Welcome to today's issue of Carolina Naturally
'Nuff Said!
Today is October 27, 2022
Today is: Black Cat Day
Ain't That The Truth
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Editorial Comment
It's been a few days but we're busier than ever ... whomever said retirement was easy - lied ... we've never worked so hard in our lives.
We'd like to say thanks to all our readers in the Philippines, Switzerland and the United States.
Remember to have fun and enjoy life.
Editorial Staff
The Easiest Ways to Make a Fancy Dipping Oil
Things Science Still Doesn't Know
But there are a bunch of relatively simple questions that still remain elusive. Read on to discover the secrets the universe has still not given up.
10 Things Science Still Doesn't Know
You might think we would have these basic things figured out, but no.
Iranians strike as Mahsa Amini protests enter sixth week
Sheriff under probe for racist rants now faces intimidation and sex allegations
Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene was accused of “numerous new allegations of intimidation and abuse of power” – along with having a sexual relationship with a detective in the sheriff’s office, WECT News 6 of Wilmington, N.C., reported.
New research has uncovered a psychological mechanism that underlies fanaticism
As elections near, Taylor Swift and sex tapes on the US campaign trail
As elections near, Taylor Swift and sex tapes on the US campaign trail
Saturday, October 22, 2022
The Daily Drift
Welcome to today's issue of Carolina Naturally
'Nuff Said!
Today is October 22, 2022
Today is: Smart Is Sexy Day
Ain't That The Truth
Editorial Comment
Today is a good day - we are still looking at the daisies and not the roots.
Remember to have fun and enjoy life.
Editorial Staff
‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective
Brain Evolution Is Linked To Competition
The study, led by biology Professor Matthew Walsh and Kaitlyn Howell (’22 PhD, Biology), examined the connection between brain size and fitness when killifish are found in their native habitats and when they are transplanted from sites with predators to high-competition sites that lack predators.
During a 30-day experiment near Arima, Trinidad, the researchers determined that when a fish is transplanted from a low- to a high-competition environment, there is a strong relationship between larger brain size and faster growth. That growth demonstrates increased ability to forage for food, giving killifish a greater chance at survival.
Furthermore, killifish from high-competition sites that remained in their native habitat for the duration of the experiment did not exhibit any change in brain size. The transplanted fish that persisted until the end of the experiment exhibited a much larger brain size than those fish that were not observed again.
“Scientists have known about large differences in vertebrate brain size for more than 100 years, and there are many hypotheses about why the vertebrate brain evolves,” Walsh said. “This study highlights the important role that competition may play.”
The study provides some of the first experimental evidence for which factors could be driving brain-size variation.
Howell said the experiment was prompted by the observation that killifish in sites without predators have larger brains than others.
“We knew there were differences in brain size between these two populations of fish, but we didn’t know why,” Howell said. “These results provide experimental support that larger brains can be adaptive and increase fitness in environments that are characterized by high population densities, low resources and intense competition.”
Wages are dampening inflation, not supercharging it
How to outsmart election disinformation
It’s time to talk about misinformation. You already know it’s all around us but understanding how to spot it and defend against it is one of the most important parts of being an informed and active voter.
What Is the Difference Between Disinformation and Misinformation?
- Disinformation is false information that is deliberately created and shared by people to knowingly cause harm — like, say, Russian actors trying to meddle in a U.S. election.
- Misinformation is also false information, but the people sharing it don’t realize it’s fraudulent — like, say, your uncle sharing a questionable meme on Facebook. Systematic disinformation campaigns can become misinformation when users go on to accept and share false messages without knowing it.
Carlson Admits It: Elections Only Legitimate If Wingnuts 'Win'
Fox 'News' hack Fucker Carlson ranted Thursday evening that the only way Americans can be sure Arizona's upcoming election was fair is if Kari Lake wins.
What divides Nudists from Swingers?
