or disabled by the disease a parasitic-worm infection spread by mosquitoes. Our study quantifies the effect of the most widely implemented vector control measure--insecticide-treated bed nets
#Increase in woodpecker populations linked to feasting on emerald ash borerthe scourge of forests the emerald ash borer
The four species of birds considered in the study Effects of the emerald ash borer invasion on four species of birds included three woodpeckers that are known to forage on EAB-infested ash trees
The emerald ash borer has been massively destructive because most North american ash trees have little or no defense against it Liebhold said.
Both for forests and urban trees the emerald ash borer has been devastating said Michael T. Rains Director of the U s. Forest Service's Northern Research Station and Director of the Forest Products Laboratory.
#Natural pest control protein effective against hookworm: A billion could benefita benign crystal protein produced naturally by bacteria
and used as an organic pesticide could be a safe inexpensive treatment for parasitic worms in humans
Hookworms and other intestinal parasites known as helminths infect more than 1 billion people in poverty-stricken tropical nations sucking the vitality from the body and leaving hundreds of millions of children physically and mentally stunted.
In earlier research Aroian and his collaborators described a protein Cry5b that can kill intestinal nematode parasites--such as human hookworms--in infected test animals (hamsters.
In the current research researchers showed that a small dose of Cry5b expressed in this bacterium can achieve a 93 percent elimination of hookworm parasites from infected hamsters.
However growing oat and pea in the same sample caused a huge shift towards protozoa and nematode worms.
The inclusion of tropical tree-ring records enabled the team to generate an archive of ENSO activity of unprecedented accuracy as attested by the close correspondence with records from equatorial Pacific corals and with an independent Northern hemisphere
and Australia are responsible for reducing the regional diversity of invertebrates in streams and rivers by up to 42 percent researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
and fungicides on the regional biodiversity of invertebrates in flowing waters using data from Germany France and Victoria in Australia.
In both Europe and Australia the researchers were able to demonstrate considerable losses in the regional biodiversity of aquatic insects and other freshwater invertebrates.
and that legally-permitted maximum concentrations do not adequately protect the biodiversity of invertebrates in flowing waters.
The lack of large differences in P loss from these two management practices may in part be explained by something unexpected--earthworms.
and you increase earthworm populations. But how are earthworms affecting transport of P? Earthworms can ingest
and redistribute soil and they enhance soil structure creating more stable aggregates and allowing water to move more rapidly into the soil.
It is also possible that earthworm activity mixes up soil moving surface-applied P deeper into the soil and away from potential runoff.
So which management practice is best for farmers? No-till practices didn't lead to increased dissolved P runoff in this study
For decades researchers have struggled to understand why many different organisms--trees fish corals insects--from various habitats reproduce synchronously
#Top 10 new species of 2012an amazing glow-in-the-dark cockroach a harp-shaped carnivorous sponge
Lyre Sponge Chondrocladia lyra Country: NE Pacific ocean; USA: Californiacarnivorous sponge: A spectacular large harp-or lyre-shaped carnivorous sponge discovered in deep water (averaging 3399 meters) from the northeast Pacific ocean off the coast of California.
The harp-shaped structures or vanes number from two to six and each has more than 20 parallel vertical branches often capped by an expanded balloon-like terminal ball.
This unusual form maximizes the surface area of the sponge for contact and capture of planktonic prey.
Lesula Monkey Cercopithecus lomamiensis Country: Democratic Republic of the Congoold World monkey: Discovered in the Lomami Basin of the Democratic republic of the congo the lesula is an Old world monkey well known to locals
and hunts soft-bodied prey including earthworms and amphibian eggs in addition to snails and slugs. This harmless snake defends itself by mimicking the alternating dark and light rings of venomous coral snakes.
and the United states used historical and contemporary records of species'presence held by organizations including the European Invertebrate Survey Butterfly Conservation the Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society the INBO Research Institute
#Insecticides lead to starvation of aquatic organismsneonicotinoid insecticides have adverse effects not only on bees but also on freshwater invertebrates.
Problems seen with constant exposurean Eawag study published today in the journal PLOS ONE (Public library of Science) now shows that at least one of the insecticides in this class also has toxic effects on freshwater invertebrates.
