Farming in ways that support nature can pay off - not just for the environment, but for crops too. That’s the takeaway from a new study that tested how different methods of agroecological farming perform on real working farms in England. 



The study showed that adding simple nature-friendly features like wildflower margins and organic matter improved biodiversity and led to stronger crop performance.



But there’s a catch: to make these methods financially viable on a large scale, many farmers may need more government support.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-farms-real-results">Real farms, real results</h2>



The research team, based at the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology</a> and Rothamsted Research, ran a four-year study across 17 commercial farms in southern England. This was the first time anyone tested both the ecological and financial impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sustainable-farming-is-good-for-farmers-well-being/">agroecological</a> practices at this scale in the UK.



The researchers didn’t just run lab trials. The researchers partnered directly with farmers to design and carry out real-world experiments, testing three types of farming systems side by side.



The first was a business-as-usual approach, using standard intensive methods without any nature-friendly additions. 



The second, called the enhanced ecological system, introduced wildflower field margins to support pollinators and other beneficial insects, along with overwinter cover crops to protect and enrich the soil. 



The third was the maximized ecological system, which built on the enhanced version by adding wildflower strips within the fields - essentially creating insect “runways” - and using farmyard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beer-byproducts-and-manure-used-to-increase-crop-yields/">manure</a> to improve soil health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-bugs-better-soil-higher-yields">More bugs, better soil, higher yields</h2>



The results were clear. The farms that adopted enhanced or maximized ecological methods saw an increase in beneficial species. 



Earthworms, bees, hoverflies, ladybirds, spiders, and lacewings were all more abundant. These helped reduce crop pests like aphids and snails.



That’s not all. The flowering crops - like oilseed rape - produced more seeds thanks to better pollination. The soils held more carbon. And overall, the yields went up.



Even with a little land taken out of production to make room for habitats, the gains in crop health and pollination made a difference. The enhanced ecological system was just as profitable as conventional farming - but only because of current government subsidies.



The maximized system delivered even stronger environmental and yield benefits. But it was more expensive to implement. 



Without more support, most farms would not find it financially competitive. Some farms, especially mixed ones that already have manure on hand, might fare better. But others would struggle without extra help.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-profit-meets-sustainability">Profit meets sustainability</h2>



Dr. Ben Woodcock, one of the study’s lead scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology, elaborated on the research.



“Without the introduction of new financial incentives, many farmers will be deterred from adopting agroecological farming practices and systems. This could leave them locked into high input, intensive farming systems and more exposed to the impacts of pesticide resistance, declining soil health and climate change."



According to Dr. Woodcock, while farmers run businesses that need to be profitable, there is an increasing awareness that more sustainable systems can help "future-proof" their farms in terms of soil health, less reliance on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-attack-bees-in-multiple-ways-throughout-the-body/">pesticides</a> and climate change.



“Agroecological methods are good for biodiversity, food security, and, in the long-term, provide more secure farm incomes but habitats can take several years to establish, so agri-environment subsidies are essential to helping farmers transition to these more sustainable systems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-support-for-greener-farming">Support for greener farming</h2>



The researchers believe that showcasing these successful results could help convince more farmers to make the switch. It’s about breaking the cycle of intensive practices that keep farms dependent on chemical inputs and vulnerable to environmental changes.



Professor Jonathan Storkey, an ecologist at Rothamsted Research, said the study confirmed that managing land on farms for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-for-wildlife-how-traditional-practices-can-protect-nature/">wildlife</a> is not in direct conflict with food security but can support sustainable production by increasing yields and reducing pest pressure. 



"These ‘ecosystem services’ could potentially substitute for chemical fertilizers and pesticides which negatively impact the environment," said Professor Storkey. 



“However, our analysis has shown that realizing these benefits will require additional support for farm businesses that currently operate on very narrow profit margins. As input costs increase, however, these agroecological approaches may become more attractive.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-training-makes-a-difference">Training makes a difference</h2>



The quality of nature-friendly measures also depends on how well they’re implemented, and training helps.



Earlier research from the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology showed that when farmers receive proper guidance on creating and managing wildlife habitats, those habitats do a much better job of supporting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-pollinators-boost-the-nutritional-value-of-crops/">pollinators</a> and pest-controlling insects.



