http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/trees/ Read all about trees, including the latest research on many tree species, insect infestations, and the role of trees in ecology. Full articles, photos, free. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/trees/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172924.htm A new study examines several options for managing the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is destroying US ash trees. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172924.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/2012/02/120205163804.htm Some climate cooling caused by past volcanic eruptions may not be evident in tree-ring reconstructions of temperature change because large enough temperature drops lead to greatly shortened or even absent growing seasons, according to climate researchers, who compared tree-ring temperature reconstructions with model simulations of past temperature changes. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181218.htm Yellow-cedar, a culturally and economically valuable tree in southeastern Alaska and adjacent parts of British Columbia, has been dying off across large expanses of these areas for the past 100 years. But no one could say why -- until now. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126143653.htm Location matters for birds on the hunt for caterpillars, according to researchers. Findings suggest that chickadees and others zero in on the type of tree as much as the characteristics of their wriggly prey. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126143653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126142939.htm Another attractive theory falls foul of the facts. A census of trees in rainforests on three continents has confirmed that competition plays a central role in structuring communities. This contradicts the so-called neutral theory in ecology, which views random fluctuations as the decisive factor. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126142939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140352.htm In August 2010, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside discovered a tiny fairyfly wasp in upstate New York that had never been seen in the United States until then. Nearly exactly a year later, he discovered the wasp in Irvine, Calif., strongly suggesting that the wasp is well established in the country. Called Gonatocerus ater, the 1-millimeter-long wasp was accidentally introduced in North America. It lays its eggs inside the eggs of leafhoppers. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133757.htm The northern goshawk is one of nature's diehard thrill-seekers. The formidable raptor preys on birds and small mammals, speeding through tree canopies and underbrush to catch its quarry. While speed is a goshawk's greatest asset, researchers say the bird must observe a theoretical speed limit if it wants to avoid a crash. The researchers found that, given a certain density of obstacles, there exists a speed below which a bird -- and any other flying object -- has a fair chance of flying collision-free. Any faster, and a bird or aircraft is sure to smack into something, no matter how much information it has about its environment. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133552.htm Pigeons come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some have feathers reaching up over their heads like a hood. Others have feathers all the way to the tips of their toes or fanned out on their tails like tiny turkeys. Now, researchers have traced the birds' family tree in an effort to sort out how all that remarkable variation came to be. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118112005.htm A natural substance obtained from seeds of the "miracle tree" could purify and clarify water inexpensively and sustainably in the developing world, where more than 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, scientists report. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118112005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151720.htm Thousands of broken trees line the banks of the Chattooga River. The dead gray stabs were once evergreen monsters offering shade to trout and picturesque views to visitors. These Eastern hemlocks are dying rapidly, and researchers are working to save them. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227153754.htm When it comes to love songs, female tree frogs are pretty picky. According to a new study, certain female tree frogs may be remarkably attuned to the songs of mates who share the same number of chromosomes as they do. The discovery offers insight into how new frog species may have evolved. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227153754.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/2011/12/111213114709.htm To measure the crispness of apples without relying on human test panels, researchers used a computerized penetrometer to assess firmness and texture of apple varieties and compared the results with sensory data from an expert panel. The scientists found a significant correlation between the penetrometer crispness value and the sensory crispness value and concluded that data from the test instrument was more useful than data from either a standard penetrometer or acoustic resonance test alone. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213114709.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/2011/12/111212124705.htm A research initiative designed to accelerate technology adoption by tree fruit professionals included an information technology survey. The survey was created to better understand concerns and design effective outreach methods for the industry, specifically issues related to barriers to technology implementation. Researchers said the survey results will help the project team better address grower concerns and uncertainty on a regional and national level, and improve technology adoption speed and rates in agricultural industries. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092647.htm Researchers have released a set of 1x1 km tree species maps showing the distribution of 20 tree species over Europe. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201105355.htm Researchers have confirmed a unique behavior within the male population of tiny fig wasps that pollinate fig trees -- they team up to help pregnant females, regardless of whether they have mated themselves. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201105355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129103312.htm Warmer, drier summers and extreme weather events considered possible as the climate changes would be especially troublesome -- possibly fatal -- for walnut trees, according to researchers. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129103312.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/2011/11/111125160856.htm Rainforests that are subject to use by the human population and are divided into forest fragments can maintain their ecological functionality. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111125160856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140633.htm Researchers introduced L-PEACH-d, a computer-based model that simulates peach tree growth. The model integrates concepts related to carbon assimilation, distribution, and use in peach trees, and includes modeling of the responses to horticultural practices such as tree pruning and fruit thinning. The report includes details about software requirements and installation, how to perform simulations, and how users can interact with the model. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140625.htm Researchers tested the effects of planting depth of container-grown liners of pin oak and littleleaf linden. The study investigated tree growth during production in nursery containers and growth and development of root defects for three growing seasons after transplanting the trees to field soil (with and without remediation). The results suggested that implementing practices to minimize deep planting of liners in containers will allow commercial growers to produce healthier trees. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116162248.htm After an amazing five of the seven wild cat species found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra were recently caught on camera in tract of forest being rapidly lost to deforestation, the World Wildlife Fund in Indonesia is urging companies and authorities to take immediate steps to save the valuable area. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116162248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115073941.htm In Europe, forests appear evergreen even in the cloudiest conditions, while the lush interiors of Asian jungles are typically overshadowed by a dense canopy. The ability of trees to adapt to light conditions, and even increase their intake of carbon for photosynthesis in poor light, has been explored by Czech researchers. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115073941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110130106.htm Evergreen trees at the edge of Alaska's tundra are growing faster, suggesting that at least some forests may be adapting to a rapidly warming climate, says a new study. While forests elsewhere are thinning from wildfires, insect damage and droughts partially attributed to global warming, some white spruce trees in the far north of Alaska have grown more vigorously in the last hundred years, especially since 1950, the study has found. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110130106.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111107162819.htm A 79-year-old collection of fungal cultures will aid in the sequencing 1,000 fungal genomes in the next 5 years. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111107162819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111106151002.htm Taxanes are a family of compounds that includes one of the most important cancer drugs ever discovered, Taxol, among other cancer treatments. But the difficulty producing these complex molecules in the lab has hampered or blocked exploration of the family for further drug leads. Scientists have now successfully achieved a major step toward the goal of synthetically producing Taxol and other complex taxanes on a quest to harness chemical reactions that could enable research on previously unavailable potential drugs. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111106151002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143243.htm Scientists braved ticks and a tiger to discover how human activities have perturbed the nitrogen cycle in tropical forests. Studies at two remote Smithsonian Institution Global Earth Observatory sites in Panama and Thailand show the first evidence of long-term effects of nitrogen pollution in tropical trees. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143243.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/2011/10/111031220600.htm Climate change, land use and other human-driven factors could pit savannas and forests against each other by altering the elements found by researchers to stabilize the two. Without this harmony, the habitats, or biomes, could increasingly encroach on one other to the detriment of the people and animals that rely on them. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:06:06 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031220600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031154132.htm More than half of eastern US tree species examined in a massive new study aren't adapting to climate change as quickly or consistently as predicted. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:41:41 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031154132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143715.htm Researchers have compiled the most comprehensive evolutionary tree for mollusks to date. Their analysis surprisingly places two enigmatic groups, cephalopods and monoplacophorans, as sister clades. The team has also shown that there was a single origin for shelled mollusks. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026143715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105758.htm Studies of ant populations in Borneo reveal an unexpected resilience to areas of rainforest degraded by repeated intensive logging, a finding which conservationists hope will lead governments to conserve these areas rather than allow them to be cleared and used for cash crop plantations. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019171740.htm Wildfire, insect outbreaks and hurricanes destroy huge amounts of forest every year and increase the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere, but scientists are now learning more about another force that can significantly affect their climate impact. Researchers conclude in a new study that the albedo effect, which controls the amount of energy reflected back into space, is important in the climatic significance of several types of major forest disturbances. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019171740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111014122317.htm On a continent battered by weather extremes, famine and record food prices, new research documents an exciting new trend in which hundreds of thousands of poor farmers in Southern Africa are now significantly boosting yields and incomes simply by using fast growing trees and shrubs to naturally fertilize their fields. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111014122317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013183806.htm Tropical tree cover will jump sharply between a forested state and savanna or treeless conditions rather than respond smoothly to climate change, according to a new study. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013183806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013153955.htm North American forests appear to have a greater capacity to soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas than researchers had previously anticipated. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013153955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111012124016.htm A breakthrough in pine tree breeding will help forests to adapt to climate change and bioenergy use. The technique can create new tree variants in half the time it take for current breeding methods and is expected to increase the security and competitiveness of the U.S. forestry industry. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111012124016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103306.htm A new study shows that gray jays hoping to survive and reproduce through Canada's harsh winters need to be able to store food in the right kinds of trees. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111007103306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005112145.htm Scientists call it LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, but they don't know much about this great-grandparent of all living things. Many believe LUCA was little more than a crude assemblage of molecular parts, a chemical soup out of which evolution gradually constructed more complex forms. Some scientists still debate whether it was even a cell. New evidence suggests that LUCA was a sophisticated organism after all, with a complex structure recognizable as a cell, researchers report. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005112145.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005110800.htm New research has shown how London's trees can improve air quality by filtering out pollution particulates, which are damaging to human health. A new article indicates that the urban trees of the Greater London Authority (GLA) area remove somewhere between 850 and 2000 tonnes of particulate pollution (PM10) from the air every year. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:08:08 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005110800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003151823.htm A forest may look like a forest, have many of the same trees that used to live there, but still lose the ecological, economic or cultural values that once made it what it was, researchers suggest. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003151823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929171705.htm Australian green tree frogs survive the dry season with the help of the same phenomenon that fogs up eyeglasses in the winter, new research shows. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929171705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928131806.htm Scientists recently used long-term data to examine the feasibility of managing forests for water supply under the changing weather conditions forecast for the future. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928131806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927155224.htm Most of what we have come to think of as our daily fruits, vegetables, and grains were domesticated from wild ancestors. Over hundreds and thousands of years, humans have selected and bred plants for traits that benefit us -- traits such as bigger, juicier, and easier-to-harvest fruits, stems, tubers, or flowers. But how do long-lived species respond to short-term selection processes, and will this information be helpful in predicting responses to rapid climate changes? Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927155224.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926151741.htm A recent analysis of two decades of data shows the live volume of hemlocks in the eastern United States still increasing despite spreading infestations of hemlock woolly adelgid. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926151741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926095333.htm New cacao types with unique flavors that are distinctly Peruvian have been identified. These new flavors could one day be marketed like wine, by geographical provenance. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926095333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922141907.htm Biologists have released a large and robust DNA matrix that has representation for all mammalian families. The matrix -- the culmination of about five years of painstaking research -- has representatives for 99 percent of mammalian families, and covers not only the earliest history of mammalian diversification but also all the deepest divergences among living mammals. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922141907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134531.htm Maintaining fluid balance in the body is essential to survival. By researching recent genomic data, researchers have found genetic evidence that links this intricate process to a turning point in evolution. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915083651.htm A small European hardwood ambrosia beetle feeds on deciduous trees, primarily beeches. Until now, foresters had no pheromone-based agents allowing them to monitor and reduce the population of this pest. A new pheromone compound turned out to be efficient not only in attracting the European hardwood ambrosia beetle but also other beetle species from the Trypodendron genus. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915083651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195137.htm Homeowners and taxpayers are picking up most of the tab for damage caused by invasive tree-feeding insects that hide in packing materials, live plants and other goods imported from countries into the United States every year. Results from a first-of-its-kind economic analysis, which estimates financial damage of importing foreign insects into the nation and trying to eradicate them once they establish, are reported in a new article. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195135.htm Homeowners and taxpayers are picking up most of the tab for damages caused by invasive tree-feeding insects that are inadvertently imported along with packing materials, live plants, and other goods. That's the conclusion of a team of biologists and economists, whose research findings are reported in a new article. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195132.htm Non-native, wood-boring insects such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle are costing an estimated $1.7 billion in local government expenditures in the United States and approximately $830 million in lost residential property values every year, according to a new study. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110909195132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908145055.htm For a century, scientists have watched European gypsy moth caterpillars infected with a virus use their last strength to do something that a healthy gypsy moth caterpillar would never do in daylight hours -- climb high into a tree and onto a leaf. For scientists, the question has been how does a virus change its host's behavior? Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110908145055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907163917.htm A six-year campaign to control invasive winter moths with a natural parasite now has concrete evidence that a parasitic fly, Cyzenis albicans, has been established and is attacking the pest at four sites in Seekonk, Hingham, Falmouth and Wellesley. It's the beginning of the end for the decade-long defoliation of eastern Massachusetts trees by the invasive species. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907163917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907124401.htm Like clues from an Agatha Christie mystery novel, trees can provide secrets about past events, and their rings are especially good at providing information about fires, some of which happened hundreds of years ago, according to studies from a Texas researcher. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907124401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902151649.htm A catastrophic infestation of the goldspotted oak borer, which has killed more than 80,000 oak trees in San Diego County in the last decade, might be contained by controlling the movement of oak firewood from that region, according to researchers in California. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110902151649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901142629.htm California has emerged as the top suspect as the source of a pathogen responsible for a global pandemic of cypress canker disease. The genetic detective work by researchers in the U.S. and in Italy spotlights the hazards of planting trees and other vegetation in regions where they are not native. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901142629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901142102.htm In parts of the world still rich in biodiversity, separating natural habitats from high-yielding farmland could be a more effective way to conserve wild species than trying to grow crops and conserve nature on the same land, according to a new study. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901142102.htm