When you look at a forest, the variety of trees you see above ground is only part of the story. Beneath the soil, vast networks of fungi influence which trees thrive, which coexist, and how forests respond to the challenges of climate and geography.



A new study led by researchers from <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University</a> and <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a> has revealed how these underground fungal allies shape tree diversity across the globe. Their influence varies depending on latitude, moisture, and environmental stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fungi-hidden-beneath-forests">Fungi hidden beneath forests</h2>



Jingjing Liang, an associate professor of quantitative forest ecology at Purdue, co-led the study with Zhiheng Wang from Peking University.



“What we can see above ground is governed to a large extent by what is happening belowground,” said Liang.



The experts analyzed data from over 442,000 forest plots worldwide and focused on two main groups of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-distribute-enormous-amounts-of-co2-to-mycorrhizal-fungi/">mycorrhizal fungi</a>: ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. 



Both form partnerships with tree roots, trading nutrients for carbohydrates, but they do so in different ways that profoundly influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-rich-tree-diversity-adapt-better-changing-climate/">forest diversity</a>.



“The loss in tree species diversity may damage the ecosystem services provided by forests," Wang said. "Understanding the mechanisms driving the maintenance of tree species forest diversity is fundamental for the conservation of tree species diversity.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solving-a-forest-diversity-puzzle">Solving a forest diversity puzzle</h2>



For years, scientists have debated how fungal partnerships impact tree species diversity, proposing three competing hypotheses. This comprehensive global study found that all three are valid, depending on environmental context.



“Our findings reconcile inconsistencies regarding how mycorrhizal symbiosis influences tree species diversity,” Wang said.



Using precise forest inventory data collected worldwide, the team applied advanced statistical methods to filter noise from complex ecological data, revealing hidden patterns.



“With this data, we were able to very accurately capture this relationship between different types of mycorrhizal fungi and forest tree species diversity,” Liang explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fungal-effects-shift-with-climate">Fungal effects shift with climate</h2>



<a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> ecologist Peter Reich, a senior co-author, highlighted the value of the study’s comprehensive approach. 



“This insight would have been impossible to detect without the comprehensiveness of this dataset, which allows us to test across large gradients of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-altering-the-temperature-in-66-of-tropical-forests/">temperature</a>, moisture, and latitude,” he said.



Reich explained that ectomycorrhizal fungi often dominate in cold, nutrient-poor regions that naturally have fewer tree species. Without a broad dataset, this dominance could obscure the fungi’s more nuanced effects.



“But by being able to tease apart temperature and moisture, we can see that when conditions are generally good," he said. "The more abundant the ectomycorrhizal are, the more they do to reduce tree richness.”



The process is complex. While dominant tree species naturally suppress less competitive species, root <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-pandemic-looms-as-pathogens-move-from-wild-plants-to-crops/">pathogens</a> usually check the dominance, allowing diversity. 



Ectomycorrhizal fungi suppress these pathogens, enabling dominant trees to thrive unchecked, which can reduce species diversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harder-climates-stronger-alliances">Harder climates, stronger alliances</h2>



The study also found that under stressful conditions - such as low moisture or cold climates - the combination of both fungal types fosters greater diversity.



In these environments, resource-sharing partnerships help more tree species survive, while pathogen suppression plays a smaller role.



“Both ways of influencing tree diversity are real, but their relative balance and magnitude of impacts vary with environmental context,” Reich said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-forests-from-below">Healing forests from below</h2>



Liang emphasized that understanding the hidden fungal networks in forests is akin to treating a patient holistically. 



“We should not just look at the surface symptoms. We should look deep down, literally to the roots of the problems, and that is belowground mutualism,” he said.



This work, supported by the <a href="https://www.gfbinitiative.org/">Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative</a> and its Science-i platform, demonstrates how global collaborations can untangle complex ecological questions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-conservation-and-fungal-networks">Forest conservation and fungal networks</h2>



The findings open pathways for further research: How do these underground alliances affect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-forests-with-many-tree-species-are-more-effective-at-carbon-storage/">carbon storage</a> in forests? Can fostering specific fungal partnerships enhance forest resilience in a changing climate?