Field margins and wildflower strips may seem like simple changes, but getting them right requires different thinking than managing crops. The better these habitats are planned and maintained, the more they deliver.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-green-nationwide">Growing green, nationwide</h2>



Nature-friendly farming isn’t just about doing good for the environment - it can also help farms thrive. But making the switch isn’t free, and for many farmers, the numbers have to work. 



That’s where targeted subsidies and support come in. The research shows what’s possible. Now, the question is how to make it doable for more farms across the country.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70079">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.



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Eco-friendly farms can succeed - but they need support

Farming in ways that support nature can pay off - not just for the environment, but for crops too. That’s the takeaway from a new study that tested how different methods of agroecological farming perform on real working farms in England. The study showed that adding simple nature-friendly features like wildflower margins and organic matter improved biodiversity and led to stronger crop performance. But there’s a catch: to make these methods financially viable on a large scale, many farmers may need more government support. Real farms, real...

The seafloor seems to be getting sluggish, according to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a> (AGU). The researchers analyzed the last 19 million years of seafloor spreading rates and discovered a slowing trend.



In a process that is driven by plate tectonics, new oceanic crust continuously develops along rifts that are thousands of miles long on the seafloor.&nbsp;



As subduction destroys the old crust, new rifts open up and draw hot crust toward the surface. Once here, the crust cools and gets pushed away from the rift as it is replaced by hotter crust.



This continuous cycle, which is known as seafloor spreading, influences major planetary processes such as the carbon cycle and sea level rise. Higher rates of seafloor spreading are associated with more volcanic activity, including the release of greenhouse gases. It is important to understand this rate in order to predict how it may impact Earth's atmosphere.



"The question of whether the speeds of tectonic plates vary over time is controversial but has big-picture implications for our understanding of the forces inside the Earth that drive the plates, the role of volcanoes in controlling climate change over millions of years, and the rise and fall of sea level," explained the researchers.



According to the study, spreading rates today top out at around 140 millimeters per year, but peaked at around 200 millimeters per year just 15 million years ago in some places.



The researchers say it is a complex problem to solve, made more difficult by the seafloor’s slow and steady self-destruction.



“We know more about the surfaces of some other planets than we do our own seafloor,” said Colleen Dalton, a geophysicist at Brown University who led the new study. “One of the challenges is the lack of perfect preservation. The seafloor is destroyed, so we’re left with an incomplete record.”



Dalton and her colleagues analyzed magnetic records for 18 of the world’s largest spreading ridges to calculate how much ocean crust each ridge has produced over the last 19 million years. Some of the ridges had lengthened, some had shrunk, but almost all of them had slowed down.&nbsp;



Overall, the average rate of seafloor spreading was found to be reduced by up to 40 percent. The researchers say that the slower rates may be driven by subduction zones rather than spreading ridges.



“Think of it as increased friction between the two colliding tectonic plates,” said Dalton. “A slowdown in convergence there could ultimately cause a slowdown in spreading at nearby ridges.”  



However, Dalton pointed out, this added friction could not be the only driver of the slowdown, because she found slowing rates globally and mountain growth is regional. This means that larger-scale processes may also be playing a role. In all likelihood, she said, it’s a combination of both.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seafloor spreading has slowed down worldwide

The seafloor seems to be getting sluggish, according to a...

Scientists now have a more accurate method to measure <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-may-cause-stingrays-to-move-toward-danger/">climate change</a> thanks to a group of researchers who have discovered a way to include additional information about tropical deforestation in climate models.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Using computer simulations is a popular way for climate researchers to estimate what the planet will look like as our Earth warms. However, to get the most accurate predictions, scientists must be able to include numerous factors.&nbsp;



Some of these factors include the extent that sunlight will warm the planet and how the forests will respond to hotter, drier conditions. The more details they can include, the more reliable a climate model becomes.&nbsp;



One factor that has been difficult to incorporate is how deforestation in tropical rainforests, including the Amazon and the Congo, will affect climate change.



Led by scientists from the University of California, Irvine, the research team was able to calculate the current impact of tropical rainforest deforestation by using models already in place. Then, they looked at satellite images of forest biomass to gauge how nearby forest communities responded to deforestation. The results may not surprise you.&nbsp;



“This paper shows that avoiding deforestation yields carbon benefits in nearby regions as a consequence of climate feedbacks," explained Jim Randerson, UCI professor of Earth System Science.