It has become common for topnotch studies to report genealogies that strongly contradict each other in where certain organisms sprang from such as the place of sponges on the animal tree
It has become common for topnotch studies to report genealogies that strongly contradict each other in where certain organisms sprang from such as the place of sponges on the animal tree
The approach foresees big changes for one of the planet's great carbon sponges. Boreal forests will likely shift north at a steady clip this century.
and small invertebrates such as insect larvae worms and snails when fruits are said scarce Dr. Keuroghlian.
if we did not have earthworms. In seagrass systems tiny grazers promote healthy seagrasses by ensuring algae is consumed quickly rather than overgrowing the seagrass.
#Chemical trickery explored to help contain potato pestthe pale cyst nematode Globodera pallida is one bad roundworm.
There the chemicals stimulate G. pallida eggs to hatch Normally this helps ensure the survival of emerging juvenile nematodes.
but don't support the nematode's reproduction. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by United states Department of agriculture-Research Education and Economics.
#Decoys could blunt spread of ash-killing beetlesas the emerald ash borer ravages North american ash trees threatening the trees'very survival a team of entomologists
Emerald ash borers (EABS) a type of beetle native to Asia first appeared in the U s. about 20 years ago.
As their name implies emerald ash borers are iridescent green. The beetles don't carry disease
could Lakhtakia's technique visually replicate the unique female borer to create a better lure?
The researchers were able to create a color similar to the emerald ash borer's green wings by layering different types of polymer.
and maintain and more successful at trapping males than dead female borers. The purpose of the decoys is to trap the males
so that populations of emerald ash borers can be detected in new locations quickly paving the way for efficient use of other control methods according to the researchers.
They serve as a major defense mechanism against viruses in plants and invertebrates. RNA silencing has also been implicated in antibacterial plant defense.
Astonishing ten new species of semiaquatic freshwater earthworms revealedthe semiaquatic earthworms in the genus Glyphidrilus are somewhat unfamiliar species that live between the terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems of rivers streams canals
Among the interesting characteristics of these worms is rounded a body tip while the end is shaped square.
This is probably an evolutionary adjustments that ensures oxygen transport to the deeper surface of the worms
Among the natural habitats of these worms are the rice fields in Thailand which serve as a reservoir and breeding ground for the animals.
The worms turn out to play an important role in the development of rice farming being a facilitator in the decomposition of organic matter to be a natural fertilizer as well as improving the soil properties for better rice root system.
which prove to be lethal to the worms. The increased use of pesticides in agriculture puts these species in danger.
The worms will survive in areas using chemical fertilizers but not those using chemical pesticides.
However the worms did well in areas of organic farming and so are likely to be sensitive to modern agrochemical contamination of the environment.
and corals allow researchers to quantify climate variation prior to instrumental measurements. An international research team has investigated now hundreds of these proxy records from across the globe
The hypothesis suggests for example that marine ecosystem managers who want to help tropical fish should focus on sustaining foundational species in the ecosystem such as corals.
and intestinal worms commonly known to infect lemurs. The parasites are identified in lemur fur and feces.
Some species--such as pinworms whipworms and tapeworms--cause diarrhea dehydration and weight loss in human hosts.
These eggs hatch small larvae in worms shaped and feed inside the acorns without altering the external appearance of this fruit.
and feed on them decreasing the harm produced by these worms over the acorns. Therefore voles scattered
In an analysis of 18 years of data from 1296 counties in 15 states researchers found that Americans living in areas infested by the emerald ash borer a beetle that kills ash trees suffered from an additional
When emerald ash borer comes into a community city streets lined with ash trees become treeless.
The data came from counties in states with at least one confirmed case of the emerald ash borer in 2010.
The emerald ash borer was discovered first near Detroit Michigan in 2002. The borer attacks all 22 species of North american ash
and kills virtually all of the trees it infests. The study was conducted in collaboration with David Butry with the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
Although insecticides often show only short half-lives in the environment these highly toxic substances potentially enter water resources where they can be harmful to aquatic insects and other invertebrates.
and even sponges to soak up oil. Unfortunately carbon nanotubes are also the prima donna of nanomaterials;
The emerald ash borer is a small green metallic beetle that was detected first in the United states in 2002 in Detroit said Ryan Armbrust a forest health specialist with the Kansas Forest Service.
