Are plants intelligent? New book says yes

Why Do Butterflies Have Such Vibrant Colors and Patterns? Ask a social butterfly where she got that great dress, and she'll say, "This old thing?" and then tell you its entire history. Ask an actual butterfly about its colorful attire, and things get a lot more complicated. Our Weird Animal Question of the Week comes to us from National Geographic's own Angie McPherson, a volunteer at the Smithsonian Butterfly Garden in Washington, D.C.' The paper kite butterfly, native to Asia, is light yellow or off-white with an elaborate pattern of swooping black lines and dots. It's unknown why the chrysalis itself is gold, but its shininess helps camouflage the developing butterfly, says Katy Prudic, a biologist at Oregon State University in Corvallis. In particular, the sheen is "disruptive" to potential predators—it makes the chrysalis "hard to detect in a complicated background," Prudic says. The giant swallowtail is another example of chrysalis camo. Adult butterflies also use color to their advantage—not only to blend in but also to warn.

teguidda5 – Fubiz Media Beautiful Octopus Pictures: Masters of Disguise and Agile Hunters Octopuses are masters at flying under the radar, changing their coloration and texture to match their surroundings in seconds. But today, this intelligent invertebrate is in the spotlight—it's International Octopus Day. (See "Journey of Octopus Discovery Reveals Them to Be Playful, Curious, Smart.") Click through for pictures of these stealthy animals, which can be found in wide-ranging habitats from the deep sea to coral reefs, such as the above octopus seen in the Bonin Islands near Japan in 2008. —By Jane J.

Honingbijen Amsterdam Kaartnavigatie - Klik op een kaartobject voor informatie over dat object. - Dubbelklik op de kaart om stapsgewijs in te zoomen, of - Gebruik het muiswiel of de controlbar voor in- en uitzoomen. - Houdt de (linker)muisknop ingedrukt of gebruik de controlbar om het kaartbeeld te verschuiven. - Streetview is beschikbaar via de controlbar (gele poppetje op de kaart leggen). - Kies rechts bovenin een topografische ondergrond in verschillende kleuren of de luchtfoto. - Met het knopje rechtsboven tekent u zelf een gebied, waarin de objecten worden geteld. Over maps.Amsterdam.nl De website maps.amsterdam.nl wordt beheerd door de afdeling Ruimte en Duurzaamheid van de Gemeente Amsterdam.

How Animals See the World - Issue 11: Light Some animals, including your pets, may be partially colorblind, and yet certain aspects of their vision are superior to your own. Living creatures’ visual perception of the surrounding world depends on how their eyes process light. Humans are trichromats—meaning that our eyes have three types of the photoreceptors known as cone cells, which are sensitive to the colors red, green, and blue. A different type of photoreceptors, called rods, detect small amounts of light; this allows us to see in the dark. Animals process light differently—some creatures have only two types of photoreceptors, which renders them partially colorblind, some have four, which enables them to see ultraviolet light, and others can detect polarized light, meaning light waves that are oscillating in the same plane. “None of us can resist thinking that we can imagine what another animal is thinking,” says Thomas Cronin, a professor at the University of Maryland who studies visual physiology. Cat Bee Bird Rattlesnake

Colorful Sculptures Reveal the Devastating Volume of Plastics Washed Ashore in Sian Ka’an, Mexico Along the lush banks of Sian Ka’an reserve in Mexico, Brooklyn-based photographer Alejandro Durán has discovered heaps of plastic refuse originating from more than fifty countries and all six human-inhabited continents. For Washed Up, he culls large volumes of waste from the shores, constructing site-specific installations in which trash can be seen literally encroaching upon the delicate ecosystem. Sian Ka’an, named for the Mayan words for “Origin of the Sky,” is a sanctuary not only for dozens of archeological sites but also for an astonishing array of terrestrial, avian, and marine plants and animals, including one of the planet’s most valuable barrier reef systems. Although the coastal region is protected as UNESCO World Heritage site, it is ravaged by staggering amounts of garbage, carried to across continents the backs of ocean waves. All images © Alejandro Durán

The New Science of Animal Emotions -- Science of Us Dogs can read human emotions. So, it appears, can horses. Whales have regional accents. Ravens have demonstrated that they might be able to guess at the thoughts of other ravens — something scientists call “theory of mind,” which has long been considered a uniquely human ability. That statement probably sounds as if it is veering perilously close to anthropomorphism, and if you know anything about research concerning animal behavior, you likely know this: Anthropomorphism is bad. But new studies like these, along with a slew of recent books by respected biologists and science writers, are seriously considering the inner lives of animals. The theme of Safina’s book Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel pairs nicely with a forthcoming title from famed primatologist Frans de Waal called Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? Even raising the mere question of animal awareness was once enough to potentially ruin a career.

Permacultuur | Hof van steden Inleiding. Permacultuur is een vertaling van het Australische woord „permaculture‟. Permaculture is een samengesteld begrip van Permanent Agriculture en Permanent Culture. Wat is permacultuur? De achtergrond van permacultuur. Hoe werkt het? 3 Ecologische hoofdfactoren. De zon. on is de energievoorziening van ons zonnestelsel. Zoet water. koude lagen van de atmosfeer waardoor zich wolken vormen. Wind. n voor een bepaald ontwerp kan je de koude wind uit je systeem houden. De 3 hoofdfactoren samen. zorgt de vijver voor water en dient het als woonplaats voor kikkers en salamanders die verschillende insecten populaties onder controle houden. De winddichte zonnecirkel met fruit. erder voor een omgekeerde zonnecirkel kiezen. Wateropslag ontwerp. el en kan er meer water de bodem in trekken. Op de afbeelding kun je zien hoe mensen dit ontwerp in de praktijk aanleggen in Afrika. Overige voorbeelden.

Scientists have discovered that living near trees is good for your health People relax in the shadow of the trees flanking an alley at the ‘Parc Royal’ in Brussels. (STEPHANIE LECO/European Pressphoto Agency) In a new paper published Thursday, a team of researchers present a compelling case for why urban neighborhoods filled with trees are better for your physical health. The research appeared in the open access journal Scientific Reports. The large study builds on a body of prior research showing the cognitive and psychological benefits of nature scenery — but also goes farther in actually beginning to quantify just how much an addition of trees in a neighborhood enhances health outcomes. They also had the health records for over 30,000 Toronto residents, reporting not only individual self-perceptions of health but also heart conditions, prevalence of cancer, diabetes, mental health problems and much more. Indeed, the finding wasn’t limited to self-perceived health. [Environmentalists face challenges trying to plant in less-green neighborhoods]