According to the researchers, when a single patch of the Amazon rainforest is cleared, there is an additional 5.1 percent loss of biomass in the entire Amazon basin. In the Congo, the additional loss is 3.8 percent.&nbsp;



Study co-author Professor Paulo Brando explained why this happens: “Deforestation has ramifications to forests growing elsewhere, because its consequences to the region’s air temperature and precipitation.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Now that researchers have uncovered the wide-ranging negative ramifications of tropical deforestation, climate scientists hope that policymakers will be able to make stronger arguments for why it’s best to avoid deforestation. At the very least, climate scientists now have another tool to help them create more effective solutions to fight global climate change.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deforestation causes biomass loss beyond directly affected areas

Scientists now have a more accurate method to measure climate...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> in Australia and the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> in France, there is only a 10 percent chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (the aim initially set at the Paris Agreement in 2015). However, the pledges made at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cop26-deal-failure-or-historic-achievement/">COP26</a> climate summit from 2021 to keep warming below 2°C may still be feasible, “if all conditional and unconditional pledges are implemented in full and on time,” as the experts who conducted the study put it.



The scientists analyzed inventory data and climate targets of 196 countries from the time of the Paris Agreement to the COP26 summit, and used computer modelling to predict various climate change scenarios. They found that, although it will be nearly impossible to reach the climate change mitigation targets set at the Paris Agreement, global warming could still be kept at a reasonable value (between 1.9°C and 2°C) if nations stick to the promises that they made last year in Glasgow.



“Our results provide a reason to be optimistic: warming could be limited to 2°C or just below, if the pledges on the table are implemented in full and on time,” wrote the study authors. “Peaking of global greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved this decade. But our results also provide a sobering assessment of how far current pledges are from limiting warming to 1.5°C. Commitments made so far, especially for this decade, fall far short of what is required to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C.”&nbsp;



The researchers argued that countries with net-zero targets should attempt to bring their net-zero dates forward or even aim for net-negative targets.&nbsp;Any delays in reversing the upward trend of greenhouse emissions, phasing out the widespread use of fossil fuels, and developing sustainable options could lead to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ipcc-report-can-we-save-the-planet-from-climate-catastrophe/">climate catastrophe</a> in the near future.



As environmental scientists Zeke Hausfather and Frances Moore concluded in an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00874-1">accompanying commentary</a>, “long-term targets should be treated with skepticism if they are not supported by short-term commitments to put countries on a pathway in the next decade to meet those targets.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04553-z">Nature</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is out of reach

According to a new study led by the University of...

Modern, industrial agriculture is dependent upon fertilizers - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chemicals-in-plastic-packaging-contribute-to-weight-gain/">chemicals</a> often sprayed on fields with abandon. As important as fertilizers are to our way of life, you may not suspect that phosphorus, the main ingredient, is running out; yet it is.&nbsp;



Phosphorus for fertilizer is mined from rocks. It is applied as part of fertilizers to fields then washes out, eventually being buried deep in the ocean. Once fertilizer is washed away, it is not recovered and the finite resource is being used up.&nbsp;



In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/science-of-the-total-environment">Science of the Total Environment</a>, wildlife is raised as a possible solution to dwindling levels of phosphorus. The study authors include Dr. Andrew Abraham, a postdoctoral researcher at <a href="https://nau.edu/">Northern Arizona University</a>, and Chris Doughty, associate professor of Ecoinformatics.



“In the past, animals such as whales, sea birds, fish and bears played a key role in returning phosphorus from ocean depths back onto land," said Dr. Abraham.



"In doing so, they collectively retained this nutrient in the biosphere, supporting a more fertile planet. Today, however, species extinctions, diminished population abundances and the erection of fences and dams have reduced this nutrient transport service by more than 90 percent.”



With wildlife populations shredded and animal mobility diminished by human structures, the main movement of phosphorus is by humans. We tend to be incredibly inefficient with our use of this nutrient, losing much of it to the ocean.&nbsp;



“Through our research, we were able to show that historically, wild animals transported a large amount of phosphorus that is on par with other important flows such as dust deposition and wildfires," said Dr. Abraham.



"Importantly though, wildlife can return phosphorus back to the land. By restoring interconnected animal communities, ancient pathways of natural fertilization can be revitalized, helping to conserve an irreplaceable element.”



