Climate scientists say rising temperatures can reduce the availability and nutritional quality of dairy grass. Producers then turn to alternative feeds, including corn-based silage, to maintain production.



In a recent investigation, Dr. Matthieu Bouchon, an expert at <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">INRAE</a> - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, studied how these changes in feeding practices influence both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-makes-dairy-cows-produce-less-milk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> yield and the resulting cheese.



Dr. Bouchon was part of a team that analyzed nutritional profiles and taste notes across different feeding setups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-climate-change-affects-cow-feed">How climate change affects cow feed</h2>



Drought is bad news for many pasture-reliant farms. When rains fade, grass doesn’t grow as usual, so farmers scramble to bolster cow diets with stored feeds or more concentrated rations.



Climate impacts force them to get inventive. That often means adding more corn silage to keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grazing-animals-have-an-unexpected-role-in-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cows</a> in good shape, but it can lead to a drop in grass-based components that affect milk’s natural composition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grass-intake-and-dairy-nutrients">Grass intake and dairy nutrients</h2>



Farmers are keen on maximizing nutrients in milk. The study team discovered a strong tie between higher grass intake and better fatty acid content.



“The results showed that the more grass the cows ate, the richer the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-paves-the-way-for-climate-conscious-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> and cheese were in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to human health,” stated Dr. Bouchon.



Switching to corn-based rations can still yield a decent amount of milk. Yet the subtle nutritional goodies in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16960079/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grass</a> may slip away if it becomes a minor part of the diet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cow-feed-changes-cheese">Cow feed changes cheese </h2>



Consumers often favor the special shade and softness of artisanal cheese. Grass helps deliver that yellowish tinge and a smoother, melt-in-the-mouth feel.



“Cows fed on grazed grass produced smoother, yellower, more aromatic cheeses, while cows fed little to no grass produce whiter, firmer cheeses with milder flavors,” said Dr. Bouchon.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-flavors-of-cheese">Distinct flavors of cheese</h2>



Minimizing fresh grass in a herd’s diet can make the final dairy product less appealing. This outcome matters not just for foodies but also for farmers marketing distinctive <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5867552/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cheeses</a>.



Many shoppers pick grass-fed labels expecting distinct flavors. When producers reduce fresh grass in favor of silage or hay, the cheese may lose that familiar aroma.



A cheese that once tasted bold or slightly grassy can end up with a blander profile. Texture often changes too, as the fats and proteins shift under modified feeding patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-worries-for-farmers">Practical worries for farmers</h2>



Dairy farms run on slim profit margins. Any slip in milk yield or cheese appeal can hurt business, but ignoring drought conditions isn’t an option either.



Balancing feed mixes becomes a juggling act. More grass means tastier cheese, but a parched field can’t always supply what's needed, so producers face a hard call.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feed-changes-affect-cow-digestion">Feed changes affect cow digestion</h2>



Each feed ingredient, whether hay or silage, can affect <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00974-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbiota</a> inside a cow’s rumen. This intricate environment helps break down cellulose and produce nutrients for the cow.



If farmers switch abruptly to corn-based rations, the cow’s digestive system may take time to adjust. Subtle changes in the rumen can ripple through to the milk in surprising ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-cheese-lovers">Implications for cheese lovers</h2>



Nobody wants a rubbery or flavorless cheese on their plate. Folks who appreciate artisanal dairy should keep an eye on how climate issues and diet adjustments shape their favorite products.



While these shifts might not stand out in mass-produced cheese, small-scale operations often rely on the tastes derived from high-grass diets. Flavor can be a big selling point.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-feeding-strategies-influence-dairy-yield-nbsp">Feeding strategies influence dairy yield&nbsp;</h2>



Herd nutrition is more complicated than many realize. Different cows have varying needs depending on genetics, lactation stage, and climate conditions.



Producers factor in how each feed ingredient influences both milk quantity and milk quality. These trade-offs can make or break the end product’s sensory profile.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adapting-cow-feed-to-drought-conditions">Adapting cow feed to drought conditions</h2>



Some farmers are testing new grass varieties said to handle hot spells better. Others look at advanced grazing strategies or water conservation tactics to maintain fields during dry months.



