Imbalanced gut bacteria can make mice obese, leading to diabetes

Obesity and type 2 diabetes have risen tremendously over the last 20 years, and  weight gain and insulin resistance are linked to gut bacteria that provide a source of extra calories by breaking down compounds that are otherwise indigestible.

Some mice are genetically protected against obesity-induced insulin resistance and, intriguingly, this may be due to alterations in their enteric microbe composition. Now, in this issue of PLoS Biology, Andréa Caricilli and colleagues present compelling evidence that gut bacteria can nullify genetic protections against diabetes … (more)

PLoS Biology, 2011

Rice fields provide a welcome for shorebirds

With most of California’s natural wetlands gone, millions of migrating waterbirds now depend on the state’s vast rice fields. This fall, 70 rice farmers in the northern Central Valley began making their land more bird-friendly, thanks to a $2.68-million US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) pilot project. “Rice fields already provide excellent wildlife habitat, and a little more effort by growers will make a lot more habitat”, says Alan Forkey… (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

In September, California lawmakers passed a bill aimed at tapping a surprising source of green energy: traffic on the state’s busy freeways. Cars and trucks compress asphalt, and piezoelectric generators installed under road surfaces convert this compression into electricity. “The heavier the load, the better the electricity returns”, explains Randy Copperman… (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

International trade in Monterey cypresses caused a pandemic

Massive die-offs of Italian cypresses from Portugal to Greece have been linked to California’s Monterey cypresses, solving a long-standing puzzle in the world of plant pathology and surprising the researchers. “When I was a student, this was one of the big mysteries”, says UC Berkeley’s Matteo Garbelotto... (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in root nodules of legumes

There’s a surprisingly fine line between bacterial symbiosis and chronic infection. While one is beneficial and the other detrimental, recent findings suggest that they share mechanisms for sidestepping host defenses. Plants in the pea family (legumes) have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that are closely related to bacteria that cause abortions in cattle and debilitating chronic infections in people… (more)

PLoS Biology, 2011

Noxious invasives like this European beachgrass could spread along the California coast

As global temperatures rise, the exotic grasses that currently dominate California’s hot interior are likely to expand into its cooler ecosystems, according to a new study. “Warming temperatures should favor exotics everywhere, but a given warming should matter more in a cold area”, explains lead author Brody Sandel of Aarhus University (Denmark).

The state’s cool areas, notably the north coast and mid-elevation mountains, are richest in native grasses and lowest in exotics… (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

This California native bee pollinates manzanitas — and blueberries

Wild bees do far more for California agriculture than expected, fertilizing up to 40% of pollinator-dependent crops and thus providing up to $2.4 billion in ecosystem services. “We were surprised by how much native bees can provide — it’s much higher than other estimates…” (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011

Some oomycetes feed off plants by extending hyphae between their cells

At first glance, diatoms, malaria parasites, and fungus-like plant pathogens called oomycetes look wildly different. But these organisms all have something in common: they belong to a group called the Chromalveolata that contains genes from algae. This diversity of lifestyles within a single group presents an opportunity to learn how some of them became obligate biotrophs, which require living hosts… (more)

PLoS Biology, 2011

Can what we eat help fix what ails us? Research increasingly suggests that the answer could be “yes.” Many foods contain biofactors — biologically active compounds — that may prevent and treat illnesses including asthma, diabetes and heart disease… (more)

California Agriculture, 2011

Eating more produce cuts household carbon—and costs.

When energy expert Christopher Jones of the University of California, Berkeley, wanted to measure his carbon footprint a few years ago, he couldn’t find a calculator that was comprehensive. “There were lots out there”, he says, “but they only gave toeprints – they didn’t include everything”.

So he built one himself… (more)

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2011