Acipenser transmontanus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=d55013d210f7439f8ca981b3b73576f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j69i59.492j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. However, some are landlocked in the Columbia River Drainage, Montana, and Lake Shasta in California, with reported sightings in northern Baja California, Mexico.Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) &gt; Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and paddlefishes) &gt; Acipenseridae (Sturgeons) &gt; Acipenserinae Etymology: : Latin, = sturgeon, 1853 (Ref. 45335); transmontanus: The specific name is derived from the Latin acipenser (sturgeon), trans (beyond), and montanus (mountain) (Ref. 27436).More on author: Richardson.

Acipenser transmontanus

Acipenser transmontanus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation...

NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a> too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=6af7b47b706a421cbff7d45ac370e984&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.971j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.The Cicek Minnow (Acanthorutilus handlirschi) is a species of concern belonging in the species group "fishes" and found in the following area (s): Turkey. This species is also known by the following name (s): Pseudophoxinus handlirschi, Oreoleuciscus handlirschi, Phoxinellus handlirschi. Source: Federal Register, U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife Service (various authors), series (version undefined) Acquired: 1996 : Notes: Various listings from the Federal Register on the legal status of species : Reference for: Acanthorutilus handlirschi, cicek [English] Source: NODC Taxonomic Code, database (

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.This species is also known by the following name(s): Pseudophoxinus handlirschi, Oreoleuciscus handlirschi, Phoxinellus handlirschi.

Acanthorutilus handlirschi

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Accipiter fasciatus natalis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/mistastin-lake-in-labrador-canada/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Accipiter fasciatus natalis ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=84f1e8e9658b4caea7e69e7c7dff2555&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i59j0j69i60l3.1774j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Accipiter fasciatus natalis

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Accipiter francesii pusillus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=b465a6a06aa04b25a2b750c94d1fc9be&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.591j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Anjouan Island Sparrowhawk, or Ndzuwani Goshawk Accipiter francesii pusillus, an extremely rare, possibly extinct, subspecies of Frances's Sparrowhawk Spot-tailed Goshawk, Accipiter trinotatus Grey Goshawk, Accipiter novaehollandiae. The Anjouan sparrowhawk (Accipiter francesiae pusillus), also known as Anjouan Island sparrowhawk, Ndzuwani goshawk or Joanna Island goshawk is a subspecies of Frances's sparrowhawk (Accipiter francesiae). It is endemic to the Comoros island of Anjouan. It was thought to be extinct until searches in the 1980s and in 2005 confirmed that it is still extant.· North America, the planet's 3rd largest continent, includes (23) countries and dozens of possessions and territories. It contains all Caribbean and Central America countries, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, the United States of America, as well as Greenland - the world's largest island.

Accipiter francesii pusillus

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Accipiter gentilis laingi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=0e16320dcb6d40748a5d6a1b3d9cc5b8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.896j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Accipiter gentilis laingi Wildlife Species Description and Significance The Northern Goshawk laingi subspecies (Accipiter gentilis laingi) is a raven-sized, robust forest-dwelling raptor. Adults are brown-grey to slate-grey on the back, while underparts are pale-grey with fine horizontal grey bars and darker vertical streaking.The Northern Goshawk laingi subspecies (Accipiter gentilis laingi) is a raven-sized, robust forest-dwelling raptor. Adults are brown-grey to slate-grey on the back, while underparts are pale-grey with fine horizontal grey bars and darker vertical streaking. The head has a distinctive whitish line above the eye and a dark-grey to black cap.

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Accipiter gentilis laingi

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Accipiter striatus venator NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=6af7b47b706a421cbff7d45ac370e984&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.971j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk, (Accipiter striatus venator), falcón de sierra or gavilán pecho rufo in Spanish, is an endemic subspecies of the North American sharp-shinned hawk, occurring only in Puerto Rico. Discovered in 1912 and described as a distinct sub-species, it has been placed on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species because of its rapidly dwindling population in Puerto Rico. It can be found in the Toro Negro State Forest.Accipiter striatus venator is an endemic subspecies of the North American Sharp-shinned Hawk, occurring only in Puerto Rico. This animal has been placed on the Federal endangered list because of its rapidly dwindling population on the island.

Accipiter striatus venator

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Achatinella spp. NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=0e16320dcb6d40748a5d6a1b3d9cc5b8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.896j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Scientific name: Achatinella spp Hawaiian name: Kāhuli / Pūpū kani oe All 41 species of the genus Achatinella, also known as the O‘ahu tree snails, are federally listed as endangered. O‘ahu tree snails are diverse in patterns, colors, and shapes but all average about 3/4 inch in length.Oʻahu tree snails, genus Achatinella, form a large genus of colorful, tropical, tree-living, air-breathing, land snails, arboreal pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinellidae. This genus of tree snails is endemic to Hawaii, and all extant species are endangered. They were once abundant and were mentioned extensively in Hawaiian folklore and songs, and their shells were used in lei and other ornaments.

Achatinella spp.