At the same time, research teams share data to guide farmers on how best to tweak feed ingredients. The aim is to protect both milk output and that prized cheese taste.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preserving-dairy-grass">Preserving dairy grass </h2>



Shoppers see words like omega-3 on labels but don’t always know how production methods affect those nutrients. Many prefer products that combine solid nutrition with a pleasing taste, color, and aroma.



Farmers who manage to preserve grass can maintain that balance. Even modest amounts of fresh forage appear helpful to keep cheese palatable and nutritionally robust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-the-pasture">Beyond the pasture</h2>



Climate concerns won’t vanish overnight. Researchers are tracking how these feeding adjustments ripple across entire food chains, from soil microbes to final cheese properties.



While not every farm can rely on grass alone, preserving its presence seems vital for those aiming for standout cheese. This is especially true for dairy regions with a cultural heritage tied to lush fields.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dairy-production-amid-climate-change">Dairy production amid climate change</h2>



With each passing year, dryness threatens more farmland. Creative solutions and careful ration decisions may hold the key to maintaining the hallmark traits that grass-based cheeses are known for.



Ongoing research may soon offer farmers new strategies to keep cows healthy while reducing their environmental impact. Whether large or small, dairy producers must continue to adapt to meet these evolving challenges.



The study is published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S002203022500092X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Dairy Science</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Popular types of cheese are beginning to taste different due to what cows are eating

Climate scientists say rising temperatures can reduce the availability and nutritional quality of dairy grass. Producers then turn to alternative feeds, including corn-based silage, to maintain production. In a recent investigation, Dr. Matthieu Bouchon, an expert at INRAE - National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, studied how these changes in feeding practices influence both milk yield and the resulting cheese. Dr. Bouchon was part of a team that analyzed nutritional profiles and taste notes across different feeding setups. How climate change affects cow feed Drought...

Water,Falls,Down,Out,Of,The,Rock,Though,The,Mist

A newly-discovered tropical tree from the Ebo Forest in Cameroon has been named by scientists at the <a href="https://www.kew.org/">Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew</a>, after the famous Hollywood actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio, to honor his Twitter campaigning to save the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-exposes-coastal-cities-to-more-deadly-storms/">forest</a> in which this tree was discovered. Uvariopsis dicaprio – the first plant species to be officially named in 2022 - belongs to the ylang-ylang family, is 13 feet (four meters) tall, and has large yellow-green flowers.



The Ebo forest is one of the largest and relatively untouched rainforests from Central Africa, and is famous for its incredible biodiversity. It is home to the Banen people (aboriginal people from Central Cameroon), and to a large variety of flora and fauna, including endangered species of forest elephants, chimpanzees, and gorillas.



Scientists and environmental activists all over the world were horrified when hearing of plans to allow large areas of the Ebo forest to be opened up for logging, and wrote a letter to the government documenting the vast number of animal and plant species that faced extinction if such plans were implemented.



This issue was picked up by Leonardo DiCaprio, who strongly defended on his Twitter and Instagram accounts this magnificent forest. “Cameroon's Ebo Forest, and all of the incredible animals that live there, are in trouble,” he wrote in a Twitter post on August 6, 2020. “This includes forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees and so many others. Let's help #SaveEboForest.”



Fortunately, the president of Cameroon cancelled the logging concession in August 2020, raising hopes that the wildlife found in the Ebo forest, including the tree named after DiCaprio, can avoid extinction and continue to thrive.



“Had the logging concession gone ahead, we would have likely lost this species to timber extraction and slash-and-burn agriculture that usually follows logging concessions,” said Dr. Martin Cheek, a senior researcher at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.



“We very much appreciated the support Leo gave us in campaigning to protect Ebo last year so it seemed fitting to honor him in this way, naming a species unique only to this forest, after him,” he concluded.



---



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

Rare tree in Cameroon named after Leonardo DiCaprio

A newly-discovered tropical tree from the Ebo Forest in Cameroon...

Urban gardens are an important part of the cityscape and they add to the ecological, environmental and aesthetic value of a city. A recent study by the scientists at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> discovered that urban gardens provide a steady supply of energy-rich <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-high-nectar-special-neurons/">nectar</a> from March to October.



