As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and biodiversity intensifies. How we grow food shapes the planet’s health. From wheat fields in the Midwest to rice paddies in Southeast Asia, farmland is expanding and changing rapidly. But at what cost?



For decades, environmentalists and policymakers have debated two main strategies to boost food production. One is expansion - clearing more land for farms. The other is intensification - increasing the yield on existing farmland through high-input practices like pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation.



The common belief is that intensification is less damaging to biodiversity. But a new study by researchers at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) reveals that this assumption may not always hold.



The findings challenge long-held views and call for a more informed, flexible strategy in agricultural policy and conservation. The study invites us to question how food security and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental protection</a> can truly coexist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-expansion-and-intensification">Farm expansion and intensification </h2>



At first glance, farmland intensification seems ideal. It promises more food from the same land, sparing natural ecosystems from conversion. Yet the study led by Dr. Silvia Ceaușu at the UCL Center for Biodiversity &amp; Environment Research suggests a deeper problem.



“Feeding the global human population comes at an increasing cost for our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-are-the-biggest-drivers-of-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet</a>'s biodiversity. Our new research highlights that it's actually more complicated than that,” noted Dr. Ceaușu.



Using a large global dataset, the researchers analyzed biodiversity patterns around farms producing maize, wheat, rice, and soybean - crops that make up over half of the world’s calorie intake.



The experts focused on areas where some natural vegetation remained, excluding untouched wildlands. They then assessed biodiversity in terms of species richness, total abundance, and how widespread species were.



The results revealed that both expansion and intensification damage biodiversity, but the extent varies by region, crop type, and existing vegetation. In some areas, intensification harmed local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-biodiversity-scientists-discover-hidden-pattern-guiding-species-distributions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> more than converting new land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-farm-yields-can-harm-biodiversity">Boosting farm yields can harm biodiversity</h2>



Much of modern agricultural planning encourages “closing yield gaps,” meaning increasing production in areas where crop yields lag behind their potential. The logic is to reduce the need for land expansion. But this new study shows that doing so may come with serious ecological consequences.



“We show that farmland expansion is indeed drastically changing local biodiversity. However, once agriculture is established, intensifying agricultural practices can further degrade local biodiversity, sometimes more so than by further removing natural vegetation from the area,” noted Dr. Silvia Ceaușu.



This challenges the narrative of intensification as a safe compromise. It also suggests that even well-meaning conservation policies might backfire if they overly favor intensification without context.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-pressure-is-changing-biodiversity-faster-than-we-realize/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implications</a> stretch far. International trade agreements often restrict imports from newly converted farmland but welcome goods from intensified farms. That distinction might be too simplistic, especially when intensified farms are located in biodiversity hotspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexity-over-simplicity-in-agricultural-policy">Complexity over simplicity in agricultural policy</h2>



One of the most striking conclusions of the study is that there is no universal rule. Every landscape is different. What works in temperate monocultures may fail in tropical mosaics. This variation makes broad policies difficult to apply effectively.



“Simple suggestions like favoring farmland intensification over expansion are not always effective - there’s no one-size-fits all solution for sustainable agriculture,” noted Professor Tim Newbold at UCL.



Instead of relying on single-solution strategies, policymakers must consider specific ecological, social, and agricultural data. This includes understanding which species are at risk, how ecosystems function locally, and what kind of vegetation remains around farms.



It’s not just about where and how we farm - but also about what lives nearby, and what might disappear as farming intensifies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-practices-reshape-biodiversity-over-time">Farm practices reshape biodiversity over time</h2>



Beyond ecological damage, the study touches on evolutionary consequences. As intensified agriculture becomes more common, it reshapes entire ecosystems. 



Only species that can adapt to altered environments survive. Over time, this selects for generalist traits - those that thrive in simplified, human-managed landscapes.



This process, described in the study as a shift in "evolutionary filters," could gradually lead to less diverse and more homogenized wildlife communities. 



Specialists, who depend on complex, intact ecosystems, are the first to vanish. This affects not only biodiversity statistics but also ecosystem function and resilience.



In intensified landscapes, nature becomes simpler. And while simple might seem efficient for farming, it rarely is for ecology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-farmland-use">Rethinking farmland use </h2>



While the researchers don’t endorse farmland expansion into untouched habitats, they do caution against assuming that intensification is always benign. In certain contexts, expansion into already degraded or marginal lands could do less harm than squeezing more output from heavily farmed areas



“There is likely a balance that can be struck between intensification and expansion… informed by local and crop-specific data,” noted co-author David Leclère of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>), Austria.



