From the Malaysian rainforests to the heart of the solar system

A team of zoologists, including scientists from Cambridge University, are discussing their research in the remote reaches of Malaysian Borneo at the Royal Society's Summer Exhibition this week.

Visitors to the free London exhibition can also find out how other researchers at Cambridge are using two new space missions to better understand how the Sun produces the largest eruptions in the Solar System.

The first exhibit, “Life At The Top”, covers some of the results that have emerged from a study of the rainforest ecosystems in the Danum Valley Conservation Area. They focus on the role of the plant Asplenium nidus, commonly known as the bird's nest fern. These findings further understanding not only about life in the forest, but also about how it should be protected.

The bird's nest fern forms part of the rainforest's “canopy” – its uppermost levels. The research revealed how the ferns play a vital role in sustaining insect life in the rainforest by trapping “leaf litter” – dead plant material such as leaves, bark and twigs that provides habitats for small creatures. This enables numerous invertebrates to live in the forest's upper reaches, profoundly altering the balance of life in its environment. The team were able to show that over half of the entire weight of living animals that occurs in the canopy is actually found inside these ferns.

The team, which comprises researchers from Cambridge, Leeds and York Universities, as well as Sabah University in Malaysia, has been studying the distribution and abundance of species, as well as the effects of commercial logging in Borneo for more than a decade. The Danum Valley has been identified as a globally diverse “hotspot” – populated by a wide variety of plant and animal species, some of which were previously undiscovered.

Dr William Foster, Curator of Insects in the University Museum of Zoology and part of the research team, said: “The goal of this study is not only to add to our scientific understanding of the rainforest – but also to provide a better understanding of how it should be conserved.

“This recent research on canopy ferns means that we now know more, for example, about the severe impact climate change and logging might have on life in this particular environment.”

Another exhibit is meanwhile revealing how the sun produces immense eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections, that blast high-speed particles into the solar system.

"Living With A Star" showcases the latest research from scientists at Cambridge, as well as the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the Universities of Aberystwyth, Central Lancashire, Imperial and University Colleges London and Armagh Observatory.

The team are using the Hinode and STEREO space missions to understand better how the sun's eruptions are triggered and to predict which ones will hit the Earth.

If coronal mass ejections hit the Earth they can damage satellites and disrupt electrical power lines. Until now, however, scientists have not been able to accurately predict which eruptions are heading our way.

The new space missions are giving researchers a 3D view of the Sun, which allows them to track the eruptions en route to Earth. Using these new observations they will be able to better understand the Sun's activities, and predict so-called "space weather".

The Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition is held annually at the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science. The event is free and open to the public. This year, 23 interactive exhibits are on show presenting the best in UK science, engineering and technology. More than 4,000 people are expected to explore the exhibition.

Further information can be found by following the links to the right of this page.

The Royal Society is located at 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG. Nearest tubes are Piccadilly Circus or Charing Cross.