Trees that have been invaded by the emerald ash borer have a thin canopy Armbrust said. As that tree loses leaf material it will try to regain some of it by sending out new shoots lower on the tree.
and stress from the emerald ash borer is woodpecker damage because the beetle larva is a food source for the woodpecker.
but a five-minute walk toward the bay will put you ankle-deep in tidal sludge filled with snails sponges and sea squirts.
#Mangroves protecting corals from climate changecertain types of corals invertebrates of the sea that have been On earth for millions of years appear to have found a way to survive some of their most destructive threats by attaching to and growing under mangrove roots.
Scientists with the U s. Geological Survey and Eckerd College recently published research on a newly discovered refuge for reef-building corals in mangrove habitats of the U s. Virgin islands.
More than 30 species of reef corals were found growing in Hurricane Hole a mangrove habitat within the Virgin islands Coral reef National monument in St john. Corals are animals that grow in colonies forming reefs over time as old corals die
and young corals grow upon the calcium carbonate or limestone skeletons of the old corals. Coral reefs make up some of the most biologically diverse habitats On earth
It is from these threats that corals are finding refuge under the red mangroves of Hurricane Hole.
and corals are growing on and under these roots. How does it work? Mangroves and their associated habitats and biological processes protect corals in a variety of ways.
Bleaching occurs when corals lose their symbiotic algae. Most corals contain algae called zooxanthellae within their cells.
The coral protects the algae and provides the algae with the compounds they need for photosynthesis. The algae in turn produce oxygen help the coral to remove waste products
and most importantly provide the coral with compounds the coral needs for everyday survival. When corals are prolonged under physiological stress they may expel the algae leading to the condition called bleaching.
When examining corals for this study researchers found evidence of some species thriving under the mangroves
while bleaching in unshaded areas outside of the mangroves. Boulder brain corals for example were found in abundance under the mangroves
and were healthy while many of those in unshaded areas a short distance away were bleaching.
Adapting to Climate Change? Organisms throughout the world are threatened as climate and other conditions change.
If they can find ways to adapt as it appears these coral have they can continue to survive as part of an invaluable piece of this world's intricate ecological puzzle.
It is known not how many other mangrove areas in the world harbor such a high diversity of corals as most people do not look for corals growing in these areas.
No coral reefs have been identified to date that protect from rising ocean temperatures acidification and increased solar radiation like these mangrove habitats in St john. Story Source:
The above story is provided based on materials by United states Geological Survey. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
But a new Yale-led study shows the critical importance of earthworms beetles and other tiny creatures to the structure of grasslands and the valuable ecosystem services they provide.
but the researchers introduced earthworms slugs and other small creatures to only some of the systems.
There was a 65 per cent reduction in large seaweeds a 60 per cent reduction in other algae and invertebrates and a 40 per cent reduction in the overall number of species present.
#Femme fatale emerald ash borer decoy lures, kills malesan international team of researchers has designed decoys that mimic female emerald ash borer beetles
and successfully entice male emerald ash borers to land on them in an attempt to mate only to be electrocuted
According to the Forest Service the emerald ash borer was introduced to the United states from China in 2002.
and shape of emerald ash borers but did not attempt to duplicate the surface texture of the insects.
and 3d printed decoys as well as dead female emerald ash borers onto leaves in forests in Hungary to see which of them best attracted wild males.
Ultimately we have gained new insights into how to manipulate the behavior of emerald ash borers
The researchers said their next step will be to further improve the traps to maximize their potential as part of an early detection tool for emerald ash borers.
and we will be working to couple this research with our ash-borer detection technique so that activity of the pest can be reported
and forest landscapes much as the emerald ash borer destroyed ash trees. We have made progress in our research so far in Hungary these past few summers
During the past 30 years the fields of the Cofre de Perote area were affected by the presence of the golden nematode of potatoes (Globodera rostochiensis) reducing performance of the crop by more than 40 percent.