Pollinators are guaranteed a steady food supply if they visit numerous gardens, despite variations in both the quantity and timing of nectar production from one site to another. This is in contrast to earlier research on agriculture, where pollinators are subjected to periodic nectar production cycles with apparent seasonal gaps.



"In this study, we investigate for the first time how the nectar supply of residential gardens varies in space and time and use our results to develop evidence-based management recommendations for pollinator conservation in urban areas," wrote the study authors.



"Nectar sugar is the main energy source for adult pollinators, particularly important for powering their flight muscles, but nectar resources have declined in rural areas due to land-use change."



The researchers noted that the findings of their study can be used to establish evidence-based management suggestions for pollinator conservation in urban locations.



"We knew that gardens were important habitats for UK pollinators, providing 85 percent of nectar sugar in urban landscapes and a great diversity of flowering plants," said <a href="https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/nick-e-tew">Nick Tew</a>, a PhD student in Bristol's School of Biological Sciences.&nbsp;



"However, we did not know how nectar production varied between individual gardens or through the months of the year. It is particularly important to understand garden-to-garden variation to advise how best to collectively manage our gardens for pollinators."



The researchers surveyed 59 home gardens in Bristol, UK, at monthly intervals from March to October. The researchers coupled floral abundances with nectar sugar data for each of the 472 data samples to measure each garden's nectar output, examining the size, temporal stability, variety, and composition of garden nectar supplies.



The results revealed that there is a huge variance in the nectar output of the surveyed gardens ranging from 2 grams to 1.7 kilograms for a year, and this was dictated not by the size of the garden, but by how people decided to maintain their gardens.



As a result of the efforts of several independent gardeners located throughout a city, a stable and diverse supply of food for city pollinators has emerged.



“We measured the amount of nectar produced by flowers in 59 residential gardens in Bristol. We found that individual gardens vary in both how much food they provide and when they provide it during the year. However, because flying pollinators like bees can visit many different gardens, they are likely to be able to find food in residential neighborhoods whenever they need it.” said Nick.



“This means that everyone has the potential to help pollinators in a meaningful way, even with a small garden, and there is a lot of room for improvement, with some gardens providing hundreds of times less food than others, depending on what people choose to plant, weed, prune or mow.” explained Nick further.



The findings of the study can be applied by gardeners to aid the pollinators and thereby contribute to the biodiversity of the city.&nbsp;



Gardeners can help by planting open flowers that bloom later in the year, because tubular blooms are only accessible to long-tongued insects like bumblebees provide 79 percent of nectar in late summer and autumn. Shrubs are also a good way to squeeze a lot of flowers into a small space, and they are responsible for 58 percent of all nectar in gardens.



The research is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.



---



By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Urban gardens provide a reliable food supply for pollinators

Urban gardens are an important part of the cityscape and...

New research on fish catches in tropical regions where coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-pounds-of-microplastics-are-stored-in-coral-reefs/">reefs</a> have been bleached brings unexpected hope to millions of people. After 20 years of monitoring bleached coral reefs in the Seychelles, a team of international scientists conclude that these damaged environments can continue to supply nutritious food to local communities.



The study, led by scientists from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> and involving researchers from the Seychelles, Australia, Canada and Mozambique, followed the recovery of coral reef communities after a 1998 bleaching event that killed off 90 percent of the corals. During this time, 60 percent of the coral reefs recovered to coral-dominated communities, but around 40 percent were transformed to reefs dominated by seaweeds.&nbsp;



This situation provided a natural experiment for the scientists to compare the catches and micronutrients available from fisheries on coral reefs with those available in different climate-driven ecosystems.&nbsp;



More than six million people work in small-scale fisheries that rely on tropical coral reefs. Their catches help to feed hundreds of millions of coastal people in regions where malnourishment is present. However, until now the nutritional composition of coral reef fish catches, and how climate change might affect the nutrients available from reef fisheries, was not known.