&nbsp;“And what can we do to enhance the health of our forest ecosystem by not just seeing what is on the surface, but what is belowground?” Liang asked.



By revealing the profound influence of underground fungal networks on forest diversity, this research underscores that the key to healthier forests - and perhaps a healthier planet - may lie hidden beneath our feet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt5743">Science Advances</a>.



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How an invisible fungal alliance helps forests thrive

When you look at a forest, the variety of trees you see above ground is only part of the story. Beneath the soil, vast networks of fungi influence which trees thrive, which coexist, and how forests respond to the challenges of climate and geography. A new study led by researchers from Purdue University and Peking University has revealed how these underground fungal allies shape tree diversity across the globe. Their influence varies depending on latitude, moisture, and environmental stress. Fungi hidden beneath forests Jingjing Liang, an associate...

Scientists have long known that seagrass – the only underwater flowering plant on Earth – is not only vital for biodiversity, but also absorbs carbon dioxide, making it a valuable ally in the fight against climate change. However, by considering the value of seagrass beyond carbon removal in the context of the&nbsp;<a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">UN Sustainable Development goals</a>, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> has found that, in fact, conserving and restoring seagrass meadows could actually contribute to achieving 16 out of the 17 goals.&nbsp;



“With the increasing realization of the planetary emergency that we face, there is growing interest in using seagrasses as a nature-based solution for greenhouse gas mitigation,” said study lead author Richard Unsworth, an associate professor of Biosciences at the Swansea University and the founding director of the marine conservation charity&nbsp;<a href="https://www.projectseagrass.org/">Project Seagrass</a>. “But if the ecological state of seagrasses remains compromised, then their ability to contribute to nature-based solutions for the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis remains in doubt.”



Since seagrass sensitivity to environmental stressors is acute, the risk of seagrass degradation and loss persists in many regions around the globe. Thus, fundamentally rethinking the conservation of this valuable natural resource is critical to understanding and safeguarding their part in fighting our planetary emergencies.



“Seagrasses are of fundamental importance to the planet but compared with terrestrial grasses, and even seaweeds, the body of research within seagrass is magnitudes smaller,” said Professor Unsworth. “However, there are substantial ecological, social, and regulatory barriers and bottlenecks to seagrass restoration and conservation because of the scale of the interventions required.”



“Now advances in marine robotics, molecular ecology, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence all offer new opportunities to solve conservation problems in difficult environments at unprecedented global scales. It is only by looking beyond carbon and recognizing the true value of seagrass meadows can we place it on a pathway to net zero loss and ultimately net gain,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abq6923">Science</a>.



---



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

Seagrass is of "fundamental importance" to Earth's future

Scientists have long known that seagrass – the only underwater...

While climate change increases the occurrence of torrential downpours and floods in some locations, it seems to be sending more frequent and more severe droughts to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazons-carbon-emissions-jumped-40-percent-since-2019/">Amazon </a>Basin. This has far-reaching implications for the rainforest because moisture is at the heart of its very existence. New research now suggests that dry spells in this, the largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest on earth, may cause more extensive damage than was previously thought.



Water that falls over the Amazon rainforest in South America moistens the soil and is taken up by plants. The water is then recycled, through evaporation and transpiration, back into the atmosphere, where it contributes to the droplets in mist and clouds. In this way, the forest creates its own weather, generating as much as half of the rainfall over the greater Basin.&nbsp; When less rain falls, the entire water cycle is affected – not only over the region that experienced the drought, but over large parts of the entire Amazon.



A team of researchers, led by Nico Wunderling of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Action Research, has now used network analysis to understand the complex workings of one of Earth’s most valuable and biodiverse carbon sinks.&nbsp;They have found that even if a dry spell affects only one specific region of the forest, its harm stretches beyond that region by a factor of one to three. &nbsp;As lack of rain strongly decreases the water recycling volume, there will also be less rainfall in neighboring regions, which puts even more parts of the forest under significant stress.



