A Blog Around The Clock

Dying Bats In The Northeast U.S. Remain A Mystery:

Investigations continue into the cause of a mysterious illness that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of bats since March 2008. At more than 25 caves and mines in the northeastern U.S., bats exhibiting a condition now referred to as "white-nosed syndrome" have been dying.

'Early Birds' Adapt To Climate Change:

Individual birds can adjust their behaviour to take climate change in their stride, according to a study by scientists from the University of Oxford. A study of the great tit (Parus major) population in Wytham Woods, near Oxford, has shown that the birds are now laying their eggs, on average, two weeks earlier than half a century ago. The change in their behaviour enables them to make the most of seasonal food: a bonanza of caterpillars that now also occurs around two weeks earlier due to warmer spring temperatures.

Intensive Farming Is Fine For Birds And Bees, Says Report:

Eco-friendly plant and animal life have been thriving in intensively managed cereal farms alongside increasing crop yields, according to the first study of its kind.

Endangered Species Up The Risk Of Extinction For Other Species In Ecological Community:

An endangered species of flora or fauna ups the risk of the extinction of the other species in its ecological community. Trophically unique species are more vulnerable for cascading extinction, according to studies of a team of theoretical biologists active at Linköping University and the University of Sheffield.

Eel Fishing Multiplies The Accidental Capture Of Other Fish By Eight:

In the Ebro River delta, the fishing of elver (Anguilla anguilla) leads to the accidental capture of other fish species, with the capture of one ton of elver possibly resulting in the capture of up to 8.2 tons of accompanying species. Researchers from the Institute for Agro-Food Research and Technology (IRTA), who have assessed the effects of this method of fishing and identified the most fragile species, propose improvements in current methodologies.