According to records of the Institute of Ecology (INECOL) in Mexico there were six thousand cysts per kilogram of soil of the nematode
and tested a fungus capable of feeding from the nematode therefore a biological pest control was achieved the use of chemicals ceased and agriculture on the region improved.
Plant parasitic nematodes are microorganisms that feed on the nutrients absorbed by the roots of plants;
and that the region could have fungal antagonists for the golden nematode; after a scan we found some in 2005 that could be potential biological control agents.
which reduced up to 90 percent of the golden nematode population in two years by combining biological control with other methods for an integrated management.
and the golden nematode is present. The Biodiversity and Systematics Network is currently studying the major pest problems for the bean (Vicia faba) one of the crops used for rotation in the highlands of the state using the same bionematicide and some other biocontrol agents.
A major concern is the response of calcifying organisms such as corals algae mollusks and some plankton because their ability to build shell
and ash trees are being threatened by the emerald ash borer. Restoring tall prairie grasses Seven years ago Johnson became one of the founders of the Ecosun Prairie Farms to demonstrate the viability of a working grass farm as a means of restoring tall grass prairie and pothole wetlands.
Scientists found similarities between the organisms and members of Ctenophora and Cnidaria and suggest that they may be related to one of these phyla.
If you use the sponge that you use to wash dishes research has shown that those sponges actually contain a lot of other bacteria
Crop pests include fungi bacteria viruses insects nematodes viroids and oomycetes. The research published in the journal Global Ecology
three species of tropical root knot nematode whose larvae infect the roots of thousands of different plant species;
and soil characteristics that may affect other species that depend on these invertebrates for prey or are sensitive to changes in soil properties such as moisture
In the paper Live Eyeworm (Oxyspirura petrowi) extraction in-vitro culture and Transfer for Experimental Studies published in the Journal of Parasitology Kendall describes how these parasitic nematodes ingest blood from the quail
and you compared the size of the quail eye to the human eye it would be like having a worm about the size of a toothpick behind your eye.
Some of otters'favorites are abalone clams crabs mussels shrimp and sea urchins. Few predators can crack the globe-shaped spiny urchins
Without sea otters the undersea sea urchins they prey on would devour the kelp forests resulting in dense areas called sea urchin barrens that have lower biodiversity due to the loss of kelp that provide 3-dimensional habitat
and its level of infection with nematodes tiny parasitic worms that thrive in the gastrointestinal tract of sheep.
The level of infection was determined by the number of nematode eggs per gram of the animal's feces.
While all of the animals lost weight as a result of nematode infection the degree of weight loss varied widely:
and found that sheep with the highest tolerance to nematode infection produced the most offspring while sheep with lower parasite tolerance left fewer descendants.
Therefore tolerance to nematode infection could result from an ability to make up for the lost nutrition
Understanding the genetic underpinnings of nematode tolerance could someday guide efforts to boost tolerance in livestock by identifying
About 2 billion people are infected persistently with intestinal nematode parasites worldwide mostly in developing nations.
Children are especially vulnerable to the worms'effects which include anemia stunted growth and cognitive difficulties.
Ideally we would clear the worms from the bellies of the kids who have those heavy burdens Graham said.
and thus promote tolerance of nematodes that could be a very powerful tool. Story Source:
and help chaperone them out of the blood before they can infect more cells It's like a sponge that mops up a lot of the virus in the body says Schnell.
and to cells of the nematode C. elegans restored the activity of mitochondria and prevented the degeneration of neurons.
Based on invertebrate surveys primarily representing butterflies dung beetles and ants Burivalova and her colleagues found further diversity losses with logging.
Like insect sponges they absorbed the heat which lowered temperatures. After 15 minutes a time brief enough to prevent serious harm to the bees the theater light was turned off.
but the voracious numerous and mysterious Asian crazy worm has emerged for the first time in the state on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The UW Arboretum long a refuge for Wisconsin's native plants and animals is confirmed the first site for Amynthas agrestis an invasive worm believed to have arrived in the United states from its native range in Japan
Williams and members of the arboretum staff confirmed the earthworms'presence in the fall of 2013 checking regularly in the spring to see
if the worm's egg cocoons survived a particularly harsh Wisconsin winter. That appears to be the case according to Brad Herrick arboretum ecologist
--and doing our best to stay clear of the areas where we have found the worms.
