A warmer future for the Pacific Northwest if carbon dioxide levels rise, climate projections show

In the midst of an unseasonably warm winter in the Pacific Northwest, a  comparison of four publicly available climate projections has shown broad agreement that the region will become considerably warmer in the next century if greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere rise to the highest levels projected in the the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “business-as-usual” scenario.

Newly-hatched salmon use geomagnetic field to learn which way is up

Researchers who confirmed in recent years that salmon use the Earth’s geomagnetic field to guide their long-distance migrations have found that the fish also use the field for a much simpler and smaller-scale migration: When the young emerge from gravel nests to reach surface waters.

For tropical forest birds, old neighborhoods matter

Old, complex tropical forests support a wider diversity of birds than second-growth forests and have irreplaceable value for conservation, according to an Oregon State University-led exhaustive analysis of bird diversity in the mountains of southern Costa Rica. 

A view from above and below: Hatchery chinook salmon are self-sorting in tanks

Hatchery-raised chinook salmon sort themselves into surface- and bottom-oriented groups in their rearing tanks. This behavior might be due in part to the fish’s genes, according to an OSU study.

Novel research approach sheds light on how midsize predators interact

A novel research approach by Oregon State University has resulted in a key step toward better protecting the fisher, an important forest predator.

Bird populations in eastern Canada declining due to forest ‘degradation,’ research shows

Bird species that live in wooded areas are under stress from human-caused changes to forest composition, according to new research led by Oregon State University that quantifies the effects of forest “degradation” on bird habitat.

Non-social jays surprise scientists by learning as skillfully as birds living in groups

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The California scrub-jay, a generally non-social bird, can learn just as well as another species of jay that lives in groups, a finding that surprised animal intelligence researchers who devised a novel food puzzle to study cognition in the wild.

Likelihood of extreme autumn fire weather has increased 40%, Oregon State modeling shows

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The likelihood of hot, dry, windy autumn weather that can set the stage for severe fires in California and western Oregon has increased 40% due to human-caused climate change, new computer models show.

OSU research suggests Forest Service lands not the main source of wildfires affecting communities

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Research led by Oregon State University shows that fires are more likely to burn their way into national forests than out of them.

Fishers facing pressure from wildfires, salvage logging, OSU research shows

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The recovery of the fisher, a charismatic, long-tailed forest carnivore, will likely be hindered by the increasing frequency and intensity of future wildfires, new research by Oregon State University indicates.

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