Birch trees remove microplastics from the soil
With the help of trees, microplastic-polluted soils could be remediated. For the first time, researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have shown that birch trees absorb microplastics through their roots du.....»»
Microplastics Could Be Making the Weather Worse
Microplastics cause clouds to form in places where they wouldn't otherwise, which is likely to have knock-on effects on the weather and climate......»»
Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast
Authorities cleared uprooted trees and debris in the northern Philippines on Friday as Typhoon Yinxing blew out to sea after pounding the coast overnight, ripping roofs from homes and forcing thousands to seek shelter......»»
Battling air pollution may contribute to climate change by impacting soil carbon storage
Decades-old policies aimed at improving air quality may also be accelerating global climate change, warns a recent study published in the journal Ecology......»»
Airborne microplastics aid in cloud formation
It turns out microplastics have an effect on the weather and climate. Clouds form when water vapor—an invisible gas in the atmosphere—sticks to tiny floating particles, such.....»»
Pathogens that cling to microplastics may survive wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment fails to kill several human pathogens when they hide out on microplastics in the water, reports a study led by Ingun Lund Witsø of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, published November 6, 2024 in the open-access journal.....»»
Soil sampling in Houston"s greater Fifth Ward reveals toxic levels of lead in yards, play areas
Houston, like many American cities, has areas with soil contaminated by non-biodegradable and persistent pollutants such as arsenic, lead, nickel and cadmium, known as heavy metals and metalloids. These are both naturally occurring in the atmosphere.....»»
Scientists have figured out why Martian soil is so crusty
On November 26, 2018, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) mission landed on Mars. This was a major milestone in Mars exploration since it was the first time a research station had been deplo.....»»
How many trees does it take to cool a city? Researchers develop tool to set urban tree canopy goals
Cities around the globe are increasingly experiencing dangerous heat as urban concrete and asphalt amplify rising temperatures. Tree-planting programs are a popular, nature-based way to cool cities, but these initiatives have been largely based on gu.....»»
Study reveals effect of slope position on nonstructural carbohydrates in biological soil crusts
Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) provide energy for metabolic processes in plants and play a key role in plant growth, defense and osmoregulation. However, the regulation of NSC in biological soil crusts across different slope positions remains unc.....»»
Rubber plantations increase leaching of dissolved organic carbon in soil, study finds
Rubber planting brings huge economic benefits, but large-scale rubber plantations have a great impact on the ecological environment, especially in terms of the soil's physical and chemical properties......»»
Ethiopian farmers improve soil and feed with forage mixtures
Yordanos Anju is a dedicated farmer from the Bilate Zuria district in the Northern Sidama region. For generations, his family has relied on farming and livestock production......»»
Sequencing one of the world"s oldest trees to learn how mutations occur in clonally reproducing organisms
A team of biologists, environmental scientists and geneticists affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has learned more about how mutations occur in clonally reproducing organisms by sequencing one of the oldest trees in the world. The.....»»
Mangrove degradation threatens carbon storage in China"s Pearl Bay
Carbon sinks are important in the fight against climate change as they draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by storing organic carbon in the oceans and soil, for example. Within tropical and subtropical intertidal locations, wetland plant comm.....»»
Fungi may not think, but they can communicate
Fungi form distinct networks depending on how food sources are arranged. Fungi can be enigmatic organisms. Mushrooms or other structures may be visible above the soil, but beneath.....»»
Taiwan cleans up after Typhoon Kong-rey leaves two dead
Workers cleared fallen trees and shop owners swept up debris in Taiwan on Friday after one of the biggest typhoons to hit the island in decades claimed at least two lives......»»
In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies—implications for global pest control
Take a stroll along one of the beaches on Hawaii Island in late summer, and you'll likely stumble upon almond-shaped fruits lying in the sand. Known as false kamani nuts, or tropical almonds, they fall from tall, shady Terminalia catappa trees that l.....»»
Starbucks CEO: Plans underway to pause price increases, remove iced energy drink, make coffee in 4 minutes or less
Starbucks CEO: Plans underway to pause price increases, remove iced energy drink, make coffee in 4 minutes or less.....»»
Ukrainian troops fighting on Russian soil have an advantage they"ve never had in this war
Ukrainian troops fighting on Russian soil have an advantage they"ve never had in this war.....»»
Norman coin hoard becomes England"s most valuable treasure—it could have been worth a lot more
There is clearly giddy excitement in the shaky footage showing hands scrabbling in the soil in the Chew Valley in south-west England. A close-up shot captures someone pulling silver coin after silver coin from the churned earth as a woman laughs "the.....»»
Microplastics increasing in freshwater, directly related to plastic production
Microplastics have been steadily increasing in freshwater environments for decades and are directly tied to rising global plastic production since the 1950s, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers. The finding.....»»