Animals naturally move phosphorus through their urine, dung and even their own bodies. This is important not only for agriculture but crucially for the health of natural ecosystems as well.&nbsp;



To maintain this ecological service, the scientists suggest a trading scheme similar to the carbon market. This way local communities could benefit either from mined phosphorus or natural sources like phosphorus from bird dung. Scientists hope that this approach could help restore wildlife populations and maintain the healthy function of the Earth.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildlife may be the answer to dwindling fertilizer ingredient

Modern, industrial agriculture is dependent upon fertilizers - chemicals often...

The report of the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/working-group/wg3/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)</a> was released on April 4, 2022, and it suggests that, while some countries are on track to meet their carbon emission commitments, the world is not on track to limit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-could-play-a-key-role-in-limiting-global-warming/">global warming</a> to the 1.5oC level. Jacobo Arango, an environmental biologist at the Tropical Forages Program at the Alliance of Bioversity and <a href="https://ciat.cgiar.org/">CIAT</a>, was one of the authors of the report’s chapter on climate change mitigation and he feels there is a lot of scope for agricultural practices to enhance the removal of carbon from the atmosphere in future.



“The agriculture and land-use sector (which includes forestry) has a really invigorating role with this IPCC report,” he said. “It’s not enough only to lower emissions, we also need to actively remove carbon from the atmosphere.”



Although the use of carbon capture technology is an option that will help remove carbon from the atmosphere, or from factory emissions before they are released into the atmosphere, this approach is only being used currently in a total of 18 large-scale units in six countries. These carbon capture and storage (CCU) facilities currently remove 32 million tons of CO2&nbsp;per year, a far cry from the 100 billion tons required in order to keep the Earth’s temperature increase to below 2oC.&nbsp;&nbsp;



While many people envisage carbon storage in terms of depositing captured CO2 into depleted oil or natural gas fields, or disused underground mines, Arango says that another approach could involve using deep-rooted plants, including those used in livestock grazing, to store carbon 2–3 meters underground in the form of organic matter in the soil (soil carbon).&nbsp;



“If you use the right plants, with a long root system, they can transfer the carbon from the atmosphere into the deep soil layers,” he explained. “Instead of big fancy machines taking carbon out of the atmosphere and injecting it into rock formations, agriculture does that naturally with plants, along with higher food production and other environmental benefits, such as water and biodiversity conservation.”



It is usually understood that plants add carbon into shallow layers of soil (the top 30 centimeters), in the form of dead organic matter, or humus. This carbon is, however, readily returned back to the atmosphere through the process of respiration by bacteria and other soil organisms. Carbon deposited deeper down by plants with long roots has a better chance of being stored for much longer.



Ngonidzashe Chirinda, an assistant professor of Sustainable Tropical Agriculture at Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and former IPCC author, says the 30-centimeter depth used in the IPCC greenhouse gas inventory guidelines underestimates carbon uptake linked to tropical forages that develop roots to over 1 meter in depth.



“Few countries currently report soil carbon's climate change mitigation contribution in their national greenhouse gas inventories and the lack of accounting means a vital carbon sink is missed,” Chirinda said, adding that countries need to give accurate account of the carbon added to the soil through mitigation actions such as adopting deep-rooted tropical forages (grasses and other plants grown as food for livestock).&nbsp;



Arango has studied tropical forages, some of which have long roots that deposit carbon deeper down in the soil. In one study in&nbsp;<a href="https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/116231">Colombia’s Orinoquía basin</a>, his team was able to sample soil carbon down much deeper than 30 centimeters and establish that it was accumulating at that depth.&nbsp;Based on these findings, the authors of that study hypothesized that the introduction of the tropical pasture grass Brachiaria humidicola, would increase soil carbon accumulation and soil quality through its abundant root system and rapid turnover. &nbsp;



It would also be possible to breed future varieties of tropical forages with deep roots, while still maintaining yields, says Arango. The key to this process would be to use the genetic diversity stored in the brand-new&nbsp;<a href="https://alliancebioversityciat.org/future-seeds">Future Seeds</a>&nbsp;genebank at CIAT’s headquarters outside Palmira, Colombia. This facility is home to about 68,000 accessions of common beans, tropical forages, and cassava, crops that are a vital source of nourishment and income for millions of smallholder farmers across the globe.&nbsp;



“We’re researching varieties with those long roots that play a role in getting carbon down to those deep soil layers, which can still maintain production for farmers,” Arango said, adding that if farmers in Colombia and other parts of the world can be provided with better forages, they would be able to offset the carbon produced by their cattle.&nbsp;



“If we find alternatives to establish livestock production systems that are net-zero or even negative in emissions, they could even sell carbon credits, opening up a new income source for these farmers by participating in the global carbon market.”



