transferring these properties to Asian rice, scientists are seeking to overcome the sterility between the two species. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909111637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110825141621.htm A new, comprehensive study refutes earlier claims that drought has induced a decline in global plant productivity during the past decade and posed a threat to global food security. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110825141621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115210.htm As hunger spreads among more than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa, a new study of the response to Kenya's last devastating drought, in 2008-2009, finds that investments aimed at increasing the mobility of livestock herders -- a way of life often viewed as "backward" despite being the most economical and productive use of Kenya's drylands -- could be the key to averting future food crises in arid lands. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823104918.htm Summer drought limits the positive effects of carbon dioxide and heat on plant growth in future climate. Although the rain this summer has been pouring down over Denmark, most scientists agree that global temperature increases will intensify periods with summer drought already in 2075. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823104918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822135018.htm A new study indicates a major climate oscillation in the Southern Hemisphere that is expected to intensify in the coming decades will likely cause increased wildfire activity in the southern half of South America. Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110822135018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110808104511.htm Heavy metal pollution of lakes has a seriously detrimental impact on people and ecosystems that rely on such bodies of water. In a new study, researchers have focused on the physicochemical properties and toxicology of water from and around Thane City of Maharashtra. Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110808104511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110808083710.htm Including seeds of local crop varieties in relief-seed packages distributed to smallscale farmers after natural calamities could help indigenous crop diversity rebound faster. Additionally, existing social networks act as vital seed distribution channels that hasten diversity recovery in disaster-affected communities. These are among the findings of a recent study that looked into the loss and subsequent recovery of cowpea diversity in Mozambique when massive flooding, followed by severe drought, hit most of the country about 11 years ago. Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110808083710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803083502.htm Breeding crops with roots a meter deeper in the ground could lower atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dramatically, with significant environmental benefits, according to new research. Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803083502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803083458.htm Researchers have developed a unique collection of information about the disease resistance of 96 of the world’s onion varieties. It will be a crucial resource for commercial growers and seed producers trying to combat one of the most difficult diseases affecting onion crops. This work may also have benefits in terms of and reduced fertilizer consumption and enhanced drought tolerance. Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803083458.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110729175415.htm The first screening of the American ancestors of soybeans for tolerance to ozone and other stresses had an eye-opening result: The world superstars of stress resistance hailed from a little village in far northern Sweden, called Fiskeby. Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110729175415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725123701.htm Contrary to expectations, researchers have discovered that the conifers of the Pacific Northwest, some of the tallest trees in the world, face their greatest water stress during the region's eternally wet winters, not the dog days of August when weeks can pass without rain. Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725123701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713142042.htm Rice -- which provides nearly half the daily calories for the world's population -- could become adapted to climate change and some catastrophic events by colonizing its seeds or plants with the spores of tiny naturally occurring fungi, new research shows. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713142042.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110711164557.htm When it comes to how they respond to the environment, trees may not be that different from humans. Recent studies showed that even genetically identical human twins can have a different chance of getting a disease. This is because each twin has distinct personal experiences through their lifetime. According to new research, it turns out that the same is likely true for forest trees as well. Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110711164557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706093904.htm The size of leaves can vary by a factor of 1,000 across plant species; until now, the reason why has remained a mystery. A new study by an international team of scientists goes a long way toward solving it. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706093904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628151641.htm Some areas of the southern United States are suffering from the longest dry spell since 1887, and a new study shows that could prove problematic for aquatic organisms. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628151641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110627095834.htm A recently completed aerial survey of northern Botswana indicates that wildebeest, giraffes, kudu, lechwe, ostriches, roan and tsessebe antelope and warthog species are significantly challenged. Populations of these species appear to have dropped significantly over the past 15 years, specifically in Ngamiland, which encompasses the Okavango delta. Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110627095834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624182311.htm As billion-dollar agricultural losses continue to mount in the withering Texas heat, scientists in Corpus Christi are taking a closer look at why some cotton varieties do better than others in drought conditions. Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624182311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609122927.htm Controlling water loss is an important ability for modern land plants as it helps them thrive in changing environments. New research shows that water conserving innovations occurred very early in plants' evolutionary history. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110609122927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511092405.htm Researchers have unveiled a mechanism that can be used to develop crop varieties resistant to mild droughts. It turns out that under non-lethal stress conditions, plants inhibit growth more than necessary. Shutting down this response opens new opportunities for yield improvement. Wed, 11 May 2011 09:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511092405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509065642.htm Research on how genes are expressed has resulted in plants that can survive drought, high salt concentrations, and infections. This opens the possibility of forestry in harsh climates. The plants produce more leaves than usual, which means that they can yield more food per plant, according to researchers in Sweden. Mon, 09 May 2011 06:56:56 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509065642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414131851.htm Forests and other terrestrial ecosystems in the lower 48 states can sequester up to 40 percent of the nation's fossil fuel carbon emissions, a larger amount than previously estimated -- unless a drought or other major disturbance occurs, new research shows. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414131851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412121314.htm Just as monarch butterflies depend on circadian cues to begin their annual migration, so do plants to survive freezing temperatures. All living things -- humans, animals, plants, microbes -- are influenced by circadian rhythms, which are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. Researchers have now discovered that the circadian clock provides key input required for plants to attain maximum freezing tolerance. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412121314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405151225.htm Chemical changes in tree leaves subjected to warmer, drier conditions that could result from climate change may reduce the availability of soil nutrients, according to a new study. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405151225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404111050.htm An 18-year study of 27,000 individual trees finds that tree growth and fecundity -- the ability to produce viable seeds -- are more sensitive to climate change than previously thought. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:10:10 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404111050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110331104055.htm Researchers have developed a set of propagation and production protocols that will help Indiana greenhouse growers bring a tropical plant into flower for spring sales. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110331104055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110329150453.htm A new study has revealed widespread reductions in the greenness of the forests in the vast Amazon basin in South America caused by the record-breaking drought of 2010. Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110329150453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110313160025.htm Researchers have found a valuable, untapped resource in historical data from crop yield trials conducted across sub-Saharan Africa. Combined with weather records, they show that yield losses would occur across 65 percent of maize-growing areas from a temperature rise of a single degree Celsius, even with sufficient water. Data from yield tests in other regions of the world could help predict changes in crop yields from climate change. Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110313160025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302121716.htm Sensitive to drought due to its high water requirement, rice is particularly vulnerable to how global climate change is altering the frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts. Now plant scientists have made a discovery that can greatly benefit rice growers and consumers everywhere. The researchers have demonstrated in the lab and greenhouse that rice that is flood tolerant is also better able to recover from a drought. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302121716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228183853.htm There's an old saying that if you don't like the weather in New Mexico, wait five minutes. Maybe it should be amended to 10,000 years, according to new research. Scientists report that the Southwest region of the United States undergoes "megadroughts" -- warmer, more arid periods lasting hundreds of years or longer. Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228183853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228121452.htm Lodgepole pine, a hardy tree species that can thrive in cold temperatures and plays a key role in many western ecosystems, is already shrinking in range as a result of climate change -- and may almost disappear from most of the Pacific Northwest by 2080, a new study concludes. Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228121452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225094940.htm Drier conditions projected to result from climate change in the Southwest will likely reduce perennial vegetation cover and result in increased dust storm activity in the future, according to a new study. Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110225094940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110223202107.htm A new path to produce water-efficient seeds that will be a significant tool to cope with drought resistance, and ensure global food security, has been developed. The research not only provides the best map to date of the key protein that appears to be the principal gateway for water intake during seed germination - it also actually provides the right map as it appears much of the research to date was focused on a much less relevant protein. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110223202107.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110221101319.htm Climate change is already having an effect on the safety of the world's food supplies and unless action is taken it's only going to get worse, a group of experts has warned. Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110221101319.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110221071526.htm A new study addresses forest productivity trends in Alaska, highlighting a shift in biomes caused by a warming climate. The findings linked satellite observations with an extensive and unique tree-ring data set. This study provides a regional picture of forest productivity which did not previously exist. Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110221071526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203141820.htm New research shows that the 2010 Amazon drought may have been even more devastating to the region's rainforests than the unusual 2005 drought, which was previously billed as a one-in-100 year event. Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203141820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203124816.htm A new, detailed record of rainfall fluctuations in ancient Mexico that spans more than twelve centuries promises to improve our understanding of the role drought played in the rise and fall of pre-Hispanic civilizations. Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203124816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101230100058.htm To conserve dwindling water resources, municipalities are encouraging the use of "recycled water," municipal wastewater that has been extensively treated and deemed safe to reuse for irrigation and other purposes. New research provides bedding plant growers with important data about ten common species/cultivars. For the study, bedding plants were irrigated with saline solution to simulate the composition of local reclaimed water. Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101230100058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101229124335.htm Growing plants on rooftops is an old concept that has evolved from simple sod roofing to lightweight "extensive green roofs". Researchers have evaluated the influence of substrate type and depth on establishment of five common green roof plants. A standout performer was saxifrage pink, which had an attractive appearance and persistent flowering habit, making it an excellent choice as a green roof plant. Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101229124335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208083531.htm What do North Karelian forests in Finland have in common with the Montafon Valley in Austria? Both areas are increasingly affected by increasingly strong winds causing serious damage. Wind, drought and fire are main threats of climate change to forests on various locations in Europe. In order to help the forest owners in the regions to find the best adaptive management options, the MOTIVE project (Models for Adaptive Forest Management), is testing different options e.g. in thinning regimes, rotation length and species composition in ten case study areas. Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208083531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101123121117.htm Researchers recently re-sequenced and compared six elite inbred corn lines, including the parents of the most productive commercial hybrids in China and found entire genes that were missing from one line to another. Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101123121117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115153039.htm A new species of carnivorous pitcher plant has been found in Cambodia's remote Cardamom Mountains. The discovery of Nepenthes holdenii is an indicator of both the stunning diversity and lack of research in the forests of the Cardamom Mountains. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115153039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110212919.htm The ability of some plants to self-fertilize has its advantages, especially in areas where there aren't many pollinating insects. But new research suggests that self-fertilization may not always be an evolutionary advantage in and of itself. Rather, it sometimes may evolve because it is linked to physiological traits that help plants deal with seasonal drought. Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110212919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101028113821.htm Contrary to expectations, climate change has had a significant effect on mountain plants at low elevations, says a new study. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101028113821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101014144233.htm Rivers and streams supply the lifeblood of ecosystems across the globe, providing water for drinking and irrigation for humans as well as a wide array of life forms in rivers and streams from single-celled organisms all the way up to the fish humans eat. But humans and nature itself are making it tough on rivers to continue in their central role to support fish species, according to new research. Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101014144233.htm