ScienceDaily: Drought News

Frogs, salamanders and climate change

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:37:37 EDT

Increasingly erratic rainfall patterns can lead to declines in southeastern frog and salamander populations, but protecting ponds can improve their plight.

Sahara olive tree: Genetic heritage to be preserved

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:47:47 EDT

The Saharan cousin of Mediterranean olive trees remains largely unknown. However, this subspecies (called the Laperinne's olive tree) is of great interest for several reasons. Researchers have shown that its longevity is ensured by its original vegetative reproduction. Extremely drought-resistant, this "relict" tree could act as a genetic resource to improve its domestic counterparts, provided conservation actions are implemented to prevent its disappearance.

Gene responsible for short stature of dwarf pearl millet identified

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:12:12 EDT

Recently, plant geneticists have successfully isolated the gene that creates dwarfed varieties of pearl millet. It is the first time a gene controlling an important agronomic trait has been isolated in the pearl millet genome.

Elevated carbon dioxide in atmosphere trims wheat, sorghum moisture needs

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:44:44 EDT

Agronomy researchers found that elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere have an upside -- a reduced need for moisture in some important crops.

When a gene is worth two: Same gene fulfills different biological roles in plants

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:41:41 EDT

The notion that each gene can only codify for a single protein has been challenged for some years. Yet, the functional outcomes that may result from genes encoding more than one protein are still largely unknown. Now, botanists have discovered a gene -- ZIFL1 -- that produces two different proteins with completely distinct locations and functions in the plant.

Understanding the continuous corn yield penalty

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:32:32 EDT

As escalating corn prices have encouraged many farmers to switch to growing corn continuously, they wonder why they have been seeing unusually high yield reductions over the past several years.

Genetic analysis calls for the protection of two highly endangered Portuguese fish species

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:10:10 EDT

A chromosome study of the endemic Portuguese fish Squalius aradensis and S. torgalensis draws attention to their current status of highly endangered species. Rapid habitat loss in combination with ongoing geographic confinement and a poor genetic bank of the two species requires the fast application of specific conservation measures to preserve the integrity of their genomes.

In triplicate, genes make maize tolerant to toxic soil

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Rendering some of the world’s toxic soils far less unfriendly, researchers are learning to grow stress-tolerant crops on formerly non-farmable land.

Monarch butterflies numbers down again

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:24:24 EDT

Bad news again for the Monarch butterfly: Drought conditions and historic wildfires the past few years continue to decrease their numbers as they wing across Texas this spring. Worse news: milkweed plants – the only kind they need to survive – are also not in plentiful supply.

Monsoon failure key to long droughts in Southwest

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:11:11 EDT

Long-term droughts in the Southwestern North America often mean failure of both summer and winter rains, according to new tree-ring research. For the severe, multi-decadal droughts that occurred from 1539 to 2008, both winter and summer rains were sparse year after year. The finding contradicts the commonly held belief that a dry winter rainy season is generally followed by a wet monsoon season, and vice versa.

Microbes team up to boost plants' stress tolerance

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:43:43 EST

While most farmers consider viruses and fungi potential threats to their crops, these microbes can help wild plants adapt to extreme conditions, according to a virologist.

Tree-ring data show history, pattern to droughts

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

Researchers used more than 1,400 climate-sensitive tree-ring chronologies from multiple tree species across North America to reconstruct the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), a widely used soil moisture index.

Busy beavers give Canada geese a lift, study shows

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:23:23 EST

A new study shows that busy beavers are helping Canada geese get an earlier start when the birds fly home and begin spring nesting.

Tree die-off triggered by hotter temperatures

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:50:50 EST

Scientists have determined that the recent widespread die-off of Colorado trembling aspen trees is a direct result of decreased precipitation exacerbated by high summer temperatures. The die-off, triggered by the drought from 2000-2003, is estimated to have affected up to 17 percent of Colorado aspen forests.

Genome sequence of 90 chickpea lines decoded

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:46:46 EST

Decoded genome of chickpea, a leading grain legume for many poor smallholder farmers, promises improved livelihoods in marginal environments.

