News Feature Channel: Environmental Science

Secret Lives of Ancient Antarctic Penguins and Seals Uncovered

University of Adelaide — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 05:00:00 EST

Analysis of sedimentary ancient DNA has illuminated 6000 years of the lives of Adelie penguin colonies on Antarctica's Ross Sea coast, showing how animals in the region responded to climate and environmental change events over millennia.

Amphibians Bounce-Back From Earth's Greatest Mass Extinction

University of Bristol — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:05:00 EST

Ancient frog relatives survived the aftermath of the largest mass extinction of species by feeding on freshwater prey that evaded terrestrial predators, University of Bristol academics have found.

Older Trees Remember Their Past Water Conditions

Cal Poly Humboldt — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:10:45 EST

Older Trees Remember Their Past Water Conditions

Multimodal AI Tool Supports Ecological Applications

Washington University in St. Louis — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:05:10 EST

TaxaBind addresses the need for more robust and unified approaches to the modeling of ecosystems.

Innovative Forest Phenology Monitoring Technology: A New Perspective for Ecology

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 07:25:39 EST

A new method for forest phenology detection, called the Change Point Estimation of Forest Photosynthetic Phenology based on the Maximum Perpendicular Distance (CBPD), has been developed to accurately extract the start and end of the growing season in forests. Using Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) data, this innovative approach provides a powerful tool for understanding how forests respond to climate change and offers crucial insights into forest ecosystem dynamics.

Study: World's Critical Food Crops at Imminent Risk From Rising Temperatures

Aalto University — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 05:00:00 EST

A new study in Nature Food offers a more precise picture of exactly where and how warming will affect our ability to grow food.

Ideal Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates in Corn Belt Have Been Climbing for Decades, Iowa State Study Shows

Iowa State University — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 20:05:20 EST

The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades, a trend driven by higher yields and wetter springs, according to new Iowa State University study.

U of I Scientists Develop Simplified Model to Understand Long-Term Glacier Behavior, Climate Change Implications

University of Idaho — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 20:00:29 EST

University of Idaho researchers have developed a mathematical model that simplifies the way scientists understand changes in glacier movement.

EMBARGOED: Water, the key ingredient for life, found to have formed shortly after the Big Bang

University of Portsmouth — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:00:00 EST

Scientists from the University of Portsmouth have discovered that water was already present in the Universe 100-200 million years after the Big Bang.

New Biosensor Can Detect Airborne Bird Flu in Under Five Minutes

Washington University in St. Louis — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:05:50 EST

As highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza continues to spread in the U.S., posing serious threats to dairy and poultry farms, both farmers and public health experts need better ways to monitor for infections, in real time, to mitigate and respond to outbreaks.

Lights. Camera. Take Action for Wildlife! WCS Launches REEL WILD(tm)️, a Film Festival, During Earth Month in New York City

Wildlife Conservation Society — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 09:25:08 EST

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is launching REEL WILD(tm)️, a 2-day film festival during Earth Month, including Oscar-nominated films, and Emmy-Award winning programs, that bring the wonders of wildlife and nature to the big screen.

Illinois Researchers Develop Next-Generation Organic Nanozymes and Point-of-Use System for Food and Agricultural Uses

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:10:53 EST

A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team has developed organic-material-based nanozymes that are non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and cost effective. In two new studies, they introduce next-generation organic nanozymes and explore a point-of-use platform for molecule detection in agricultural products.

NJIT Biologist Wins NSF CAREER Award to Explore Hidden Hydrological Factor to Forest Resilience

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:25:13 EST

New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Xiaonan Tai has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to investigate how landscape positions determine forest fate during extreme heat and drought.

WHOI Scientists Aim to Improve the Study of Marine Heatwaves

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 07:45:55 EST

Researchers call for regional and context-specific approaches to these extreme events

Study Explores How Climate Change Impacts Extreme Cold Events

University at Albany, State University of New York — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 19:20:40 EST

A new study led by Qian Cheng from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with a team of researchers including Aiguo Dai from the University at Albany, examined a 2023 cold wave in China to better understand how the warming effect of climate change drives or suppresses these types of extreme events.

Crops Judging Team Stands Out for Student-Focused Instructional Approach

University of Nebraska-Lincoln — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:50:54 EST

Garrett Kuss, coach of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crops Judging Team, empowers his students to guide the club's instructional

Taking Critical Steps Toward Peaceful Human-Elephant Co-Existence in Gabon

Wildlife Conservation Society — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:35:22 EST

A 2-year project fostering peaceful human-elephant co-existence in Gabon was launched by the Minister of Water and Forests on 17 February. The project, with funding from the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), will be implemented with the government by the Wildlife Conservation Society in partnership with Space for Giants.

Unlocking the Molecular Dance Between Nanoplastics and Natural Organic Matter

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 08:30:22 EST

A pioneering study has uncovered the complex molecular interactions between nanoplastics (NPs) and natural organic matter (NOM) in aquatic ecosystems, offering a deeper understanding of their environmental fate.

A Game-Changer for High-Resolution Soil Moisture Mapping in Rough Terrain

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 06:25:33 EST

A new downscaling method has been developed to generate high-resolution surface soil moisture (SSM) data for mountainous regions. By integrating land surface temperature (LST) and vegetation index (VI) data, this innovative technique enhances the spatial resolution of coarse satellite-based SSM products, correcting for topographic effects and providing accurate, seamless SSM maps. This advancement is poised to revolutionize hydrological studies, drought monitoring, and climate change research.

Biology Professor Morris Contributes to Discovery of New Plant Species

Furman University — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 19:05:50 EST

Biology Professor Morris contributes to discovery of new plant species