The goal isn’t to choose one path but to design farming systems that work for both people and the planet.



“We would not suggest expanding farmland into intact natural areas as it is vital for the planet that such unmodified landscapes are preserved,” said Dr. Newbold.



In other words, any new expansion must avoid primary forests, wetlands, and biodiversity-rich habitats. The challenge lies in identifying and managing lower-risk landscapes while avoiding additional intensification that might push ecosystems past recovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-consumers">The role of consumers </h2>



For consumers, the picture remains complex. It’s difficult to track how sustainable any specific food product is, especially when impacts vary so widely across regions and crops. However, individuals still hold some power.



The researchers recommend reducing food waste and cutting back on meat consumption. Both actions lower agricultural demand and reduce pressure on biodiversity. 



These changes, while small at the individual level, can aggregate into meaningful shifts when adopted widely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-farming-and-biodiversity">Balancing farming and biodiversity </h2>



As the climate crisis unfolds and food insecurity grows, the global community must confront difficult questions. How do we produce enough food without sacrificing biodiversity? Can we make space for nature and still nourish billions?



This new study makes one thing clear: the answers will not come from easy slogans or blanket policies. They will come from detailed data, local context, and a willingness to embrace complexity.



Feeding the world is not just a technical challenge - it is a deeply ecological one. And how we respond will determine the kind of world future generations inherit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02691-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Feeding the world without harming nature: The complex balance of farming

As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and biodiversity intensifies. How we grow food shapes the planet’s health. From wheat fields in the Midwest to rice paddies in Southeast Asia, farmland is expanding and changing rapidly. But at what cost? For decades, environmentalists and policymakers have debated two main strategies to boost food production. One is expansion - clearing more land for farms. The other is intensification - increasing the yield on existing farmland through high-input practices like pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation. The common belief...

An international team of scientists has determined that global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/melting-sea-ice-accelerates-global-warming-in-a-vicious-cycle/">warming</a> of two degrees Celsius would trigger the release of an estimated 230 billion tons of soil carbon.

The amount of carbon that is stored in soil is two to three times greater than the amount in the atmosphere. As temperatures rise, soil decomposition will be accelerated and the amount of time organic carbon is stored in the soil will be greatly reduced.

The new research substantially reduces the level of uncertainty regarding how future climate change models will represent the sensitivity of soil carbon turnover.

To put the magnitude of the findings into perspective, 230 billion tons of carbon is more than four times the total emissions from China and more than double the emissions from the United States over the last century.

"Our study rules out the most extreme projections - but nonetheless suggests substantial soil carbon losses due to climate change at only 2°C warming, and this doesn't even include losses of deeper permafrost carbon," said study co-author Dr. Sarah Chadburn of the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>.

The link between climate change and soil carbon turnover is an example of a reinforcing or positive feedback loop. Global warming will speed up the loss of carbon, and the subsequent increase in atmospheric CO2 levels will further accelerate global warming.

The loss of carbon from Earth's soils represents one of the greatest areas of uncertainty when it comes to modeling the carbon cycle in climate change projections.

In an effort to address this uncertainty, the researchers used a new combination of observational data and Earth System Models.

"We investigated how soil carbon is related to temperature in different locations on Earth to work out its sensitivity to global warming," said study lead author Rebecca Varney.

While current models indicate an uncertainty of about 120 billion tons of carbon at 2°C global mean warming, the new study reduces this uncertainty to about 50 billion tons of carbon.

We have reduced the uncertainty in this climate change response, which is vital to calculating an accurate global carbon budget and successfully meeting Paris Agreement targets," said study co-author Professor Peter Cox.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</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

Warming of 2°C would unleash 230 billions tons of soil carbon

An international team of scientists has determined that global warming...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.umontreal.ca/en/">University of Montreal</a> suggests that when children are prepared for kindergarten, they are also better prepared for life's greater journey, including higher <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/higher-educational-status-linked-to-healthier-diet/">education</a>. 

"We've known for years that getting off to a good start in kindergarten leads to better achievement over the long-term," said lead author Professor Caroline Fitzpatrick. "But now with our study we can really lock in the idea that early childhood skills help you achieve success and adopt a healthier lifestyle in emerging adulthood. And that's promising for society as a whole."