Chirinda explained there are many other examples of agricultural practices that either increase carbon uptake or reduce its loss.&nbsp;“There’s agroforestry (growing crops and trees on the same land), silvopastoral systems (including trees in grasslands), reduced or no soil tillage (avoiding soil disturbance), and having soil covered most of the year through practices such as relay and cover cropping,” he said.&nbsp;



All of these practices would be beneficial in terms of capturing and storing carbon that would otherwise be causing harm in the atmosphere.



Image Credit: CIAT / Georgina Smith



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tropical plants with long roots may help store carbon underground

The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)...

Stingrays are on the decline. Overfishing is the main cause, but climate change and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-in-tropical-cities-linked-to-180000-excess-deaths/">pollution</a> aren’t doing them any favors either.&nbsp;



For now, stingrays are still plentiful in the Seychelles, with its clear blue waters, white sand beaches and biodiverse coral reefs. Scientists from the <a href="https://saveourseas.com/sosf-darros-research-centre/">Save Our Seas Foundation D’Arros Research Centre</a> (SOSF-DRC) and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity have been investigating the lives of stingrays in the Seychelles.&nbsp;



In a new research paper published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>, researchers looked at the importance of diverse habitat for stingray survival. Sixty individual stingrays from three species were tracked for an average of a year. During the tracking, environmental data such as temperature and tides were also recorded.&nbsp;



The research was carried out on St. Joseph Atoll, where both shallow reefs and a deep enclosed lagoon can be found. The atoll is also a nursery for the three study species - the cowtail stingray, mangrove whipray and the porcupine whipray.&nbsp;



Twenty of each species of stingray were tagged and tracked via passive acoustic telemetry. Forty receivers were placed throughout the different habitats and set to receive sounds from each of the transmitter tags fitted to the rays.&nbsp;



The researchers found that stingrays generally like safer, shallow water, but can be driven by factors like high temperatures to deeper water where they are more vulnerable to predators.&nbsp;



“Stingrays are really important for keeping oceans healthy, especially in tropical places like Seychelles,” said study lead author Chantel Elston, an SOSF project leader. “This research helps to present further evidence that the isolated St Joseph Atoll provides suitable habitat for threatened stingrays and that the newly announced marine protected area will have real conservation benefits.”



The scientists hope that this research can benefit stingrays with more effective protection techniques. This is especially important as those unusually high temperatures that drive rays into deeper water are set to become more and more common.&nbsp;



“When you know what the priority habitats for vulnerable species are and how and when they move around, management plans can be developed for their conservation," said Helena Sims, SOSF Seychelles Ambassador.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change may cause stingrays to move toward danger

Stingrays are on the decline. Overfishing is the main cause,...

During the first three months of 2022, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-in-the-amazon-rainforest-hits-new-records/">deforestation</a> in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has increased by 64 percent compared to the same period last year, according to a new report published by the National Institute for Space Research (<a href="https://www.gov.br/inpe/pt-br">INPE</a>). The report revealed that 941.34 square kilometers (363 square miles - equivalent to an area larger than the city of Dallas) of rainforest were cleared between January and March this year – the largest amount since INPE started recording deforestation rates seven years ago. This new record is particularly worrisome since Brazil is currently in its rainy season when logging and clearing the land with fires are less common.



“The fact that we are already at a record high and actually [seeing] numbers that are usually to be expected mid-year – when it’s drier and it’s actually easier to access the forest and do some damage – is indeed worrying,” confirmed Raoni Rajao, a professor of Environmental Management at the <a href="https://www.ufmg.br/english/conheca/index.shtml">Federal University of Minas Gerais</a>.&nbsp;



Since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019 and weakened environmental protection actions and policies, the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest has surged. According to United Nations’ estimates, deforestation accounts for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, the current situation in Brazil is placing an increasing burden on the climate, significantly exacerbating global warming.



