Friday, August 28, 2015

Loose Feathers #509

Osprey hovering / Photo by Ron Holmes/USFWS
Birds and birding news
Science and nature blogging
Environment and biodiversity
  • Ash trees in the Emerald Ash Borer's native range produce compounds that discourage the beetles from attacking healthy trees.
  • Melting of sea ice in the Arctic has forced thousands of walruses ashore near Alaska in an unusual mass stranding event.
  • In addition, there have been a series of unexplained whale deaths in the Gulf of Alaska.
  • Damage from Hurricane Katrina lingers in the marshes around New Orleans ten years later. 
  • California may have the worst drought, but other western states have drought trouble too.
  • Urban areas have an average summer temperature 1.9°C higher than surrounding the rural areas; areas with less than 35% impervious surfaces had less severe warming effects.