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Acinonyx jubatus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph), and as such has several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail. It typically reaches 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m (3.6 and 4.9 ft). Adults weigh between 20 and 65 kg (44 and 143 lb). Its head is small, rounded, and has a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. The coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff and is mostly covered with evenly spaced, solid black spots. Four subspecies are recognised. More gregarious than many other cats, the cheetah has three main social groups—females and their cubs, male "coalitions" and solitary males. While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Acinonyx jubatus

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Acipenser brevirostrum NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=cd15138958b44bb2b853b45f848f47f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.896j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is a small and endangered species of North American sturgeon. The earliest remains of the species are from the Late Cretaceous Period, over 70 million years ago. Shortnose sturgeons are long-lived and slow to sexually mature. Most sturgeons are anadromous bottom-feeders, which means they migrate upstream to spawn but spend most of their lives feeding in rivers, deltas and estuaries. The shortnose sturgeon is often mistaken as a juvenile Atlantic sturgeon, because of their small size. Prior to 1973, U.S. commercial fishing records did not differentiate between the two species, both were reported as "common sturgeon", although it is believed based on sizes that the bulk of the catch was Atlantic sturgeon. The shortnose is distinguishable from the Atlantic sturgeon due to its shorter and rounder head.

Acipenser brevirostrum

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Acipenser medirostris NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/faking-death-is-a-good-way-for-animals-to-stay-alive/">animals</a> too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports --Acipenser medirostris  ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=0e16320dcb6d40748a5d6a1b3d9cc5b8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.896j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Sturgeons are among the largest and most ancient of <a title="Actinopterygii" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actinopterygii">ray finned fishes</a>. They are placed, along with <a title="Paddlefish" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddlefish">paddlefishes</a> and numerous fossil groups, in the infraclass <a title="Chondrostei" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondrostei">Chondrostei</a>, which also contains the ancestors of all other bony fishes. The sturgeons themselves are not ancestral to modern bony fishes but are a highly specialized and successful offshoot of ancestral <a title="Chondrostei" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondrostei">chondrosteans</a>, retaining such ancestral features as a <a title="Fish fin" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_fin">heterocerca</a>l tail, fin structure, jaw structure, and spiracle. They have replaced a bony skeleton with one of <a title="Cartilage" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartilage">cartilage</a>, and possess a few large bony plates instead of scales. Sturgeons are highly adapted for preying on bottom animals, which they detect with a row of sensitive <a title="Barbel (anatomy)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbel_(anatomy)">barbels</a> on the underside of their snouts. They protrude their very long and flexible “lips” to suck up food. Sturgeons are confined to temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Of 25 extant species, only two live in California, the green sturgeon and the <a title="White sturgeon" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_sturgeon">white sturgeon</a> (A. transmontanus). (Moyle 2002)

Acipenser medirostris

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Acipenser mikadoi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The Sakhalin sturgeon is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=japan&amp;cvid=b99abe0ea03d49319f23b97aa3ab6c4e&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j0l6.1785j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Japan</a> and Russia.The Sakhalin Sturgeon (Acipenser mikadoi) has 8-12 dorsal scutes, 25-30 lateral scutes, 7-11 ventral scutes, 29-41 dorsal fin rays and 18-28 anal fin rays. Colouration ranges from olive-green to dark green on the back to yellowish green-white on the ventral side with an olive-green stripe on the side between the lateral and ventral scutes.

The Sakhalin sturgeon is considered to be a species that migrates up the river from the sea in order to spawn. During the months of April to May, the Sakhalin sturgeon feeds in the freshwater and then returns to the ocean during the summer

Acipenser mikadoi

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Acipenser naccarii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.The Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is native to the Adriatic Sea and large rivers which flow in it of Albania, Greece, Italy, and States of former-Yugoslavia. Specimens can be seen in several public aquarium, such the Milan Aquarium, Aquarium Finisterrae, Aquarium of the Po, and Oasis of Sant'Alessio in Lombardy.The Adriatic Sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) is a thick set fish, growing up to 2 metres but 1.5m is more usual. Weight is 20-25kg. A long lived species, the Adriatic sturgeon has been recorded to reach 50 years of age. Acipenser naccarii has 10-14 dorsal scutes, 32-42 lateral scutes, 8-11 ventral scutes, 36-48 dorsal fin rays and 24-31 anal fin rays. The short snout is wide and rounded at the tip. The colour is grey-brown on the dorsal side

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.

Acipenser naccarii

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Acipenser oxyrinchus (=oxyrhynchus) desotoi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/mistastin-lake-in-labrador-canada/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Acipenser oxyrinchus (=oxyrhynchus) desotoi ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=84f1e8e9658b4caea7e69e7c7dff2555&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i57j69i59j0j69i60l3.1774j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe

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Acipenser oxyrinchus (=oxyrhynchus) desotoi

Acipenser oxyrinchus (=oxyrhynchus) desotoi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe...

