and they especially like the tender new shoots of trees like maple and locust compared with conifers
So when elk hang around in the canyons all year it s harder for young saplings of these deciduous trees to grow large enough to then produce their own seedlings.
Older maples and locusts are dying out and are not being replaced by the next generation so they are becoming less and less abundant in the forest in these canyons.
Each spring Red-faced Warblers along with two other related species the Orange-crowned Warbler and Virginia s Warbler build cupped nests of grass tucked into the ground at the base of trees.
Instead each selected patches dominated by different tree species. Orange-crowned Warblers preferred nesting in clumps of maples Virginia s Warblers liked locusts
and Red-faced Warblers nested under small fir trees. But now that maples and locusts are crowned declining Orange
and Virginia s Warblers have preferred fewer nest sites to choose from and are forced increasingly to nest in sites similar to those of the Red-faced Warbler.
and tree regeneration to the nesting success of birds in the spring and that points to the complexities through
#Why Scientists Are concerned About Tree-Burning Power plants (Op-Ed) Sasha Lyutse is a policy analyst for the NRDC.
because trees grow back biomass offers a carbon neutral form of energy. But not all biomass is created equal.
Trees are not the same as perennial grasses or harvest residues that can either regrow quickly would otherwise be burned in the field
And the latest science reveals that burning whole trees for energy results in more carbon emissions than burning coal for decades.
That's because trees are less energy-dense than coal and harvesting them for fuel means foregoing the carbon they would have absorbed from the atmosphere if left standing.
and atmosphere when people burn forests to produce energy instead of allowing trees to keep their day jobs as massive carbon storage facilities.
In a desperate bid to reduce Guam's population of poisonous brown tree snakes officials with the U s. Department of agriculture believe they've hit on a foolproof plan:
so they'll be more likely to get snagged in trees where the snakes live.
The brown tree snake a native of Australia Papua new guinea and the Solomon islands hitched a ride to Guam on military transport ships shortly after WORLD WAR II.
Additionally the brown tree snakes which can reach 10 feet (3 meters) in length have the unfortunate habit of climbing onto electric poles
In some places where cold temperatures currently preclude trees though the opposite can occur: warming may help form more fuel.
Forests that used to be characterized by mixes of species like pines and oaks or spruce and fir will probably be reshuffled.
New mixtures tend to burn differently because species carry with them the fire-related traits that reflect their evolutionary heritage.
For example some species like trembling aspen have moist decomposable leaves that tend to reduce fuel load
while others such as ponderosa pine create a flammable fuel bed thanks to their long resinous needles
For instance thinning of dense small trees and applying prescribed burning in fire-adapted native forests that have seen a century of fire suppression will increase the odds of conserving them as climate warms.
and xate (an ornamental palm frond) benefiting close to 5000 local people. The threat of deforestation looms Such communities in Guatemala deserve credit for pursuing sustainable forestry
when cleared for cattle oil palm soy or pulp production. And this pressure is only increasing with population growth and global demand for agricultural commodities.
so they can survive as a species. In some situations we may wish to consider the numbers necessary to help control overbrowsing allow tree
The huge herds of elk heavily browsed aspen and willow in the park and reduced the berry-producing shrubs.
Past studies showed the reintroduction of wolves in 1995 has led to willow and aspen populations rebounding.
Photos: The Wonders of Yellowstone national park The reintroduction seemed to have a beneficial effect on bears.
The grizzlies love to graze on the park's many wild berry species such as serviceberry chokecherry buffaloberry twinberry and huckleberry.
#World's Largest Owl Exposes Health of Russia's Forests The world's largest owl requires equally huge trees a finding that reveals that this salmon-devouring predator could be a key sign of the health of some of the last great forests of Russia
One of the reasons it's so hard to find fish owl nest trees is that the birds are almost unbelievably shy.
That means it is very difficult to find nest trees or foraging sites because you almost never see the owls at those locations.
Giant birds need giant trees The scientists discovered both the owls and their favorite prey salmon rely on giant old-growth trees for breeding and feeding.
The large trees provide nesting cavities big enough for the birds and when these dead massive trees fall into nearby streams they disrupt the water forcing it to flow around over
and under them generating a combination of deep slow-moving backwaters and shallow fast-moving channels that are critical to salmon at different stages in their lives.
Blakiston's fish owl is a clear indicator of the health of the forests rivers
 The first airborne tree pollen has been measured in recent days and while the count is still low some allergy sufferers are showing comparatively severe symptoms''he added.
