With freely available radar data from satellites, biodiversity in forests can be analysed very well. Researchers now report that biodiversity even of tiny insects can be reliably modeled from space.
Read moreFluctuations in atmospheric pressure can heavily influence how much natural gas leaks from wells below the ground surface at oil and gas sites, according to new research. However, current monitoring strategies do not take this phenomenon into account, and therefore may be under- or over-estimating the true magnitude of gas emissions.
Read moreA new study which focuses on mapping biodiversity change in marine and land ecosystems shows that loss of biodiversity is most prevalent in the tropic, with changes in marine ecosystems outpacing those on land.
Read moreBiologists have documented, for the first time, the widespread presence of the notorious chytrid fungus in 80 species of frogs from lowland rain forest sites in the Peruvian Amazon.
Read moreForests help protect the climate. Reforestation can decisively contribute to mitigating global warming according to the Paris Agreement. Based on simulations, researchers have studied the conditions that should be fulfilled in Europe for this. According to the study, sufficient increase in forest areas requires a transformation of the food system and in particular, the reduction of meat consumption.
Read moreA new study has identified a family of genes in cyanobacteria that help control carbon dioxide fixation.
Read moreTo understand the environmental pressures that shaped human evolution, scientists must reconstruct the ecosystems in which they lived. Because putting together the puzzle of millions-of-years-old ecosystems is a difficult task, many studies draw analogies with present-day African ecosystems, such as the Serengeti. A new study calls into question such approaches and suggests that the vast majority of human evolution occurred in ecosystems unlike any found today.
Read morePartnerships between ant and plant species appear to arise from — but not drive — rapid diversification of ants into new species.
Read moreA new study examining carbon stocks in an actively managed mixed wood forest in New Hampshire finds that places with more trees have more carbon stored in both the trees and the soil. The findings demonstrate the connection between above ground and below ground carbon, which has implications for forest management strategies.
Read moreAs the Earth's temperature warms, its hydrological cycle kicks into overdrive – wet years get wetter, and dry years get drier. According to a new study, these increased rainfall extremes could have dire consequences for the semi-arid forests of the western U.S.
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