Plant water demands shift with water availability

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:32:32 EST

Plants can adapt to extreme shifts in water availability, such as drought and flooding, but their ability to withstand these extreme patterns will be tested by future climate change, according to a new study.

Severe climate jeopardizing Amazon forest, study finds

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:17:17 EST

An area of the Amazon rainforest twice the size of California continues to suffer from the effects of a megadrought that began in 2005, finds a new NASA-led study. These results, together with observed recurrences of droughts every few years and associated damage to the forests in southern and western Amazonia in the past decade, suggest these rainforests may be showing the first signs of potential large-scale degradation due to climate change.

Unlocking sorghum's gene bank

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:20:20 EST

Climate change poses a major challenge to humanity’s ability to feed its growing population. But a new study of sorghum promises to make this crop an invaluable asset in facing that challenge.

Warming climate unlikely to cause extinction of ancient Amazon trees, study finds

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:23:23 EST

New genetic analysis has revealed that many Amazon tree species are likely to survive human-made climate warming in the coming century, contrary to previous findings that temperature increases would cause them to die out.

Disaster map predicts bleak future for mammals

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:41:41 EST

Mammals could be at a greater risk of extinction due to predicted increases in extreme weather conditions, according to a new paper.

Building better barley: Improving selection efficiency for more water-efficient varieties

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:27:27 EST

By studying the carbon isotope compositions of barley plants and their relationship with water-use efficiency, researchers have developed tools that plant breeders can use to improve selection efficiency for more water-efficient varieties.

Violence in Mali threatening survival of endangered elephants

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:32:32 EST

Researchers have revealed the secrets of survival of an endangered population of African elephant in the unforgiving Sahara desert. The elephants have the biggest range in the world, the study showed, but recent violence in Mali may now be putting the animals at risk.

Drought in the Horn of Africa delays migrating birds

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:20:20 EST

The catastrophic drought last year in the Horn of Africa affected millions of people but also caused the extremely late arrival into northern Europe of several migratory songbird species, a new study shows. Details of the migration route was revealed by data collected from small back-packs fitted on birds showing that the delay resulted from an extended stay in the Horn of Africa.

Plant stress paints early picture of drought

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:02:02 EST

In July 2012, farmers in the U.S. Midwest and Plains regions watched crops wilt and die after a stretch of unusually low precipitation and high temperatures. Before a lack of rain and record-breaking heat signaled a problem, however, scientists observed another indication of drought in data from NASA and NOAA satellites: plant stress.

Prioritizing rather than canvassing entire plant genome may lead to improved crops

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:56:56 EST

A genetics study shows promise in feeding the world in spite of heat and drought.

Researchers debut revolutionary biosphere mapping capability

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:24:24 EST

Researchers from the Carnegie Institution are rolling out results from the new Airborne Taxonomic Mapping System, or AToMS, for the first time at the American Geophysical Union meetings in San Francisco. The groundbreaking technology and its scientific observations are uncovering a previously invisible ecological world.

Scientists decipher genetic code of wheat

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:23:23 EST

Scientists have deciphered the genetic code of wheat to help crop breeders increase yield and produce varieties that are better suited to a changing environment.

Increasing drought stress challenges vulnerable hydraulic system of plants, professor finds

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:42:42 EST

The hydraulic system of trees is so finely-tuned that predicted increases in drought due to climate change may lead to catastrophic failure in many species. A recent paper finds that those systems in plants around the globe are operating at the top of their safety threshold, making forest ecosystems vulnerable to increasing environmental stress.

2001-2002 drought helped propel mountain pine beetle epidemic

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:04:04 EST

A new study shows for the first time that episodes of reduced precipitation in the southern Rocky Mountains, especially during the 2001-02 drought, greatly accelerated development of the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

UK butterfly populations threatened by extreme drought and landscape fragmentation

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:30:30 EDT

A new study has found that the sensitivity and recovery of UK butterfly populations to extreme drought is affected by the overall area and degree of fragmentation of key habitat types in the landscape.