I expect more tree pollen than ever to be released this spring and the reaction to the early pollen to be unusually strong.''
 All of that combined with historically high levels of carbon dioxide in the air nourishes the trees and plants that make pollen
which are the tiny reproductive cells found in trees weeds plants and grasses. Â By all accounts there will be more pollen this year than ever before.
The trees are going to burst in the next week or two and we will get a burst of pollen higher than in past years''said Bielory who predicts that pollen counts will increase by 30 percent by 2020
Pollen Counts To More than Double By 2040 Most trees release their pollen in the early spring
The park boasts spectacular granite formations crystal clear streams majestic waterfalls ancient giant sequoias two major rivers (the Merced and Tuolumne) and much more.
Giant sequoias and Mariposa Grove: Mariposa Grove is blessed with about 500 mature giant sequoias. Giant sequoias can live to be 3000 years old
and are known the largest living things on earth. Visitors can hike or take a tram ride to see Mariposa s sequoias.
Yosemite offers many camping options. There are 13 campgrounds and seven can be reserved (reservations are essential from April through September).
While many have tap water and flush toilets only Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp have showers. Those who want a roof over their heads have no shortage of choices.
Only about 10 percent of the Colorado river Delta's original wetland and riverbank areas now remain with less than 3 percent of the native cottonwood
and willow forests surviving. The dry largely derelict channel is now wet only when it rains
and promote the growth of cottonwood and willow tree seeds. The purpose of the pulse flow is to improve surface water
People with allergic rhinitis may be sensitive to specific types of pollen from trees grasses weeds and mold spores.
Trees release pollens first usually from late winter into spring or early summer depending on the location.
and trees are found in the areas you'll be heading into. You might decide to either premedicate by taking a nonsedating antihistamine the evening before
Dawn and dusk are the worst times for people with tree pollen allergies. 9 Myths About Seasonal Allergies Protect yourself outdoors.
Lehner's most recent Op-Ed was Coffee Farms Falter as the World Heats Up.
#Why Koalas Hug Trees The mention of a koala bear often conjures up an image of an adorable spoon-nosed creature cocking its head to one side while clinging to a tree.
Now scientists have figured out why the iconic Australian marsupials hug trees: The trunks help the koala bears keep cool according to a new study.
Tree huggers Given that koalas spend so much time in trees the marsupials live in Australia's woodlands where they munch on leaves
She also noticed the koalas clinging to acacia trees even though they normally eat eucalyptus leaves.
See Images of the Tree-Hugging Koalas As it got hotter the koalas went farther down the trees
and started to really hug onto the tree trunks Kearney told Live Science. That seemed strange to us until we figured out that the trees are a bit cooler.
Stay cool Koala bears pant to keep cool letting evaporated moisture from their mouths carry heat away from their bodies.
When the team modeled koala bear heat transfer they found the tree-dwellers save half the water they would have used panting
if they hug trees instead. Koalas get most of their water from their diet but because eucalyptus leaves are laced with a toxin the koalas can eat only a limited amount before the toxin harms the animals Kearney said.
So tree-hugging could be critical to their survival on hot days by allowing them to cool off without wasting precious water through panting Kearney said.
It's not clear exactly why their preferred tree trunks are cool but one possibility is that they pull in a lot of groundwater which stays closer to the annual average air temperature rather than the current air temperature he said.
(and hugging) trees will change their range with the hotter and drier weather brought by climate change Bill Ellis a wildlife researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia who was involved not in the study wrote in an email to Live Science.
As long as we plant trees koalas will eat perhaps the other trees we plant just need to provide the right mix of shelter
but nonnative trees might be the future for koalas as long as they also have the right fodder.
and it feels hotter so scientists should see how tree-hugging plays out in in different locations in the koala's habitat Ellis said.
So tree-hugging may be even more important up north where evaporative cooling doesn't work as well he said.
They were savoring sweet huckleberries sprouted in soils enriched by the ashes of a wildfire half a century ago.
Now many neo-conservationists believe we should intervene as technocratic managers to help Nature#by developing hybrid tree species to withstand hotter temperatures
No genetic data exists to help place Dendrogramma in the tree of life. The deep-sea mushrooms were preserved in chemicals that destroyed their DNA
These are primitive organisms at the bottom of the tree of life Just said. No other living animals have these characteristics
Tigers mark their territory by scratching marks into trees with their claws. Tiger babies or cubs are born helpless.
But that requires that anytime I have coffee I go into the app and tell it Ledger said.