The Difference
Nudists are actually supported, by an organization, The American Association for Nude Recreation – AANR. This organization was developed in 1931 to give rights to the nudist recreation and information of such communities and places around the world. For instance, you can find a nudist park or resort, which lets children enjoy swimming while naked. The association strictly forbids having sex in such places that have received the mandate. However, there are some resorts that are ‘adult only’ and surprisingly, or rather obvious enough, they are not supported by the AANR. Everyone knows that anything or slogan that states ‘adults only’ has some X-rated content with them. If you go to the ‘adult only’ nudist resort, as they call it, you could find people having sex.
Now these people are swingers and not nudists. They engage in sexual activities freely with friends or strangers. That automatically gets them out of the nudist bracket.
The Thin Line
The only slight similarity between the two is that they all walk around naked in public. Generally, people believe or rather it is a taboo to show of your nakedness to any one of the public, that is the probable reason why people believe swingers and nudists are similar.
Generally, you can find a nudist at a swinger club, but a swinger can never be allowed at a nudist resort or park. Although you might hardly differentiate a swinger from a nudist when you see one, you can know the difference in terms of the display. Sometimes, a swinger might not necessarily be naked, but they will dress in a provocative manner of denoting their desire for sexual acts. Swingers are only getting naked so that they can seduce other people. On the other hand, nudists strip down and walk around naked because they want to be ‘free’. Some claim that taking their clothes off makes them feel liberated. Their target is not to display off their nudity to strangers or friends, rather, they just want to get naked and walk around with less weight. So the main thing to note about nudist is that they never have sex in public, unlike swingers.
How To Satisfy Your Woman Sexually In Bed
Sexual satisfaction is vital to the maintenance of an intimate romantic relationship. It helps to promote open communication and life happiness.
Here are some tips to help satisfy your partner.
1. Give her some time to relax and get comfortable from the stresses of the day. Maybe run your partner a bath, put on some relaxing music, inquire about her day, ask her if you can take a warm bath together, just two people connecting with no pressure for sex.
2. Help her get in the mood for some sexy time. Try a little voyeurism with some soft porn, movies or journals. This could be a great way to increase her sexual urges. Swingers love it too!
3. Stimulate her sensitive parts with a little foreplay. Set the mood with by making lots of contact with her clitoris which is located just outside the vagina and the most sensitive part of a woman’s body. This ensures she receives maximum sexual pleasure.
4. As you start to have sex make sure you give her freedom to choose what she likes. This will make her cry like a baby and beg for more.
5. Keep the sexual activity fresh by variation of rhythms to make maximum contact with most vagina’s nerve endings and changing the sex positions more often.
The majority of men usually make the assumption that they ought to take control of the sexual activity. The truth is that women have different preferences. Therefore, you should learn of your woman’s preference.
Is Casual Sex Right For You?
Dr Emily tells us:
Let’s do some truth-telling. When you hear the words “casual sex,” what comes to mind?
Do you think…what an ideal way to get my sexual needs met.
Or, do you think…sounds like mindless swipes on Tinder, thank u next.
There’s a lot of stigma around casual sex, because we associate it with disposability. But when approached with an intentional, conscious mindset, casual sex can be exactly what you need to feel erotic and energized again. The key is knowing yourself – and knowing precisely what you want to get out of your casual sex experience.
So let’s talk about all the different types of casual sex out there, how to know if it’s right for you, and how to make your encounters actually fulfilling.
Types of casual sex, and the reasoning behind them
First, know this: casual sex doesn’t automatically mean “hookup culture.” Oh sure, it could – but there are much more positive manifestations of casual sex too. Take these scenarios:
Pros and cons of casual sex (& how to know if it’s right for you)
Let’s examine some of the benefits of casual sex, as well as some of the downsides…because you’ll want to bring above-average self-awareness into your encounters.
On the pro side:
If that “pro” list is resonating with you though, and you’re feeling like casual sex is a hell yes, let’s talk about how to find a play partner – and, how to make your playtime sexy and fun.
How to make casual sex legit amazing
The quality of our casual sex will depend on a few things: our intentions, our self-awareness, and of course, the quality of our partners. How do you go about finding one?
If you’re thinking “apps, duh” – you’re right. But be selective, because each app advertises different end goals, from hookups to marriage. My favorite for this purpose is Feeld: it’s frank about casual sex, but expect its users to be emotionally intelligent and mature. It’s not the only app for casual sex, but in 2022, it’s the first place many people start when looking for a play partner.