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=2c2e13fdcefb416498254b6003035344&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0l2.1080j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video. The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is a member of the family Acipenseridae and along with other sturgeon it is sometimes considered a living fossil. The Atlantic sturgeon is one of two subspecies of A. oxyrinchus, the other being the Gulf sturgeon (A. o. desotoi). The main range of the Atlantic sturgeon is in eastern North America, extending from New Brunswick, Canada, to the eastern coast of Florida, United States. A disjunct population occurs in the Baltic region of Europe. Atlantic sturgeon live in rivers and coastal waters from Canada to Florida. Hatched in the freshwater of rivers, Atlantic sturgeon head out to sea as juveniles, and return to their birthplace to spawn, or lay eggs, when they reach adulthood.

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer...

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=6af7b47b706a421cbff7d45ac370e984&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.971j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is a member of the family Acipenseridae and along with other sturgeon it is sometimes considered a living fossil. The Atlantic sturgeon is one of two subspecies of A. oxyrinchus, the other being the Gulf sturgeon (A. o. desotoi). The main range of the Atlantic sturgeon is in eastern North America, extending from New Brunswick, Canada, to the eastern coast of Florida, United States. A disjunct population occurs in the Baltic regionof Europe Atlantic sturgeon live in rivers and coastal waters from Canada to Florida. Hatched in the freshwater of rivers, Atlantic sturgeon head out to sea as juveniles, and return to their birthplace to spawn, or lay eggs, when they reach adulthood.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Acipenser oxyrinchus is mostly native to the countries of Canada and the United States, with a smaller population in northern Europe (essentially the Baltic region ). They can be found in temperate and subtropical climates and in marine or freshwater environments

Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=0e16320dcb6d40748a5d6a1b3d9cc5b8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.896j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.The Atlantic sturgeon is a member of the family Acipenseridae and along with other sturgeon it is sometimes considered a living fossil. The Atlantic sturgeon is one of two subspecies of A. oxyrinchus, the other being the Gulf sturgeon (A. o. desotoi). The main range of the Atlantic sturgeon is in eastern North America, extending from New Brunswick, Canada, to the eastern coast of Florida, United States. A disjunct population occurs in the Baltic regionof Europe

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.Acipenser oxyrinchus is mostly native to the countries of Canada and the United States, with a smaller population in northern Europe (essentially the Baltic region ). They can be found in temperate and subtropical climates and in marine or freshwater environments. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), proposed to designate critical habitat for the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, and Chesapeake Bay Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

Acipenser sinensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis; Chinese: 中華鱘; pinyin: zhōnghuá xún) is a critically endangered member of the family Acipenseridae in the order Acipenseriformes. Historically, this anadromous fish was found in China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, but it has been extirpated from most regions due to habitat loss and overfishing. It is strictly protected by the Chinese government, named a "national treasure" much like its mammalian counterpart, the giant panda. China has several conservation programmes, including reserves specifically aimed at this species and restocking through release of juveniles in the Yangtze River.

Acipenser sinensis

Acipenser sinensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Acipenser sturio NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a> NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=d55013d210f7439f8ca981b3b73576f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j69i59.492j0j4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), also known as the Atlantic sturgeon or common sturgeon, is a species of sturgeon previously found on most coasts of Europe. It is anadromous and breeds in rivers. It is currently a critically endangered species. Although the name Baltic sturgeon sometimes has been used, it has now been established that sturgeon of the Baltic region are A. oxyrinchus, a species otherwise restricted to the Atlantic coast of North America.Manufactured products are derived from eel, sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), salmon and trout (Salmo spp.), and, in the case of aquaculture species, tilapia (Tilapia spp.), tench (Tinca tinca), carp (Cyprinus spp.), salmon and trout. All of these form part of a sizeable range of widely distributed and economically important species.

Acipenser sturio

Acipenser sturio NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Acrocephalus familiaris kingi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/"> Canada</a>. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=cd15138958b44bb2b853b45f848f47f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.896j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Acrocephalus familiaris kingi The Nihoa Millerbird is a tiny land bird that was discovered on the island of Nihoa in 1923. Another subspecies once occurred on Laysan Island, where it went extinct in the early 20th century after the island was devegetated by introduced rabbits.

FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.The millerbird (Acrocephalus familiaris) is a species of Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. It has two subspecies, A. f. kingi and A f. familiaris. The latter, the Laysan millerbird, became extinct sometime between 1916 and 1923. The former, the critically endangered Nihoa millerbird, remains the only race left, inhabiting the small island Nihoa in Hawaiʻi, though it has since been reintroduced to Laysan.

Acrocephalus familiaris kingi

Acrocephalus familiaris kingi NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer...

A new study published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac189">European Journal of Cardiology</a> suggests that drinking two to three cups of coffee per day may prolong your life. The research findings apply to instant, ground and decaffeinated coffee.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“In this large, observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause,” said study co-author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. “The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”



The researchers used data from the UK Biobank to investigate the associations between coffee and arrhythmias, cardiovascular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/night-owls-may-have-greater-risk-of-heart-disease/">disease</a> and death in 449,563 people between the ages of 40 and 69 years. The median age of study participants was 58, with 55.3 percent being women.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study participants were questioned about whether they usually drank instant, ground, or decaffeinated coffee. They were then grouped into six consumption categories ranging from zero to more than five cups a day.&nbsp;



The data showed that 198,062 (44.1%) of the participants drank instant, 82,575 (18.4%) drank ground, and 68,416 (15.2%) drank decaffeinated coffee. The analysis also included 100,510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers as a control group. Age, sex, ethnicity and various health issues were controlled for in the study.&nbsp;



Overall, 6.2 percent of participants died before follow up and 9.6 percent were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. The median follow up was 12.5 years. All types of coffee consumption were shown to lower the chances of death by any cause, with two to three cups being the most effective. 