“Brazil is an example of what the UN climate report is saying when referring to governments not taking the necessary actions,” said Cristiane Mazzetti, a forest campaigner in Brazil for <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/">Greenpeace</a>. “We have a government that goes deliberately against the necessary steps to limit climate change.”



Scientists predict that deforestation rates in Brazil will continue to rise ahead the October presidential elections, as they had before the previous three elections. According to Carlos Souza Jr., a researcher at <a href="https://imazon.org.br/en/">Imazon</a> – a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the Amazon rainforest – environmental enforcement usually weakens in election years, with many criminals rushing to deforest vast areas ahead of changes in political governance.&nbsp;



Urgent actions are needed to stop and reverse the massive amount of deforestation in the Amazon in order to protect a multitude of vital ecosystems that have functioned smoothy for millennia in that region, and to help avoid an almost imminent climate catastrophe.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deforestation in the Amazon hits a new record

During the first three months of 2022, deforestation in Brazil’s...

Although renewable energy prices have fallen by over 70 percent in the last decade, driving more people to replace fossil fuels with greener, less polluting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electricity-may-be-the-cheapest-energy-source-by-2050/">energy sources</a>, the future probability of large swings in the availability of solar and wind power should be taken into account by grid operators and consumers, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>.



“Designers of renewable energy systems will need to pay attention to changing wind and solar patterns over weeks, months, and years, the way water managers do,” said study senior author Upmanu Lall, a professor of Engineering at Columbia. “You won’t be able to manage variability like this with batteries. You’ll need more capacity.”



Drawing on 70 years of historic wind and solar-power data, Professor Lall and his research team built an Artificial Intelligence model to predict the probabilities of network-scale “energy droughts,” when daily production of renewables fall below a target threshold. Since solar and wind potential, like rainfall, is highly variable - based on the time of the year and the place where solar panels and wind turbines are located - renewable energy droughts will most probably be a recurrent problem in the near future.



By focusing on Texas – the leading state generating electricity from wind power and the fifth-largest solar producer – the scientists estimated that, even if solar and wind generators were spread across the entire state, Texas may soon face persistent energy droughts that could last as long as a year. In the case of other states with less sun and wind available, such shortages will probably be even longer.



“These findings suggest that energy planners will have to consider alternate ways of storing or generating electricity, or dramatically increasing the capacity of their renewable systems,” said Professor Lall.&nbsp;“In a fully renewable world, we would need to develop nuclear fuel or hydrogen fuel, or carbon recycling, or add much more capacity for generating renewables, if we want to avoid burning fossil fuels.”



While in times of low rainfall, water managers use reserves stored in municipal reservoirs or underground aquifers, solar and wind energy systems have no equivalent backup. The batteries used to store excess solar and wind power will only be able to hold the charge for at most a few days, and not even hydropower plants will be fully capable to carry the system through an extended dry spell of intermittent sun and wind.



“We won’t solve the problem by building a larger network. Electric grid operators have a target of 99.99 percent reliability while water managers strive for 90 percent reliability. You can see what a challenging game this will be for the energy industry, and just how valuable seasonal and longer forecasts could be,” concluded Professor Lall.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2022.100454">Patterns</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Swings in wind and solar power may cause "energy droughts”

Although renewable energy prices have fallen by over 70 percent...

Oceans serve as a carbon sink by absorbing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/methane-emissions-hit-a-new-record-in-2021/">emissions</a> from the atmosphere. A potential ripple effect in atmospheric emissions could lead to severe impacts throughout the ocean ecosystem. For example, absorbing carbon causes ocean water to become more acidic, and leads to a process called ocean acidification.



A new, experimental study has found that an important forage fish called sand lance is very sensitive to ocean acidification and this could lead to widespread ecosystem impacts by 2100.&nbsp;



Sand lance spawn in offshore environments that tend to have stable, low levels of CO2 during the winter, explains lead author Hannes Baumann.



The study took an interdisciplinary approach by combining model forecasts and frequent experimentation. This approach found that sand lance embryos are very sensitive to increased CO2 levels and fewer embryos hatched under future oceanic CO2 conditions. As a result, the research team agrees that the sand lace are one of the most CO2-sensitive fish species.



