South Dakota producers reap rewards of cover crops
The longer farmers use cover crops, the more likely they are to see the benefits and to use the conservation practice on a higher percentage of their farmland, according to a survey of eastern South Dakota producers......»»
Marine dust identifies 1.5 million year Oldest Ice near South America
Earth's climate has experienced major shifts over its billions of years of history, including numerous periods where ice proliferated across the planet. Today, ice cores can be a valuable resource for understanding these periods of Earth's history as.....»»
Sloth survival under threat due to climate change, study finds
A new PeerJ study has revealed that sloths, the famously slow-moving creatures of Central and South America, may face existential threats due to climate change. The research, conducted by scientists studying the metabolic response of sloths to rising.....»»
Drought reduces Amazon River in Colombia by as much as 90%: report
The Amazon River has seen its levels in Colombia reduced by as much as 90 percent, a government agency said Thursday, as South America faces a severe and widespread drought......»»
Hummingbirds thrive on an extreme lifestyle. Here’s how.
Nightly suspended animation, sugary diet, backwards flight, and long migrations help. Enlarge / Hummingbirds—like this golden-tailed sapphire from South America—draw the eye with their bright colors and busy, hovering flight......»»
South Florida study finds mosquito populations increased dramatically after Hurricane Irma
More than 600 cellphone towers were inoperable. Close to 900,000 Florida Power and Light customers were left without electricity. Flooding in portions of Coconut Grove and Matheson Hammock Park reached 6 feet. And agricultural damages totaled $245 mi.....»»
Injecting manure into growing cover crops can cut pollution, support corn crops
Nitrogen in the soil, where plants can readily utilize it, benefits crop growth and health. However, nitrogen leaving the soil—whether through leaching into the groundwater table, flowing with surface runoff into streams or escaping into the air as.....»»
Ecuador capital "under attack" from five wildfires
Firefighters battled five blazes on the outskirts of Ecuador's capital Quito on Wednesday, as wildfires continue to rip through South American nations turned into tinderboxes by droughts linked to climate change......»»
Deep learning framework improves snow cover fraction estimation
Accurate snow cover information is crucial for studying global climate and hydrology. However, deep learning approaches for retrieving snow cover fraction (SCF) often suffer from limitations in training data dependence and interpretability......»»
Researchers explore novel approach to map forest dieback in satellite images
Forests and woodlands cover one third of Earth's surface and play a critical role in carbon sequestration, water regulation, timber production, soil protection, and biodiversity conservation. Accelerated by climate change, the decline of these and ot.....»»
Vintage museum collection and modern research intersect in century-long bee study
At a tranquil nature reserve in South Michigan, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist and her collaborators connected olden wild bee sample collections and modern technology to better decode the ecological traits and habits of pollinators,.....»»
What are "rent tech" platforms? Action on reining in these exploitative tools is long overdue
This week the New South Wales government announced it would introduce legislation that ensures renters are offered convenient, fee-free options to pay their rent......»»
Cloud cover and urban structures drastically reduce sunlight in cities
Sunlight plays a crucial role in public health, affecting vitamin D synthesis and psychological well-being. Inadequate exposure to sunlight is associated with various adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, depre.....»»
Governor launches effort to protect rivers, water supplies as growth booms in SC
Gov. Henry McMaster took steps Tuesday to jump start plans for protecting South Carolina rivers and groundwater, forming a commission to study how to manage the water supplies that often spark disputes among businesses, farmers, environmentalists and.....»»
Researchers explore environmental impacts of genetically modified crops
Genetically modified (GM) crops are widely used around the world, but their effects on the environment need to be better understood......»»
Study shows treed borders around crops provide a base for pollinating, pest-eating hoverflies
Planting and maintaining a border of trees around agricultural fields will help a family of flies that, in turn, is important to crops, according to a recent University of Alberta study......»»
Amazon forest loses area the size of Germany and France, fueling fires
The Amazon rainforest has lost an area about the size of Germany and France combined to deforestation in four decades, fueling drought and record wildfires across South America, experts said Monday......»»
Increasing protein in staple crops could help alleviate global protein shortage
A Mississippi State biologist's research in improving global nutrition and sustainability is featured this week in New Phytologist......»»
Extreme polar light environment of the North and South Poles sustains biodiversity, researchers suggest
Researchers working in Finland propose that the unique light environment of the Earth's polar regions creates conditions that result in circumpolar hybrid zones around the North and the South Poles. These extreme conditions increase the synchrony of.....»»
Deeper corals may help shallow reefs recover in the Florida keys
Since the 1970s, coral reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) have experienced catastrophic declines in coral cover, with as much as a 50% reduction between 1998 and 2011 alone. Although coral reefs within the FKNMS have been hea.....»»
Human urine could be used as eco-friendly crop fertilizer: Study
Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers—making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study......»»