Biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, have reported that salamander populations in parts of Central America have declined sharply in the past 40 years — and global warming could be the cause.

UC Berkeley researchers compared data of current salamander populations in western Guatemala and southern Mexico to data collected from the locations between 1969 and 1978. The team found that two of the most common species of salamanders in the areas 40 years ago are extinct, and several others have experienced large drops in number.

Amphibian populations have been declining worldwide, and experts have attributed the drops in other amphibian species — such as the well-documented plummeting of frog populations — to factors such as pesticides, predators and habitat destruction.

But according to David Wake, professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley and the new study’s lead researcher, the salamanders in Guatemala lived on a controlled nature preserve, so neither outside predators nor human disturbance could have been responsible for their startling disappearance.

The nature preserve couldn’t guard the salamanders from the effects of global warming, however, and the climate conditions of salamanders’ habitat did change over the past 40 years. Salamanders are highly sensitive to climate and humidity, so even a slight increase in temperature could have caused them to seek higher elevations. Having thrived at their former altitudes for thousands of years, the salamanders were unable to adjust to these new habitats, researchers suspect.

Unlike other amphibians, salamanders are famously secretive creatures and often go unseen by all but keen, deliberate observers. Wake says salamanders’ effects in ecosystems do not go unnoticed, however: In forests, salamanders account for a large amount of biomass. Certain species even depend on salamanders for their own survival, such as the salamander-eating snake, which, according to Wake, is also showing signs of population decline.

See Science Daily's article for more information on Wake and his colleagues’ study, and check out A Wealth of Salamanders for more on these fascinating creatures and their unique presence in North America.

Exactly who determines what goes into the often-criticized school lunch? Surely Pepsi Co. and the pork industry don't have a say. Or do they?

Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are charged with the important task of re-authorizing the national school lunch program every five years, and here's a look at the many organizations attempting to influence the final decision.

Check out this cool video on how to crochet plastic grocery bags into funky and functional items. In it, crafty Cristen Andrews shows us how to make a can koozie. More instruction on how to recycle and reuse plastic bags with crochet needles can be found in her blog, www.cristencrochet.blogspot.com.
 

PHOTO BY ISTOCKPHOTO

Whether you learn the guitar or try new spices, trying new things has been shown to increase energy.

Do you ever get tired during the day, even when you got plenty of sleep? Well, if your office isn’t equipped with a comfy daybed, you might want to check out these nine super-simple tips from Real Simple magazine for quick ways to lift vitality. The best part is they’re completely and totally free of caffeine, sugar, guarana, ginseng, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, pills — you get the idea! Yes, yes, exercise is on the list (duh), but so is a little breathing trick you can do without even standing up!

Read 9 Energy Boosters, from Real Simple.

Mangrove swamps, like this one near Voh, New Caldonia in the southwest Pacific, cover nearly 25 percent of the world’s coastal areas. Deforestation and exploitation of resources cause dry spots like this heart-shaped one where vegetation recedes.

Check out more of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s gorgeous photographs.

Bill Harrison/The National Audubon Society

Attention bird lovers of America: It’s once again time for Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count. Anyone can participate — it’s fun and easy! On one or more days of the count (Feb. 13 though 16), simply count the various species you encounter in your area for at least 15 minutes, then enter the results on Audubon’s website. They even have a region-by-region checklist to assist those of us who haven’t had a lot of bird-counting experience. Click here to learn more.

PHOTO BY ISTOCK/JAN WILL

While Congress continues to consider climate legislation (see Gore Says this is the Year for Action on Climate), some scientists and scholars — believe it or not — still debate about whether or not the global warming issue is real. There is even a government website (the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works) that debates the topic, as if it’s something that still needs to be debated over. Climate Debate Daily also lists arguments for and against the idea of global warming. My personal favorite response to the debate comes from the Canada Free Press: “They’ve given carbon dioxide (CO2) a bad name and it is now being hanged by draconian and completely unnecessary legislation.”

It’s hard to believe that there are still people out there that won’t grasp the fact that humans can and do have an affect on our environment. Yes, the Inhofe EPW Press Blog has been able to find 650 international scientists to speak out against global warming. But many of these scientists aren’t credible on the climate topic, like this blog on Grist magazine quite logically shows, by comparing the credibility of these skeptical scientists to the credibility of just any doctor on the treatment of cancer. It’s always best to find the answers to problems from actual experts. Environmental scientists prove again and again that global warming is manmade, like the evidence in this Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that says “There is very high confidence that the net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming.” Or like the evidence in this RealClimate article.

But whether you do or don’t “believe” in global warming, it’s a good idea to research both sides of the debate, especially if you’ve found yourself lost when trying to gather up a not-too-condescending response to co-workers, friends or even — in my case — to family at Christmas dinner. That way, the next time the issue comes up, the evidence can prevail and the debate will be finished in time for you to enjoy your post-break-room or post-dinner cup of coffee.