Two to three cups a day of decaffeinated, ground and instant coffee were associated with a lower risk of premature death by 14, 27, and 11 percent respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components," said Professor Kistler. "It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival. Our findings indicate that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged but can be enjoyed as a heart healthy behavior.”



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee lowers risk of premature death from all causes

A new study published in the European Journal of Cardiology...

Honeydew is a sugary solution produced by several different types of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-struggle-to-adjust-to-high-temperatures/">insects</a>, particularly those that feed by inserting their proboscis into the phloem vessels of a plant. These vessels carry dissolved sugars and other nutrients all over the plant, and the sucking insects use their spike-like mouthparts to access the flow of goodies. Strangely, when an insect taps into the liquid and begins to suck, the high pressure in the phloem vessel causes a big droplet of honeydew to emerge from the insect’s anus. It is a valued source of food for other insects, including different species of ants.&nbsp;



Although the chemical composition of honeydew has been studied from the perspective of its nutritional value to ants and other species that feed on it, the nature of the volatile (or smelly) components has not been investigated. It is possible that scents from honeydew secretions are used by insects to communicate with each other, especially around the time of reproduction. A new study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2022.982965">Frontiers in Insect Science</a>, has now shown that the honeydew produced by spotted lanternflies gives rise to many airborne organic molecules that are attractive to other members of the species, and probably play an important role in the behavior of the insects.&nbsp;



Spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) are not native to the U.S., but have been introduced inadvertently from China, where they are indigenous. The first individual was recorded in Pennsylvania in September 2014. Unfortunately, this species is invasive and feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees. Individuals can spread long distances with the help of people who translocate infested material or items containing egg masses. It is critical that this pest be controlled before it spreads too widely, or it could do serious damage to the country’s grape, orchard, and logging industries.



“This research is important because the first step to managing any pest is to understand their biology and behavior,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/1710547/overview">Dr. Miriam Cooperband</a>&nbsp;of the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine Division (USDA APHIS PPQ) in the U.S. “As we learn more about the behavior of the spotted lanternfly, we hope to find a vulnerability that we can use to develop pest management tools to reduce its population and spread.”



It seems that spotted lanternflies do have one rather unusual behavior that may prove a vulnerability. Not only do they leave their honeydew secretions dotted onto the understory of trees in their habitat, but they also form mass aggregations on the trunks of select trees. There, they secrete so much honeydew that the surface of the tree trunk becomes white and frothy, and begins to smell like fermenting fruit. Multitudes of lanternflies gather at these sites and add to the secretions, while neighboring tree trunks are left untouched.



Cooperband and her collaborators wondered whether the honeydew that is excreted in these copious quantities perhaps contains semiochemicals, pheromones that convey signals to other lanternflies and modify their behavior. In previous studies the researchers had fixed small samples of either male or female spotted lanternflies to the trunk of a tree, enclosed in a fine mesh sleeve. These groups soon generated large aggregations of free lanternflies on the tree trunks, suggesting to the researchers that pheromones were indeed involved in attracting the lanternflies to each other.



To find out whether the honeydew contains any behaviorally active components that could influence lanternfly behavior, the researchers collected honeydew samples separately from male and female lanternflies in the field, to test in the lab. They found numerous semiochemicals present, including four ketones, six esters, and three alcohols, all of which existed in both sexes but at different ratios. Two compounds occurred at ratios over 1.5 times higher in male than in female honeydew, whereas five other compounds were found at higher concentrations in female than in male secretions.&nbsp;



The researchers then investigated how the honeydew influenced lanternfly behavior by giving captive lanternflies a choice to move to areas with or without the different types of honeydew. Their results showed that male flies were strongly attracted to male honeydew, while both males and females were only slightly attracted to female honeydew. Although it is not clear what would cause this behavior, this is consistent with observations of how these insects behave in the field.



The team went on identify which components of the honeydew produced the strongest signals. Five molecules were tested for attraction and found to have specific sex-attractant profiles. Two molecules called benzyl acetate and 2-octanone attracted both sexes, one molecule called 2-heptanone attracted only males, one molecule, 2-nonanone, attracted only females, and one molecule, 1-nonanol, repelled females but not males. All five of these compounds also serve as pheromone components for species across multiple insect orders, including bees and bed bugs.