According to study senior author Professor Linda Pagani, many children begin kindergarten inadequately prepared to benefit from classroom instruction. 

"Those who go in unprepared risk struggling throughout their academic journey. They arrive without the necessary tools in terms of cognitive skills, social skills and motor skills from physical activity."

The researchers analyzed the link between kindergarten preparedness and academic, psychological, and health risks that emerged by the end of high school.

"Kindergarten math skills contributed to better end-of high-school achievement and a lower dropout risk, and that was supported by observations from teachers, who also noted a reduced risk of substance abuse later on," said Professor Fitzpatrick.

The team found that classroom engagement in kindergarten also predicted involvement in physical activity, and was associated with a 65-percent lower risk of excess weight by age 17.

The research was focused on data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, which involved 2,000 children born in 1997 or 1998.

Initially, each child's knowledge of math and vocabulary was assessed by trained experts at age 5. Following this assessment, teachers reported kindergarten classroom engagement every year, including how well a child executed tasks, followed directions, and worked with others. 

At age 17, the participants reported on their grades, feelings of connectedness, whether they abused drugs or alcohol, their involvement in physical activity, and their height and weight. 

In addition, the researchers estimated the drop-out risk for each child based on their grades retention and engagement at school.

The team analyzed the data while accounting for relevant factors such as maternal depression, immigration status, family configuration and socioeconomic status. Key indicators like IQ, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and gender were also taken into consideration.

"Early childhood readiness forecasts a later protective edge in emerging adulthood and suggests that youngsters who begin school with the right preparedness gain a lifestyle advantage," said Professor Fitzpatrick. 

"Our findings show a way to eliminate the established link between underachievement and disease by providing children with the conditions that will promote kindergarten readiness."

"Promoting kindergarten readiness seems, over the long-term, to help reduce the lifestyle risks generated by dropping out of high school," concluded Professor Pagani. "Therefore, policies to promote and preserve children's early skills, such as providing stimulating childcare and diminishing family adversity, may thus represent a valuable policy strategy for governments to invest in."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/">Pediatrics</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

Kindergarten readiness predicts a child's academic success

A new study from the University of Montreal suggests that...

A new study from <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a> has investigated the main stressors that impact koala populations in the Australian state of New South Wales. The iconic species is declining across Australia as a result of bushfires and human development, and has become vulnerable to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plankton-began-hunting-their-own-food-to-survive-a-mass-extinction-event/">extinction</a>. 

"In theory, Australia should have relatively few conservation concerns; its national population density is lo by global standards, most of the continent remains sparsely settled and little modified, and the nation is relatively affluent," noted the study authors. 

"However, since European Settlement in 1788, 30 mammal species endemic to Australia have become extinct, with 55 others experiencing a worsened conservation status. This statistic is primarily attributed to the fact that humans alter areas of pristine habitat that is rich with biodiversity, so as to accommodate rapid population growth."

To gain a better understanding of the patterns of decline among koala populations, the scientists analyzed three decades of koala rescue data from three wildlife rescue groups in New South Wales. The data include more than 12,500 koala sightings, as well as cases where a koala was admitted for clinical care, between 1989 and 2018.

The researchers determined that the most common reason that a koala was documented or admitted for clinical care was due to disease, especially chlamydia. Over the course of the study period, the incidents of disease among koalas increased. As a result, they were released less often and euthanized more often. 

According to the experts, the data indicates that increasing human development has the biggest impact on koala populations through a variety of stressors, including habitat disturbance, vehicle collisions, and dog attacks. The prevalence of disease may be linked to the effect of bushfires on the koalas' immune systems. 

The findings could help inform efforts to protect koala populations through actions such as bushfire control, sustainable agricultural practices, environmental planning, and governmental policy.

"Australia's national wildlife icon, the Koala currently faces the brink of extinction crisis due to environmental trauma and diseases," wrote the researchers. "We present decadal periods of evidence of significant stress and mortality risks of wild koala populations across the major hotspots in South-eastern Australia."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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

Human development has the biggest impact on dwindling koala populations

A new study from PLOS has investigated the main stressors...

For the first time, researchers have found a link between access to nature and reduced smoking rates. According to a study led by the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>, people who live in neighborhoods with green space are more likely to be able to kick the habit.  

The study revealed that lower rates of smoking found in greener neighborhoods were largely tied to former smokers who had successfully quit.

"This study is the first to investigate the association between neighborhood green space and smoking behaviors in England. Its findings support the need to protect and invest in natural resources - in both urban and more rural communities - in order to maximize the public health benefits they may afford," said lead author Leanne Martin. 

