Using data from a 33-year population study, University of Maine researchers have found evidence that various tree species can affect rodent populations in different ways. The results advance the understanding of interactions between seeds and rodents, as well as complex population fluctuations, according to the researchers. The study was led by then-master of wildlife conservation […]
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Maine’s wet 2017 winter and spring eased the 2016 drought conditions, says Sean Birkel, University of Maine research assistant professor and Maine State Climatologist. Winter precipitation was 2.3 inches more than normal on a statewide average, he says, totaling 11.7 inches water equivalent. And spring precipitation was 2.5 inches above normal, totaling 12.3 inches water […]
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Colorado potato beetles can decimate spud crops by devouring the plants’ foliage. That’s a big problem for farmers in Maine where the 2016 potato harvest was valued at more than $142 million. There’s more unsettling news — each female Colorado potato beetle can lay about 600 eggs in a growing season. And the species — […]
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Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) has successfully completed full-scale testing of a specialized, water-lubricated bearing system and associated driveline components designed for underwater systems that capture energy from ocean tides and river currents at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. The purpose is to make the systems more durable and efficient, reduce […]
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Increasing temperatures are fostering more favorable conditions for the transmission of malaria into the highlands of Ethiopia, according to a study led by University of Maine associate research professor Bradfield Lyon. Traditionally, the cooler climate in the highlands has provided a natural buffer against malaria transmission. But new data indicate rising temperatures over the past […]
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For clam harvesters in Maine, invasive green crabs are voracious predators that threaten their livelihood. One green crab (Carcinus maenas) can devour 40 half-inch clams in a single day, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. University of Maine food scientists Beth Calder and Denise Skonberg and former graduate student Joseph Galetti have […]
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Despite record-breaking harvests, study finds baby lobster population continues to decline in Gulf of Maine June 2, 2017 Despite an abundance of egg-bearing adult lobsters and record-breaking harvests, the number of young lobsters continues to fall in the Gulf of Maine. That’s the 2016 update from the American Lobster Settlement Index (ALSI), an international monitoring […]
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As the world warms due to human-induced climate change, variations in the global distribution of rainfall can be expected, impacting water resources in many places on Earth, according to a new study published in the journal Science Advances. The researchers, led by University of Maine glacial geologist Aaron Putnam, predict a seasonal response in rainfall […]
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A highly skilled workforce, technology-using companies and energy-based resources are the most important factors supporting economic development in the United States, according to a University of Maine economist. Workforce skills and high-tech businesses are particularly key to the performance of the nation’s largest cities, says Todd Gabe, a professor in UMaine’s School of Economics. In […]
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Three University of Maine projects were awarded a total of more than $1 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture grants to improve sustainable agriculture and help rural communities thrive. The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded nearly $17.5 million to 47 institutions nationwide. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and […]
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