“More intensive droughts put parts of the Amazon rainforest at risk of drying off and dying. Subsequently, due to the network effect, less forest cover leads to less water in the system overall, and hence disproportionately more harm,” explained Wunderling. “And while we’ve investigated the impact of drought, that rule also holds for deforestation. It means essentially, when you chop down one acre of forest, what you actually are destroying is 1.3 acres.”



Extraordinarily dry seasons, that used to occur once a century, now occur twice a decade (for example in 2005 and 2010), and climate models predict they will become the new normal from 2050 onwards.&nbsp;



“These recurrent droughts are already producing quantifiable changes to the Amazon’s moisture network. We use these observations to understand and model the consequences of a future climate that resembles a permanent drought state," explained Henrique Barbosa, assistant professor of Physics at <a href="https://umbc.edu/">University of Maryland Baltimore County</a>.



In the Amazon forest, different regions experience different environmental conditions and the trees are adapted to these. Some parts already experience a dry season and have vegetation with a certain adaptive capacity. However, the researchers think that future changes in the moisture regime will run at a faster pace than the trees can adapt. “We specifically acknowledge these local adaptations as they can be a blessing or a curse under climate change,” said Boris Sakschewski from the Potsdam Institute.



The results of the network analysis reveal that, despite this adaptation, a future climate characterized by permanent drought conditions could trigger a transition to an open canopy state, particularly in the southern Amazon where human activity has already cleared large areas for pasture and crops.



“So we find that even the dry season-adapted parts of the Amazon forest won’t necessarily survive a new climate normal, and the risk of tipping into savannah or no trees at all is high,” said Sakschewski. “The consequences for biodiversity would be disastrous, but the same goes for the local, regional, and global climate.”



“Yet not all is lost,” said study co-senior author Ricarda Winkelmann. “That is because a good part of the forest is still in relatively stable conditions. The network effects of dry spells are likely limited to certain areas in the forest’s southeast and southwest –which happen to be those areas where the forest has been suffering from the human hand already, in clearing forest for pasture or soy.”



“There is still a lot we can do to try and stabilize the Amazon, as preserving it and its ecological services is of utmost importance for local, regional and global climate stability. And we know how we can do that: by protecting the rainforest from logging, and by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit further global warming.”



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



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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

The Amazon is drying out, with far-reaching consequences

While climate change increases the occurrence of torrential downpours and...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> has found that a common weed - Portulaca oleracea,&nbsp;commonly known as purslane – could offer important clues about how to create drought resistant crops in a world beset by climate change. According to the experts, this plant integrates two distinct metabolic pathways in order to create a novel type of photosynthesis which enables it to endure <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-have-a-memory-of-drought/">droughts</a>, while also remaining highly productive.&nbsp;



“This is a very rare combination of traits and has created a kind of ‘super plant’ -&nbsp; one that could be potentially useful in endeavors such as crop engineering,” said study senior author Erika Edwards, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale.



Plants have evolved a variety of distinct mechanisms to improve photosynthesis, the process by which they use sunlight to synthesize nutrients from carbon dioxide and water. For example, while corn and sugarcane evolved what is known as C4 photosynthesis, which allows them to remain productive under high temperatures, succulents such as cacti and agaves employ another type called CAM photosynthesis, which helps them survive and thrive in areas with little water, such as deserts. While C4 and CAM serve different functions, they recruit the same biochemical pathway to act as “add-ons” to regular photosynthesis.



The researchers were surprised to find that purslane possesses both of these evolutionary adaptations, a unique feature that allows it to be both highly productive and resilient to droughts, which is a rare combination for plants. While scientists have initially thought that C4 and CAM operate independently within purslane leaves, spatial analyses of gene expression revealed that C4 and CAM activity were fully integrated, functioning in the same cells, with products of CAM reactions being processed by the C4 pathway. This system provides significant levels of protection during droughts.



