COVID shutdown allows study of tourism's impact on Hawaii's fish
During August 2019, more than 40,000 tourists visited Hawaii's Molokini island to snorkel or dive. In March 2020, the worldwide COVID lockdown dropped that number to zero.
During August 2019, more than 40,000 tourists visited Hawaii's Molokini island to snorkel or dive. In March 2020, the worldwide COVID lockdown dropped that number to zero.
Plants & Animals
Apr 13, 2023
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20
Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions is critical to avoiding a climate disaster, but current carbon removal methods are proving to be inadequate and costly. Now researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, ...
Environment
Apr 12, 2023
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416
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. In this case, the "job" is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 9, 2023
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247
Biomass is widely considered a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, and many experts say it can play a critical role in combating climate change. Biomass stores carbon and can be turned into bio-based products and energy ...
Biotechnology
Mar 8, 2023
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16
It is well known that light stimulates the breakdown of plant material and other biomass in nature, but it has not been clear exactly how. Recently, researchers at NMBU have uncovered possible explanations. Their latest findings ...
Biochemistry
Mar 7, 2023
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97
Biomass refers to biological organisms, including plants, that synthesize organic matter utilizing solar energy and animals that use these plants as food. Biomass also includes resources that can be converted into chemical ...
Biochemistry
Mar 3, 2023
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23
North Carolina State University researchers have used satellite imagery and field sensors to estimate worldwide changes in plant leaf growth due to global warming. The researchers found that changes in "greening," or the ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 2, 2023
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26
We often think that our world is an infinite realm comprising great plains, jungles and oceans, teeming with wild animals featured in memorable nature shows like the BBC's Planet Earth. But the first global census of wild ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 27, 2023
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162
Hydrogen (H2), as a clean energy vector, can be produced via biomass photo-reforming powered by solar light. For future biomass refining, biomass photo-reforming deserves a high decomposition extent of biomass to maximize ...
Analytical Chemistry
Feb 10, 2023
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10
A team of scientists led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered the gene in agave that governs when the plant goes dormant and used it to create poplar trees that nearly doubled in size, increasing biomass yield for ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 18, 2023
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10
Biomass, is a renewable energy source, biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity[1] or produce heat. For example, forest residues (such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps), yard clippings and wood chips may be used as biofuel. However, biomass also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers or chemicals. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes organic material such as fossil fuel which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum.
Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plant, including miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, and a variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil). The particular plant used is usually not important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the raw material.
Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not considered biomass by the generally accepted definition because they contain carbon that has been "out" of the carbon cycle for a very long time. Their combustion therefore disturbs the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
Plastics from biomass, like some recently developed to dissolve in seawater, are made the same way as petroleum-based plastics. These plastics are actually cheaper to manufacture and meet or exceed most performance standards, but they lack the same water resistance or longevity as conventional plastics.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA