Earth Science

Taisha is the author of today's entry: Today's photo of Dicranella heteromalla, or dicranella moss, was taken by Robert Klips (aka Orthotricum@Flickr) on November 24, 2012 in Delaware County, Ohio, USA. Thanks Robert! Dicranella heteromalla is a member of the Dicranaceae. This common moss species is found at low to high altitudes across North America, Europe, eastern Asia, and northeast Africa as well as sporadically in South America, Central America and some Atlantic Islands. It tends to grow in shaded, disturbed areas with acidic soil. This dioicous species grows 10-40mm in height in yellow to dark-green shiny tufts. Like all plants, there is an alternation of generations life cycle. Bryophytes are gametophyte-dominant (the main photosynthetic phase), and the cushiony form bears the nutritionally-dependent sporophyte. To learn more, see UBC Professor of Teaching Shona Ellis's short video on the life cycle of mosses.

I recently read an article about an individual that had been struck by lightning, while it was interesting to read about the experience it was disturbing to read some of the comments that followed and their gross misunderstanding of lightning.In particular the following comment illustrates the problem.Lightning happens when a really huge negative charge builds up in the ground, corresponding to a positive charge overhead, and the differential becomes sufficient to jump the gap. (and, as others are pointing out repeatedly, air is an excellent insulator, so it takes a whacking huge voltage differential to make the arc.) --> read more

Arctic Ice 2013 --> read more

A backpack-mounted camera system takes Google Street View service to the storied archipelago

We desperately need joined-up thinking by the world's leaders to secure future water supplies, say Charles Vörösmarty and Claudia Pahl-Wostl

Taisha is both the photographer and author of today's entry. She writes: Today's photographs of Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey', or the 'Brown Turkey' common fig, were taken in UBC Botanical Garden's Food Garden. The Garden currently has two fig trees (the other is Ficus carica 'Desert King'). Both trees are espaliered, and currently in flower. 'Brown Turkey' and 'Desert King' are the two common fig cultivars traditionally considered able to withstand Vancouver's climate, but some gardening experts suggest perhaps six different cultivars may be able to endure the warming winters of British Columbia's southern coast (see: Changing weather and changing crops on south coast via the Vancouver Sun). The first memorable time I encountered figs was while traveling in Morocco where I saw many fig trees, and also ate quite a bit of the dried fruit purchased from vendors at market stalls in the medinas. They were often displayed in baskets or hanging on strings right on the edge of the small pathways, and consequently were covered in a layer of dust. Nevertheless, they were still tasty. This deciduous shrub or small tree species belongs to the Moraceae (the mulberry or fig family) and is thought to be native specifically to southern Arabia (ref: Janick and Paull's The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts), but many references will instead state it is native to western Asia and the Mediterranean. Due to a long history of cultivation, Ficus carica is considered an ancient fruit (PDF). This is likely the reason for the uncertainty about its native distribution. Figs are cultivated globally in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates. Modern-day production is over one million metric tons (2006 data). Exceptional specimens of Ficus carica have attained heights of 12m (ref: Janick and Paull), but more typical heights in cultivation are 5 to 8m. Plants have large, palmate and hairy 3-5-lobed leaves attached to silvery-barked branches. The shiny receptacle or synconium houses the small green flowers, which are invisible unless this infructescence is opened (as in the first photograph). Wayne Armstrong's always-excellent teaching site explains the life-cycle of Ficus carica (scroll down to the section titled "Summary of the Ficus carica Life Cycle"), but note also that he concludes his discussion with mention that 'Brown Turkey' is parthenocarpic. Unlike the natural species which requires a fig-wasp (Blastophaga psenes) to pollinate, the fruits of 'Brown Turkey' will ripen without pollination. Fig fruits are considered an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and fibre, as well as being fat- and cholesterol-free. According to R. Veberic et al., a study of some cultivars grown in Slovenia's coastal region also demonstrated that the fruits contained phenolic substances associated with positive effects on human health, such as antioxidant effects and possible prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer (see: Veberic, R. et al. 2008. Phenolic acids and flavonoids of fig fruit (Ficus carica L.) in northern Mediterranean region. Food Chemistry. 106:153-157).

Just a quick one for today; Taisha will have some lengthier entries for later this week. Today's photograph is from long-time contributor Lotus Johnson of Victoria, BC (aka ngawangchodron@Flickr (original image via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool). Thank you! I've previously shared the silvery autumn foliage of Elaeagnus commutata, or silver-berry, on BPotD, With today's image, Lotus demonstrates the green spring foliage, the flower and the fine-scaled leaves of this western and northern North America native. Please see the prior entry or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's information sheet for additional reading about Elaeagnus commutata.

This brazen, beautiful, evidently male Javan leopard doesn't show obvious signs of stress – despite being recently added to the Red List of endangered species

A new analysis shows that America could produce almost 9% of its annual energy needs - 25 billion gallons of fuel - using algae. But it will take a lot of water. Algae are plump with oil and various research teams and companies are pursuing ways to improve the creation of biofuels based on algae – growing algae composed of more oil, creating algae that live longer and thrive in cooler temperatures, or devising new ways to separate out the useful oil from the rest of the algae. read more

The tornado that struck Oklahoma City in the US on Monday was unusually large and powerful, and it came down at a bad time of day