Better understanding this metabolic pathway could help scientists devise novel ways of engineering crops that can withstand prolonged droughts. “In terms of engineering a CAM cycle into a C4 crop, such as maize, there is still a lot of work to do before that could become a reality,” said Professor Edwards. “But what we’ve shown is that the two pathways can be efficiently integrated and share products. C4 and CAM are more compatible than we had thought, which leads us to suspect that there are many more C4+CAM species out there, waiting to be discovered.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.&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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Common weed may lead to drought-resistant crops

A new study led by Yale University has found that...

Demand for hops have risen significantly over the past years, as the craft <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lager-beer-is-beneficial-for-mens-gut-microbiome/">beer</a> industry has grown, largely fueled by hop-forward beers such as India pale ales. As a consequence, hop growers and breeders are increasingly focused on the aromatic potential of hops and their contribution to beer flavor. At the same time, the increasing appreciation for regionally or locally produced beer has provided growers, breeders, and brewers with an opportunity to add value to their products by better understanding hop traits which are influenced by a growing region, sub-region, or even a single field, thus giving rise to the concept of “hop regional identity.”&nbsp;



A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> (OSU) has now investigated the impact of the growing environment on the aroma of hops and beers brewed with them, and discovered that hops of the same variety grown in Oregon and Washington and the resulting beers have different chemical properties and aroma profiles.&nbsp;



“Like winemakers, brewers want to know: Will hops grown in different regions be different? And, if so, why?” said&nbsp;study senior author Thomas Shellhammer, an expert on the chemistry of hops at OSU. “This study shows compelling evidence that there are differences you can attribute to the region.”



Together with his team, Professor Shellhammer analyzed Cascade and Mosaic hops from the 2020 harvest year grown at 39 different locations in Washington’s Yakima Valley and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. By chemically analyzing the acids and compounds in the hops and convening a trained sensory panel to analyze the hop aromas, they discovered significant between-state and within-state differences for both varieties.&nbsp;



While Cascade hops grown in Oregon were characterized by strong citrus, floral, fruity, herbal, and resinous aroma, those from Washington displayed a more tropical and sweaty aroma. As for the Mosaic hops – those grown in Oregon exhibited a strong citrus, floral, fruity, and tropical aroma, while those in Washington had a more sweaty, vegetal, and woody aroma.



“These results will help hop growers in the Pacific Northwest of the United States as well as brewers utilizing hops from these major hop-growing regions to produce regionally unique beers or to blend hops in a way that results in standardized and constant beer quality,” Professor Shellhammer said.



In future research, the scientists aim to investigate whether regional differences exist among other hop varieties and between different harvest years, and to clarify the impact of environmental parameters - such as soil characteristics, the microbiome, weather, and climate – and agricultural parameters, including irrigation, fertilization, and harvest date.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03610470.2022.2089010">Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists</a>.



---



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

Growing environment impacts the aroma of beer and hops

Demand for hops have risen significantly over the past years,...

Recently, record amounts of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed have flooded huge areas of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, leading U.S. Virgin Islands governor Albert Bryan Jr. to declare a state of emergency. In June 2022, the amount of these algae found in the tropical, central west and east Atlantic, as well as in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, reached 24.2 million tons – a significant increase from 18.8 million in May.



“If you put all this biomass side by side, the entire area is equivalent to six times of Tampa Bay,” said Chuanmin Hu, an expert in Optical Oceanography at the <a href="https://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a>. According to Governor Bryan, “the seaweed overrunning our beaches also brings the potential for disruption to businesses and other negative financial impacts to our economy.”



While the seaweed usually provides habitat and feeding grounds for a large variety of aquatic animals, such as crabs, dolphins, eels, and different species of fish, once washed ashore it starts to rot, emanating a foul smell and releasing toxic gases that can cause humans in their vicinity heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. In addition, the large floating mats are clogging fishing gear and impeding navigation at sea, while the seaweed that sinks to the bottom of the sea could smother coral reefs and other ecosystems.