These findings are just the initial steps to obtaining a better understanding of how, potentially, to control this invasive pest. The authors suggest that their findings can help develop non-insecticide control measures, such as the development of semiochemical lures for detecting lanternfly presence, or to use as mass trapping tools. There are many more questions to answer, such as whether there are seasonal variations in this behavior, and whether there are interactions with microbes in the honeydew that produce the necessary chemicals.&nbsp;



“Spotted lanternfly behavior and communication is quite complex, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. In addition to our work studying chemical signals, such as those in honeydew, we are also interested in the role of substrate vibrations in their communication system,” said Cooperband. “Future research might focus on understanding how they locate each other when they gather and find mates using multiple types of signals.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Honeydew secretions could be used to manage crop pests

Honeydew is a sugary solution produced by several different types...

Looking,Up,The,Trunk,Of,A,Giant,Rainforest,Tree,To

The ability of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/10-largest-rainforests/">rainforests</a> to store carbon may significantly decrease due to climate change, according to a new doctoral thesis written by Maria Wittermann, a postgraduate student at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en">University of Gothenburg</a>. This problem is caused by the fact that photosynthesis rates in the leaves of rainforest tree species are falling at higher temperatures and the trees’ natural cooling systems are failing during droughts.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Some species of fast-growing rainforest trees which established themselves early as the forests had been growing – called “early successional trees” - are able to handle rising heat by sucking up large quantities of water to their leaves and transpiring through wide-opened pores in the leaves. However, this does not seem to hold for trees that make up the canopy of rainforests in old growth forests (“late successional trees”), and grow slower, but get bigger and taller, thus losing their ability to cool themselves via transpiration.



“The tropics have not experienced Ice Ages and have thus had a relatively stable climate historically as well as seasonally. With climate change, it has started to get warmer and then we have seen that some species of trees are showing increased mortality rates, but we have not really known why before,”&nbsp;Wittermann said.



While early successional trees open the pores wider in their leaves, and transpire large amounts of water that helps them keep down the temperature in their leaves (much like an air conditioning system), the late successional species have more difficulties to stay cool since they don’t open their pores so much.



“We found large temperature differences in the leaves in our measurements. There could be a difference of 10 degrees Celsius between late successional species and early successional species growing in the same location. The late successional species had more difficulty coping with abnormally high temperatures. These trees had a higher mortality rate,”&nbsp;Wittermann reported.



Unfortunately, the early successional trees’ profuse transpiration requires a lot of water – which is not available during droughts. By contrast, late successional species’ reduced consumption of water makes them more resistant to droughts.



“Our results show that photosynthesis rates in rainforest trees falls when the temperature rises in their leaves, which occurs mainly in late successional species. The proteins and membranes in their leaves, that are essential for photosynthesis, fail, and eventually the trees die due to carbon starvation because they cannot convert enough carbon dioxide from the air. This affects the entire ecosystem. We know, for example, that some animals eat the fruits of the late successional species,” she added.



In her conclusion, Wittermann argued that, while this situation is currently worse in the Amazon – a carbon sink that might turn into a carbon source by as early as 2035 - in African rainforests climate change has fortunately not gone as far yet.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trees are overheating in warmer rainforests

The ability of rainforests to store carbon may significantly decrease...

An important aspect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-houseplants-can-poison-children-and-pets/">plant</a> development is gravitropism, the directional growth of organisms in response to gravity. This process allows plants to compete for limited resources. For example, if crop roots could be directed to grow down at a steeper angle, the plants could gain access to deeper water and nutrient reserves and potentially become more drought resistant.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin</a> has revealed four genes that are involved in gravitropism in corn and the model plant Arabidopsis. The research will help explain why some plant roots make a steeper turn towards gravity than others.&nbsp;



In collaboration with experts at the University of Illinois, the team used advanced techniques to observe subtle differences in root gravitropism in thousands of seedlings. This data was combined with genetic information for each seedling. The results allowed the researchers to map the likely positions of gravitropism genes in the genome.



“Because we had previously performed the same experiment with the distantly related Arabidopsis plant, we were able to match genes within the relevant regions of the genome in both species. Follow-up tests verified the identity of four genes that modify root gravitropism," explained study lead author Professor Edgar Spalding. "The new information could help us understand how gravity shapes root system architectures."



“We looked at an under-researched trait in maize that is important for a number of reasons, especially in the context of climate change. And we did it by making the evolutionary differences between plants work in our favor," said study co-author Professor Matt Hudson.



Corn and Arabidopsis evolved about 150 million years apart. Although both species share basic plant functions, the genes controlling them have likely been jumbled within the genome over time, explained Professor Hudson.



“I thought it was super cool that we could identify genes we wouldn’t have found otherwise just by comparing genomic intervals in unrelated plant species. We were pretty confident they were the right genes when they popped right out of this analysis, but Spalding’s group then spent seven or eight more years getting solid biological data to verify they do, indeed, play a role in gravitropism. Having done that, I think we’ve validated the whole approach such that in future, you could use this method for many different phenotypes," said Professor Hudson.



According to Professor Spalding, the method was probably particularly successful because precise measurements were made in a common environment. “Often, maize researchers will measure their traits of interest in a field, whereas Arabidopsis researchers tend to raise their plants in growth chambers. We measured the root gravitropism phenotype in a highly controlled way. These seeds were grown on a petri plate, and the assay lasted just hours, as opposed to traits you might measure in the real world that are open to all sorts of variabilities.”



