Planet Earth - Winter 2008
NERC's award-winning free magazine, Planet Earth, is aimed at non-specialists with an interest in environmental science.
This issue is no longer in print.
* Unless specified, all articles are less than 1MB in size.
Leader The world in 2030.
News * UK commits to 80% emissions cut, Arctic sea-ice thinning, UK species numbers falling and other stories in brief.
Extreme survivor Triops - the 300 million year old living fossil.
When scum ruled the Earth * Newly-discovered fossils are shedding light on the organisms that lived on land before plants existed.
Is pollution driving antibiotic resistance? Pollution from disinfectants and fabric softeners may be linked to the rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Bumblebees gain fitness through learning * Fast-learning bumblebees collect more nectar, which ultimately means their colony will be more successful.
Harvesting light * To protect coral reefs we need to understand the complex way they respond to stressful conditions.
Cold coral * Plans to explore coral species in cold deep waters, which outnumber those in shallow warm waters.
Beyond the abyss * A mission to film the world's deepest-living fishes.
Disease is born A newly discovered species of parasite in Africa is closely related to the one responsible for sleeping sickness.
If you go down to the woods today... * The complex ways grazing cows affect birch wood ecosystems.
Adapting to a new climate * How did barley learn to thrive in a damp, chilly north European climate? Iran may provide the answer.
Biting off more than we can chew * The bones and teeth of our ancestors tell a tale of deteriorating health after the advent of agriculture.
Arctic sea ice: going, going, gone * A major new consortium investigates why summer Arctic sea-ice is shrinking so rapidly.