"If our findings are substantiated by further work, nature-based interventions could be prescribed to assist individuals attempting to give up smoking."

The Plymouth team used data on more than 8,000 adults from the Health Survey for England (HSE), which is conducted annually. The researchers analyzed responses about health and various lifestyle factors, as well as about where the participants lived.

Among the participants, just under 19 percent were current smokers, while nearly half were former smokers that had smoked regularly at some point in life. 

After accounting for other factors known to influence smoking, people living in areas with a high proportion of green space were 20 percent less likely to be current smokers compared to individuals with less green space.

"While there is now considerable evidence that natural spaces are associated with stress reduction and better well-being, this is the first study to my knowledge to show that more green space is also linked to a reduction in unhealthy behaviors is intriguing and suggests that the benefits of natural green and blue spaces may reach even further than initially thought," said study co-author Professor Sabine Pahl.

The researchers said that improving access to green space may constitute an overlooked public health strategy for reducing smoking prevalence, especially given that smoking uptake and cessation are affected by stress.

In previous studies, the same research team found that being able to see green spaces from home was associated with reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes, and unhealthy foods. The experts also discovered that individuals who visit natural spaces on a weekly basis, and feel mentally connected to them, report better overall physical and mental well-being.

"Despite a decline in prevalence within the general population over the last decade, smoking remains a devastating and global public health issue," said study co-author Professor Mathew White. "Governments across the world spend billions each year trying to tackle it, both in an attempt to improve public health and reduce the strain on health services. This study emphasises the need to preserve existing green spaces and expand the development of new ones."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/social-science-and-medicine">Social Science and Medicine</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

Neighborhood green space linked to lower rates of smoking

For the first time, researchers have found a link between...

Wild animals are flocking to backyards for food and shelter, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">NC State University</a>. The research explains why animals are sometimes more abundant and diverse in the suburbs than they are in the wilderness. 

Study co-author Roland Kays is an associate professor at NC State and the director of the Biodiversity &amp; Earth Observation Lab at the NC Museum of Natural Resources.

"They're using the gardens a little bit, they're using the brush piles a little bit, and they're using the water features, but feeding has the most dramatic influence on animal activity in the backyard," said Professor Kays.

The researchers set out to investigate what is known as the "urban wildlife paradox." Even though human development is generally associated with biodiversity loss, scientists have found that moderately developed areas frequently host a variety of mammals compared with wild areas.

"There's this idea that nature and humans don't coexist well," said Professor Kays. "But what we've been finding is that when it comes to mammals, especially in North America, they actually do pretty well around people. You end up with high abundance. You expect there to be fewer animals, and there's actually more."

To examine whether food and shelter attract animals in suburban areas, the researchers set up cameras in the backyards of 58 homes near Raleigh, Durham, and outside of Chapel Hill. For comparison, the team set cameras up in nearby forests, rural, and urban areas. 

In collaboration with experts at the University of Montana, the researchers analyzed the images. They identified seven species - squirrels, gray and red foxes, Virginia opossums, eastern cottontail rabbits, woodchucks, and eastern chipmunks - that were more frequently seen in yards compared to forests. In addition, animals such as white-tailed deer, squirrels, and raccoons were found to be more common in suburban forests compared to rural ones.

"This basically confirmed the urban-wildlife paradox, showing that some species are more abundant in yards," said Professor Kays. "It's not a big surprise if you live in the suburbs - you see the animals. It's the squirrels, raccoons, deer and opossum."

Feeding animals, particularly with birdfeeders, had the strongest influence on the abundance of animals in a yard. For example, eastern gray squirrels were more common at feeders than in suburban or rural forests. Cottontail rabbits, raccoons, and opossums were also frequently spotted at birdfeeders.

"This supports the idea that direct human subsidies are a big part of the explanation for the urban-wildlife paradox," said Professor Kays. "It shows that individual decisions by homeowners and private property owners can have a big impact on the wildlife in the backyard and living in the area."

According to Professor Kays, the findings raise questions about what homeowners should do, and whether attracting wildlife is good or bad.

"You see widespread recommendations: Don't feed the bears. Where do you draw the line from small birds to squirrels, rabbits and raccoons? When does it become bad to feed the animals, even if you're doing it accidentally?" 

"On one hand many people enjoy having wildlife around and they can help support a healthy local ecosystem; however, they could cause conflict with people."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</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

Wild animals are moving to the suburbs

Wild animals are flocking to backyards for food and shelter,...

So far this year, severe wildfires in the western United States have burned more than 8 million acres, which is an area larger than the size of Maryland. The affected areas are now facing the threat of destructive debris flows, and <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> scientists are urgently working to gain a better understanding of how and when this type of slope failure occurs.

Debris flows are fast-moving rivers of water, rock, soil, and vegetation that are particularly dangerous because they usually happen with no warning. While landslides typically require prolonged periods of rain and saturated ground, a debris flow can be triggered after just a few minutes of intense rainfall on a dry slope.

The rivers of debris often gain enough power to level everything in their paths, including trees, vehicles, and homes. 

In 2018, soon after one of Southern California's largest wildfires, a half an inch of rain fell in a matter of five minutes across a deforested area of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Debris flows carried an avalanche of mud and boulders into Montecito, where 23 people were killed. Dozens of homes were buried and hundreds more were damaged.

To investigate the origin of debris and mud flows, the USGS team studied slope failure at two sites in the San Gabriel Mountains. The first site was burned in 2016 during the San Gabriel Complex fire, and the second site was burned during the 2014 Colby fire. 

The researchers found that there were major differences in slope failure between the first and the third years after the fires. The results will provide critical insight into when and where debris flows and other types of slope failure are most likely to occur.

"In the first year after each fire, we observed debris flows generated by rainfall runoff," explained study lead author Francis Rengers. "But as we continued monitoring, we were surprised to see that a storm with a higher rainfall intensity than the first year's storms, resulted in more than 280 shallow landslides, rather than debris flows, in the third year."

Rengers explained that severe wildfires make soils more water-repellent, and rainfall tends to run off burned ground. "If water is not soaking in, it's flowing over the surface." 

Wildfires remove ground cover that would normally serve as a barrier to slow the speed and momentum of a debris flow. According to Rengers, incineration can also allow rainfall on bare soil to create a "surface seal" that further increases runoff.

Landslides are less fluid than debris flows and glide as cohesive mass along a rupture plane.

Because they have much shorter runoffs than debris flows, landslides pose different hazards. 

"The landslides we observed would primarily impact local infrastructure in the forest, such as roads, transmission lines, and culverts," said Rengers. By contrast, he noted, debris flows move sediment much further downstream - posing a major threat beyond the hillslopes. 

The findings offer some indication that the threat of slope failure has a limited duration. The researchers found that within five years, the density of landslides on burnt slopes in the San Gabriels was nearly equal to the density in unaffected regions. The evidence suggests that vegetation can recover within half a decade.

"Our model suggests that debris flows will be the primary concern during the next one to two years, at least in the burn scars in Southern California, and after that the concern will shift toward shallow landslide hazards," said Rengers. "I hope our work offers land managers useful expectations regarding how these processes are likely to evolve and helps them prioritize post-wildfire mitigation and planning."

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.geosociety.org/">Geological Society of America</a>, GSA 2020 Connects Online.

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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

Western U.S. wildfires will increase the threat of dangerous debris flows

So far this year, severe wildfires in the western United...

Environmental degradation will usher in an era of pandemics in which pandemics will occur more frequently, spread faster, kill more people, and will do even more damage to the global economy than <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-has-increased-covid-19-deaths-by-at-least-15-percent/">COVID-19</a> unless dramatic changes are made soon. Some of the biggest risk factors include the wildlife trade and deforestation, according to a new report released by the <a href="https://ipbes.net/">Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</a> (IPBES).

The research was conducted by 22 leading experts from all over the world. After analyzing the link between environmental and increasing pandemic risks, the team agrees that it is still possible to avoid an "era of pandemics," but it will require transformative changes in the global strategies used for prevention and response.

COVID-19 is the sixth global health pandemic since the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918. Even though the virus originated in animals, the outbreak has been entirely driven by human activities, according to the IPBES report.

There are currently an estimated 1.7 million "undiscovered" viruses present in mammals and birds. Of these mysterious viruses, up to 850,000 may have the ability to infect people.

"There is no great mystery about the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic - or of any modern pandemic," said Dr. Peter Daszak, President of EcoHealth Alliance. "The same human activities that drive climate change and biodiversity loss also drive pandemic risk through their impacts on our environment." 

