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...

Ailuropoda melanoleuca 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- 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 giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Chinese: 大熊猫; pinyin: dàxióngmāo), also known as the panda bear or simply the panda, is a bear native to south central China. It is characterised by large, black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes used to distinguish it from the red panda, a neighboring musteloid. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the giant panda is a folivore, with bamboo shoots and leaves making up more than 99% of its diet. Giant pandas in the wild will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, or carrion. In captivity, they may receive honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, or bananas along with specially prepared food. The giant panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China,

Ailuropoda melanoleuca

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Akialoa stejnegeri 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 -- Akialoa stejnegeri 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Taxonomic Status: Current Standing: valid Data Quality Indicators: Record Credibility Rating: verified - standards met

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 Kauai ʻakialoa was a Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. It was endemic to the island of Kauai, Hawaii. It became extinct in the 20th century due to introduced avian disease and habitat loss. The Kauai ʻakialoa was about seven and a half inches in length and had a very long downcurved bill, which covered one third of its length. The adult males were bright olive-yellow on top and yellow on the bottom. The throat, breast, and sides of the body were olive-yellow. The females, however. 'Akialoa, Kaua'i 'Akialoa, and Maui-nui 'Akialoa as species. The Kaua'i 'Akialoa was the best known of the 'akialoas, persisting on Kaua'i through the 1960s. See Olson and James (1988, 1995) for the naming of this subspecies stejnegeri (Wilson) as opposed to "procerus" (Cabanis) recorded in most previous and some current literature (Synonymies). The Kauai ʻakialoa was about seven and a half inches in length and had a very long downcurved bill, which covered one third of its length

Akialoa stejnegeri

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Alasmidonta atropurpurea 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&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.Alasmidonta atropurpurea, common name Cumberland elktoe, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

Also described by Rafinesque in 1831, has a thin but not fragile shell, whose surface is smooth, somewhat shiny, and covered with greenish rays. Young specimens have a yellowish-brown shell, and the shells of adults are generally black. NatureServe is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.Species Information County observation(s) for Alasmidonta atropurpurea. Linked life history provided courtesy of NatureServe Explorer. Records may include both recent and historical observations.

Alasmidonta atropurpurea

Alasmidonta atropurpurea NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Alasmidonta heterodon 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&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 dwarf wedgemussel is an endangered species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.The dwarf wedgemussel was federally listed as an endangered species in 1990. The dwarf wedgemussel is a small, freshwater mussel that rarely exceeds 1.5 inches in length. It is the only Atlantic Slope freshwater bivalve (two-shelled) mussel in North America that has two lateral teeth on the right valve, but only one tooth on the left. The outer shell is dark brown or yellowish brown and often exhibits greenish rays in young

Alasmidonta heterodon

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Alasmidonta raveneliana 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&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 Appalachian elktoe is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. It is native to the United States, where it is known only from North Carolina and Tennessee.The Alasmidonta raveneliana (Appalachian elktoe) has a thin, but not fragile, kidney-shaped shell, reaching up to about 3.2 in (8 cm) in length, 1.4 in (3.5 cm) in height, and 1 in (2.5 cm) in width. Juveniles generally have a yellowish-brown periostracum (outer shell surface) while the periostracum of the adults is usually dark brown to greenish-black in color.

Alasmidonta raveneliana

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Alauda razae 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=ac3a31fd59c1443a823a552b0b8ce0fc&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.736j0j9&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 Raso lark is a small passerine bird with a highly restricted range, being found only on Raso islet in the Cape Verde Islands. This critically endangered member of the family Alaudidae lives in very arid terrain, and is considered one of the least known birds in the Western Palaearctic region, due to its remoteness and the lack of much ornithological study on the archipelago as a whole.This species is confined to one very small island, where its population fluctuates in response to rainfall and appears to reach extremely small numbers. Climate change may increase drought in Cape Verde, adding to the likelihood of extinction.

Alauda razae

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Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- 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=ac3a31fd59c1443a823a552b0b8ce0fc&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.736j0j9&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.Swayne's hartebeest is an endangered antelope native to Ethiopia. Two of the largest remaining populations are located in Senkelle Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary and Maze National Park. It has been extirpated from Somalia. It is named after British officer H. G. C. Swayne.In Ethiopia and Somalia we find the Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei having chocolate brown coloured mantle in the sub adults, before achieving the sexual maturity, that gradually stains of silver, as the hair gets grey hues with the ageing of the animal. t is classified in the genus Alcelaphus and placed in the family Bovidae. In 1979, palaeontologist Elisabeth Vrba supported Sigmoceros as a separate genus for Lichtenstein's hartebeest, a kind of hartebeest, as she assumed it was related to Connochaetes(wildebeest). She had analysed the skull characters of living and extinct species of antelope to make a cladogram, and argued.

Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei

Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer...

Alcelaphus buselaphus tora 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=35f8c824aab647a19217981e91ae23f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.1017j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.The tora hartebeest ( Alcelaphus buselaphus tora) is an extremely endangered antelope, native to Eritrea and Ethiopia. It has possibly been extirpated from Sudan. One of the most critically endangered large mammals in the world, it is threatened by poaching and habitat loss.The hartebeest , also known as kongoni, is an African antelope. Eight subspecieshave been described, including two sometimes considered to be independent species. A large antelope, the hartebeest stands just over 1 m (3.3 ft) at the shoulder, and has a typical head-and-body length of 200 to 250 cm (79 to 98 in). The weight ranges from 100 to 200 kg (220 to 440 lb). It has a particularly elongated forehead and oddly shaped horns, short neck, and pointed ears. Its legs, which often have black markings, are unusua…

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.