Farmers interested in cultivating energy crops are often hesitant about tying fields into the production of perennial energy crops such as willow.
Many of the creatures with expanded ranges are invasive pests like the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) and the hemlock wooly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) both
of which have decimated native tree populations in the Northeast. Given that temps have gotten really cold and not for one night but for an extended period there's a tendency for a lot of people to hope for insect mortality Deborah Mccullough a professor of entomology
The emerald ash borer which burrows beneath the bark of ash trees to feed on the water
-and nutrient-carrying tissue of the tree has a strategy for over-wintering. It will stay under the bark
Populations of hemlock wooly adelgids which kill evergreens by feeding on the plants'needles year-round are expected to plummet.
Other vulnerable pests include the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) the brown marmorated stinkbug (Halyomorpha halys) and ticks (Ixodes sp.
#End of the Hemlocks, a Lament (Op-Ed) Randy Edwards is a senior media relations manager for The Nature Conservancy
The ash trees had to go. My neighbors and I we all knew that. But when they went we were shocked still and sad.
Nearly 40 years after the completion of the subdivision the relatively mature trees in our modest neighborhood are prized.
Our fondness for trees doesn't mean we knew one from the other though and so most of us didn't realize that the primary thoroughfares of our neighborhood were shaded almost entirely by ash trees.
City crews came while most of us were at work and cut down dozens of trees in one particularly industrious day.
The long line of stumps made me catch my breath a little when I drove back into the subdivision after work Our neighborhood had the look of a freshly shorn sheep with all its cuts
I spend my days were talking about a metallic green insect called the emerald ash borer
(which has killed more than 10 million trees in North america) and wanted to know more about this thing called invasive species. Any issue is more urgent when it hits your backyard or your tree lawn.
Most people have only a passing acquaintance with the nature of the place where they live
Asian Carp Spread to Upper Mississippi In my home state of Ohio people who love natural areas are about to get such a cold wet slap in the face in the form of the hemlock woolly adelgid#a tiny aphid-like insect
native to East asia that is sucking the life out of hemlock trees from Georgia to Maine. Brought to the United states about 40 years ago on imported nursery stock the insect has spread throughout eastern forests.
Sometimes nicknamed the redwood of the east eastern hemlocks and closely related trees are slow-growing evergreens that live for hundreds of years
and can grow to 150 feet tall. Although most of us may not be able to name them we recognize their deep-green branches as they are commonly found in parks nature preserves and other protected natural areas.
Ecologically hemlocks provide dense cooling shade and organic acidic soils that create a set of plant
Hemlock forests make for good trout streams and are homes to happy salamanders. More prosaically there are
(or were) a lot of old hemlock trees in nature preserves because the loggers didn't want them.
(which was early on sometimes derisively called the gully and hemlock society). Hemlocks set a mood
or at least they did in Robert frost's snowy New england in Dust of Snow: The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree has given my heart A change of mood
And saved some Part of a day I had rued. I've rafted West virginia's Gauley River
but also its coniferous forest canopy up to 50 percent of the canyon's steep slopes are covered in hemlock.
Those trees will likely be gone before too long victims of the adelgid #and the guides say rafters will notice the change
In time the hemlocks likely will be replaced by beeches and maples or other hardwoods. In the short term the opening in the forest floor may prove to be an easy conquest for Japanese honeysuckle
and prevent native trees from getting a start. On Groundhog day I led a small group of hikers through the Clear Fork Gorge in Mohican State Park in Central Ohio.
But there was no doubt that the mood was set by the fresh snow lodged attractively in the boughs of the towering hemlock trees that line the gorge.
so delighted by the trees I didn't tell them that before my grandchildren are grown the adelgid is likely to kill those hemlocks as they have up to 90 percent of the hemlocks in the Great smoky mountains national park in The Nature Conservancy's Greenland Gap Preserve in West virginia
and in the Fanny Bennett Hemlock Grove a patch of virgin wood in West virginia's Monongahela Forest and as they will eventually in Ohio's Clifton Gorge
and the Hocking Hills. All are places where the shade of the hemlock helps set the mood of a place that remains wild.
But maybe I should have said something because there is some hope for these trees. Experiments with a tiny Asian beetle that is a natural predator to the adelgid show some promise in keeping the insects in check.