According to a 2019 article published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaw7912">Science</a>, sargassum seaweed – which was once predominant in the northern regions of the Atlantic – has become increasingly widespread in the south since 2011, most likely due to the unusually strong winds and currents the Atlantic experienced a year before.



Those hoping to have seaweed-free Caribbean beaches in the next summers should not set their expectations too high, warned Dr. Hu. Most probably, massive sargassum blooms in the coastal waters will become a “new normal,” causing massive disruptions to ecosystems and the economy. However, since seaweed has many uses – from being turned into fertilizer, bricks, or even tennis shoes to being eaten in salads – this crisis could also provide new opportunities.



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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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Caribbean shores are choked by seaweed

Recently, record amounts of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed have flooded huge...

A study published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsbl">Biology Letters</a> has shed some light on the predatory mechanisms of the Slender Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes gracilis. This plant is native to the lush jungles of Borneo. The leaves of pitcher plants have a beautiful but deadly design; they are shaped like a cup with a hanging lid. When rain hits the lid, it closes, trapping any hapless <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-have-inherited-hundreds-of-genes-from-microbes/">insects</a> on the underside and flicking them into the pitcher, where the digestive juices consume them.&nbsp;



The Slender Pitcher Plant is the only known plant to use an external energy source (rain) to execute such a fast movement without having to sustain any energy costs itself. Until now, botanists were not sure how the lid works. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> were surprised to discover that the spring is located at the back of the tubular pitcher wall, rather than in the lid itself.



"If you look at the pitcher shape you would assume that the deformation happens at the smallest cross section, which is the transition point from lid to pitcher tube, but in fact it also deforms further down at the back of the pitcher tube," explained study lead author Anne-Kristin Lenz.



There are two advantages to this location. First, it makes the spring direction-dependent. This means that when rain falls on the lid, it can quickly close and spring insects into the trap below. However, as the lid moves up, there is more resistance, meaning the trap is ready to claim its next victim.



Secondly, the off-center position of the spring prevents the lid from twisting or tilting, making it more stable and ensuring more energy can be devoted to the critical closing action. Lenz believes this design could inspire alternative energy engineers.



"Pitcher plant traps are lightweight, but sturdy. Nepenthes gracilis uses small changes in the trap shape to transmit impact energy with astounding efficiency," said Lenz.



"We can learn from these plants how to optimize structures geometrically, which could help to save material and weight, while still having a functional spring. The springboard trapping mechanism might even provide inspiration for designing new mechanical devices for harvesting energy from rain or hail."



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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

Pitcher plants harness rain energy to capture insects

A study published in the journal Biology Letters has shed...

Eelgrass is one of the most widespread shallow-water <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-find-new-way-to-measure-stress-in-plants/">plant</a> in the world, with its range spanning from semi-tropical regions like Baja California all the way up to Alaska and the Arctic. While providing food and habitat for a variety of aquatic animals, eelgrasses also offer many services to humans, such as protecting coastlines from storms, sinking carbon, or reducing harmful bacteria in the water.&nbsp;



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a> has found that the ancient genetic history of eelgrass communities can play a stronger role than the present-day environment in determining their size and structure, as well as who lives in them. These findings could have implications for how well eelgrasses can adapt to imminent threats such as climate change.



Half a million years ago, when our planet was significantly warmer, some eelgrasses migrated from their homes in the Pacific to the Atlantic. Afterwards, a series of ice ages during the Pleistocene further affected how eelgrass populations spread, and ultimately left lasting signatures in their DNA: even today, eelgrass populations in the Atlantic are less genetically diverse than their counterparts in the Pacific. Thus, it appears that genetic legacy has a much larger role in shaping modern eelgrass communities than the current environment.



“We already knew that there was big genetic separation between the oceans, but I don’t think any of us ever dreamed that that would be more important than environmental conditions,” said study lead author Emmett Duffy, a marine biologist at the Smithsonian. “That was a big surprise to everybody.”