“Because our findings are backed up by repeated independent evidence, they are more robust than many published ocean acidification studies to date.” Bauman says.&nbsp;



A second negative response was discovered - higher CO2 levels appear to make it harder for sand lace embryos to hatch. This is because lowered pH in the ocean water reduces enzymes that are needed for successful hatching, leaving the embryos unable to break through their eggshell to hatch.



The results show that by 2100, ocean acidification will reduce sand lace hatching success to 71 percent of today’s levels. These fish are a critical component of the food web; a reduced number of sand lace would have profound impacts throughout the ecosystem.



“Sand lances are surely one of the most important forage fish here on the Northwest Atlantic shelf,” said Baumann. “Their range spans from the Mid Atlantic Bight all the way to Greenland."&nbsp;



"Where we studied them, on Stellwagen Bank, they are called the backbone of the ecosystem. The humpback whales, sharks, tuna, cod, shearwaters, terns - you name it - they are all relying on sand lance, and if sand lance productivity goes down, we will see ripple effects to all these higher trophic animals. Even though we humans don’t fish for sand lance, we need to take care of the species because it has such a huge effect on everything else.”



As a result of ocean acidification, sand lace and food webs will likely be impacted very soon, and the researchers stress that we must act now.



“We need strategic thinking about what species we are testing next, because we cannot test every marine fish species, that’s an impossible task," said Baumann.



"We should concentrate on fish species that are likely the most vulnerable, and therefore the ones that are probably being affected first and this research makes a compelling argument that those are the fish species at higher latitudes and in more offshore than nearshore environments.”



The team’s findings are published in the journal <a href="https://www.int-res.com/prepress/m14010.html">Marine Ecology Progress Series</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean acidification reduces the hatching success of a keystone fish species

Oceans serve as a carbon sink by absorbing emissions from...

As plastics enter the environment, they often break down through natural processes into microplastics, which are particles less than 5 millimeters in length. These microplastics end up in rivers, lakes and the ocean. There is growing concern about the impact of microplastics on the environment as well as wildlife and human health, yet little is still known about the effect of these plastic particles on fish.



Recent research, carried out in Professor Dong-Fang Deng’s lab at the <a href="https://uwm.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee</a>, looked at the impact of microplastics on farm raised yellow perch.&nbsp;



The fish were given food contaminated with high density polyethylene (HDPE). The scientists found that although the perch could expel the microplastics, it came at the cost of lower nutritional value in the fish as well as changed liver function, and different microbiomes in their gut.&nbsp;



Yellow perch were used in this study because of their popularity as a food item. This is especially true as they are becoming increasingly raised in farms as wild caught fish become less common in the Great Lakes region, where the study was carried out.&nbsp;



“What we found is that the yellow perch not only survived the nine-week exposure, they also expelled all the microplastics from their bodies," said Professor Deng. "However, the nutritional quality of the fish was reduced – we saw lower body protein and mineral (ash) levels than in fish fed the control diet with no HDPE added."&nbsp;



"We also discovered that exposure to HDPE altered their liver function – they had a heavier liver enriched with glycogen (sugar) and bile acids, but lower lipid (fat) levels and enlarged hepatocytes, the cells involved in metabolism, detoxification and nutrient synthesis.&nbsp; We also saw some disturbance in the gut structure and microbiota community associated with immunity, nutrient digestion and absorption.”



The researchers emphasized that these results were from one particular type and size of microplastic, while various sizes, shapes and types of plastics could yield different results.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/animal-nutrition">Animal Nutrition</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Yellow perch can eject microplastics, but it comes at a cost

As plastics enter the environment, they often break down through...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aepp.13232">Applied Economic Perspectives and Policies</a> has found that, although the sales and market share of new plant-based meat alternatives have grown in recent years, these gains did not translate into reduced consumer spending on animal meat products. These findings suggest that plant-based meats are mostly an add-on to pork and beef, tending to serve as a substitute for chicken, turkey, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmed-seafood-supply-is-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/">fish</a>.



“We thought plant-based meat alternatives would be a potential replacement for red meat, but they’re not. It’s more of a complement,” said study co-author&nbsp;Wuyang Hu, a professor of&nbsp;Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at the <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a>. “People buy pork and beef, and at the same time they also buy plant-based meats.”



“This new generation of plant-based meat, by mimicking the taste and sensory experience of eating real meat, appeals to consumers who are not only vegetarian but also people who are curious about plant-based meat and even meat eaters,” added study lead author&nbsp;Shuoli Zhao, an assistant professor of&nbsp;Agricultural Economics at the <a href="https://www.uky.edu/">University of Kentucky</a>.



By investigating data on fresh meat expenditures – including plant-based meat products - at various types of stores across the United States between January 2017 and July 2020, the researchers found that plant-based meat alternatives accounted for only 0.1 percent of average total expenditures on fresh meat during this period (although during the study period the market share increased four-fold, to 0.4 percent). Beef topped the fresh meat sales (46 percent) and was followed by chicken (23 percent), pork, fish (12 percent each), and turkey and other meats (less than five percent).



Purchases of plant-based alternatives tended to increase when the products were on sale or during promotions. According to Professor Hu, this suggests that such alternatives are “more of an impulse buy and not a weekly purchase. We concluded it’s novelty-seeking. Consumers are pack followers. When they see a trend they say, ‘I should try this’ and form similar preferences.”



“We hypothesized that from a plant-based meat alternative company perspective, what they are trying to do is replace people’s diet of beef and pork. We actually found the opposite is the case,” added Professor Zhao. “Consumers are buying plant-based meat alternatives on top of planned expenditures on fresh meat, or are triggered by a promotion or the layout of the retail environment – which is an indication this is not currently a real threat to the fresh meat industry.



“Our findings suggest that besides marketing, plant-based protein companies should focus their R&amp;D on providing products that meet consumers’ expectations – and then people will make their own choices about whether meat alternatives will become a staple in their diet,” he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meat industry is not threatened by plant-based alternatives

A new study published in the journal Applied Economic Perspectives...

Many bird species bypass raising their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-zebra-finches-choose-mates-based-on-their-dialects/">chicks</a> by laying their eggs in another species' nest. This practice is known as brood parasitism. As you can imagine, this can be advantageous in that the parents don't have to expend energy raising their own chicks. But this method does not come without challenges.&nbsp;



For example, hosts will toss an egg if they think it's a parasite. So, how do the birds ensure that the eggs they deposit on other nests match closely enough the hosts' eggs?&nbsp;



Considering that different hosts raise birds, how can the parasites ensure their children will also be able to forge appropriately convincing eggs when it's time for them to reproduce?



Now, a genetic study directed by Dr. Claire Spottiswoode from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and Professor Michael Sorenson at Boston University gives us some new insight into this amazing ability.



The team looked at cuckoo finches, a type of African bird that practices brood parasitism, and found that female cuckoos are able to mimic hosts' eggs thanks to a female-specific W chromosome.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The chromosome prevents the cuckoo finches from inheriting the incorrect mimicry genes from a father raised by a different host. This process means that female cuckoo finches have evolved egg mimicry for many different hosts.&nbsp;



Still, this method may not stand the test of time. "In this particular coevolutionary arms race between species, natural selection has created a double-edged sword," explained Dr. Spottiswoode.



"While maternal inheritance has allowed cuckoo finches to exploit multiple host species, it's likely to slow their ability to evolve counter-adaptations as their hosts evolve new defences. In particular, parasites face a daunting challenge because some host species have in return evolved an astonishing diversity of egg colour and pattern 'signatures', that help hosts to distinguish their own eggs from parasitic mimics."



In a previous study, Dr. Spottiswoode found that tawny-flanked prinia, a popular host species, have been laying olive-green eggs. They attribute this to both male and female genes contributing to the appearance. However, since cuckoo egg appearance is controlled solely by the mother's genetic material, they may not be able to evolve quickly enough to keep up with the egg race.&nbsp;



"We may see the emergence of unforgeable egg signatures which could force cuckoo finches to switch to other naïve host species," said Dr. Spottiswoode. "Or the parasitic birds might become increasingly dependent on young host individuals that haven't yet learned their own signatures and are bad at spotting mismatched eggs."



According to the study, maternal control of egg appearance has not always been the case. Maternally inherited egg appearance evolved at least two million years due to previous selection pressures. So, perhaps we will live to see the cuckoos adopt a new strategy for success.&nbsp;



This study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists solve the egg forging mystery

Many bird species bypass raising their chicks by laying their...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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