This is a photograph of Zin (or Tzin) Valley, taken from Midreshet Ben Gurion at Sede Boker, Negev Desert in Israel. The Zin Valley takes its name from the River Zin, which is now a dry river except for a few days of the year when heavy rainfall can form dangerous flash floods. The River Zin originates from the Makhtesh Ramon (Crater Ramon), the biggest erosion crater in the world. It is located a ...[Read More]
Among many other environmental impacts, human activities have introduced a range of animal and plant species to areas where they do not naturally belong. The introduction of alien species, as these translocated taxa are known, has wide ranging implications for native biota, ecosystem functioning, human health and the economy. Research published earlier this year found that during the last 200 year ...[Read More]
In a world where climate change causes many mountain glaciers to shrink away, bucking the ‘melting’ trend is not easy. In today’s post, Antonello Provenzale, a researcher in Italy, tells us of one glacier in the Alps which is doing just that. Mountain glaciers are retreating worldwide, with the possible exception of the Karakoram area. For most glaciers, ablation (ice melt) durin ...[Read More]