Western aspen trees commonly carry extra set of chromosomes

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:41:41 EDT

A large proportion of aspen in the western US sport an extra set of chromosomes in their cells, a phenomenon termed triploidy, according to new research. In some areas of southern Utah and Colorado, over 60 percent of aspen trees are triploid.

Desert farming forms bacterial communities that promote drought resistance

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:41:41 EDT

When there is little water available for plants to grow, their roots form alliances with soil microbes that can promote plant growth even under water-limiting conditions, according to new research.

Huge deposit of Jurassic turtle remains found in China

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:12:12 EDT

"Bones upon bones, we couldn't believe our eyes," says one paleontologist. He was describing the spectacular find of some 1800 fossilized mesa chelonia turtles from the Jurassic era in China's northwest province of Xinjiang.

Ozone affects forest watersheds

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:33:33 EDT

Scientists have found that rising levels of ozone, a greenhouse gas, may amplify the impacts of higher temperatures and reduce streamflow from forests to rivers, streams, and other water bodies. Such effects could potentially reduce water supplies available to support forest ecosystems and people in the southeastern United States.

Dire drought ahead, may lead to massive tree death

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:14:14 EDT

New evidence suggests recent droughts could be the new normal. This is especially bad news for America's forests.

Research shows legume trees can fertilize and stabilize maize fields, generate higher yields

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT

Inserting rows of "fertilizer trees" into maize fields, known as agroforestry, can help farmers across sub-Saharan Africa cope with the impacts of drought and degraded soils, according to a 12-year-long study.

Drought, climate change impact salamander survival rates

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:39:39 EDT

On the heels of one the worst U.S. droughts in more than half a century, a new study raises questions about the future of one of the most integral members of stream ecosystems throughout the Southeast – the salamander. Research from Wake Forest University shows how salamanders react to drought, shedding light on the impact of climate change and increased urbanization.

Demographic miracle in the deserts: Some plants in arid regions benefit from climate change

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:16:16 EDT

Dryland ecosystems cover 41% of the Earth’s land surface. These ecosystems are highly vulnerable to global environmental change and desertification. But climate change seems to have a positive impact on some plants.

Climate change could cripple southwestern U.S. forests: Trees face rising drought stress and mortality as climate warms

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:21:21 EDT

Combine the tree-ring growth record with historical information, climate records, and computer-model projections of future climate trends, and you get a grim picture for the future of trees in the southwestern United States, according to a new study.

Napiergrass: A potential biofuel crop for the sunny Southeast

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:25:25 EDT

A grass fed to cattle throughout much of the tropics may become a biofuel crop that helps the nation meet its future energy needs, according to a scientist.

'Semi-dwarf' trees may enable a green revolution for some forest crops

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:13:13 EDT

The same "green revolution" concepts that have revolutionized crop agriculture and helped to feed billions of people around the world may now offer similar potential in forestry, scientists say, with benefits for wood, biomass production, drought stress and even greenhouse gas mitigation.

Droughts are pushing trees to the limit

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:34:34 EDT

Southwestern droughts made more severe by warming temperatures are pushing plants up against extremely stressful growing conditions, a new study has found, identifying an increasingly water-thirsty atmosphere as a key force that sucks moisture from plants, drying out the region as temperatures rise in the wake of climate change.

Forest mortality and climate change: The big picture

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:04:04 EDT

Over the past two decades, extensive forest death triggered by hot and dry climatic conditions has been documented on every continent except Antarctica. Forest mortality due to drought and heat stress is expected to increase due to climate change. Although research has focused on isolated incidents of forest mortality, little is known about the potential effects of widespread forest die-offs.

Salamanders display survival techniques in period of extreme drought

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:27:27 EDT

The stress of drought is acutely felt by aquatic animals such as salamanders. The extreme drought in the southeastern United States in 2007–2008 provided an opportunity to study how salamanders react and survive during such dry conditions. It also gave us clues as to how salamanders and other aquatic organisms may react to global warming.