“Gravitropism may be especially amenable to study through this approach because it would have been key to the original specialization of shoots and roots after the successful colonization of land."



Professor Hudson pointed out that gravitropism will be key to colonization of a different landscape, as well. “NASA is interested in growing crops on other planets or in space and they need to know what you'd have to breed for to do that. Plants are pretty discombobulated without gravity.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals genes that help plant roots grow toward gravity

An important aspect of plant development is gravitropism, the directional...

In intensive agriculture landscapes, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-bees-struggle-to-recover-after-extreme-weather-events/">wild bees</a> are rare due to the low availability of flowers as nectar and pollen sources, leading to significant problems for crop systems such as apple orchards, which are dependent on pollination. However, a new study led by the <a href="https://uni-freiburg.de/en/">University of Freiburg</a> in Germany has found that using a combination of hedges and perennial flower strips could support wild bee diversity and abundance in orchards by providing continuous resources during the entire growing season.&nbsp;



Between 2018 and 2020, the researchers compared flower resources and wild bee populations across 18 apple orchards in the Lake Constance area of Germany, one of the country’s leading apple growing regions. The analysis revealed that orchards housing a combination of hedgerows and perennial flower strips had a larger and more diverse population of bee pollinators. Wild bee species were found to visit flowering hedges from March to June, and perennial flower strips from June to August in the first year of planting, and from April onwards in subsequent years.



“For enhancing wild bees in intensive agricultural landscapes one should provide a network of perennial flower strips and some well-maintained hedges to create a continuous flower offer over the entire growing season,” said study lead author Vivien von Königslöw, an expert in Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology at Freiburg.



“Our results suggest preferential establishment of perennial flower strips rather than annual flower strips because perennial flower strips flower much earlier in the second year of establishment than in the year of sowing and attract different bee communities over the years. Thus, they are more suitable to enhance bee diversity,” she added.&nbsp;



Although hedges and perennial flower strips were found to complement each other, the scientists nevertheless argued that the latter are benefitting wild bees the most, since they are in bloom during periods when other flowers are scarce, while hedges predominantly overlap with apple trees and orchard ground vegetation flowering in spring.



The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14277">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Flower strips can boost wild bee populations

In intensive agriculture landscapes, wild bees are rare due to...

Since they produce fruit all year round, fig trees are essential components of tropical forests, ensuring that there is sufficient food for forest birds and mammals, even during periods when other plants do not bear fruit. However, in order to be able to provide this crucial ecological role, fig trees need to be pollinated by fig <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wasps-are-undervalued-as-predators-and-pollinators/">wasps</a> – a type of insect measuring two to three millimeters in length, living an average of two to three days, and often flying ten or more kilometers to get from a ripe tree to a flowering one.



Unfortunately, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.uu.se/">Uppsala University</a> in Sweden has now found that rising temperatures caused by global warming have a negative impact on these important pollinators, significantly reducing their lifespans. The experts collected ripe figs from five different species of fig trees - Ficus obtusifolia, Ficus citrifolia, Ficus popenoei, Ficus insipida, and Ficus maxima – and opened them in the lab. The wasps which had developed inside the figs were kept in climate chambers at different temperatures, and counted every few hours. The analysis revealed that all five pollinator fig wasp species lived shorter lives at higher temperatures.



“We found that all tested pollinator wasp species had a significantly shorter lifespan in 30, 32, 34, and 36°C compared to the current diurnal mean temperature of 26°C. At 36°C pollinator median lifespan decreased to merely 2–10&nbsp;h (6%–19% of their median lifespan at 26°C),” the study authors reported.



Besides rising temperatures shortening the lifespan of the wasps, the massive deforestation across the tropics is increasing the distance between fig trees, which also makes pollination more difficult. Hopefully, fig wasps will be able to avoid higher temperatures by adapting their behavior, such as flying at night when it is cooler.



“Unless wasps can adapt, such a dramatic reduction in lifespan is expected to reduce the number of pollinators that successfully disperse to flowering fig trees, and may therefore jeopardize both fruit set and eventually survival of the mutualism,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9311">Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising temperatures shorten the lifespan of fig tree pollinators

Since they produce fruit all year round, fig trees are...

Colorful,Pink,And,Purple,Calla,Flowers,Composition

According to horticulture expert Paul Alder, several common <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/houseplants-can-instantly-reduce-indoor-air-pollution/">houseplants</a>, such as the daffodil, Aloe Vera, or English Ivy contain toxic chemicals which can cause kidney stones, swelling of the throat, and vomiting in adults, and are almost impossible for children or pets to break down, often leading to irreparable damage if consumed.



One of the most dangerous houseplants is the elegant calla lily, which has a curved bloom and can be found in a variety of colors. However, this plant contains calcium oxalate crystals which cannot be broken down by the human body, and can lead to renal or liver failure, particularly in children and pets.&nbsp;



Another toxic plant for pets is the bird of paradise, a beautiful plant with brightly colored flowers resembling the head of a feathered bird, which contains hydrogen cyanide – an extremely dangerous substance for cats and dogs, causing vomiting, drowsiness, and even death. Similarly, the Sago palm – a slow-growing subtropical plant native to Japan and Southern China – contains a toxin called cycasin, which causes liver damage and death if consumed by pets.



