http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (Phys.org) —In the February issue of New Phytologist, Tulane University biologists examine why leaf-cutting ants target some plants and avoid others, concluding that high levels of friendly fungi in the leaves of some plants protect them from destruction by ants. http://phys.org/news281691025.html Biology Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:00:11 EST news281691025 By making Strickbau wood log building more energy efficient while restoring them in line with conservation principles, scientists are participating to their revival and use for modern living. http://phys.org/news273737562.html Technology Mon, 03 Dec 2012 06:12:56 EST news273737562 (AP)—Three tiny flaming orange monkeys crouched on a tree branch, cocking their heads as if to better hear the high-pitched whistles and yaps that came from deep within the dense green foliage. Then they answered in kind, rending the morning with their sharp calls and cautiously greeting each other in the forest. http://phys.org/news269871607.html Biology Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:20:26 EST news269871607 (AP)—An institute that tracks the population of Humpback whales that reproduce along Brazil's coast says the number of the once-threatened mammals has tripled over the last 10 years. http://phys.org/news265813132.html Biology Sun, 02 Sep 2012 13:59:03 EST news265813132 Reservoirs near the mouth of the Susquehanna River just above Chesapeake Bay are nearly at capacity in their ability to trap sediment. As a result, large storms are already delivering increasingly more suspended sediment and nutrients to the Bay, which may negatively impact restoration efforts. http://phys.org/news265548711.html Space & Earth Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:31:58 EST news265548711 Twelve years into a multibillion-dollar state and federal effort to save the Florida Everglades, little progress has been made in restoring the core of the ecosystem, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. Expedited restoration projects that improve the quality and amount of water in this area are necessary to reverse ongoing declines. A new federal pilot project offers an innovative approach to this challenge, although additional analysis is needed to maximize restoration benefits within existing legal constraints. http://phys.org/news259504352.html Space & Earth Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:32:48 EST news259504352 In an effort to advance the field of coastal restoration, The Nature Conservancy and a team of scientists from more than a dozen management agencies and research institutions led by the University of Cambridge conducted an in-depth study of oyster reef area and, for the first time, the actual biomass (the "living weight") of oyster reefs in dozens of estuaries throughout the United States. http://phys.org/news258721950.html Biology Tue, 12 Jun 2012 19:00:02 EST news258721950 Oil giant BP said Wednesday it has finalized a $7.8 billion deal to settle thousands of claims from fishermen and others affected by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. http://phys.org/news253988655.html Space & Earth Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:24:22 EST news253988655 Oil giant BP's agreement of a $7.8 billion settlement for victims of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill will not end its legal headaches or erase the disaster for some US southern coast residents. http://phys.org/news250018064.html Space & Earth Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:27:51 EST news250018064 BP said it reached a $7.8 billion deal to settle claims from fishermen and other private claimants affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill ahead of the start of a major US trial. http://phys.org/news249970883.html Space & Earth Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:21:39 EST news249970883 Andrew Westrich lifted the top from a waist-high wood box in his suburban backyard. http://phys.org/news233328291.html Biology Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:50:04 EST news233328291 Development of disease resistance among Chesapeake Bay oysters calls for a shift in oyster-restoration strategies within the Bay and its tributaries. That's according to a new study by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). http://phys.org/news228389318.html Space & Earth Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:28:49 EST news228389318 Much of the Mississippi River's sediment load doesn't come from field runoff, according to work by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Instead, the scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have confirmed that stream bank collapse and failure can be chief contributors to high sediment levels in the silty streams and rivers that flow into the Mississippi. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency. http://phys.org/news217693112.html Space & Earth Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:30:01 EST news217693112 The Potomac River in Washington, D.C. is showing multiple benefits from restoration efforts, newly published research suggests. Reduced nutrients and improved water clarity have increased the abundance and diversity of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Potomac, according to direct measurements taken during the 18-year field study. http://phys.org/news203081345.html Space & Earth Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:29:28 EST news203081345 (AP) -- Gov. Charlie Crist's grand plan to revive the dying Florida Everglades by buying back the land is in jeopardy after a federal judge Wednesday ordered the state to resume construction on a multimillion-dollar restoration project. http://phys.org/news189318005.html Space & Earth Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:30:01 EST news189318005 For more than two decades, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have been developing new grasses and forages that can hold their own on the rugged rangelands of the western United States. As a result of that work, the scientists have released many improved plant varieties that help restore vegetation communities struggling for survival in the face of extreme weather conditions, wildfires, soil erosion, invasive plant species and other challenges. http://phys.org/news185198791.html Biology Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:30:01 EST news185198791 (PhysOrg.com) -- Invasive animals often wreak havoc with their feeding habits; however, University of Florida researchers say a huge South American snail is causing problems when it’s the prey rather than the predator. http://phys.org/news184523839.html Biology Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:00:01 EST news184523839 Conservation projects often attempt to enhance the water-based transport of material, energy, and organisms in natural ecosystems. River restoration, for example, commonly includes boosting maximum flow rates. Yet in some highly disturbed landscapes, restoration of natural water flows may cause more harm than good, according to a study published in the January 2010 issue of BioScience. http://phys.org/news181832255.html Biology Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:10:01 EST news181832255 (PhysOrg.com) -- The size of Santa Barbara area lagoons can be predicted, according to a new study by UC Santa Barbara scientists, who say that their research could help protect the endangered steelhead trout. http://phys.org/news176457651.html Biology Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:01:17 EST news176457651 (PhysOrg.com) -- When scientists discuss Everglades restoration, one phrase pops up again and again -- "getting the water right." http://phys.org/news172413808.html Space & Earth Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:44:40 EST news172413808