Environmental News Agency

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Published online: 24 June 2022; doi:10.1038/s41559-022-01821-zMicrobes of tiny invertebrates

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Published online: 20 June 2022; doi:10.1038/s41559-022-01783-2Comparing the regulatory behaviour of naturally segregating promoter variants to randomly mutated promoters, the authors demonstrate both stabilizing and directional selection that reduce variation in phenotype.

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Published online: 16 June 2022; doi:10.1038/s41559-022-01753-8A paleogenome from an approximately 100,000-year-old polar bear shows massive prehistoric, and largely unidirectional, gene flow from polar bears into brown bears at a time of climate change-induced overlap in the ranges of the two species. This admixture event cannot be detected using genomic data from living polar bears.

Like a projection screen for backyard movie nights, an inflatable pool and yard games for the whole family.

Migratory birds are declining globally because of the way that humans have modified the landscape over recent decades—according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

Anthropogenic eutrophication of lake ecosystems is a global problem, especially for some large shallow lakes. But scientists have been unclear why shallow lakes appear prone to eutrophication.

Who knew that those little flies that hover around the fruit bowl are social animals? Who knew that, when under threat, they would follow cues given by other flies?

Soil microbes (in terms of functional gene content) are key drivers of ecosystem functions, but their functional characterization and their ecological contributions are not sufficiently understood. It is important to understand how soil microbes ameliorate the nutrient stress environment and maintain their activity to support ecosystem multifunctionality in tropical forests.

A new Florida Tech study investigates symbiotic relationships between bacteria and algae that can trigger the occurrence, or worsening, of harmful algal blooms.

Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are finalizing a new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to more effectively guide efforts by the world’s nations to address global loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Each party is required to mainstream the new framework and its component targets into national conservation strategies. To date, such strategies have been criticized as largely aspirational and lacking clear linkages to national policy mechanisms, which has contributed to the world’s general failure to meet the Convention’s previous targets. We use the United States and European Union as examples […]

Migratory species are expected to demonstrate habitat selection that occurs at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Western monarch butterflies migrate seasonally to overwintering groves at geographically predictable locations along the coast of California. To date, overwintering habitat selection by western monarch butterflies has primarily been studied assuming the microclimate hypothesis. Specifically, that microclimate habitat selection occurs when monarchs form dense overwintering aggregations in overwintering groves. However, western monarch butterflies are migratory; thus, previous habitat selection studies could have commingled selection at different scales into a single local scale in the site of […]

Topographically heterogeneous areas are likely to act as refugia for species because they facilitate survival during regional climatic stress due to availability of a range of microenvironments. The Stirling Ranges are a topographically complex area in the generally subdued and ancient landscape of south-western Australia. We investigated the influence of these landscape features on the evolutionary history of the rare woody shrub, Banksia brownii through a combined approach using phylogeographic analysis of sequence data from three chloroplast sequences, the trnV–ndhC, trnQ–rps16, and rpl32–ndhF intergenic spacer regions, and species distribution modeling. The Stirling […]

Translocation of wildlife species from one area to another is a conservation tool that contributes to the restoration of depleted populations, augments declining populations, or establishes of new populations. This paper documents one of the first studies examining in detail stakeholders' perceptions of the factors influencing the outcomes of translocations of wildlife into a community conservation area, using the case of eland (Taurotragus oryx) translocations into the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. The translocations took place between 2000 and 2005 as part of the national community-based natural resource management programme and were […]

Plants are particularly vulnerable to physical disturbance in low productivity areas, due to the high energetic cost of replacing lost tissue. In the eastern United States, serpentine savannahs are fragmented ecosystems with high concentrations of rare endemic plant species, low concentrations of soil nutrients, and severe deer overpopulation. This study assessed the recovery of flowering plants in a serpentine savannah when deer were excluded. Plant count, flower count, vegetative area, and plant height of 10 serpentine plant species were compared inside and outside of deer exclusion structures throughout an entire growing season. […]

Few phylogeographic studies have focused on understanding the role of the Tocantins–Araguaia Interfluve (TAI) in the diversification of Amazonian biodiversity. Herein we evaluate the phylogeographic relationships of 14 avian lineages present in the TAI and its two neighboring Amazonian Areas of Endemism: the Xingu (XAE) and Belém (BAE). Four alternative scenarios coupling degree of genetic differentiation and area relationships were tested: (1) populations distributed in TAI, BAE, and XAE are not genetically differentiated from each other (assumed as the null hypothesis); (2) populations from TAI are more closely related to those from […]

For mammalian mesopredators, human-dominated landscapes offer a mosaic of risk and reward. While the reward of anthropogenic food resources may attract mesopredators to human-dominated areas, increased mesopredator activity and abundance in these areas may cause interspecific conflict. For smaller-bodied mesopredators, the perceived risk of intraguild predation by larger mesopredators may be enough to drive spatial and temporal avoidance strategies to reduce risk while still benefiting from anthropogenic resources. We evaluated how the spatiotemporal activity of four non-canid mammalian mesopredators – raccoon (Procyon lotor), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and domestic […]

Pulsed inputs of labile organic carbon (LOC) are common in soils and significantly affect carbon cycling. However, it remains unclear how soil moisture content affects microbial responses to LOC inputs and the relative contributions of native soil organic matter (SOM) and LOC derived from CO2 emissions during this process. In this study, we aimed to elucidate how moisture content affects microbial response to LOC inputs and native SOM. Here, 13C-labeled glucose was added to soils under nine soil moisture treatments [ranging from 10 to 90% of the water holding capacity (WHC)], and […]

Geoscience encompasses a variety of scientific subdisciplines aimed at exploring, understanding, and predicting global phenomena. Yet despite its global reach, the geosciences are the least diverse of the STEM disciplines. Paleontology, a subdiscipline which prides itself on unearthing the diversity of life, comprises no greater level of diversity among its researchers than geosciences overall. This deficiency is in direct opposition to the level of public interest generated by paleontological research. Paleontology has broad educational appeal and has been leveraged in various ways to promote STEM learning. However, despite this widespread interest, there […]

In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, behavioral traits and the deterioration of water environments also contribute to the local extinction of amphibians. Abundant microflora in urban ponds may cause fatal diseases, whereas symbiotic bacteria may protect the host from pathogens; these effects may vary with group size. In this study, I monitored the growth of Japanese common toad (Bufo japonicus) larvae in Tokyo using three different group sizes: 1 (solitary), 2 (pair), and 15. Although there was no genetic bias in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes or microsatellite […]

The adaptation of forest management to changing environmental conditions due to climate change relies on information on the current forest and tree vitality. In common practice, the percentage of crown defoliation is used as a proxy for tree vitality, an approach that has several drawbacks. By performing laser scanning on a forest plot in the Hainich National Park, we tested a new approach to quantifying tree vitality. Based on the difference in structural complexity measured between summer and winter, assessed via the box-dimension, the new approach provides an objective and reproducible method […]

Nitrogen (N) enrichment has substantially altered patterns of terrestrial litter decomposition, with positive, neutral, and negative effects. However, the general response patterns and drivers of litter decomposition to N enrichment rates are poorly understood, and how litter decomposition has changed under the N enrichment rate, especially in different ecosystems, still requires further study. We reviewed 118 published papers dealing with litter mass remaining after N enrichment to assess the influences of various environmental and experimental factors on the relationships between N enrichment and litter decomposition in grasslands, forests, and wetland ecosystems. The […]

Climatic extremes have been gathering momentum since the 1880s and are believed to be a long-term factor increasing the mortality of Scots pine trees, Pinus sylvestris (L.) in Europe. Weather monitoring over the past 120 years shows that, in Central Europe, surface air temperatures grow at a rate of 0.18°C per decade. Many changes due to these abiotic stressors are already visible in the forests’ canopy and biodiversity. But the influence of the rise in temperature and in precipitation deficiency brings one more player into this die-back scheme. Bark beetles, and their […]

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of the Biological Soil Quality index (QBS-ar index) for monitoring the impact of wildfires on Mediterranean pine forests soils. The QBS-ar is a simplified eco-morphological index, based on edaphic microarthropods. We analyzed the QBS-ar values of pine stands burned one or two times and at different time spans from fire (from 10 days to 11 years after fire), in comparison to the unburned control area. Effect of fire on the biological soil quality evaluated with QBS-ar index was analyzed using univariate and […]

Tree growth may be affected by rising temperature. We conducted two long-term, independent warming experiments in a subtropical forest; one experiment used translocation warming and one experiment used infra-red (IR) warming. Both warming techniques are designed to increase air and soil temperatures (Tair and Tsoil), but may also differentially affect other environmental variables, including soil volumetric water content (SVWC), air relative humidity (RH) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Hence, tree response ascribed to Tair and Tsoil may be dependent on the indirect effects of the warming techniques. We experimentally tested these ideas […]

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) needs new business practices, which focus on its positive impacts and sustainability. This article presents original empirical research from a multinational engineering company operating in South Africa and the challenges that area managers experience in this organization. It explores the meaning and meaning-making in times of organizational change and transformation within the South African business context. The authors present findings which present the 4IR and sustainability issues in the company and themes which are identified, such as speed, effectivity, and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE). However, findings also indicate […]