Parents should take particular care in keeping their children away from the philodendron plant, which is currently very common in indoor gardens. Although it is not fatal, eating its leaves can cause nausea, burning skin, swelling of the throat, vomiting, and diarrhea, particularly in young children. Even more dangerous is the English Ivy, an evergreen perennial climbing vine which stays green all year round. Just touching this plant’s leaves or sap can cause skin irritation, swelling, and shortness of breath.



Even the innocent-looking daffodil, a beloved springtime flower, harbors toxins such as lycorine, a chemical which can be lethal if ingested in large amounts. And regardless of its name, the Peace Lily can be extremely toxic for cats and other small animals, injuring their tissues if touched or ingested – a phenomenon observed also in the case of the medicinal plant Aloe Vera, which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, while lowering blood sugar levels in both children and pets.



Other houseplants that can be dangerous include the Easter Lily, a springtime flower which can irritate the mouth and throat of children if ingested, the Monstera deliciosa, a beautiful, low maintenance plant that causes stinging sensations if touched or eaten, or the Pothos, an easy to care for evergreen plant which leads to burning sensations in the mouth, throat, and tongue.



According to Alder, these beautiful but dangerous houseplants could be replaced by other non-toxic ones, such as the Areca Palm, the Pilea Ivy, the Haworthia Zebra, or the White Orchid.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Common houseplants can poison children and pets

According to horticulture expert Paul Alder, several common houseplants, such...

The bacteria that live in our digestive systems break down components of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-animal-feed-could-supply-food-for-one-billion-people/">food</a> we eat. This not only provides the bacteria with food, but also enables us to access nutrients that are essential for our own health. The importance of a rich and vibrant microbial community in our guts has been emphasized by numerous recent research studies, and yet scientists know little about exactly how some of the bacteria go about digesting certain molecules present in our food.



Complex carbohydrates form an important source of nutrients available to the microbes in our guts, and bacteria have a vast array of enzymes, sometimes more than 300 different types, capable of breaking them down. Of particular interest to scientists from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> and Newcastle University in a recent study, was a genus of gastrointestinal bacteria called Bacteroides. These microbes make up the most substantial portion of the human gut microbiota and are very good at digesting the carbohydrates known as plant glycans.



In their study, the researchers investigated the pathway by which the bacteria break down N-glycans, which are sugars found bonded to the protein molecules of plants. Since plants form the majority of the human diet, N-glycans are very common in the human gut. The researchers, whose findings are published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2208168119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, used genomic data from the bacteria to identify specific enzymes produced by them that were capable of digesting different types of glycans.&nbsp;



Using this novel genome association approach the researchers were able to identify five different carbohydrate-active enzymes that are involved in the breakdown of N-glycans. This information about enzymes that are produced by the gut microbes will enable researchers to understand better how to manage good gut health, say the authors of the study. In addition, since glycans are sometimes associated with allergies to pollen or to plant-based foods such as soya, the researchers propose that the newly-identified enzymes that break down glycans could be used to make some foods or medicines less allergenic.&nbsp;



“The gut microbiome is an incredibly important feature for human health, and this finding will enable us to better understand the microbiome," said study lead author Dr. Lucy Crouch from the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham. "By identifying the particular enzymes that these microbes use to digest their food, we can consider how future diets can be developed that promote a healthy gut, and as a result improve our general health.”



The researchers state that one of the potential uses of the enzymes that specifically target N-glycans is in the production of pharmaceutical proteins from plants. Plants such as maize, rice, tobacco, flax, and strawberry have already been used to produce proteins for use as antibodies (“plantibodies”), collagen, vaccines and enzymes, but in order to reduce the allergenic properties of these proteins before being given as human treatments, it would be useful to remove the N-glycan sugars from the protein molecules.&nbsp;



In addition to showing how plant N-glycans are degraded in the human gut, the researchers also found that glycans bonded to the proteins from insects were also degraded by some of the same enzymes. This implies that insects, when included in the human diet, would also be a source of suitable nutrients for gut microbes. Insects have been a human food source for centuries for some populations, they are common in other primate diets, and there is an increased interest in the use of insect protein in human diets for environmental and sustainability reasons.



"We are still learning the role our gut plays in our overall health and so learning how microbes in our gut are able to use plant N-glycans is vital," said study co-author Dr David Bolam from Newcastle University. "This has developed our knowledge both in terms of understanding how these sugars are broken down by the microbiota, but also to discover new enzymes that could be used to alter and analyse N-glycan structures for medical and industrial applications.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human gut bacteria feed on complex plant sugars

The bacteria that live in our digestive systems break down...