Alcelaphus buselaphus tora

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Alethe choloensis 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 Thyolo alethe or Cholo alethe (Chamaetylas choloensis) is an endangered species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Malawi and Mozambique. It is named after Thyolo, a nearby town in Malawi. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is most threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation, fires, and human activities.

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 Thyolo alethe or Cholo alethe is an endangered species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Malawi and Mozambique. It is named after Thyolo, a nearby town in Malawi. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is most threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation, fires, and human activities.

Alethe choloensis

Alethe choloensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Alligator mississippiensis 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=35f8c824aab647a19217981e91ae23f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.1017j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&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 American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States, with a small population in Mexico. It is one of two extant species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae; it is larger than the only other living alligator species, the Chinese alligator. Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.6 m (11.2 to 15.1 ft) in length, and can weigh up to 453 kg (999 lb). Females are smaller, measuring 2.6 to 3 m (8.5 to 9.8 ft) in length. The American alligator inhabits freshwater wetlands, such as marshes and cypress swamps from Tamaulipas in Mexico to southeastern and coastal North Carolina. It is distinguished from the sympatric American crocodile by its broader snout

Alligator mississippiensis

Alligator mississippiensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Alligator 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 alligator, also known as the Yangtze alligator, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=china&amp;cvid=9dff653a5e5d4ba4b3dedded43bb1c17&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j0l6.701j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">China</a> alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator are the only living species in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to 1.5–2.1 metres in length and weighs 36–45 kilograms as an adult. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20–30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian.The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. A vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live to over 50.

Alligator sinensis

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Alouatta palliata 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&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 mantled howler, or golden-mantled howling monkey, is a species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is one of the monkey species most often seen and heard in the wild in Central America. It takes its "mantled" name from the long guard hairs on its sides.The golden-mantled howler (Alouatta palliata palliata) is a subspecies of the mantled howler, A. palliata.It ranges throughout much of Central America, in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and possibly Panama. The range limits between the golden-mantled howler and the Ecuadorian mantled howler are not entirely clear. The Ecuadorian mantled howler replaces the golden-mantled howler

Alouatta palliata

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Alouatta pigra 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- Alouatta pigra 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&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 Guatemalan black howler, or Yucatan black howler, is a species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central America. It is found in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico, in and near the Yucatan Peninsula. It lives in evergreen, semideciduous and lowland rain forests. It is also known as the baboon in Belize, although it is not closely related to the baboons in Africa.

Howler monkeys are among the largest primates in the Neotropics. They can grow to be 22 to 36 inches tall when standing. And, their tails are about the same size in length as their bodies! Male howlers are black, while females are brown. They have prehensile tails that they can use to grab onto branches. They make loud vocalizations to mark their territory, thus earning their name.

Alouatta pigra

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Amazilia luciae 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- Amazilia luciae 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=6b138ad0f589473792ba23467d420ea8&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i57j69i60l3j0.716j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.Name Homonyms Amazilia luciae (Lawrence, 1868) Common names Amazilia hondureña in Spanish Ariane de Lucy in French Honduran Emerald in English Honduran Emerald in English Honduran Emerald in English

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 Honduran emerald is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. This bird is found only in Honduras. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.The Honduran Emerald (Amazilia luciae) is a little-known hummingbird in the family of Trochilidae. The bird is endemic to dry forest of Honduras. Honduran Emerald is threatened by habitat loss and deforestation. The hummingbird restricted distribution in dry forest fragments and increasing human pressures on this habitat.

Amazilia luciae

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Amazona arausiaca 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=35f8c824aab647a19217981e91ae23f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.1017j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&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 red-necked amazon, also known as the red-necked parrot, Dominican blue-faced amazon, lesser Dominican amazon, and Jaco parrot, is an amazon parrot endemic to Dominica. It is green, with bright splashes of various colours. Its name is due to the area of red plumage commonly found at its throat.Species Profile. Genus: Amazona | Species: arausiaca Size: 40cm (15.6 in) Weight: 620g (21.7 oz) Races including nominate: one. Colour Adult: Both adults body colour green, the feathers of the nape, neck, and mantle edged with dusty black; purple/blue face; red foreneck; secondary feathers 1-3 red turning into yellow and tipped with purple/blue, secondary feather 4 yellow tinged with green and .

Amazona arausiaca

Amazona arausiaca NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Amazona brasiliensis 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- 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=35f8c824aab647a19217981e91ae23f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.1017j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&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 red-tailed amazon, also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo and Paraná. The bird has been threatened by habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade, and is a symbol of the efforts to conserve one of the Earth's most biologically diverse ecosystems. Consequently, it is considered Near Threatened by BirdLife International and the IUCN. In 1991–92, the population had fallen below 2000 individuals. Following on-going conservation efforts, a count and estimate from 2015 suggests a population of 9,000–10,000, indicating that this species is recovering from earlier persecution

Amazona brasiliensis

Amazona brasiliensis NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Amazona collaria 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=35f8c824aab647a19217981e91ae23f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.1017j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a> and the world.The Yellow-billed Amazon, also called the Jamaican Amazon, (Amazona collaria) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is a predominantly green parrot with a short tail and pink throat and neck.

