Who threw green paint on Kapibala? ? | Environmental Trumpet

AI discovers traces of endangered birds

Although AI is a mess when it comes to drawing birds, it is great at finding birds. Recently, in Australia, people used AI to successfully find the traces of the collared quail in Victoria .

The collared quail (Pedionomus torquatus) is an animal unique to Australia. It is small, and some weigh less than 100 grams. Grasslands are their favorite habitat. However, due to the wanton reclamation of grasslands by humans and the impact of extreme events, their habitat has been massively destroyed. Now, less than 1% of the area is left in Victoria. As a result, the collared quail has disappeared.

The collared quail has no close relatives and is the only species in the family Collaridae to exist | Jo Howell/Melbourne Zoo

This is the first time in more than 30 years that people have rediscovered the collared quail in western Melbourne. During the search, people recorded tens of thousands of hours of bird calls in different places and gave them to AI to identify the sounds . In the end, AI recognized the calls of the collared quail in two places.

Female collared quail have a distinctive call, which is how AI recognizes them | Jo Howell/Melbourne Zoo

As a species unique to Australia, the collared quail is not as famous as koalas, kangaroos, and platypuses, but their numbers are very small, with only about 250 to 1,000 left, even fewer than giant pandas. It was a pleasant surprise to discover the collared quail with the help of AI.

We can eat fruit thanks to dinosaurs

Recently, a study published in Palaeontology found that in the past, when dinosaurs were active on the continents, the fruits of many plants were very small. After the dinosaurs became extinct, the size of plant fruits began to increase rapidly .

The presence of dinosaurs had a huge impact on plant growth | Victor O. Leshyk/Northern Arizona University

How did plants begin to grow large fruits? This may be related to the competition for survival among plants. After the dinosaurs disappeared, plants were able to thrive, and the places that were originally trampled by dinosaurs gradually turned into lush forests. As the forest became more and more dense, it was difficult for sunlight to penetrate the trees and fall to the ground. In order to reproduce better, plants had to make the fruit larger so that they would have enough nutrients to survive after landing . In addition, the fruit may continue to sprint on the delicious track, attracting animals under the forest to taste more , thereby spreading the fruit core to farther places.

After being eaten, the fruits of plants can be excreted by animals and then moved to other places. | Mark Stoop/Unsplash

However, the fruits did not grow in size without restraint. The researchers found through modeling that about 35 million years ago, the fruits stopped growing in size because some large animals appeared in the forests, which had a greater impact on the forests like dinosaurs, thus changing the pattern of plant evolution.

Global warming leads to fewer clouds

Some time ago, a study published in Science found that the total amount of low-level clouds on Earth has dropped sharply , and their ability to reflect sunlight has gradually weakened, which in turn has exacerbated global warming.

There are fewer clouds and the Earth is getting warmer | engin akyurt/Unsplash

Clouds play a big role in regulating the Earth's climate. Externally, clouds can reflect sunlight to cool the Earth; internally, clouds can reflect infrared radiation emitted by the Earth to help keep the Earth warm. Clouds at different heights have different effects. High-level clouds tend to have a stronger warming effect on the Earth; low-level clouds, because they reflect more sunlight, have a stronger cooling effect on the Earth . Therefore, the total amount of low-level clouds is critical to curbing global warming.

Different clouds have different effects on radiation | NWS State College

Unfortunately, the study found that the total amount of low-level clouds on Earth has dropped sharply in the past decade. In 2023, the ability of Earth's clouds to reflect sunlight reached its weakest. This may be related to the rising global temperature. The researchers found that by 2023, the average global temperature had risen by about 1.48°C compared to 1940. Global warming causes the hot air at the bottom to rise upward , interfering with the formation of moisture in the upper air, which in turn makes the formation of low-level clouds more difficult.

Research finds Earth's ability to reflect the sun has been declining since 1970, roughly in sync with global warming | Washington Post

Algal blooms turn capybaras green

Not long ago, an extremely serious algal bloom broke out in the Uruguay River near Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Thick blue algae covered the entire river surface, and a foul smell emanated from the scene. Several calm capybaras were also dyed bright green when they came out of the water.

The Capibala statue was splashed with green paint | JUAN MABROMATA/AFP

In fact, algal blooms occur every year around the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Power Station built on the Uruguay River, but this phenomenon has become more serious in recent years. Scientists believe that climate change has exacerbated the outbreak of algal blooms , making them more frequent and potentially causing serious impacts on the local ecology.

Local biologists also reminded nearby residents that contact with algal blooms may be harmful to human health, causing diarrhea, headaches, and even liver disease. At present, at least 15 cities in Buenos Aires have issued health alerts.

Overlooking the river, a lush green landscape | JUAN MABROMATA/AFP

Author: Xiao Xiaoze

Edited by: Yellowtail Pollock