Here’s what else I recommend before diving in:
If so…wonderful. But I’ll be the first to admit that casual sex isn’t right for everyone. If you’ve had experiences when casual sex made you feel used, devalued, or unimportant, then stop and recognize that it may not work for you. And that is fundamentally OK.
But it can be a beautiful experience for everyone involved. So if you’re intrigued, take some time to understand what you’re looking for – and when you get out there, state your intentions loud and proud.
Do you think…what an ideal way to get my sexual needs met.
Or, do you think…sounds like mindless swipes on Tinder, thank u next.
There’s a lot of stigma around casual sex, because we associate it with disposability. But when approached with an intentional, conscious mindset, casual sex can be exactly what you need to feel erotic and energized again. The key is knowing yourself – and knowing precisely what you want to get out of your casual sex experience.
So let’s talk about all the different types of casual sex out there, how to know if it’s right for you, and how to make your encounters actually fulfilling.
Types of casual sex, and the reasoning behind them
First, know this: casual sex doesn’t automatically mean “hookup culture.” Oh sure, it could – but there are much more positive manifestations of casual sex too. Take these scenarios:
- You’re at a stage in your life where partnered sex is fun and fulfilling for you, but you can’t swing a committed relationship: you’ve got a demanding job, you’re taking care of a child or aging parent, etc.
- You’ve just broken up, but before jumping right back into a relationship, you want to explore your sexual tastes with other people.
- You’re in an open relationship with a primary partner, but you also desire casual play partners.
- Your preferred relationship container is friends with benefits.
- You want to have casual sex with people until one of those people emerges as a potential, serious partner.
Pros and cons of casual sex (& how to know if it’s right for you)
Let’s examine some of the benefits of casual sex, as well as some of the downsides…because you’ll want to bring above-average self-awareness into your encounters.
On the pro side:
- You get to experience sex and touch with another person. That alone has the potential to release endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine – your brain’s cocktail of happy hormones.
- You get to hone your skills and try out sexual activities to see what they feel like. You might even be more experimental, given the low-stakes nature of the relationship.
- You get to heal from a breakup! No judgment here: as long as you are open and transparent with the other person, casual sex can be a solid move for getting over an ex.
- You get to feel sexually attractive: something most of us will never tire of.
- You’ll have increased exposure to STI’s and potential for pregnancy. Which is a bummer…but, true.
- You could set you up for disappointment and possible heartbreak, if your casual sex partner isn’t on the same page as you regarding a relationship.
- You could set yourself up for very unsatisfying sex, if you don’t know and haven’t communicated about what you’re looking for.
- You could rob yourself of pleasure if you’re drunk (and let’s face it, casual sex often happens a few drinkies in). Again, no judgment, but alcohol reduces your sexual sensitivity.
If that “pro” list is resonating with you though, and you’re feeling like casual sex is a hell yes, let’s talk about how to find a play partner – and, how to make your playtime sexy and fun.
How to make casual sex legit amazing
The quality of our casual sex will depend on a few things: our intentions, our self-awareness, and of course, the quality of our partners. How do you go about finding one?
If you’re thinking “apps, duh” – you’re right. But be selective, because each app advertises different end goals, from hookups to marriage. My favorite for this purpose is Feeld: it’s frank about casual sex, but expect its users to be emotionally intelligent and mature. It’s not the only app for casual sex, but in 2022, it’s the first place many people start when looking for a play partner.
Here’s what else I recommend before diving in:
- ID your overall goals. Is it to get over an ex? Is it to practice your sex skills? Is it to have a kinky experience with someone who shares your kink? Knowing what you want will make the whole enterprise way more efficient and enjoyable.
- Set expectations from the jump. You want to be able to confidently say to the other person, “I am looking to have casual sex only right now.”
- Don’t be afraid to get uber-specific on the sex stuff you like. Do you need a lots of foreplay? Lots of cuddles? A strong power dynamic?