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 yellow-billed amazon, also called the Jamaican amazon, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is a predominantly green parrot with a short tail and pink throat and neck. It is endemic to Jamaica, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, plantations, and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trapping of wild birds for the pet trade.

Amazona collaria

Amazona collaria NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

Amazona guildingii 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/lake-st-clair-of-the-u-s-and-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 -- 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=35f8c824aab647a19217981e91ae23f2&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2j0.1017j0j1&amp;pglt=299&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&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 Saint Vincent amazon also known as Saint Vincent parrot, is a large, approximately 40 cm long, multi-colored amazon parrot with a yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts plumage, and violet blue-green wings.The bird is a 40 centimetres (16 in) long, mostly green, multi-colored amazon parrot with a yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts, grey feet, reddish eye, and violet blue-green wings. Its tail feathers are blue with broad yellow tips. There is a less yellow-brown <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Morph%20(biology)%20wikipedia&amp;form=WIKIRE">morph</a> and a less common green morph. It has grey feet and reddish eyes. Both sexes are similar. The young has lighter plumage and brown <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Iris%20(anatomy)%20wikipedia&amp;form=WIKIRE">iris</a>.

Amazona guildingii

Amazona guildingii NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is...

View,Of,Lagoon,And,Wetland,Habitat,,Lagunas,De,Villafafila,Rese

Wetlands fringe the edges of land adjacent to the sea and, although they represent a small proportion of Earth’s terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-habitats-alien-species-threaten-native-trout/">habitats</a>, they provide important ecosystem services. They protect communities against the worst effects of hurricanes and typhoons and the plants sequester large amounts of carbon. But, as sea levels rise, the fate of wetlands hangs in the balance. Will they adapt or will they drown?



For decades, scientists have hoped that rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) would stimulate increased plant growth in general. In the case of coastal wetlands, this scenario would enable them to grow fast enough to outpace the rise in sea level. A new study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a>&nbsp;(SERC), has now shed light on this question, and the findings do not look as hopeful.



The study took place at SERC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://serc.si.edu/gcrew">Global Change Research Wetland</a>, a research site run by biogeochemist Pat Megonigal on the western shore of Maryland. The research on wetland plant growth there represents the longest-running field experiment in the world on the impact of rising CO2&nbsp;levels on plants. Started in 1987, the design involves enclosing 15 small areas of wetland within open-top chambers, and then modifying the concentration of CO2 in the chambers and monitoring the growth responses of the plants as sea levels have slowly risen. A further 15 chambers serve as experimental controls that did not have any CO2 enrichment.



Over time, the scientists have raised the concentration of CO2 within the experimental chambers by an additional 340 parts per million, roughly doubling the atmospheric levels of 1987. In monitoring plant growth, they have focused particularly on the 10 chambers that contain “C3” plants that use a specific metabolic pathway to incorporate carbon from the atmosphere into sugars in their cells. These plants include roughly 85 percent of all plant species on Earth and they are known to respond vigorously to CO2&nbsp;enrichment.



The results, published today in the journal Science Advances, show that plant growth in the higher CO2 chambers flourished for about the first two decades of the study. Above ground, plants in the high-CO2&nbsp;chambers grew on average 25 percent more than plants in the untreated chambers. The effect was even more powerful underground, where higher levels of CO2&nbsp;triggered about 35 percent more root growth. Root growth is especially critical for wetland survival, as roots help wetlands trap soil and keep the foundations growing&nbsp;upward&nbsp;even as seas continue to rise.&nbsp;



“Even though elevated CO2&nbsp;contributes to sea-level rise, it also enhanced the marsh’s ability to accrete vertically during the early years of the experiment,” said Don Cahoon, a co-author and research ecologist, emeritus, with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>.



“In some ways, this is a race, a race between what CO2&nbsp;can do and what sea level can do," said study co-author Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a>.



But after 2005, the growth effect declined and then stopped altogether. For the past 14 years of data in the study, there was no average difference in plant growth between the high-CO2&nbsp;and the normal chambers.&nbsp;



“The CO2&nbsp;effect has always been one of the silver linings of climate change,” said study co-author Adam Langley, an ecologist with&nbsp;<a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/university.html">Villanova University</a>. “Well, at least plants are going to grow more. But we see here that they didn’t. So the silver lining to me just got a little cloudier.”



The team investigated several possible explanations for the return to normal growth rate: precipitation, temperature, the saltiness of the water during growing season, and the presence of critical soil nutrients, like nitrogen. Only sea-level rise showed any link to plant growth. Once the sea level at the wetland rose by 15 centimeters from where it was in 1987, the benefits of higher CO2&nbsp;disappeared.