Since in most places where it grows, eelgrass is the dominant - or only - seagrass species, its survival is critical for the animals and people that live in its vicinity. The lower genetic diversity found in the Atlantic could make it much more difficult for some populations to adapt to rapid changes.



“Diversity is like having different tools in your tool belt,” explained study co-author Jay Stachowicz, an ecologist at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>. “And if all you’ve got is a hammer, you can put in nails, but that’s about it. But if you have a full complement of tools, each tool can be used to do different jobs more efficiently.”&nbsp;



Since ancient genetics can play such a strong role in the structure and functioning of modern eelgrass populations, scientists wonder whether eelgrass could adapt to more rapid changes. “I’m hopeful because our results illustrate long-term resiliency to repeated, major changes in thermal tolerances and the wide range of eelgrass habitats over about half the Northern Hemisphere,” said study co-author Jeanine Olsen, a professor emeritus of Marine Biology at the <a href="https://www.rug.nl/?lang=en">University of Groningen</a>.&nbsp;



Further research is needed to find out the best methods of conserving and restoring eelgrass populations. “Should you be restoring seagrass using plants from local environments, or should you be thinking to the future and trying plants with genetics better suited to future environmental conditions?” asked Dr. Stachowicz. “Or should you hedge your bets?”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2121425119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ancient genetics shape modern eelgrass populations

Eelgrass is one of the most widespread shallow-water plant in...

A research team led by the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a> has recently found a new method of assessing stress in plants: measuring levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – a once maligned collection of molecules which are produced by anything that uses oxygen (including animals, plants, and humans), and were now discovered to have a crucial role as a communication signal indicating when plants are stressed out. Considering that plants are currently experiencing multiple stressors from droughts, heat, or flooding, these findings could open new ways of increasing plant resilience to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-produce-aspirin-in-response-to-environmental-stress/">environmental stress</a> in order to avoid crop loss.&nbsp;



“Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key signaling molecules that enable cells to rapidly respond to different stimuli,” the study authors wrote. “In plants, ROS play a crucial role in abiotic and biotic stress sensing, integration of different environmental signals and activation of stress-response networks, thus contributing to the establishment of defense mechanisms and plant resilience.”



Although scientists have long known that plant stress is associated with crop loss, previous studies have typically focused on how crops react to just a single stressor. However, plants’ survival rates will often dramatically decrease as the number of stressors rises.&nbsp;



“When stressors from heat and drought are added together, plants don’t have ground water to draw from, so they close the stomata [leaf pores], and this makes the leaves become really hot,” explained study lead author Ron Mittler, an expert in Botany at the University of Missouri.



“This is why the combination of drought and heat is really dangerous, because the leaf temperature is much higher than with a plant subjected to just heat. The change can be anywhere between two and four degrees, and that can make the difference between life and death.”



Moreover, when the number of stressors further increases, the plants’ chances of survival diminish even more. According to Professor Mittler, the key to protect plants from environmental stress is to keep ROS levels in check. While either too much or too little ROS can be damaging, an optimum level will significantly protect the plants, increasing their resilience to a wide variety of stressors. Further research is needed to identify the optimal levels of ROS, and to develop reliable methods of controlling them in order to protect crops.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41580-022-00499-2">Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology</a>.&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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Scientists find new way to measure stress in plants

A research team led by the University of Missouri has...

In collaboration with Texas Tech's <a href="https://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/ns/">Department of Nutritional Sciences</a>, scientists from the University of South Australia have discovered new health benefits of peanuts. The researchers used a controlled study to explore how consuming lightly salted peanuts affected weight loss, blood pressure, and glucose. They determined that nut consumption has a positive effect on individual health. 



"Our study found that peanuts, which are high in healthy unsaturated fats, can actually aid weight loss," said co-author Kristina Petersen. "Peanuts are often avoided when people are trying to lose weight because they believe peanuts contain too many calories. However, peanuts actually have a high satiety value, meaning they keep you feeling fuller longer and that can be really helpful for those on a weight loss diet."



