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Scientists review the ecological effects of sea ice loss

By Guest PostAugust 15, 2013Environmentarctic fox, arctic ocean, biological productivity, caribou, cecilia bitz, donald walker, ecological effects, eric post, ice microbes, jedediah brodie, jeffrey kerby, kristin laidre, microorganisms, mountainous tundra, pennsylvania state university, polar bears, ringed seals, sea ice decline, sea ice loss, tundra, uma bhatt, university of alaska, university of washington, west greenland

The Arctic Ocean has more open water each summer, a trend most scientists predict will continue in coming years. September 2012 set the record for the most open water since satellite observations began.

A University of Washington researcher is co-author on a review paper published (Aug. 2) in the journal Science looking at the ecological consequences of sea ice decline.

Led by corresponding author Eric Post, a biologist at Pennsylvania State University, the international team looked at effects on animals ranging from microorganisms to polar bears. As well as obvious changes for organisms that live in or on the ice, there also are trickle-down effects for food webs, animal behavior, species ranges, interbreeding and disease dynamics. (more…)

Nearly One-Tenth of Hemisphere’s Mammals Unlikely to Outrun Climate Change

By Guest PostMay 15, 2012Environment, Natureanteaters, armadillos, Berkeley, caribou, carnivore, carrie schloss, cedar tree foundation, climate change, coyotes, deer, emission scenario, generation, global climate, greenhouse gas, habitat, hemisphere, howler monkeys, human influence, joshua lawler, mammal, marmosets, model, nature conservancy, sexually mature, species of primates, spider monkeys, tamarins, tristan nunez, tropics, university of california, university of washington, vulnerability, western hemisphere, wolves

A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won’t move swiftly enough to outpace climate change.

For the past decade scientists have outlined new areas suitable for mammals likely to be displaced as climate change first makes their current habitat inhospitable, then unlivable. For the first time a new study considers whether mammals will actually be able to move to those new areas before they are overrun by climate change. Carrie Schloss, University of Washington research analyst in environmental and forest sciences, is lead author of the paper out online the week of May 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (more…)

U-M Divers Retrieve Prehistoric Wood from Lake Huron

By Guest PostDecember 13, 2011Sciencealpena amberley ridge, ancient paleoindian hunters, anthropologist, canadian expert, caribou, diameter, diane swanbrow, early holocene, examination, flakes of stone, guy meadows, human activity, hunting areas, john oshea, lake huron, microdebitage, mysterious period, national science foundation, noaa, north american prehistory, northern michigan, nsf, one millimetre, ontario, pleistocene, remote operated vehicle, rov, stone features, university of michigan, video camera, wood

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Under the cold clear waters of Lake Huron, University of Michigan researchers have found a five-and-a-half foot-long, pole-shaped piece of wood that is 8,900 years old. The wood, which is tapered and beveled on one side in a way that looks deliberate, may provide important clues to a mysterious period in North American prehistory.

“This was the stage when humans gradually shifted from hunting large mammals like mastodon and caribou to fishing, gathering and agriculture,” said anthropologist John O’Shea. “But because most of the places in this area that prehistoric people lived are now under water, we don’t have good evidence of this important shift itself– just clues from before and after the change. (more…)

Tag Archives: caribou

Scientists review the ecological effects of sea ice loss

Nearly One-Tenth of Hemisphere’s Mammals Unlikely to Outrun Climate Change

U-M Divers Retrieve Prehistoric Wood from Lake Huron