- On that note, be prepared to say things like: “hey! Just so you know, I’m really into foreplay. Does that work for you? If so great, if not no hard feelings.” Specific doesn’t have to be strident, if we’re clear and casual as we approach someone.
If so…wonderful. But I’ll be the first to admit that casual sex isn’t right for everyone. If you’ve had experiences when casual sex made you feel used, devalued, or unimportant, then stop and recognize that it may not work for you. And that is fundamentally OK.
But it can be a beautiful experience for everyone involved. So if you’re intrigued, take some time to understand what you’re looking for – and when you get out there, state your intentions loud and proud.
OnlyFans model jailed for life for murdering boyfriend
Abigail White, 24, stabbed Bradley Lewis, 22, at their home in Kingswood, near Bristol after he ended their relationship earlier in the day.
She initially told police she had not stabbed him on 25 March but later admitted manslaughter.
White will serve at least 18 years before she is eligible for parole.
OnlyFans model jailed for life for murdering boyfriend
Sexual Assault Related ER Visits Increase More Than Tenfold
Emergency departments saw 15 times more sexual assault related visits in the past decade, outpacing the growth of law enforcement reporting, according to the research in JAMA Network Open.
“Sexual assault is a disturbing and prevalent trend in the U.S. We know that people who experience sexual assault face numerous emergent health problems but few seek emergency medical care,” said senior author Erica Marsh, M.D., chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at University of Michigan Health Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.
“These findings demonstrate the role that healthcare providers can play in improving long-term medical and psychosocial health for these individuals.”
A new sexual assault is estimated to occur every 68 seconds in the U.S. with nationally reported rapes and sexual assaults increasing from 93,000 in 2006 to 139,815 in 2019, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Studies suggest that people who have experienced sexual assault are at greater risk for suicidal ideation, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use and chronic conditions than peers who have not.
However, historically, a small percentage of people seek medical care for sexual assault – as few as one in five, according to some studies – and when they do, it’s often incomplete or inadequate care.
“Some of the care provided by our partners in the emergency medicine space to these survivors could ideally come from a known, trusted provider who has an established relationship with the patient and where patients feel like they’re in a safe space,” Marsh said.
“We need to better understand where those opportunities are and how we can respond to these health needs in diverse outpatient settings.”
Researchers analyzed national data from millions of ED visits a year, finding an increase from 3,607 adults ages 18-65 seeking ED care after sexual assault in 2006 to 55,296 in 2019.
Potential factors behind the increase could include societal de-stigmatization of sexual assault as well as changes in how emergency medicine providers code for it, and increasing prevalence of sexual assault in the U.S., Marsh says.
Meanwhile, there was a significant 8% decrease in admission rates for sexual assault during the same period – with more than 95% of these patients sent home after an ED visit and not being admitted to the hospital.
These decreasing hospital admission rates may be attributed to an increasing number of lower-acuity cases, more people preferring to avoid admission for confidentiality purposes, and/or decreased inpatient availability.
ED visits overall also increased by 23 % during the same time, with sexual assault visits making up less than 1 % of visits. Still, total hospital charges for sexual assault-related visits topped $233 million in 2019, up from $6.35 million in 2006.
“Although sexual assault comprises a small proportion of total emergency room visits, the magnitude of increase suggest that certain factors may be encouraging people who experience sexual assault to seek emergency care,” Marsh said.
Disparities in health needs, admissions
Patients with lower incomes and government insurance plans are disproportionately admitted to the hospital after sexual assault, the study suggests. Older people (aged 46-65) are also more likely to be admitted than younger people (ages 18-25.)
This may be attributed to other underlying conditions that could increase need for hospitalization, Marsh says.
But those who seek help in the ED after sexual assault were also disproportionally younger women and those with lower incomes.
While sexual assault is highly prevalent— estimated to affect more than half of women and nearly a third of men in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—there have been few long-term studies of how people seek care after sexual assault.
Further studies should explore how to establish care for these patients in an outpatient or urgent care setting, Marsh says, such as providing testing for sexually transmitted infections, providing antibiotic and antiviral treatment on site, facilitating mental health services and collecting evidence in cases when patients are willing to be connected to law enforcement.