The study participants consisted of two sets of Australian adults at-risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the researchers told the control group to avoid nuts for six months, they instructed the experimental group to consume 35 grams of lightly salted, dry-roasted peanuts twice a day, 30 minutes before meals.



The results showed that the experimental group loss weight despite consuming 400 more calories per day than the control group. These individuals also had lower blood pressure and improved blood sugar levels.&nbsp;



The finding that peanuts can lower blood sugar levels has been demonstrated in previous research. However, the other two outcomes were not as predictable.&nbsp;



Petersen explained that although the nuts contained salt, there was improved systolic blood pressure in the experimental group for several reasons. The first is that lightly salted peanuts are low in sodium. Second, peanuts contain a large amount of an amino acid called arginine, which aids in blood vessel dilation. Furthermore, peanuts contain magnesium, which is known to help regulate blood pressure.&nbsp;



The experts believe the weight loss occurred because peanuts contain a significant amount of protein and fiber, which help people feel satiated for longer.&nbsp;



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/14/2986">Nutrients</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

Peanuts lower blood pressure and promote weight loss

In collaboration with Texas Tech's Department of Nutritional Sciences, scientists...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/en/research/dept/18biodiversity/index.html">Center for Biodiversity and Climate Change</a> at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) in Japan&nbsp;has found that, over the past 60 years, the global forest area has declined by 81.7 million hectares – a major loss contributing to the more than 60 percent decline in global forest area per capita. This massive decline threatens the future of biodiversity, while impacting the lives of over 1.6 million people worldwide.



The researchers used global land use datasets to investigate how forests have changed over space and time from 1960 to 2019. The analysis revealed that the decline in global forests combined with an increase in world population has resulted in a decrease of the global forest area per capita of over 60 percent, from 1.4 hectares in 1960 to 0.5 hectares in 2019.



“The continuous loss and degradation of forests affect the integrity of forest ecosystems, reducing their ability to generate and provide essential services and sustain biodiversity,” the study authors wrote. “It also impacts the lives of at least 1.6 billion people worldwide, predominantly in developing countries, who depend on forests for various purposes.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the researchers, this change in the spatiotemporal pattern of global forests supports the <a href="https://sesmad.dartmouth.edu/theories/50">forest transition theory</a>, with most forest losses occurring mainly in the lower-income countries from the tropics, and forest gains in various higher-income countries.&nbsp;



“Despite this spatial pattern of forest loss occurring primarily in the less developed countries, the role of more developed nations in this said forest loss also needs to be studied more deeply,” explained study lead author Ronald C. Estoque, an expert in Geoenvironmental Sciences at FFPRI. “With the strengthening of forest conservation in more developed countries, forest loss is displaced to the less developed countries, especially in the tropics.”&nbsp;



“Today, monitoring of the world’s forests is an integral part of various global environmental and social initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. To help achieve the goals of these initiatives, there is a profound need to reverse, or at least flatten, the global net forest loss curve by conserving the world’s remaining forests and restoring and rehabilitating degraded forest landscapes,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac7df5">Environmental Research Letters</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Global forest area per capita has decreased by 60 percent

A new study led by the Center for Biodiversity and...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-industry-is-not-threatened-by-plant-based-alternatives/">plant-based dietary alternatives</a> to animal products are better for human health and the environment than the meat products they are designed to replace.&nbsp;



According to the experts, plant-based meat and dairy alternatives “offer a healthier and more environmentally sustainable solution which takes into account consumer preferences and behavior.” Moreover, since they are specifically created to replicate the taste, texture, and overall eating experience of animal products, they are a much more effective way of reducing demand for meat and dairy products than just encouraging people to eat vegetarian meals.&nbsp;



By examining 43 studies focused on the environmental and health impact of plant-based foods, the scientists found that these products tend to have better nutritional profiles than animal products, and are highly beneficial for weight loss, building muscle mass, and improving overall health.&nbsp;



Moreover, since producers can add ingredients such as edible fungi, microalgae, or spirulina to plant-based foods, they can boost the amounts of amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins B and E in these products, thus further improving their nutritional profile.



