Geology News
Plants Current Events

“March 2012 set records for warm temperatures that promoted early leafing and flowering across large areas of the United States.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

GeoCorps America is a program offering paid, short-term geoscience positions in some of the most beautiful natural areas in the world.

Just a few of the Fall/Winter Positions….

Curator Intern – Dinosaur National Monument
GIS Technician – Delaware Water Gap
Hydrological Technician – Redwoods National Park
Physical Science Technician – Grand Canyon National Park
Guest Scientist – Yosemite National Park

The Association of American Geographers, the United States Geological Survey, NatureServe and The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development are major contributors to a collection of standardized terrestrial ecosystem maps for the African continent.

A gallery on the Discovery.com website illustrates how warming climates in many parts of the world are pushing plant species

“A new analysis led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., has estimated how much the growth of plants worldwide is limited by the amount of nutrients available in their soil.” Quoted from the NASA press release.

“A new study by two UC Santa Cruz researchers suggest that a thriving sea otter population that keeps sea urchins in check will in turn allow kelp forests to prosper. The spreading kelp can absorb as much as 12 times the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere than if it were subject to ravenous sea urchins, the study finds.” Quoted from the University of California Santa Cruz press release.

That’s the motto of The Royal Society… and today they find that the general public does not want to take their word on subjects like climate change, vaccinations, plant genetics, evolution and many other topics.

The evolution of a type of fungi known as white rot may have brought an end to a 60-million-year-long period of coal deposition known as the Carboniferous period.

Related: How does coal form? | Coal through a microscope.

“A new university-led study with NASA participation finds ancient Antarctica was much warmer and wetter than previously suspected. The climate was suitable to support substantial vegetation — including stunted trees — along the edges of the frozen continent.” Quoted from the NASA press release.

Concerns about tourists sowing barley during a cruse ship stop on Deception Island, Antarctica may lead to a ban on some forms of tourism.

Thanks to citizen-scientists around the country, the USA National Phenology Network hit a major milestone this week by reaching its one millionth nature observation.

Researchers monitored the response of wildlife and plants in parts of New Mexico where there is significant human activity and noise related to natural gas production.

Droughts and Volcanic eruptions are both reflected in the tree rings of Guatemala. Read a series of blog posts by Kevin Anchukaitis, an assistant research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University.

Field studies have shown that invasive plant species are being brought to Antarctica on the clothing and baggage of researchers and other visitors. They are then carried to diverse locations – often deep into the interior – where some of them take root.

Philcoxia minensis is a carnivorous plant found in Brazil that catches worms with sticky underground leaves.