And scientists are working on an adelgid-resistant strain of hemlock. In the meantime expensive chemical treatments may keep enough hemlocks alive long enough to find a solution. 6 Invasive Pests Threatened by Cold weather Next time
I get the chance I'll be sure to tell people about the threats to our forests from insect pests
because there are steps each of us can take to help prevent their spread: In the meantime large stands of dead hemlock stand in mute testament to the rule of unintended consequences.
As they become more common in places near and dear to me maybe they will move
This Op-Ed is adapted from End of the Hemlocks a Lament which appeared on the Nature Conservancy blog Conservancy Talk.
The Ratcliffe chupacabra as it's been dubbed was found Sunday in a tree on the couple's property in Ratcliffe Texas
in a tree. This is a typical place to find a raccoon but unlikely for a dog or coyote.
This does not mean anyone using Truvia to sweeten their coffee or tea is in danger.
and mixed them with lignin from the remains of pressed grapes coffee or pineapple tops.
and methane jumped to 790 ppb a 345 ppb rise as early humans chopped down trees
That climate allowed trees and shrubs to flourish and these would have outgrown forbs by shading them for example Edwards said.
The grubs are harvested from underground where they feed upon the roots of Australian trees such as eucalyptus and black wattle trees.</
Dazzling Photos of Dew-Covered Insects</a p><p>A delicacy among many African tribes the palm weevil(<em>Rhychophorus phoenicis</em>)is collected off the trunks of palm trees.
</p><p>A 2011 report from the Journal of Insect Science found that the African palm weevil is an excellent source of several nutrients such as potassium zinc iron and phosphorous as well as several
#Redwood Poaching Prompts Park Service to Close Roads Raiding and thieving has become a growing problem in Redwood national and state parks in Northern California where poachers enter the parks at night and leave with large burls and other knotty growths from the tallest trees in the world the New york times reports.
The National park service has decided now to close a 10-mile-long (16 kilometers) scenic parkway through the redwood parks from sunset to sunrise in an effort to curb the theft
and damage imposed on trees that can live for thousands of years. Illegal redwood poaching impacts one of the most sensitive resources in Redwood National
& State Parks a designated World Heritage Biosphere Reserve injuring trees than can live up to 2000 years old
but also causing related impacts to scenic qualities and threatening endangered species the National park service wrote in an announcement about the road closure
which went into effect on Saturday (March 1). ) While regrettable this closure is a proactive step toward preserving California's and our nation's irreplaceable natural treasures.
and souvenirs and goes for as much as $2 to $3 a pound a burl dealer recently told the Associated press. A finished dining room table made of redwood can go for as much as $1300 on ebay according to the Associated press. Follow Laura Poppick on Twitter.
But late in 2013 severe rains in central Mexico knocked the blossoms off many lime trees greatly limiting this spring's crop.
The bacteria are spread from tree to tree by a tiny insect called the Asian citrus psyllid.
The area may have resembled North america's Pacific Coast with forest canopies dominated by towering sequoias and a diversity of smaller plants growing closer to the ground.
Similar to patterns of regrowth seen today the fossils from Grasslands showed that plants like alder birch
Meanwhile the fossils from Chambery Coulee told the scientists that sequoia and ginkgo would have been thriving in mature forests that hadn't been scorched by a blaze.
The researchers hope their findings and further study will help them understand the forest ecology and biodiversity in this region immediately before the dinosaurs fell.
Fruit and nut trees need a winter chill period to become dormant and tule fog helps contribute to that chill.
For fruit trees the fog and temperatures are related Baldocchi said. A shroud of fog shields the trees from sunlight keeping their buds cooler.
As a result farmers may need to cultivate more heat-hardy trees or move orchards to cooler spots.
California's current drought is unlikely to help matters as it is starving the state of the moisture needed to form tule fog.
#Coffee Genome Reveals Why Your Java Smells So Good Not all caffeine is created equal. Researchers recently sequenced the genome of the coffee plant
and found the caffeine in your morning cup evolved independently from caffeine found in other plants.
and why the coffee plant might have started producing caffeine in the first place. It also explores coffee's other likable features such as its eye-opening aroma and its distinctly bitter taste.
And like many exercises in genome sequencing the researchers behind the coffee study say their work could lead to better coffee varieties in the future.
Coffee is as important to everyday early risers as it is to the global economy. Accordingly a genome sequence could be a significant step toward improving coffee said Philippe Lashermes a researcher at The french Institute of Research for Development in a statement.