Plant-based products were also found to cause lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions than the animal ones, while generally requiring less agricultural land and water, and causing less pollution than animal-based products. Thus, increasing the use of such products will have not only significant health benefits, but will also help fighting climate change by safeguarding the environment.



“Increasingly we’re seeing how plant-based products are able to shift demand away from animal products by appealing to three essential elements consumers want: taste, price, and convenience. This review demonstrates overwhelming evidence that, as well as being far more sustainable compared to animal products in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and land use, plant-based animal product alternatives also have a wide range of health benefits,” said study author Christopher Bryant, a psychologist at the University of Bath.



“Despite the incredible advances that plant-based producers have made over recent years, there is still huge potential to improve their taste, texture, and how they cook. There’s also enormous potential to innovate with ingredients and processes to improve their nutritional properties – for example by boosting vitamin content.”



Further research is needed to make these improvements a reality, and ensure that manufacturers can make tastier and healthier products that provide consumers with sustainable options that are more likely to reduce the demand for animal products.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833522000612#bib0085">Future Foods</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Plant-based foods are healthier than animal products

A new study led by the University of Bath has...

The wild orchid Habenaria radiata’s beautiful white petals resemble a white egret in flight – hence the flower’s colloquial name of “white egret orchid.” Although this orchid has been loved by people since ancient times, the adaptive significance of the flower’s jagged shaped has remained a mystery until recently. 



For three years, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/index.html">Kobe University</a> in Japan has conducted field experiments in which the feather-like fringe was removed, and the ways in which this change influenced the orchid’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-stabilize-the-production-of-food-crops/">pollinators</a> was examined. The experts discovered that, in their natural habitat, white egret orchids without this fringe tended to produce fewer healthy seeds than intact plants. The question that remained was why.&nbsp;



Initially, scientists thought that orchids’ petals mainly function as visual attractants. In the case of H. radiata, hawkmoths – this species’ primary pollinators – were observed hovering in the air while drinking nectar from flowers, making researchers hypothesize that they are visually attracted by the plant’s fringe. 



Since the flowers of other plants pollinated by hawkmoths (such as snake gourd) also have deeply divided fringed petals, it was believed that these petals have adapted to effectively attract hawkmoths, most likely because fringed flowers can conserve more resources than fringeless ones of the same diameter.



However, if the fringe functions mainly as a visual attractant, it can be predicted that specimens with their fringes removed would have a reduced fruit production rate (since fruit production is an indicator of the frequency of pollinator visits). 



The scientists were surprised to find that, contrary to this prediction, there was no decline in fruit production in fringeless specimens, suggesting that the fringe does not in fact play a significant role in attracting hawkmoths. Nevertheless, flowers with the fringe removed had a lower rate of healthy seeds in their fruit.



By conducting detailed behavioral observations of the hawkmoths, scientists noticed that this major pollinator does not hover continuously while drinking nectar, but sometimes grasps onto the petal fringe with its mid-legs. This suggests that, without the stability provided by the fringe, the hawkmoths cannot pass as much pollen to the plant, resulting in fringeless plants receiving fewer pollen grains per visit and producing fewer healthy seeds.



“The white egret orchid was given its name because its brilliant white petals resemble the bird in flight. According to legend, the soul of a white egret that died was reborn as the much-loved white egret orchid,” said study lead author Kenji Suetsugu, an associate professor of Botany at Kobe University. 



“Nevertheless, it is now evident that fringes primarily stabilize the hawkmoth (the primary pollinator)’s posture, increasing pollen transfer. I am pleased that we have revealed the unexpected adaptive significance that is at the heart of its distinctive fringe,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3781">Ecology</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Orchids evolved fringed petals to support pollinators

The wild orchid Habenaria radiata’s beautiful white petals resemble a...

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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image 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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image 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.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



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.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



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.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



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.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; 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.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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 a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



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.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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 capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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