engelmann spruce at Pikie's Peak

Drier conditions could doom ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ spruce and fir trees

Feb. 22, 2018

Drier summers and a decline in average snowpack over the past 40 years have severely hampered the establishment of spruce and fir trees in ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥'s Front Range.

Northern rock jasmine

Climate warming causes local extinction of Rocky Mountain wildflower species

Feb. 21, 2018

Increased temperatures caused localized extinction of a common Rocky Mountain flowering plant, a result that could serve as a herald of future population declines.

L.A. smog

Household cleaners are almost as dirty as cars

Feb. 15, 2018

Chemical products like household cleaners, pesticides, paints and perfumes now rival motor vehicle emissions as the top source of urban air pollution, according to a surprising NOAA-led study.

Photo of waves crashing in the ocean.

Sea level rise accelerating

Feb. 12, 2018

Current sea level rise projections assume a constant rate, but ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ fellow Steve Nerem found the rate is actually accelerating.

Lichen

When it comes to genes, lichens embrace sharing economy

Feb. 8, 2018

The first-ever molecular evidence of obligate symbiosis in lichens could shed new light on how and why some multicellular organisms consolidate their genomes in order to co-exist.

West Antarctic ice sheet

North American ice sheet decay changed Antarctic climate

Feb. 5, 2018

The changing topography of ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere during the last Ice Age forced changes in the climate of Antarctica, a previously undocumented inter-polar climate change mechanism.

two hands pressing down on grass and dirt

What lives in your dirt?

Jan. 18, 2018

Compiling the first global atlas of soil bacteria, researchers have identified a group of around 500 key species that are both common and abundant worldwide.

A western bluebird

Noise pollution causes chronic stress in birds, hindering reproduction

Jan. 9, 2018

Study: Birds nesting near noisy oil and gas operations had changes in stress hormones similar to those in people with PTSD. Also, some laid fewer eggs or had chicks with stunted growth.

earth

Decadal survey lays out key Earth science priorities

Jan. 5, 2018

ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder researchers contributed to a new report that prioritizes Earth science research to reduce climate uncertainty, improve weather forecasts and more.

hibiscus

A classic Darwinian ecological hypothesis holds up—with a twist

Dec. 27, 2017

New research shows that a long-held hypothesis about the factors that govern species ranges largely holds true, but may be the result of a previously underappreciated ecological mechanism.

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