Sea water contains far less oxygen than air does and so, when wetlands flood, plants are deprived of oxygen. Plants need oxygen as well as CO2 for growth, and wetland plants are adapted to get most of their oxygen from the air rather than extracting it from water. As sea levels rise, the frequency of flooding increases and plants are unable to obtain the oxygen they need, so growth rates slow down.&nbsp;



“Plants are aerobic, oxygen-breathing organisms,” explained Megonigal. “And that includes their roots. And so they’re fundamentally faced with this problem of having their root system in an environment that doesn’t have any oxygen in it.”



Some wetlands may still be able to escape drowning. If wetlands cannot rise higher by building soil, migrating inland is another possibility. However, that can only happen if they have enough space to move into. For many communities, allowing room for wetlands to move inland would require a shift in how they use and value the land.



In the meantime, Earth’s climate accountants will need to rethink the planet’s carbon budget because it is possible that wetlands will not be around to absorb carbon from the atmosphere, as was originally thought. Now that scientists know extra CO2&nbsp;does not always stimulate wetland growth as much as they thought, the amount of carbon that can be sequestered in wetland plants in the coming decades is no longer certain.&nbsp;



---



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

Wetlands are caught in a battle between CO2 and rising seas

Wetlands fringe the edges of land adjacent to the sea...

Alternative,Medicine.,Rosemary,,Mint,,Chamomile,,Thyme,In,A,Glass,Mortar.

Herbal supplements may not always be safe, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.elsevier.com/">Elsevier</a>. The research highlights how serious side effects can result from the imprudent use of herbal supplements.



The report describes a case in which a patient was diagnosed with a dangerous cardiac arrhythmia after taking hemp oil containing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cbd-improves-eases-arthritis-symptoms-in-dogs/">CBD</a> and CBG along with berberine supplements.



“More and more people are taking herbal supplements for their potential benefits. Yet their ‘natural’ character can be misleading, since these preparations can have serious adverse side effects on their own or if combined with other supplements or medications,” said Dr. Elise Bakelants, an expert in the Department of Cardiology at the University Hospital of Geneva. “Their use should not be taken lightly, and dosing recommendations should always be respected.”



The study examined the case of a 56-year-old woman who experienced dizziness and fainting without warning. After physical exams came back as normal, doctors determined that the condition was caused by the herbal supplements she was taking to cope with stress.&nbsp;



Four months earlier, the patient had started taking six times the recommended dose of hemp oil, and had recently added berberine to the mix. She was then diagnosed with a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.



During her hospital stay, all supplements were stopped resulting in positive changes, which strongly validated a link between the supplements and the arrhythmia.



The popularity of herbal supplements has grown in recent years, especially those containing CBD (cannabidiol). This particular supplement is very accessible and available without any prescription.&nbsp;



CBD has been promoted for its anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic, and immunomodulatory properties. The products do not contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) - therefore, it is not subjected to scrutiny by drug regulatory agencies.&nbsp;



Berberine, found in many medicinal plants, is frequently used in traditional Chinese and ayurvedic medicine for various types of treatment.&nbsp;



The preparation of herbal supplements is largely unregulated. Exact composition can vary greatly from one distributor to another, and properties of these substances are not well known. There are limited data on their effectiveness and toxicity, making it&nbsp; difficult to predict potential side effects.



Dr. Bakelants cautioned patients and physicians to follow dosing recommendations and consider possible interactions with other medications, particularly in patients with underlying cardiac disease or those already taking QT-prolonging medication.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.heartrhythmcasereports.com/">HeartRhythm Case Reports</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Herbal supplements are not always safe

Herbal supplements may not always be safe, according to a...

Forest,Trail,Scene.,Woodland,Path

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/we-still-have-much-to-learn-about-tree-growth/">Tree</a> planting is often an environmental solution to offset emissions that contribute to climate change. However, if the trees burn in a forest fire, all of the carbon they store could be thrown back into the atmosphere. When trees die, they also stop scrubbing carbon dioxide from the air due to drought or insect damage.



According to new research from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>, the likelihood of these threats is increasing worldwide. Relying on forests to absorb carbon emissions could be riskier than previously thought.



“U.S. forests could look dramatically different by the end of the century,” said study lead author William Anderegg. “More severe and frequent fires and disturbances have huge impacts on our landscapes. We are likely to lose forests from some areas in the Western U.S. due to these disturbances, but much of this depends on how quickly we tackle climate change.”



The researchers modeled the risk of tree death from fire, climate stress, such as heat or drought, and insect damage for forests throughout the United States, projecting how those risks could increase overtime.&nbsp;



The models found that by 2099, United States forest fire risks may increase between four and 14 times, depending on different carbon emissions scenarios. The risks of climate stress-related tree death and insect mortality could double over the same time.



“Climate change is going to supercharge these three big disturbances in the U.S.,” said Anderegg. “We’ve seen devastating fire seasons with increasing severity in the past several years. Generally, we expect the western U.S. to be hit hardest by all three of these. And they’re somewhat interconnected too. Really hot and dry years, driven by climate change, tend to drive lots of fires, climate-driven tree mortality and insect outbreaks.”



In each model, actions to tackle climate change mattered significantly. Reducing the severity of climate change dramatically reduced the likelihood of fire, drought and insect-driven forest die-off. This signals an opportunity - taking action to address climate change now can help maintain healthy forests, and the offsetting of emissions trees provide.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</a>. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, David and Lucille Packard Foundation and Microsoft’s AI for Earth.



Click <a href="https://carbonplan.org/research/forest-risks">here</a> to see the findings in an interactive map.



---



By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change will "supercharge" forest disturbances

Tree planting is often an environmental solution to offset emissions...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a> has found that increasing our daily intake of apiaceous vegetables, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorful-foods-can-prevent-cognitive-decline/">celery</a>, carrots, and parsley, could mitigate the effects of air pollutants in our bodies. According to the experts, these vegetables protect the body from the accumulation of acrolein, an irritant of the lungs and skin with a strong unpleasant smell, which is abundantly found in cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust.



Through a series of laboratory tests, study senior author Jae Kyeom Kim (an assistant professor of Behavioral Health and Nutrition at the University of Delaware) and his team analyzed how apiaceous vegetables mitigated acrolein-induced toxicities and reduced the oxidative stress triggered by these harmful substances.



“Kim’s research discovered that apiaceous vegetables supported detoxification through an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity,” said study co-author Jillian Trabulsi, an associate professor of Nutrition at the University of Delaware. “The results suggest that apiaceous vegetables may provide protection against acrolein-induced damages and inflammation because, in the liver, the vegetables enhance conversion of acrolein into a water-soluble acid for bodily excretion.”



In a next step, the scientists investigated what is a reasonable dosage amount for human consumption in order to fully benefit from these vegetables. 



“When we calculated this, we determined the actual daily calorie amount of apiaceous vegetables for humans is roughly 1 and 1/3 cups per day,” Professor Kim said. “It doesn’t require a high intake to see a difference, and this is an achievable amount in daily life.”



In future studies, Professor Kim and his team plan to integrate human intervention trials to better understand the health benefits of apiaceous vegetables. For the moment, they stress the importance of implementing behavioral changes in diet as a solution for combating the buildup of toxic substances derived from air pollution.



“Research has identified that it is the totality of nutrients in fruits and vegetables that support beneficial health outcomes, rather than a single nutrient. Focusing on a healthy whole food diet is more impactful than relying on individual supplements,” Professor Trabulsi concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286322000109#!">Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry</a>.&nbsp;



----



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

Eating vegetables can protect us against air pollutants

A new study led by the University of Delaware has...

Beautiful,Field,View,,As,A,Spiritual,Person,,Nature,For,Me

It's been long believed that the first farmers originated 11,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent in the Near East. Still, researchers were not sure whether Europe's first farmers <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-one-of-the-greatest-feats-of-human-migration/">migrated</a> from the Fertile Crescent or learned it through cultural dissemination.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While previous research implied that Europe's farmers came from hunter-gatherers in Anatolia, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.unibe.ch/index_eng.html">University of Bern</a> suggests that farming did not come from a single region.&nbsp;



Earlier studies indicated that the first agriculturalists were genetically different from other human groups. However, this study implies that there was a genetic mixing of hunter-gatherers from Europe and Anatolia approximately 14,000 years ago, which was 3,000 years before the first farmers.&nbsp;



"We now find that the first farmers of Anatolia and Europe emerged from a population admixed between hunter-gatherers from Europe and the Near East," said study co-author Nina Marchi.



The genetic mixing was followed by thousands of years of extreme genetic differentiation. Perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of this study is the interdisciplinary work that brings us these results.&nbsp;



The researchers used high-quality genetic material from prehistoric skeletons and analyzed demographic data to gather the necessary data. The team labeled this method "demogenomic modeling."&nbsp;



"It is necessary to have genome data of the best possible quality so that the latest statistical genomic methods can reconstruct the subtle demographic processes of the last 30 thousand years at high resolution," said study senior author Laurent Excoffier.



It took the researchers almost ten years to gather and study the skeletons. They also consulted with several anthropologists and archeologists.



"Simply comparing the similarity of different ancient genomes is not enough to understand how they evolved," said Marchi. "We had to reconstruct the actual histories of the populations studied as accurately as possible. This is only possible with complex population genetic statistics."



The discoveries made by the team only further their desire to learn more, as demonstrated by Excoffier, who wants to explore other time gaps and geographic areas. "Of course, spatial and temporal gaps remain, and this does not imply the end of studies on the evolution of humans in this area."



This study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00455-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS009286742200455X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Cell</a>.



---



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

Study sheds new light on the origins of the first farmers

It's been long believed that the first farmers originated 11,000...

Our school textbooks teach us that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-grow-plants-in-lunar-soil-for-the-first-time/">plants</a> make their own food using water from the soil, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and energy from sunlight. This process, known as photosynthesis, would thus be limited by the availability of these three resources. But it seems that plant growth is not as simple as this. For trees, growth can also be limited by the rate at which new cells can form in the trunks and branches, a process that is affected by temperature.&nbsp;



Understanding the factors that limit the growth of the world’s forests will become more critical as the effects of global warming take hold. Will increased atmospheric carbon dioxide help trees to grow? Or will extremes in temperature and precipitation restrict this growth? Until now, the question of whether plant growth is limited by the rate of photosynthesis or by the environmental conditions that affect cell growth was not adequately answered, despite its fundamental nature.



A new study led by <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> researchers, along with an international team of collaborators, has now attempted to answer this question. They have measured and compared the rates of photosynthesis and woody growth in forest trees at sites in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. Their results, published today in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abm4875">Science</a>, suggest that we need to rethink the way we forecast forest growth in a changing climate, and that forests in the future may not be able to absorb as much carbon from the atmosphere as we hoped.