Heat exchanger networks (HENs) are a widely studied subject. These systems may undergo important variations in their operating conditions. Such uncertainties lead networks to require some degrees of flexibility. An efficient approach to address such uncertainties is the development of multiperiod solutions. However, these are difficult to develop since one must synthesize a network that is simultaneously feasible under a given number of conditions. This work presents a method based on pinch insights and a hybrid meta-heuristic. It employs the “spaghetti” network concept as initial estimations for single-period networks, which are refined […]

Evidence consistently suggests that plant-based diets promote human and planetary health. Reducing large-scale animal-based food production generates environmental benefits, as the entire livestock agriculture chain plays an outsized role in greenhouse gas emissions, land change and degradation, and scarcity-weighted water use. However, substituting animal products with their plant-based counterparts must come with consideration of the nutritional quality and resource usage of plant-based food production and processing operations. Several policy reforms have been implemented at the national, state, and municipal levels in the United States to support a transition toward more plant-based diets. […]

Climate change, resource scarcity, and an aging population are the most concerning global issues in recent decades. One of the best methods to manage and mitigate these problems while continuing to boost the economies and offer opportunities for the growing world population is sustainable development. As Malaysia is one of the major oil consumers in the world, the sustainability of palm oil has been controversial. Several sustainability standards are introduced to ensure the balance performance in terms of economic, environmental, and social performance of the industry. Nonetheless, the social aspect of the […]

What transforms society? Using the quintuple helix model (QHM) of social innovation, this study examines how the Okayama Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project has transformed the local community and its people, and how this has led to global recognition. Okayama is known as a world leader in ESD and their unique approach is called the Okayama Model of ESD. This study further looks at the institutional configuration on the elements contributed to knowledge co-creation and how the key actors interacted to contribute to societal transformation through knowledge, social innovation, and institutional […]

Rangelands are often mistakenly perceived as wastelands, so policies to promote sustainable development have not always considered the benefits of rangelands or their restoration. As the global community starts to prepare for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) proclaimed for 2026, we must support the sustainable grazing techniques developed over millennia by pastoralist communities. Well-managed rangelands are a proven Nature-based Solution that can help achieve many of our global goals; writes Dr Maryam Niamir-Fuller, Co-Chair of the IYRP International Support Group – a coalition of over 300 partner organisations including […]

This Human Rights Day we stand at a pivotal moment: the opportunity to recognise the right to a healthy environment as a universal human right, one that every person, everywhere is entitled to. Following widespread calls, reiterated at the IUCN Congress, the UN Human Rights Council voted resoundingly to recognise the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in October 2021. UN Member States should now support universal recognition of this right at the UN General Assembly, and reflect this right in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and other environmental policy; […]

This Human Rights Day we stand at a pivotal moment: the opportunity to recognise the right to a healthy environment as a universal human right, one that every person, everywhere is entitled to. Following widespread calls, reiterated at the IUCN Congress, the UN Human Rights Council voted resoundingly to recognise the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in October 2021. UN Member States should now support universal recognition of this right at the UN General Assembly, and reflect this right in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and other environmental policy; […]

Today, more than a fifth of the Amazon is severely degraded and the entire ecosystem is at the tipping point of collapse. The impacts of this destruction fall hardest on the indigenous peoples and local communities who have lived in and protected the region for generations. IUCN Members voted overwhelmingly to support indigenous-led efforts to protect 80% of Amazonia by 2025. As governments at the UN Climate Change Conference pledge cooperation to end deforestation, regional action is needed now before the world’s largest tropical forest disappears; write Gregorio Mirabal, General Coordinator of […]

Today, more than a fifth of the Amazon is severely degraded and the entire ecosystem is at the tipping point of collapse. The impacts of this destruction fall hardest on the indigenous peoples and local communities who have lived in and protected the region for generations. IUCN Members voted overwhelmingly to support indigenous-led efforts to protect 80% of Amazonia by 2025. As governments at the UN Climate Change Conference pledge cooperation to end deforestation, regional action is needed now before the world’s largest tropical forest disappears; write Gregorio Mirabal, General Coordinator of […]

In order to explore the application of robots in intelligent supply-chain and digital logistics, and to achieve efficient operation, energy conservation, and emission reduction in the field of warehousing and sorting, we conducted research in the field of unmanned sorting and automated warehousing. Under the guidance of the theory of sustainable development, the ESG (Environmental Social Governance) goals in the social aspect are realized through digital technology in the storage field. In the picking process of warehousing, efficient and accurate cargo identification is the premise to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of […]

The CO2 concentration of urban residential green space in Changsha was experimentally investigated. Based on the experimental results, the variation characteristics and influencing factors of CO2 concentration in residential areas were analyzed considering both the measuring time and ecological plant structure. Then, through the concept of urban ecological bearing capacity, the carbon sequestration index of the urban residential areas was proposed in this paper. Finally, the regulating effects of varieties of vegetation on CO2 concentration among four urban residential areas were deeply analyzed and discussed. Results showed that green space with an […]