By looking at the coffee genome and genes specific to coffee we were able to draw some conclusions about
what makes coffee special. 10 Surprising Facts About Coffee The researchers looked specifically at Coffea canephora a species commonly known as Robusta coffee
which accounts for about 30 percent of all coffee produced worldwide according to the study. To identify gene families specific to C. canephora the researchers used comparative genomics software on proteins from a variety of plants that are genetically related to the species including tomato and grape.
They found that compared with some of its closest relatives C. canephora possesses larger families of genes related to the production of alkaloid
and flavonoid compounds the compounds responsible for coffee's distinctive smell and characteristic bitterness. For example the researchers found that coffee has six genes for one such compound linoleic acid
which is partially responsible for coffee's distinct aroma after roasting. Arabidopsis a small flowering plant that is closely genetically related to C. canephora has only one gene for linoleic acid.
And in addition to these extra flavor-and aroma-enhancing compounds the researchers found that C. canephora has a larger genetic assortment linked to N-methyltransferases (NMTS) the enzymes encoded by genes involved in the production of caffeine.
The researchers compared the coffee plant's NMTS to those found in other caffeine-producing plants including tea and cacao (the plant behind your favorite chocolate treats.
They discovered that C. canephora's NMTS were more closely related to other genes within the coffee plant itself than to the genes responsible for caffeine production in tea and chocolate.
Even though the caffeine genes in coffee tea and chocolate are all members of the same giant superfamily core eudicots the whole development of the caffeine genes in coffee is said independent Victor Albert
professor of biological sciences at the University of Buffalo and one of the study's authors.
There is as much if not more caffeine in a coffee plant's leaves than in its berries he added.
Other scientists believe that the caffeine in a coffee plant's leaves could be there to keep infringing plants at bay according to Albert
. When the coffee plant's caffeine-laden leaves fall to the ground caffeine compounds sink into the soil where they prevent the germination of other plant species that would normally compete with the coffee plant for space
but you can make it fun Donohoe said. 6. Cover up Covering up can prevent ticks from latching on said Holly Donohoe a researcher at the University of Florida who studies the health risks of travel and sports.
and then using my thumb underneath their bodies to pull them off of the tree.
The only bad luck they bring is to grubs hiding beneath the bark of a tree.
#6 Trees That Are Easier to Identify in Fall Fall brings some spectacular views of trees with their leaves turning hues of orange yellow red purple and brown.
But their changing colors provide more than just pretty sights they can also serve as a marker to help you know what kind of tree you're looking at.
Here are a few trees that might be easier to spot in fall. Honey locust tree The honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos) grows across the United states
and is concentrated most in the central part of the country according to the U s. Department of agriculture (USDA). It has compound leaves meaning a single leaf stalk contains a number of smaller leaflets.
The honey locust leaflets are quite small about 0. 3 to 1. 5 inches long and 0. 2 to 0. 5 inches wide.
The tree can have 15 to 30 of these leaflets per stalk according to Utah State university.
In the fall these leaves turn from green to golden yellow. When this tree is covered in these tiny yellow leaves you can guess how it got its common name.
The honey locust tree is the most common street tree in Manhattan; so if you visit the Big Apple this fall look for these golden trees lining the streets.
Fall Foliage: Why Leaves Change Color Baldcypress In the summer the baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) looks like an evergreen tree#that is it has green needlelike leaves
and grows cones. But in the fall its leaves turn red-orange and eventually fall off.
This tree is a deciduous conifer which loses its leaves in the winter. The baldcypress is found throughout the United states
and does well in city conditions according to the Arbor day Foundation. Red maple The red maple (Acer rubrum) is one of the most abundant trees in Eastern North america according to the U s. Forest Service.
Its leaves have three lobes and in the summer they are green on one side and a paler color on the back.
In the fall this tree lives up to its name with its leaves turning a deep-red color
Goldenrain tree The goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is native to China and Korea but can grow in much of the United states as well.
But if the leaves which turn yellow in fall don't give this tree away its fruit will.
The goldenrain tree fruit is a papery capsule that looks a bit like a small pepper or a Chinese lantern.
Green ash The green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) is native to the Eastern and Central United states and Canada and is popular partly because of its resistance to insects and diseases according to the U s. Forest Service.
It is one of the first trees to change color in the fall with its leaves turning yellow in September according to the USDA.
In contrast the related white ash tree which is very similar in appearance otherwise can have orange red and purple leaves in the fall.
Fruit trees A number of trees have edible fruits that ripen in the fall which provide another identifying factor.
Apple trees plum trees and hawthorn trees which produce small red berries all have fruit that is ripe in the fall according to the BBC.
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011