“A tree growing is like a horse and cart system moving forward down the road,” said Professor William Anderegg, who is the principal investigator of the study. “But we basically don’t know if photosynthesis is the horse most often, or if it’s cell expansion and division. This has been a longstanding and difficult question in the field. And it matters immensely for understanding how trees will respond to climate change.”



The scientists distinguish between a tree’s carbon source and its carbon sink. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the carbon source – the tree uses this during photosynthesis to make food for its own use. Some of the carbon-based food is then used to grow new wood cells, and to enlarge existing ones. The tree’s wood is thus its carbon sink.&nbsp;



If the growth of trees is source-limited, then the amount of carbon dioxide available in the air is what would determine the rate of photosynthesis, and tree growth would be relatively easy to predict in a mathematical model. In this case, rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would be a good thing and forests would be expected to expand and proliferate.&nbsp;



However, if tree growth is sink-limited then they can only grow as fast as their cells can divide and mature. Many environmental factors can impact cell growth rate, including temperature, the supply of water and nutrients, and the rate of photosynthesis. In this case, modeling potential tree growth in future would have to take into account the impacts of these different factors.&nbsp;



In order to find out whether tree growth is limited by source or sink factors, the researchers compared the rates of photosynthesis and cell growth at forest sites on different continents. Measuring cell growth (sink) rates was done by sampling the growth rings of the trees.&nbsp;



“Extracting wood cores from tree stems and measuring the width of each ring on these cores essentially lets us reconstruct past tree growth,” said study lead author Antoine Cabon.&nbsp;



Measuring carbon sources was more difficult. Source data was measured with 78 eddy covariance towers, 30 feet tall or more, that record carbon dioxide concentrations and wind speeds in three dimensions at the top of forest canopies. “Based on these measurements and some other calculations, we can estimate the total forest photosynthesis of a forest stand," explained Cabon.



The researchers expected to find that the processes of photosynthesis and cell growth were coupled – that when photosynthesis increased (or decreased), a corresponding increase (or decrease) would be seen in cell growth. They did not find this. Trees did not necessarily add more growth when the photosynthetic rate increased.



“Strong coupling between photosynthesis and tree growth would be expected in the case where tree growth is source-limited,” said Cabon. “The fact that we mostly observe a decoupling is our principal argument to conclude that tree growth is not source-limited.”



Although the decoupling of these two processes was recorded in environments across the globe, there were instances where it was weaker. The researchers were interested in what conditions led to stronger or weaker decoupling. Fruit-bearing and flowering trees, for example, exhibited different source-sink relationships to those of conifers. Greater diversity in a forest increased coupling, whereas dense leaf canopies decreased it.



Finally, coupling between photosynthesis and growth increased in warm and wet environments, while in cold, dry conditions the processes were decoupled and tree growth was more limited by the rate of cell growth.&nbsp;



According to Cabon, this last finding suggests that the source vs. sink issue depends on the tree’s environment and climate. “This means that climate change may reshape the distribution of source and sink limitations of the world’s forests," he said.&nbsp;



The key finding from this study is that vegetation models, which use mathematical equations and plant characteristics to estimate future forest growth, may need to be updated. “Virtually all these models assume that tree growth is source-limited,” said Cabon.



For example, he explained, current vegetation models predict that forests will thrive with higher atmospheric carbon dioxide. “The fact that tree growth is often sink-limited means that for many forests this may not actually happen.”



That has additional implications: forests absorb and store about a quarter of our current carbon dioxide emissions. If the growth of forests slows down, their ability to take in carbon and mitigate the effects of climate change may be significantly reduced.



---



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

We still have much to learn about tree growth

Our school textbooks teach us that plants make their own...

What are the impacts of reforestation or converting other lands to new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hotter-drier-deadlier-how-much-can-forests-tolerate/">forests</a>? We know that such a move can help sequester carbon, but what is the impact on the water cycle? A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a> attempts to answer this question.&nbsp;



Martin Herold from the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/">GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences</a> contributed to the study, which was led by Anne Hoek van Dijke from Wageningen University &amp; Research.&nbsp;



“Restoration and planting more trees is seen as a viable solution for enhancing carbon storage and the biodiverse functioning of ecosystems," said Herold. "With innovative data and analysis, our interdisciplinary analysis highlights that the hydrological effects are important for how and where such nature-based solutions are more suitable to achieve towards more climate-smart and sustainable future landscapes."



The scientists looked at a global model which focused on 900 million hectares of land where trees could grow given local climatic conditions. The change in evaporation given new tree cover was calculated across these locations. The researchers estimated the amount of water that would evaporate and that which would go to streams.&nbsp;



“These models include a vegetation parameter for forest and non-forest conditions that was calibrated to a range of different evaporation and streamflow measurements," said van Dijke. "Afterwards, we calculated where, and to what extent, the increased evaporation would return to the land surface as increased precipitation.”



