Feature Channels: Environmental Science

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Seven-year-study shows plant growth does not sustainably balance carbon losses from solar warming and permafrost thaw.

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USC Information Sciences Institute's John Heidemann tracks internet outages as they hit Southeast Texas

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With Hurricane Irma fast approaching Florida, preparing for a disaster can feel overwhelming. But for people with diabetes, preparing for the worst is a matter of survival. Janis Roszler, LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, American Association of Diabetes Educator member, shares her checklist for staying safe.

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Researchers from the University of California, Irvine and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have reported the first observation of sea level “fingerprints,” tell-tale differences in sea level rise around the world in response to changes in continental water and ice sheet mass. The team’s findings were published today in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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Using a fleet of airplanes, ships and intrepid scientists, Cornell is leading the largest single deployment of seismometers along the Alaskan Peninsula – a $4.5 million endeavor that geologists from across the country hope will solve long-standing mysteries about the region and the planet.

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Most people are familiar with antibiotic resistant bacteria – and the same has happened with herbicides. Decades of research has shown that resistant weed varieties have adapted, and other weed-control tools will be necessary. The “Future of Weed Science: Thinking Beyond Herbicides in the Agricultural Landscape” symposium planned at the Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL, will address this important topic.

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Hidden in plain sight – that’s how researchers describe their discovery of a new genus of large forest tree commonly found, yet previously scientifically unknown, in the tropical Andes. Researchers from the Smithsonian and Wake Forest University detailed their findings in a study just released the journal PhytoKeys.

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Global climate trend since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.13 C per decade

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An antimicrobial compound made by honeybees could become the basis for new antibiotics, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Audio clips available by request.  Pitch Brian Hirth One week after a team of Texas Tech researchers returned to Lubbock from collecting data during Hurricane Harvey, they’re on the road again. This time, the team is headed toward Florida where Hurricane Irma, which now ranks as the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic, could make U.

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Ecologist Ted Schuur studies the frozen lands in the Arctic that are thawing as the climate warms, releasing previously captured greenhouse gases into the environment and continuing the cycle.

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$100,000 state grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will provide research opportunities for faculty and students at Western Illinois University to study the bobcat population in west central Illinois.

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Van der Waals force, which that enables tiny crystals to grow, could be used to design new materials.

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Agricultural practices in the Lower Mississippi River Basin's Delta region can affect how much carbon is stored in the soil. Because carbon dioxide is a key greenhouse gas associated with climate change, knowing those impacts is important. Researchers have created a network of research towers that can share continuous, high-quality data about carbon dioxide flux in different conditions.

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A $2.4 million award from the National Science Foundation will enable a multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Arkansas and their colleagues at two other institutions to develop a chemical process that converts nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater into commercial fertilizer.

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The piping plover population, an endangered species, increased this year, thanks to the hard work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Department of Homeland Security

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Could fear and hope hold the key to building support for public climate change policies? News articles that stir these emotions could influence support for regulations meant to curb climate change, according to a new study published in the journal Risk Analysis: An International Journal.

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Scat-sniffing research dogs are helping scientists map out a plan to save reclusive jaguars, pumas, bush dogs and other endangered carnivores in the increasingly fragmented forests of northeastern Argentina, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.Published Aug. 25 in the online journal PLoS ONE, the study explores options for mitigating the impact of human encroachment on five predators who cling to survival in isolated pockets of protected forest surrounded by a mosaic of roadways, unprotected forest, plantations and pastures.

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Charles F. (Charlie) McMillan today informed employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory that he intends to step down as Laboratory Director at the end of this calendar year.

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When it comes to tackling climate change, the focus often falls on reducing the use of fossil fuels and developing sustainable energy sources. But a new Cornell University study shows that deforestation and subsequent use of lands for agriculture or pasture, especially in tropical regions, contribute more to climate change than previously thought.

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It may seem counterintuitive, but Sacramento State Professor Jamie Kneitel is traveling to Israel this fall to learn more about seasonal wetlands in California, as well as those elsewhere in the world.

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A recurring theme in nature documentaries is that of choosy females selecting brightly colored males. A new study shows that, in monogamous mating systems, male birds may select their lifelong mates in much the same way.

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We have all seen and felt the destruction caused by hurricane Harvey, a category 4 storm that made landfall on August 25th. Harvey is the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States and it has created devastating flooding in and around southeastern Texas. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses have been flooded and upwards of 50,000 people have been displaced. To date, 47 people have lost their lives as a result of this hurricane which is estimated to become the worst natural disaster in US history. Now that Harvey has moved away from the area, thousands are looking to return to their homes where serious environmental health problems may arise. Each year more than 150 people die from the result of flooding. Importantly, many of the deaths occur during the re-entry process from electrocution, carbon monoxide poisoning, or other accidents occurring during remediation.

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Scarce compound, vitamin B12, is key for cellular metabolism and may help shape microbial communities that affect environmental cycles and bioenergy production.

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Flooded homes. People stranded on roofs. Rescue boats patrolling neighborhoods. Ashley Aples saw the chaos and panic engulf Houston in just a few days, and he knew from experience it was time to flee.

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Studies examining whether invasive species outcompete native species may reflect bias of researchers. However, rigorous scientific debate and self-criticism may result in self-correction.

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In 1849, the Board of Regents of the new University of Wisconsin directed the curation of the state’s plants, animals and minerals in a “cabinet of natural history.” Now, that founding piece of scientific inquiry is re-forming — digitally. A new initiative will centralize the databases of the university’s five natural history museums, which have separated over the decades to specialize and accommodate growing collections.

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Mayo Clinic is pleased to offer support to the victims of Hurricane Harvey through a $500,000 donation to the American Red Cross. Mayo Clinic has requested that the funds go directly to relief efforts for those affected by the recent storm.

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What can frozen soils teach us? The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) September 1 Soils Matter blog post explains how Alaskan soils are increasing our understanding of soils, water movement, and climate change.

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Microbes leave a large fraction of carbon in anoxic sediments untouched, a key finding for understanding how watersheds influence Earth’s ecosystem.

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New strategy greatly increases the production and secretion of biofuel building block lipids in bacteria able to grow at industrial scales.

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Sweeping shots of majestic landscapes. Glaciers, forests and waterfalls. Research published today shows that these images, shown to people deprived of access to nature, can reduce tension, help defuse anger and make some of the harshest environments, like a solitary confinement cellblock in a maximum-security prison, a little easier to bear.

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Fungal diseases are increasing in animals, which might have serious consequences for wildlife living in a hotter world, said a University of Florida scientist. A new study published in the international journal Scientific Reports shows that fungal infections reduced the heat tolerance of frogs by up to 4 degrees Celsius.