Surviving drought: Discovery may help protect crops from stressors

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:31:31 EDT

New findings of a key genetic mechanism in plant hormone signaling may help save crops from stress and help address human hunger.

No-till farming helps capture snow and soil water

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:04:04 EDT

A smooth blanket of snow in the winter can help boost dryland crop productivity in the summer, and no-till management is one way to ensure that blanket coverage, according to new research.

What's behind rising food prices, beyond the U.S. drought

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:34:34 EDT

Although many U.S. consumers were alarmed to see news reports this summer of droughts leaving shriveled crops dying in the fields, a professor of food marketing warns other factors will have a greater effect on Americans’ wallets.

Probiotics supercharge plants' immunity to disease

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:06:06 EDT

Pathogens can slip through leaf pores and begin infecting a plant. However, new research shows that this invasion is halted when a beneficial bacterium is present in the soil where the plant is rooted.

Summer weather could mean fall colors pop in Northeast U.S.

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:39:39 EDT

The summer’s dry weather, combined with recent cool nights, could combine for a colorful fall foliage season in the Northeast, says a dendrologist.

Impulsive micromanager microbes help plants adapt, survive

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:09:09 EDT

Soil microbes are impulsive. So much so that they help plants face the challenges of a rapidly changing climate. Biologists have studied how plants and microbes work together to help plants survive the effects of global changes.

USDA: Ongoing drought causes significant crop yield declines

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 14:06:06 EDT

Corn production will drop 13 percent to a six-year low, the U.S. Agriculture Department said Aug. 10, confirming what many farmers already knew -- they are having a very bad year.

Diversity keeps grasslands resilient to drought, climate change

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:19:19 EDT

Grasslands should come out as the winner with increased periods and intensity of drought predicted in the future.

Climate warming refuted as reason for plant shifts in high-profile 2008 study

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:14:14 EDT

The simple model of how plants handle climate change doesn't always explain what's going on.

Rapid assessment of plant drought tolerance possible with new method

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:53:53 EDT

Life scientists have discovered a new method to quickly assess plants' drought tolerance that works for many diverse species growing around the world.

Chronic 2000-04 drought, worst in 800 years, may be the 'new normal'

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 14:21:21 EDT

The chronic drought that hit western North America from 2000 to 2004 left dying forests and depleted river basins in its wake and was the strongest in 800 years, but those conditions will become the "new normal" for most of the coming century, scientists conclude in a new report. Such climatic extremes, they say, have increased as a result of global warming.

Droughts threaten Bornean rainforests

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 21:42:42 EDT

At 130 million years old, the rainforests of Southeast Asia are the oldest in the world and home to thousands of plant and animal species, some endemic to these forests. The rainforests also play important roles in modulating regional rainfall as well in the global carbon cycle.

Drought monitor shows record-breaking expanse of drought across United States

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:41:41 EDT

More of the United States is in moderate drought or worse than at any other time in the 12-year history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, officials have said.

Pinpointing history of droughts through exploration of tree rings: Unexpected complexity in U. S. West's patterns of drought

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:25:25 EDT

Through an exploration of tree rings and oxygen isotopes, researchers are now able to better pinpoint the history of droughts in the arid and semiarid areas of the American West.

Dying trees in Southwest set stage for erosion, water loss in Colorado River

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 12:22:22 EDT

New research concludes that a one-two punch of drought and mountain pine beetle attacks are the primary forces that have killed more than 2.5 million acres of pinyon pine and juniper trees in the American Southwest during the past 15 years, setting the stage for further ecological disruption -- including more water loss in the Colorado River basin.

Big uncertainties in the global water budget

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:22:22 EDT

No life without water. Catastrophes like droughts or strong rains reflect our dependence on the water cycle and climate system. Hence, it is important to understand details of the water cycle among the atmosphere, oceans, and land. A new study outlines significant differences of global models and measurement data sets. As the network of measurement stations worldwide is shrinking dramatically, uncertainties are increased.