Sanctuaries are widely regarded as a protected area where fishing has been placed under some restrictions by local, state, regional and national authorities for the conservation and management of fisheries resources. These sanctuaries have a broad array of positive and negative social, economic, cultural and political impacts on fishers. This study aims to analyze the socio-economic and ecological benefits and costs of hilsa sanctuaries to protect single most important hilsa species using Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA). Under the Protection and Conservation of Fish Act of 1950, six sites along the Padma, Meghna, […]

The unequivocal global warming has an explicit impact on the natural water cycle and resultantly leads to an increasing occurrence of extreme weather events which in turn bring challenges and unavoidable destruction to the urban water supply system. As such, diversifying water sources is a key solution to building the resilience of the water supply system. An atmospheric water harvesting can capture water out of the air and provide a point-of-use water source directly. Currently, a series of atmospheric water harvesting have been proposed and developed to provide water sources under various […]

Since the 1950s, Henan County on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (the Plateau) has experienced notable changes in its ecological and socio-economic environments, posing challenges to livelihood sustainability. Adopting a mixed method of qualitative interviews, field observations, and statistical data analysis, these changing livelihoods were investigated from a transdisciplinary systems perspective. The aim of this research was to develop an understanding of the relationships between changing land use and the livelihood dynamics on an ecologically fragile land. Results indicate that increasing human and animal populations, together with increasing connectivity between the Plateau and the […]

Cheerleaders for new technology tend to ignore the ways in which that technology might be used to harm humans and/or the environment. But there are always people who will figure out how to create such harm.

Once we see that we are the economy, we realize we can change it — and when we change it, we change the world.

Understanding how opponents of climate action employ these discourses of delay is essential to recognizing climate disinformation and misinformation, Arena said, and ultimately to disrupting it.

This story is on borrowed time. And it’s just a part of a story, a piece of human and living patchwork. Maybe you can borrow it, and make it part of your story too?

Can Black liberation be achieved through individual successes within capitalism — through Black capitalism — as Booker T. Washington suggested? Or can true liberation for Black people in the United States only emerge through a collective struggle against racial capitalism?

As the need to address climate change becomes increasingly urgent so too does the concurrent need for proactive stewardship of the Earth's rapidly changing biosphere, according to new research.

A new study paints a vivid image of how forests developed over centuries and contribute to Earth's carbon balance — a crucial component to maintaining a steady global climate. The study reconstructed the natural pace and pattern of carbon storage in forests of the Midwestern United States over 10,000 years. The findings have the potential to shift ongoing debates about how landscapes can be managed to maximize carbon storage while meeting conservation goals.

Mangrove forests play a vital role in the health of our planet. The trees and shrubs absorb a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions, help protect communities from rising sea levels, and act as nurseries for baby fish.

How hard can insects bite? Having a strong chewing apparatus makes it easier to crush harder food and to succeed in fights with enemies. Biologists now present a mobile system (forceX) for measuring the bite forces of small animals, along with the software forceR to evaluate the data. This allows to understand how bite forces, for example of insects, evolved.

Behavioral ecologists have discovered a way to harness animals' olfactory ability to protect vulnerable plants and endangered animals.

New research shows how migratory birds are declining globally because of the way that humans have modified the landscape in recent decades. A total of 103 species of migrating birds were studied, including rapidly declining species like the turtle dove and the common cuckoo, using large-scale datasets. Advances in satellite imagery allowed the team to map threats across Europe, Africa and Western Asia.

Temperature changes have negatively impacted most species of bumble bees over the past 120 years, according to new new research. The researchers note that changes in temperature had more of a negative impact than other factors — such as precipitation or floral resources.

The effects of global climate change already are resulting in the loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise, and longer and more intense heat waves, among other threats. Now, a survey of planktonic lipids in the global ocean predicts a temperature-linked decrease in the production of essential omega-3 fatty acids, an important subset of lipid molecules. A significant implication of the survey is that as global warming proceeds, there will be fewer and fewer omega-3 fatty acids produced by plankton at the base of the food web, which will mean less […]

As the need to address climate change becomes increasingly urgent so too does the concurrent need for proactive stewardship of the Earth's rapidly changing biosphere, according to new research.

A new study paints a vivid image of how forests developed over centuries and contribute to Earth's carbon balance — a crucial component to maintaining a steady global climate. The study reconstructed the natural pace and pattern of carbon storage in forests of the Midwestern United States over 10,000 years. The findings have the potential to shift ongoing debates about how landscapes can be managed to maximize carbon storage while meeting conservation goals.