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Number of Earth’s Tree Species Estimated to Be 14% Higher Than Currently Known, with Some 9,200 Species Yet to Be Discovered

A new study involving more than 100 scientists from across the globe and the largest forest database yet assembled estimates that there are about 73,000 tree species on Earth, including about 9,200 species yet to be discovered.

Higher Levels of Biodiversity Appear to Reduce Extinction Risk in Birds

A new University of Michigan study has found that higher levels of biodiversity—the enormous variety of life on Earth and the species, traits and evolutionary history they represent—

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Study: Greater Greenhouse Gas Reductions for Pickup Truck Electrification Than for Other Light-Duty Vehicles

Major automotive manufacturers are ramping up production of electric trucks as a key strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their vehicles.

Scientists Reconsider the Meaning, Implications of Drought in Light of a Changing World

Maps of the American West have featured ever darker shades of red over the past two decades. The colors illustrate the unprecedented drought blighting the region.

Study: Tree Diversity Increases Storage of Carbon and Nitrogen in Forest Soils, Mitigating Climate Change

Preserving the diversity of forests assures their productivity and potentially increases the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in the soil, which helps to sustain soil fertility and mitigate global climate change.

A Healthy but Depleted Herd: Predators Decrease Prey Disease Levels but Also Population Size

Nature documentaries will tell you that lions, cheetahs, wolves and other top predators target the weakest or slowest animals and that this culling benefits prey herds, whether it’s antelope in Africa or elk in Wyoming.

Quantum Entanglement Could Make Accelerometers and Dark Matter Sensors More Accurate

And yes, they are looking to miniaturize it for smartphone dead reckoning

Human Rights a Thing of the Past? Google Says: No

Recently, scholars have expressed doubt that the language of human rights still animates the global fight for better living conditions.

‘Binocular’ Treatment Helps with a Common Vision Problem. Sleep Makes It Stick.

Amblyopia, sometimes called lazy eye, is a common vision problem in children and babies, and it’s typically been treated by having the child wear a patch on the stronger eye, with the goal of improving sight for the weaker eye.

U-M Researchers Inform Ecological Theory with Findings from Decades of Coffee Farm Fieldwork

University of Michigan ecologists Ivette Perfecto and John Vandermeer made their initial forays into agrosystems biodiversity research in the late 1980s while teaching an ecology field course in Costa Rica.

Yak Milk Consumption Among Mongol Empire Elites

For the first time, researchers have pinpointed a date when elite Mongol Empire people were drinking yak milk, according to a study co-led by a University of Michigan researcher.

Immune Signals Identified in the Brain That Contribute to Addiction Vulnerability

For individuals suffering from drug addiction, certain cues—whether it’s specific people, places or things—can trigger powerful cravings for repeated use.

Bigger Flowers, Greater Rewards: Plants Adapt to Climate Disruptions to Lure Pollinators

There’s been a well-documented shift toward earlier springtime flowering in many plants as the world warms.

For the First Time, Controlling the Degree of Twist in Nanostructured Particles

Being able to decide not only whether a micron-scale particle twists but also how much could open new avenues for machine vision and more

Cold-Survival Strategies In Animals: A Spectrum, Not Either-Or

Animals have three main strategies to survive the freezing temperatures of winter: migrating, remaining in place and resisting the cold, and reducing body temperature and metabolic rate in a state called torpor.

Tropical Vegetation Benefits Less From Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Than Researchers Previously Thought

Carbon dioxide is known to have a fertilizing effect on plant growth, and the gas is often added to greenhouse crops to help improve yields.

Lake Erie Quakes Triggered By Shifting Water Levels? Study Finds No Smoking Gun, Urges Further Research

In June 2019, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred beneath Lake Erie just off the shoreline of Ohio, about 20 miles northeast of Cleveland.

Bali-Like Temperatures In Wyoming? Fossils Reveal Tropically Hot North America 95 Million Years Ago

A new University of Michigan study that used fossil oyster shells as paleothermometers found the shallow sea that covered much of western North America 95 million years ago was as warm as today’s tropics.

Emulating Impossible ‘Unipolar’ Laser Pulses Paves The Way For Processing Quantum Information

Quantum materials emit light as though it were only a positive pulse, rather than a positive-negative oscillation.

What’s In A Name? Glimmers Of Evolution In Naming Babies, Choosing A Dog, According To U-M Researcher

Maverick was first used as a baby name after a television show called “Maverick” aired in the 1950s, but its popularity rose meteorically in 1986 with the release of the movie “Top Gun.” Today, it is even used for baby girls.