In most of Wisconsin Amynthas is not alone among invasive earthworms. The last glacier which covered all but the southwestern corner of the state as recently as 20000 years ago wiped out all native earthworms.
The earthworms familiar to most Wisconsinites are introduced European species by the first settlers. While they too can damage natural landscapes European species rarely reach numbers like their Asian counterparts.
Amynthas'lifecycle is completely different from European species of earthworms Williams says. It breeds en masse
and is constantly dropping cocoons. Where the cocoons hatch at the soil surface you'll see what looks like small filament hairs moving on the soil surface in large numbers.
The grayish Amynthas is darker in color than pale pinker European earthworms grows to eight inches long
and has earned common names like crazy worm snake worm and Alabama jumper by flopping and wriggling vigorously when handled.
Unlike the raised ridged band (called a clitellum) that is found near the middle of European earthworms the Amynthas clitellum is smooth flat to the worm's body and a milky white to gray in contrast to the rest of the worm.
The crazy worms mature in just 60 days or so allowing populations to double during Wisconsin's warm months
Our native plant communities developed without the presence of all these hungry worms. The Amynthas eat so much that they take away the spongy surface organic layer that those plants need for nutrients.
and Eastern seaboard--for decades there is little research quantifying the damage the new wave of worms cause
Monica Turner a UW-Madison zoology professor and a graduate student in her lab have begun studies on the crazy worms'assault on soil.
and we're hopeful we can find a way to protect the arboretum from these worms
 The role of humans in the spread of invasive insects such as the emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned beetle is established well according to the study's lead author Frank Koch a research ecologist with the Forest Service
-and wood-boring insects and an additional 41 percent displayed evidence of prior borer infestation.
If we look at diseases of soybean we find that soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is at the top
One intriguing direction Radwan described that shows promise is that there may be interactions between M. phaseolina and other soil pathogens such as soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS.
If you cut a Dugesia Planarian worm would it grow back in microgravity? Sixth graders at North Attleborough Middle school in Massachusetts want to know the answer which could eventually be put to use healing wounds in space and On earth.
Crystal formation may cause jellyfish born in microgravity to lose their sense of direction and could potentially affect humans in the same way.
The chemical attracts'friendly'nematode worms from the surrounding soil which in turn kill the corn rootworm larvae within a few days.
As a result these plants attracted more nematodes and suffered less damage from an infestation of Western Corn Rootworms.
#Dramatic decline of Caribbean corals can be reversed: Stop killing parrotfish to bring back Caribbean coral reefswith only about one-sixth of the original coral cover left most Caribbean coral reefs may disappear in the next 20 years primarily due to the loss
since 1970 including studies of corals seaweeds grazing sea urchins and fish. The results show that the Caribbean corals have declined by more than 50%since the 1970s.
But according to the authors restoring parrotfish populations and improving other management strategies such as protection from overfishing and excessive coastal pollution could help the reefs recover
The rate at which the Caribbean corals have been declining is truly alarming says Carl Gustaf Lundin Director of IUCN's Global Marine and Polar Programme.
the fate of Caribbean corals is not beyond our control and there are some very concrete steps that we can take to help them recover.
and sea urchin--the area's two main grazers--has in fact been the key driver of coral decline in the region.
An unidentified disease led to a mass mortality of the sea urchin in 1983 and extreme fishing throughout the 20th century has brought the parrotfish population to the brink of extinction in some regions.
and grazing sea urchins and set aside one-third of its coastal waters as marine reserves says Ayana Johnson of the Waitt Institute's Blue Halo Initiative which is collaborating with Barbuda in the development of its new management plan.
The decline in corals started long before climate change began to affect reefs says Terry Hughes author of the 1994 study that predicted the current problems due to parrotfish removal.
Organic farming benefited the four taxonomic groups of plants earthworms spiders and bees --which were sampled as surrogates for the multitude of creatures living on farmland--in different ways.
In general more species of plants and bees were found on organic than on nonorganic fields but not more species of spiders and earthworms.
Dr Salentinig said the structure is similar to a sponge potentially enhancing the absorption of milk's healthy fats.
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