"Changes in the way we use land; the expansion and intensification of agriculture; and unsustainable trade, production and consumption disrupt nature and increase contact between wildlife, livestock, pathogens and people. This is the path to pandemics."

The risk of pandemics can be reduced by slowing the human activities that drive biodiversity loss and greater conservation of protected areas.

The likely cost of COVID-19 is expected to reach up to $16 trillion globally by July 2020. By the end of 2021, costs could reach the same amount in the United States alone. The experts estimate that the cost of preventing pandemics is 100 times less than the cost of responding to pandemics.

"The overwhelming scientific evidence points to a very positive conclusion. We have the increasing ability to prevent pandemics - but the way we are tackling them right now largely ignores that ability," said  Dr. Daszak. 

"Our approach has effectively stagnated - we still rely on attempts to contain and control diseases after they emerge, through vaccines and therapeutics. We can escape the era of pandemics, but this requires a much greater focus on prevention in addition to reaction."

"The fact that human activity has been able to so fundamentally change our natural environment need not always be a negative outcome. It also provides convincing proof of our power to drive the change needed to reduce the risk of future pandemics - while simultaneously benefiting conservation and reducing climate change."

The full report from IPBES is available <a href="https://ipbes.net/pandemics">here</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

&nbsp;

Environmental degradation could push us into an era of pandemics

Environmental degradation will usher in an era of pandemics in...

Plankton began hunting their own food to survive a mass extinction event. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> have discovered that microscopic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/algae-fungi-first-terrestrial-plants/">algae</a> turned to hunting to survive a mass extinction event. Before an asteroid impact 66 million years ago, nannoplankton relied exclusively on energy from the sun. But then, after three-quarters of life on Earth was wiped out, the remaining nannoplankton were capable of capturing food and eating it.

The research suggests that when sunlight was unavailable, some species were killed while others evolved and adapted. 

In collaboration with experts at UCL and in Paris, California, Bristol, and Edinburgh, the researchers analyzed an exceptional record of plankton fossils. They used eco-evolutionary modeling techniques to examine how organisms behaved before and after the asteroid impact and to understand why some survived and some did not.

The international team had a breakthrough when they noticed that the anatomy of many of the nannoplankton skeletons had changed after the extinction event. These skeletons contained a large hole which represented the position of flagella, tiny tail-like structures used for movement and feeding. This discovery indicated that nannoplankton which survived the asteroid strike were capable of hunting and ingesting food.

"Those species that were lost at the mass extinction show no evidence of a mixotrophic lifestyle and were likely to be completely reliant on sunlight and photosynthesis," said study co-author Dr. Samantha Gibbs. 

"Fossils following the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction show that mixotrophy dominated and our model indicates this is because of the exceptional abundance of small prey cells - most likely surviving bacteria - and reduced numbers of larger 'grazers' in the post-extinction oceans."

As a result of environmental changes, nannoplankton gradually shifted back to relying on photosynthesis. Today, most open ocean nannoplankton use only photosynthesis.

The asteroid impact, which formed the Chicxulub crater in Mexico, is most famous for killing off the dinosaurs. The K-Pg extinction event occurred after sunlight was blocked out.

"This huge impact flung vast amounts of debris, aerosols and soot into the atmosphere, causing darkness, cooling and acidification over days and years," said study co-author Professor Paul Bown. "The significant bias found in the nannoplankton extinctions - removal of open-ocean photoautotrophs but survival of mixotrophs that could hunt and feed - can only be fully explained by the darkness caused by the asteroid impact acting as a kill mechanism."

"This 'blackout' or shutdown of primary productivity would have been felt across all of Earth's ecosystems and reveals that the K/Pg event is distinct from all other mass extinctions that have shaped the history of life, both in its rapidity, related to an instantaneous impact event, and its darkness kill mechanism, which shook the foundations of the food chains," explained Dr. Gibbs. "The K/Pg boundary event likely represents the only truly geologically instantaneous mass extinction event."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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

Plankton began hunting their own food to survive a mass extinction event

Plankton began hunting their own food to survive a mass...

When <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-become-fuel-for-wildfires-in-a-warming-climate/">peat</a> fires smolder underground during the freezing winter months, they sometimes persist for so long that they reignite after the ground warms and thaws in the spring. These "zombie fires" are known to release up to 100 times more carbon into the atmosphere than flaming fires.

In a new study, researchers at <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> have demonstrated how soil moisture content affects the ignition and spread of smoldering peat fires. The team also used computer models to discover how several small peat fires can merge into one large blaze.

