Tag Archives: university of exeter

Decline in Species Shows Climate Change Warnings Not Exaggerated

One in 10 species could face extinction by the year 2100 if current climate change impacts continue.

This is the result of University of Exeter research, examining studies on the effects of recent climate change on plant and animal species and comparing this with predictions of future declines.

Published in leading journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study uses the well-established IUCN Red List for linking population declines to extinction risk. The research examines nearly 200 predictions of the future effects of climate change from studies conducted around the world, as well as 130 reports of changes which have already occurred. (more…)

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Research Reveals New Secret Weapon For Le Tour

Winning margins in the Tour de France can be tight. In 2010 just 39 seconds separated the top two after more than 90 hours in the saddle. When every second counts, riders do all they can to gain competitive advantage, from aerodynamic carbon fibre bikes to the latest sports nutrition.

Now there could be a new, completely legal and rather surprising weapon for riders aiming to shave vital seconds off their time – beetroot juice. (more…)

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‘Lost’ Bats Found Breeding on Scilly

*A University of Exeter biologist has discovered a ‘lost’ species of bat breeding on the Isles of Scilly.*

*A pregnant female brown long-eared bat is the first of its species to be found on the islands for at least 40 years.*

It was discovered by Dr Fiona Mathews, Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, a postgraduate student and a team from the Wiltshire Bat Group.

The Scilly Isles Bat Group called in Dr Mathews and her team to help them find out more about bats on the islands. The researchers set up a radiotracking study, with funding from the Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to monitor the islands’ bat activity. (more…)

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Shaping The Future of Global Energy Policy

A leading academic at the University of Exeter has played a central role in compiling a report which could be vital for global efforts to tackle climate change.

Professor Catherine Mitchell, part of the University’s Energy Policy Group based in Cornwall, was one of only two experts from the UK to contribute to the ‘Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation’ (SRREN). (more…)

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Africa’s Sea Turtles Need Passports for Protection

Research by experts at the University of Exeter has led to calls to create an international marine park to protect endangered sea turtles.

Scientists from the university’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation, based at its Cornwall Campus, worked with an international team to carry out satellite tracking of olive ridley sea turtles off the coast of Central Africa for the study. (more…)

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University Academic Lifts Lid on Iphone Tracking

A University of Exeter researcher has revealed how he discovered Apple iPhones and iPads are tracking every movement of their owners and storing it in a file on the device.

Dr Alasdair Allan, a Senior Research Fellow in the Astrophysics department, came across the find while looking at programmes on the iPhone with security expert, Pete Warden. (more…)

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Ants’ Ecosystem Role is ‘Key’

Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as ‘ecosystem engineers’ and predators.

The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment. (more…)

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