The results show that increases in water evaporation vary depending on the local climate. In the tropics, water evaporation can increase by 250 liters of water per square meter of land. In other areas, the increase is a more modest 10 liters.&nbsp;



Around 70 percent of this water is rained back down on land, while 30 percent is precipitated over oceans. Worldwide, this means that reforestation could lead to a loss of water availability.&nbsp;



On the local scale, the impact is more complex. In some watersheds, reforestation leads to a decrease in stream flow. In others, such as the Amazon, the increase in rainflow is enough that the streamflow reduction is nearly zero.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

Reforestation may reduce water availability in some places

What are the impacts of reforestation or converting other lands...

Genes contain all the instructions living organisms need to survive, grow and reproduce. While identifying genes is becoming a rather simple scientific procedure, learning what are the functions of these genes is a more complicated matter. A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a> has now discovered the functions of hundreds of genes in algae, many of which are also present in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-grow-plants-in-lunar-soil-for-the-first-time/">plants</a>, where they play similar roles.&nbsp;



The findings could help scientists genetically engineer algae for biofuel production and develop agricultural crops which can better withstand the effects of climate change.



“Plant and algae genetics are understudied. These organisms make the foods, fuels, materials, and medicines that modern society relies on, but we have a poor understanding of how they work, which makes engineering them a difficult task,” said study senior author Robert Jinkerson, an assistant professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at UC Riverside. “A common way to learn more about biology is to mutate genes and then see how that affects the organism. By breaking the biology we can see how it works.”



Professor Jinkerson and his colleagues used a variety of algal mutants and automated tools in order to perform experiments that generated millions of data points. By analyzing this vast dataset, the scientists learned the functional role of hundreds of poorly characterized genes and discovered new functions of previously known genes.&nbsp;



Several of the genes found in algae have counterparts in plants with similar roles, including photosynthesis, heat stress response, DNA damage response, or response to toxic chemicals and predators.



Better understanding how these genes function in algae could help engineer plants that are more resilient to heat or cold stress, have improved photosynthesis capacities, and grow well even in some contaminated soils. Such features which will be increasingly important as climate change advances and threatens the world’s food supply. Moreover, a deeper knowledge of algal genetics will also improve engineering strategies making them produce more biofuels.



“The data and knowledge generated in this study is already being leveraged to engineer algae to make more biofuels and to improve environmental stress tolerance in crops,” concluded Professor Jinkerson.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-022-01052-9">Nature Genetics</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

Algae genetics could help engineer more resilient plants

Genes contain all the instructions living organisms need to survive,...

Scientists have made an incredible discovery. For the first time in history, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> have grown plants in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lunar-soil-could-be-the-basis-of-moon-life-support-system/">soil</a> taken from the Moon. The experts have also learned how plants respond to lunar soil on biological and genetic levels.&nbsp;



After trying for 11 years, the researchers finally acquired just 12 grams of lunar soil. They filled tiny pots with a few Arabidopsis plant seeds, added nutrients, and exposed them to light. Much to their surprise, the seeds began to sprout. Through this experiment, the scientists have been able to gather further information.



The researchers noticed that plants grown in lunar soil were smaller and grew more slowly. There was also more variation in their sizes.&nbsp;



The experts used the Arabidopsis plant because its genetic code has been fully mapped. This means that the researchers could learn whether growing in lunar soil affected plants genetically.&nbsp;



“At the genetic level, the plants were pulling out the tools typically used to cope with stressors, such as salt and metals or oxidative stress, so we can infer that the plants perceive the lunar soil environment as stressful,” said study co-author Anna-Lisa Paul.



The experiment also revealed that plant growth may be affected by where the soil was gathered. It appears that plants grow better in less mature soil, which hasn’t been exposed to as much cosmic wind as mature soil.



The ability to grow a plant in Moon soil has significant implications for space travel and possible off-planet colonization.&nbsp;



“For future, longer space missions, we may use the Moon as a hub or launching pad. It makes sense that we would want to use the soil that’s already there to grow plants,” said study co-author Rob Ferl. “So, what happens when you grow plants in lunar soil, something that is totally outside of a plant’s evolutionary experience? What would plants do in a lunar greenhouse? Could we have lunar farmers?”



Furthermore, the research is vital for the Artemis Program, led by NASA, which aims to return humans to the Moon. Ferl believes the findings will help inform that mission.&nbsp;



This breakthrough is fantastic in its own right. We can be sure the scientific community will continue to build upon these findings.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</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

Scientists grow plants in lunar soil for the first time

Scientists have made an incredible discovery. For the first time...

Blueberries have often been touted as a superfood as they are full of antioxidants, vitamins and healthy plant compounds. Their apparent health benefits include improved blood sugar regulation, lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attacks. And now, a recent study from the <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a>&nbsp;has found that supplementing the diets of middle-aged people with blueberries may lower their risk of developing late-life <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-dementia-cases-may-triple-by-2050/">dementia</a>.&nbsp;



Previous research led by UC’s Dr. Robert Krikorian had focused on the benefits of berries for people with a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but their studies had involved older people. For the current study, the experts investigated the potential benefits among middle-aged individuals, in terms of dementia prevention and risk reduction.&nbsp;



Blueberries have particularly high levels of micronutrients and antioxidants, and also contain certain vitamins and minerals. Among the beneficial plant compounds are quercetin and myricetin, flavonols that have been linked to reduction in blood pressure and prevention of cancer, respectively. Blueberries are also very rich in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that protects the plant against excess radiation, infectious agents and other threats.&nbsp;