"Peat fires are a devastating yet chronically under-researched phenomenon that spurt millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year," said study first author Dwi Purnomo. "If we can use scientific evidence to help people manage them more effectively, we can perhaps dampen their impact on people and the environment."

Peat fires are most common in regions like Southeast Asia, North America, and Siberia.  Peat is a natural reservoir of carbon, and zombie fires are fueled by soils that are rich in this and other organic content. 

Unlike the smoke from non-peat fires, which is ejected high into the atmosphere, smoldering peat fires burn close to the ground where they produce a haze that is very threatening to human health. 

Zombie fires are notoriously difficult to control. Even when the flames are extinguished, the fire can smolder up to several feet underground for weeks or months at a time, just waiting to flare back up.

These hazardous peat fires can be sparked naturally by lightning strikes or by human activities, such as controlled burns. 

"Although people have been using controlled burns in agriculture for centuries, starting them on peat soils can be particularly dangerous," explained study senior author Professor Guillermo Rein. 

"Peat draws the fire underground, which then hides there before coming back like zombies, making detection and extinction very challenging. The effects are felt in plantations, forests, homes, residents' health and the environment." 

The new study reveals that burning vegetation on peat soils with a higher moisture content is less likely to sustain smoldering, which means that fires will be less likely to burn uncontrollably. 

The research is the first of its kind to investigate the interaction between smoldering peat and flaming vegetation. The findings may ultimately inform land managers and scientists on the safest ways to clear the vegetation in peatlands. 

"It might seem trivial that drier soils sustain faster and larger smouldering fires, but this work can predict the critical moisture values for ignition," said Purnomo. "I've seen the devastation they can cause and want to help my country and others like it which are affected by peat fires."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/proceedings-of-the-combustion-institute">Proceedings of the Combustion Institute</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

Soil moisture is key to slowing zombie fires

When peat fires smolder underground during the freezing winter months,...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a>, scientists report that by leaving more big <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fish-swim-in-schools-to-save-energy/">fish</a> in the ocean, the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into Earth's atmosphere can be reduced. 

"Contrary to most terrestrial organisms, which release their carbon into the atmosphere after death, carcasses of large marine fish sink and sequester carbon in the deep ocean. Yet, fisheries have extracted a massive amount of this 'blue carbon,' contributing to additional atmospheric CO2 emissions," explained the study authors.

"Here, we focus on a previously underrecognized pathway of carbon sequestration by fish: their capacity to sequester carbon in the deep sea after their natural death. More precisely, we estimate how catching large fish from the ocean may have affected this carbon sequestration potential through the sinking of dead fish carcasses."

When a fish dies in the ocean, it sinks to the seafloor along with all of the carbon it contains, where it is absorbed by oceanic sediments and stored as blue carbon.

"But when a fish is caught, the carbon it contains is partly emitted into the atmosphere as CO2 a few days or weeks after," said study lead author Gaël Mariani.

The unprecedented research shows that ocean fisheries have released at least 730 million metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere since 1950. "Like any other food production sector, fishing also emits CO2 by consuming and burning fuel. In the fishing sector, fuel consumption represents the majority of its carbon footprint," wrote the researchers.

Study co-author Professor David Mouillot said the carbon footprint of fisheries is 25 percent higher than previous industry estimates.

"Fishing boats produce greenhouse gases by consuming fuel," said Professor Mouillot. "And now we know that extracting fish releases additional CO2 that would otherwise remain captive in the ocean."

Large fish like tuna, sharks, mackerel, and swordfish are made up of about 10 to 15 percent carbon.

"When these fish die, they sink rapidly," explained Professor Mouillot. "As a result, most of the carbon they contain is sequestered at the bottom of the sea for thousands or even millions of years. They are therefore carbon sinks - the size of which has never been estimated before."

Professor Mouillot said this natural phenomenon, a blue carbon pump, has been increasingly and greatly disrupted by industrial fishing.

According to the researchers, the disruptions are mainly taking place in areas where fishing is not economically profitable - in the Central Pacific, South Atlantic, and North Indian Oceans.

"Fishing boats sometimes go to very remote areas - with enormous fuel consumption - even though the fish caught in these areas are not profitable and fishing is only viable thanks to subsidies," said Mariani.

The study authors noted that the findings strongly support the need for more reasonable fishing. "We need to fish better," said Professor Mouillot.