“Our findings highlight the populations who access emergency care most frequently and who is most likely to need hospitalized care,” she said.
“Tracking these trends will help inform policies and potential strategies for better supporting these individuals and for reaching others who may be less likely to seek emergency medical care for various reasons.”
“These findings demonstrate the role that healthcare providers can play in improving long-term medical and psychosocial health for these individuals.”
A new sexual assault is estimated to occur every 68 seconds in the U.S. with nationally reported rapes and sexual assaults increasing from 93,000 in 2006 to 139,815 in 2019, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Studies suggest that people who have experienced sexual assault are at greater risk for suicidal ideation, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use and chronic conditions than peers who have not.
However, historically, a small percentage of people seek medical care for sexual assault – as few as one in five, according to some studies – and when they do, it’s often incomplete or inadequate care.
“Some of the care provided by our partners in the emergency medicine space to these survivors could ideally come from a known, trusted provider who has an established relationship with the patient and where patients feel like they’re in a safe space,” Marsh said.
“We need to better understand where those opportunities are and how we can respond to these health needs in diverse outpatient settings.”
Researchers analyzed national data from millions of ED visits a year, finding an increase from 3,607 adults ages 18-65 seeking ED care after sexual assault in 2006 to 55,296 in 2019.
Potential factors behind the increase could include societal de-stigmatization of sexual assault as well as changes in how emergency medicine providers code for it, and increasing prevalence of sexual assault in the U.S., Marsh says.
Meanwhile, there was a significant 8% decrease in admission rates for sexual assault during the same period – with more than 95% of these patients sent home after an ED visit and not being admitted to the hospital.
These decreasing hospital admission rates may be attributed to an increasing number of lower-acuity cases, more people preferring to avoid admission for confidentiality purposes, and/or decreased inpatient availability.
ED visits overall also increased by 23 % during the same time, with sexual assault visits making up less than 1 % of visits. Still, total hospital charges for sexual assault-related visits topped $233 million in 2019, up from $6.35 million in 2006.
“Although sexual assault comprises a small proportion of total emergency room visits, the magnitude of increase suggest that certain factors may be encouraging people who experience sexual assault to seek emergency care,” Marsh said.
Disparities in health needs, admissions
Patients with lower incomes and government insurance plans are disproportionately admitted to the hospital after sexual assault, the study suggests. Older people (aged 46-65) are also more likely to be admitted than younger people (ages 18-25.)
This may be attributed to other underlying conditions that could increase need for hospitalization, Marsh says.
But those who seek help in the ED after sexual assault were also disproportionally younger women and those with lower incomes.
While sexual assault is highly prevalent— estimated to affect more than half of women and nearly a third of men in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—there have been few long-term studies of how people seek care after sexual assault.
Further studies should explore how to establish care for these patients in an outpatient or urgent care setting, Marsh says, such as providing testing for sexually transmitted infections, providing antibiotic and antiviral treatment on site, facilitating mental health services and collecting evidence in cases when patients are willing to be connected to law enforcement.
“Our findings highlight the populations who access emergency care most frequently and who is most likely to need hospitalized care,” she said.
“Tracking these trends will help inform policies and potential strategies for better supporting these individuals and for reaching others who may be less likely to seek emergency medical care for various reasons.”
The Real ‘Shining’ Hotel Is Reportedly Haunted By Cowboys And Perverts
'I've had sex with a few ghosts'
Jaws dropped this morning during The View when Joy Behar made a shocking revelation.
Co-host Sara Haines begged the question, “If you have sex with a ghost, can you get pregnant?” to which Behar shockingly responded, “I’ve had sex with a few ghosts and never got pregnant."
Whoopi Goldberg quickly shut down her colleague's comment, stating, "I'm just going to let that ride," as the other co-hosts began to laugh.
"I don't know how many of you heard what Joy just said, but I'm gonna let it ride," she continued as Behar shooed her comment away with a hand motion. The topic was not revisited or pressed further.
'The View' host Joy Behar: 'I've had sex with a few ghosts'
Why Do Historical TV Dramas Turn Us On?
