Oct 5, 2021

Environmental research in “Español”: Hispanic champions in environmental sciences

scientist measuring circumferance of a tree

In recent years, environmental challenges, like climate change, have become a critical focus point of scientists worldwide. Researchers work tirelessly to ask and examine questions that deal with the very future of our world. Taking a closer look, we find that some of the voices answering those questions have a particular essence. Hispanic scientists have taken up the challenge to push forward environmental research to address the issues that ultimately threaten the delicate balance and even the survival of our planet’s ecosystems.

Bigleaf maple decline tied to hotter, drier summers in Washington

A bigleaf maple in decline in Washington’s Central Cascades region

As its name suggests, the bigleaf maple tree’s massive leaves are perhaps its most distinctive quality. A native to the Pacific Northwest’s wet westside forests, these towering trees can grow leaves up to 1.5 feet across — the largest of any maple. But since 2011, scientists, concerned hikers and residents have observed more stressed and dying bigleaf maples across urban and suburban neighborhoods as well as in forested areas.

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Aug 12, 2021

Dryer, warmer night air is making some Western wildfires more active at night

Firefighters have reported that Western wildfires are starting earlier in the morning and dying down later at night, hampering their ability to recover and regroup before the next day’s flareup. A study by University of Washington and U.S. Forest Service scientists shows why: The drying power of nighttime air over much of the Western U.S. has increased dramatically in the past 40 years.

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Aug 3, 2021

New report: State of the science on western wildfires, forests and climate change

The Cedar Creek fire burns in Washington’s Methow Valley in late July 2021. Lucky Jim Bluff, near Mazama, is seen behind.

Exceptionally hot and dry weather this summer has fueled dozens of wildfires across the western U.S., spewing smoke across the country and threatening to register yet another record-breaking year. More than a century of fire exclusion has created dense forests packed with excess trees and brush that ignite and spread fires quickly under increasingly warm and dry conditions. Scientists largely agree that reducing these fuels is needed to make our forests and surrounding communities more resilient to wildfires and climate change.

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Jul 22, 2021

New 3D images of shark intestines show they function like Nikola Tesla’s valve

Contrary to what popular media portrays, we actually don’t know much about what sharks eat. Even less is known about how they digest their food, and the role they play in the larger ocean ecosystem. For more than a century, researchers have relied on flat sketches of sharks’ digestive systems to discern how they function — and how what they eat and excrete impacts other species in the ocean.

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