Lignin is a complex organic polymer which forms key structural materials in the support tissues of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-energy-do-plants-use-to-lift-water-from-the-soil/">plants</a>. This substance allows plants to conduct water and stand upright, and plays a fundamental role in the formation of cell walls, particularly in wood and bark.&nbsp;



According to a new study led by <a href="https://www.su.se/cmlink/stockholm-university">Stockholm University</a>, it is possible to create and/or select plants that can better recover from droughts without affecting the plants’ size or seed yield by genetically modifying their lignin chemistry. These findings could be applied in both agriculture and forestry to tackle climate change-related challenges.



“Plants are made of many different cells, some of them are reinforced with lignin and assemble to each other to form a pipe that conducts water, like a straw to drink your cocktail,” said study lead author Delphine Ménard, an expert in Plant Sciences at Stockholm University.&nbsp;



For a long time, scientists believed that lignin does not have a “code” like DNA or proteins. However, Dr. Ménard and her colleagues have now challenged this old paradigm, by showing that each plant cell uses a chemical code to adjust their lignin to function optimally and cope with environmental stressors. This important finding could have major applications in agriculture and forestry.



“It takes only one simple chemical change, just one hydrogen atom apart from alcohol to aldehyde to make plants highly resilient to drought in conditions where alcohol-rich plants would all die,” said study senior author Edouard Pesquet, an associate professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at Stockholm.



Interestingly, such large increases of lignin aldehydes can also occur naturally in the wild. For instance, mulberries with the highest lignin aldehyde levels are more frequently used by silk caterpillars across Japan.&nbsp;



“These results revise our understanding of lignin and plant water conduction, but also open great possibilities to use the lignin code to improve crops and trees to face water availability problems. The modification of lignin chemistry at the single cell level is ultimately the mechanism enabling plants to grow, hydrate, and resist climate change stresses,” Professor Pesquet concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac284">The Plant Cell</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Plants adjust a “chemical code” to cope with climate change

Lignin is a complex organic polymer which forms key structural...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/">John Innes Centre</a> have found a correlation between early winter temperatures and crop yields for some economically significant crops. The researchers combined laboratory work with fieldwork to conduct their study and found that a chilling period in late November/early December promotes growth in oilseed rape plants. Although this process has been well studied in perennial plants, this was the first study to demonstrate this phenomenon in an annual crop.



“It was surprising to find that winter annuals have this flower bud dormancy - no one has ever suggested that this mechanism is important to flowering time control in annual plants," said Professor Steve Penfield, a group leader at the John Innes Centre. "Our experiments further show that if flower buds experience warmer than average temperatures then growth slows down and plants produce aberrant flowers and low yield. Conversely, we know that if plants get chilled at this stage this promotes faster growth and higher yield.”&nbsp;



Study first author Dr. Carmel O’Neil explained why this information is critical: “We want to understand the effect of climate change on the UK crop yields. To predict these effects and respond to them we must understand all the processes by which varying weather affects yield. And that is what we have done here in this study – proving experimentally what we have seen previously in correlated studies.”&nbsp;



The researchers determined that the expression of a gene called FLC influenced the bud dormancy response to winter temperatures.&nbsp;



“We had seen this correlation between chilling and yield in the data, but until now we could not say that chilling was linked to the physiology of the crop - it is not for example that chilling just kills some disease or pest - although it might do that as well," explained Professor Penfield. "But we now know why chilling influences yields and it is down to physical effect on the growth rate of the plants.”&nbsp;



Researchers hope that this study can be used to help us adapt our agricultural practices in a changing climate.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2204355119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Warmer winters lead to lower crop yields

Experts at the John Innes Centre have found a correlation...

Fresh,Green,Trees,And,Urban,Buildings

In a new study from <a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/">CNRS</a>, experts have established the first global risk assessment for urban trees. The researchers found that 56 to 65 percent of tree species planted in cities are threatened by increasing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-struggle-to-adjust-to-high-temperatures/">temperatures</a> and decreasing rainfall. By mid-century, the number of urban trees threatened by climate change will reach 68 to 76 percent.



"Climate change threatens the health and survival of urban trees and the various benefits they deliver to urban inhabitants. Here, we show that 56% and 65% of species in 164 cities across 78 countries are currently exceeding temperature and precipitation conditions experienced in their geographic range, respectively," wrote the researchers.



"We assessed 3,129 tree and shrub species, using three metrics related to climate vulnerability: exposure, safety margin and risk."



The experts found, for example, that rising temperatures will put 71 percent of tree species at risk in France by 2050. In Montpellier, the common ash will be among the species most at risk.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, it is quite common for species to already be planted in cities under stressful climate conditions. On the other hand, certain cities - especially wealthier ones - are able to spend money to water trees in times of drought and mitigate the impact of climate change. Going forward, the risks will increase as well as the expense of maintenance.&nbsp;



"Risk is predicted to be greatest in cities at low latitudes - such as New Delhi and Singapore - where all urban tree species are vulnerable to climate change. These findings aid the evaluation of the impacts of climate change to secure long-term benefits provided by urban forests," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



The study highlights the need for strategies to help urban trees cope with climate change, especially considering that trees will become increasingly important as natural air conditioners during heatwaves.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The majority of urban trees are threatened by climate change

In a new study from CNRS, experts have established the...

Endangered animals