- More than one-third of adults report having fantasies about sex in historical settings.
- Fantasizing about sex in varied settings (past, present, and future) is a handy way of meeting our need for novelty.
- Many people romanticize the courtship practices of the past, which stand in stark contrast to modern, online dating.
- Historical sex fantasies are linked to having more fantasies about virginity themes.
Bridgerton, Outlander, Harlots, and The Tudors are just a few of the many popular period dramas that have gotten people hot and bothered in recent years. Yes, there is a lot of sex in general on television today, but sex scenes set long ago in the past seem to be increasingly common—and in demand. Indeed, Bridgerton's steamy sex scenes in its debut season helped it to become one of the most-watched series of all time on Netflix.
People seem to be horny for historical sex. Why?
Pussy In Oils
It’s not often that you see actual pussy, complete with a visible vertical slit, in a piece of “fine art” from the early 17th century, but Lazarus van der Borcht managed it (incestuously!) in a painting entitled Lot And His Daughters:
There’s a wisp of veil intervening, but it is so literally transparent as to be utterly metaphorical.
All in all it’s just about as creepy as the bible story it illustrates.
Secrets Of Namibia’s Fairy Circles Demystified
Scientists have puzzled over the origin of Namibia’s fairy circles for nearly half a century. It boiled down to two main theories: either termites were responsible, or plants were somehow self-organizing.
Now, researchers from the University of Göttingen, benefitting from two exceptionally good rainfall seasons in the Namib Desert, show that the grasses within the fairy circles died immediately after rainfall, but termite activity did not cause the bare patches. Instead, continuous soil-moisture measurements demonstrate that the grasses around the circles strongly depleted the water within the circles and thereby likely induced the death of the grasses inside the circles. The results were published in Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics.
About 80-140 kilometers from the coast in the Namib, there are millions of fairy circles – circular gaps in the grassland, each a few meters wide, together forming a distinctive pattern across the whole landscape and visible for miles around. The researchers followed the sporadic rain events in several regions in this desert and examined the grasses, their roots and shoots, and potential root damage induced by termites. Termites, tiny insects that live in large colonies around the world, have often been blamed for the death of the grasses. The researchers took great care to investigate the circumstances of dying grasses within fairy circles right from straight after the rainfall, which triggered the new growth of the grasses. Additionally, they installed soil-moisture sensors in and around the fairy circles to record the soil-water content at 30-minute intervals starting in the dry season 2020 to the end of the rainy season 2022. This enabled the researchers to record precisely how the growth of the new emerging grasses around the circles affected the soil water within and around the circles. They investigated the differences in water infiltration between the inside and outside of circles at ten regions across the Namib.
The data show that about ten days after rainfall, the grasses were already starting to die within the circles while most of the interior area of the circles did not have grass germination at all. Twenty days after rainfall, the struggling grasses within the circles were completely dead and yellowish in color while the surrounding grasses were vital and green. When the researchers examined the roots of the grasses from within the circles and compared them to the green grasses on the outside, they found that the roots within the circles were as long as, or even longer than, those outside. This indicated that the grasses were putting effort into the growth of roots in search of water. However, the researchers found no evidence for termites feeding on roots. It was not until fifty to sixty days after the rainfall that root damage became more visible at the dead grasses. Dr Stephan Getzin, Department of Ecosystem Modelling at the University of Göttingen, explains: “The sudden absence of grass for most areas within the circles cannot be explained by the activity of termites because there was no biomass for these insects to feed on. But more importantly, we can show that the termites are not responsible because the grasses die immediately after rainfall without any sign of creatures feeding on the root.”
When the researchers analyzed the data on soil-moisture fluctuations, they found that the decline in soil water inside and outside of the circles was very slow after initial rainfall, when grasses were not yet established. However, when the surrounding grasses were well established, the decline in soil water after rainfall was very fast in all areas, even though there were almost no grasses within the circles to take the water. Getzin explains: “Under the strong heat in the Namib, the grasses are permanently transpiring and losing water. Hence, they create soil-moisture vacuums around their roots and water is drawn towards them. Our results strongly agree with those of researchers who have shown that water in soil diffuses quickly and horizontally in these sands even over distances greater than seven meters.”
Getzin adds: “By forming strongly patterned landscapes of evenly spaced fairy circles, the grasses act as ecosystem engineers and benefit directly from the water resource provided by the vegetation gaps. In fact, we know related self-organized vegetation structures from various other harsh drylands in the world, and in all those cases the plants have no other chance to survive except by growing exactly in such geometrical formations.” This research has implications for understanding similar ecosystems, especially with regard to climate change, because the self-organization of plants buffers against negative effects induced by increasing aridification.
About 80-140 kilometers from the coast in the Namib, there are millions of fairy circles – circular gaps in the grassland, each a few meters wide, together forming a distinctive pattern across the whole landscape and visible for miles around. The researchers followed the sporadic rain events in several regions in this desert and examined the grasses, their roots and shoots, and potential root damage induced by termites. Termites, tiny insects that live in large colonies around the world, have often been blamed for the death of the grasses. The researchers took great care to investigate the circumstances of dying grasses within fairy circles right from straight after the rainfall, which triggered the new growth of the grasses. Additionally, they installed soil-moisture sensors in and around the fairy circles to record the soil-water content at 30-minute intervals starting in the dry season 2020 to the end of the rainy season 2022. This enabled the researchers to record precisely how the growth of the new emerging grasses around the circles affected the soil water within and around the circles. They investigated the differences in water infiltration between the inside and outside of circles at ten regions across the Namib.
The data show that about ten days after rainfall, the grasses were already starting to die within the circles while most of the interior area of the circles did not have grass germination at all. Twenty days after rainfall, the struggling grasses within the circles were completely dead and yellowish in color while the surrounding grasses were vital and green. When the researchers examined the roots of the grasses from within the circles and compared them to the green grasses on the outside, they found that the roots within the circles were as long as, or even longer than, those outside. This indicated that the grasses were putting effort into the growth of roots in search of water. However, the researchers found no evidence for termites feeding on roots. It was not until fifty to sixty days after the rainfall that root damage became more visible at the dead grasses. Dr Stephan Getzin, Department of Ecosystem Modelling at the University of Göttingen, explains: “The sudden absence of grass for most areas within the circles cannot be explained by the activity of termites because there was no biomass for these insects to feed on. But more importantly, we can show that the termites are not responsible because the grasses die immediately after rainfall without any sign of creatures feeding on the root.”
When the researchers analyzed the data on soil-moisture fluctuations, they found that the decline in soil water inside and outside of the circles was very slow after initial rainfall, when grasses were not yet established. However, when the surrounding grasses were well established, the decline in soil water after rainfall was very fast in all areas, even though there were almost no grasses within the circles to take the water. Getzin explains: “Under the strong heat in the Namib, the grasses are permanently transpiring and losing water. Hence, they create soil-moisture vacuums around their roots and water is drawn towards them. Our results strongly agree with those of researchers who have shown that water in soil diffuses quickly and horizontally in these sands even over distances greater than seven meters.”
Getzin adds: “By forming strongly patterned landscapes of evenly spaced fairy circles, the grasses act as ecosystem engineers and benefit directly from the water resource provided by the vegetation gaps. In fact, we know related self-organized vegetation structures from various other harsh drylands in the world, and in all those cases the plants have no other chance to survive except by growing exactly in such geometrical formations.” This research has implications for understanding similar ecosystems, especially with regard to climate change, because the self-organization of plants buffers against negative effects induced by increasing aridification.
Signatures of alien technology could be how humanity first finds extraterrestrial life
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The Drift
Welcome to today's issue of Carolina Naturally 'Nuff Said! Today is June 21, 2023 Today is: World Music Day On This Day In History...
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A New York City owl has learned to hunt on his own after escaping from the Central Park Zoo. Flaco, a 13-year-old Eurasian eagle-owl, flew... -
Julie d’Aubigny was a singer and an expert sword fighter in 17th century France. Her father, who was also an expert swordsman, fought off al... -
Want to try something new for retirement? Have you thought about retirement nudist communities? Retirement affords us the time to try new th...