 "The annihilation of the blue carbon pump represented by large fish suggests new protection and management measures must be put in place, so that more large fish can remain a carbon sink and no longer become an additional CO2 source," said Mariani. "And in doing so we further reduce CO2 emissions by burning less fuel."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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

Leaving big fish in the ocean greatly reduces CO2 emissions

In a new study from the ARC Centre of Excellence...

Researchers at the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> have analyzed newly available data to evaluate the effectiveness of China's efforts to mitigate <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-ocean-circulation-linked-to-drastic-rise-in-co2-levels/">CO2</a> emissions. The study revealed that China's forests helped the country capture nearly half of its overall CO2 emissions between 2010 and 2016. 

"China is currently one of the world's major emitters of CO2, but China's forest resources have been growing continuously for the past 30 years," said study co-author Professor Yi Liu. "In this study, we achieve a better understanding of CO2 fluxes over China."

In the past, there were few CO2 monitoring stations on the ground across China. This made it difficult to get an accurate estimate of the country's CO2 flux, and fewer studies were conducted due to a lack of data. 

"Therein lies the crux of the challenge faced by science and policy communities: effective mitigation of fossil fuel CO2 emissions within a large-scale dynamic natural carbon cycle that we do not quantitatively understand," said Professor Liu.

"Without good data, it was nearly impossible to assess how China's forestry efforts to mitigate CO2 emissions were actually faring," said study last author Jing Wang.

Everything changed when the China Meteorological Administration made available weekly and hourly continuous atmospheric CO2 measurements between 2009 and 2016.

Professor Liu and his team found that during this time frame, China reabsorbed about 45 percent of the country's estimated annual manmade CO2 emissions.

The data was corroborated by independent satellite measurements of vegetation greenness, soil water availability, satellite column observations of CO2 and forest surveys.

"While our results still have large uncertainties, it's clear that China's forest ecosystem has a huge carbon sequestration effect," said study co-author Paul I. Palmer from the University of Edinburgh. 

Going forward, the researchers plan to refine their results based on additional ground and satellite data. The ultimate goal is to improve their calculation methods to determine the carbon budget of smaller areas, such as cities.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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

China captures nearly half of its annual CO2 emissions

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have analyzed newly...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>, scientists have confirmed that most migratory <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/birds-vanishing-in-the-amazon-represent-a-global-shift-in-biodiversity/">birds</a> synchronize their movements with vegetation as it turns green or dies out across the seasons. Spring greening is now arriving earlier due to climate change, and scientists are working to understand what the consequences may be for birds that depend on these cues for migration.

"In this study, we evaluated how 230 North American migratory bird species associate with vegetation greenness across the full annual cycle within the Western Hemisphere," wrote the researchers. "Our analysis identified different associations with vegetation greenness and different levels of evidence for phenological synchronization during spring and autumn migration."

The study is the first of its kind to investigate the annual life cycle of migratory birds that feed on vegetation, seeds, nectar, insects, or meat across the Western Hemisphere.

"As you might expect, migration synchronization with vegetation greenness is strongest for birds that eat vegetation, seeds, or both, during spring and autumn migration, but especially during spring," explaimed study lead author Frank La Sorte. "You could say they follow the 'green wave' north in the spring and then follow it in reverse during the fall, keeping pace with a wave that is retreating ahead of the North American winter."

Not all migratory birds adjust their behavior to spring greening. For example, vegetation does not have much influence on the migratory behavior of carnivores like hawks and eagles. 

Birds that eat insects during spring migration in the central and eastern regions of the United States are also less synchronized with spring greening. These particular insect-eating birds cannot rely on synchronization because they winter in Central and South America. With the Gulf of Mexico serving as a barrier, the birds cannot detect vegetation changes on either side of their range.

Climate change is already altering the timing of the seasons, as well as that of migrations for most migratory birds. Spring greening is controlled by changes in temperature and precipitation, while die-back of vegetation in the autumn is controlled by temperature and the hours of daylight.

"Our findings emphasize the need to better understand the environmental cues that regulate migratory behavior and the implications for migratory birds if these cues change," said La Sorte. "Unchecked climate change means it's more likely that there will be a mismatch - migratory birds during stopover or when arriving on their breeding or wintering grounds could miss the peak food supply--no matter what they eat."

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652656">Journal of Animal Ecology</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

Migratory birds rely on spring greening, which is now changing with the climate

In a new study from Cornell University, scientists have confirmed...

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



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.

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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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



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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



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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



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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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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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