These same properties that benefit blueberries also provide benefits to humans, Dr. Krikorian said, such as reducing inflammation, improving metabolic function and enhancing energy production within cells.&nbsp;



Dr. Krikorian explained that about 50 percent of individuals in the U.S. develop insulin resistance, commonly referred to as prediabetes, around middle age. Prediabetes has been shown to be a factor in chronic diseases, he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We had observed cognitive benefits with blueberries in prior studies with older adults and thought they might be effective in younger individuals with insulin resistance,” said Dr. Krikorian, an expert in the UC College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. “Alzheimer’s disease, like all chronic diseases of aging, develops over a period of many years, beginning in midlife.”&nbsp;



In order to find out whether consuming blueberries had any effect on the cognitive abilities of middle-aged people, the researchers enrolled 33 patients between the ages of 50 and 65 from around the Cincinnati area. All the participants were overweight, prediabetic and had noticed mild memory decline in themselves. Dr. Krikorian said this population has an increased risk for developing late-life dementia and other common conditions.&nbsp;



The participants abstained from eating any berries over a period of 12 weeks, and were instead given a daily packet of supplement powder, to be mixed with water and drunk at breakfast of dinner time. Half of the participants received powder that contained the equivalent of one-half cup of whole blueberries, while the other half received a placebo.&nbsp;



The cognitive abilities of the participants were tested by assessing aspects of their executive functioning, such as their working memory, mental flexibility and self-control. Cognitive dysfunction in these areas is often associated with aging and with the development of late-life dementia.&nbsp;



The results of the research, published recently in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/8/1619">Nutrients</a>, showed that those individuals whose diet was supplemented with blueberries had improved performance on cognitive tasks that depend on executive control.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This was evident as reduced interference of extraneous information during learning and memory,” Krikorian explained.&nbsp;



Patients in the blueberry group also had lower fasting levels of insulin, indicating that they had improved metabolic function and were more able to utilize fat as an energy source.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Krikorian said the blueberry group also displayed an additional slightly higher levels of mitochondrial uncoupling, a cellular process that has been associated with greater longevity and reduced oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to symptoms like fatigue and memory loss.&nbsp;



“This last finding was exploratory but points to an interesting, potential mechanism for blueberry benefits,” he said.&nbsp;



Dr. Krikorian said that, in future, he would like to investigate the exact biochemical mechanisms whereby blueberry compounds help improve cognitive performance and metabolic function. But the most important conclusion from the current study is that regular blueberry supplementation into the diets of at-risk, middle-aged people may lower their chances of developing late-life dementia.&nbsp;



“The sample size is an obvious limitation of the study, so it will be important to reproduce these findings, especially by other investigators,” said Dr. Krikorian. “In the meantime, it might be a good idea to consume blueberries on a regular basis.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

Blueberries may protect our brains against dementia

Blueberries have often been touted as a superfood as they...

Microbes which have developed resistance to common antibiotics such as tetracycline or aminoglycoside are a major source of risk for people worldwide. Scientists have long known that antimicrobial resistance in humans is largely based on their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-gut-microbiome-is-shaped-by-what-we-eat/">gut microbiome</a>, where various microbes carry genetically encoded strategies to survive exposure to antibiotics.&nbsp;



A research team led by the <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/">Agricultural Research Service</a> (ARS) has now found that healthy adults who eat a diverse diet containing at least 8-10 grams of soluble fiber each day have fewer antibiotic-resistant microbes in their guts.



“The results lead directly to the idea that modifying the diet has the potential to be a new weapon in the fight against antimicrobial resistance,” said study senior author Danielle Lemay, a molecular biologist at the <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/davis-ca/whnrc/">ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center</a> in Davis, California. “And we’re not talking about eating some exotic diet either, but a diverse diet, adequate in fiber, that some Americans already eat.”



By analyzing a cohort of 290 healthy adult participants, Dr. Lemay and her colleagues discovered that regularly eating a diet with higher levels of soluble fiber (found in grains like barley and oats, legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas, as well as in nuts and seeds) and lower levels of animal protein was significantly correlated with lower levels of antimicrobial resistance genes (AMR) among participants’ gut microbes.



“Surprisingly, the most important predictor of low levels of ARG, even more than fiber, was the diversity of the diet. This suggests that we may want to eat from diverse sources of foods that tend to be higher in soluble fiber for maximum benefit,” explained Dr. Lemay.



On the other hand, people who had the highest level of antimicrobial resistance in their gut microbiomes were found to have a significantly less diverse gut microbiomes compared to those with low and medium levels of ARG. “Our diets provide food for gut microbes. This all suggests that what we eat might be a solution to reduce antimicrobial resistance by modifying the gut microbiome,”&nbsp;said Dr. Lemay.



“But this is still just a beginning because what we did was an observational study rather than a study in which we provided a particular diet for subjects to eat, which would allow more head-to-head comparisons. In the end, dietary interventions may be useful in lessening the burden of antimicrobial resistance and might ultimately motivate dietary guidelines that will consider how nutrition could reduce the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00101-22">mBio</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

Fiber-rich diets reduce antimicrobial resistance in the gut

Microbes which have developed resistance to common antibiotics such as...

Endangered animals