The scientists used a combination of experimental fishing, nutrient analysis, and visual surveys of fish communities in the Seychelles, to calculate the contribution of micronutrients to the diets of local people. They found that reef fisheries can remain rich sources of micronutrients, even following bleaching events that kill the coral and transform the composition of reef ecosystems. In some instances, the nutritional value of the reef fish even increased after the corals were killed by warmer water.&nbsp;



The findings, published today in the journal One Earth, show that reef fisheries can remain rich sources of micronutrients such as selenium, zinc, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids, despite the destruction of the corals by bleaching events.&nbsp;



The researchers even found that levels of iron and zinc are higher in fish caught on reefs that have been transformed after coral bleaching and are now dominated by macroalgae such as Sargassum seaweeds. These seaweeds contain high levels of minerals which, researchers believe, is the reason that the algal-feeding herbivorous fishes - found in greater numbers on transformed reefs - contain higher levels of iron and zinc.



The results are unexpected and mean that local communities can continue to benefit from the consumption of nutrient-rich fish and other seafood in their diets, despite the impacts of climate change. This provides a small ray of hope as continued global warming means coral bleaching events will become more frequent and more severe, placing greater stress on these vulnerable ecosystems.



Dr. James Robinson, who led the study, said: “Our findings underline the continuing importance of these fisheries for vulnerable coastal communities, and the need to protect against over-fishing to ensure long-term sustainability of reef fisheries.”



The researchers caution that, although their findings indicate coral reef fisheries may be more resilient to the effects of climate change than expected, these fisheries need to be protected and managed sustainably to provide essential nutrients to local people. To achieve this, data from other regions are urgently needed, along with continued, long-term monitoring of the impacts of climate change on these fisheries.&nbsp;



“Coral reef fish contain high levels of essential dietary nutrients such as iron and zinc, so contribute to healthy diets in places with high fish consumption. We found that some micronutrient-rich reef species become more abundant after coral bleaching, enabling fisheries to supply nutritious food despite climate change impacts. Protecting catches from these local food systems should be a food security priority,” said Dr. Robinson.



“Fish are now recognized as critical to alleviating malnutrition, particularly in the tropics where diets can lack up to 50% of the micronutrients needed for healthy growth," said study co-author Professor Christina Hicks. "This work is promising because it suggests reef fisheries will continue to play a crucial role, even in the face of climate change, and highlights the vital importance of investing in sustainable fisheries management.”



---



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

Bleached coral reefs can still supply essential nutrients

New research on fish catches in tropical regions where coral...

On Monday, January 10, 2022, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants all over the United States will launch a plant-based alternative to chicken developed in collaboration with <a href="https://www.beyondmeat.com/products/">Beyond Meat</a>, a Los Angeles-based producer of plant-based meat substitutes founded in 2009. This new option is mainly targeting the so-called “flexitarians” – people who may not be vegan or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-vegetarian-diets-produce-59-percent-more-emissions/" data-type="news" data-id="1899058">vegetarian</a>, but could be interested in incorporating less animal-based proteins in their diets.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a>, KFC and other chains are “targeting the still relatively small but rapidly growing segment of the population interested in plant-based alternatives to meat, which is increasingly understood to be potentially harmful to health and the environment.”&nbsp;



The launch of “Beyond Fried Chicken” comes after years of testing, with researchers aiming to create a meat substitute that mimics the taste and texture of whole muscle chicken rather than the ground up consistency of nuggets.&nbsp;



An initial test-serving of this product took place in an Atlanta restaurant in August 2019 and was a great success: the restaurant sold their limited supply in less than five hours. Afterwards, KFC also tested the product in cities such as Los Angeles, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, with similar outcomes.&nbsp;



Restaurants will receive the product already pre-breaded and fried and employees will just need to re-fry it before serving. Vegan and vegetarian potential customers should note though that, since this product will be prepared in the same areas where chicken offerings are made, it may not be the fully-non-meat alternative that might want. As KFC President Kevin Hochman said in a statement, this product is for customers "who want to eat a little less animal-based protein, but haven't&nbsp;become vegan or vegetarian."



“This is really about where the customer is going; they want to eat more plant-based proteins, but don't want to give up comfort food. It’s January, so it’s a time of New Year’s resolutions and wanting to do something different in your diet,” Hochman concluded.



---



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

KFC is launching a plant-based chicken product

On Monday, January 10, 2022, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants...

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, claiming an estimated 17 million people each year. In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a>, experts report that grapes can help protect&nbsp; heart health by boosting beneficial gut bacteria and lowering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intermittent-fasting-has-extraordinary-health-benefits/">cholesterol</a>.



Even among people who rarely eat fruit and vegetables, the study revealed that four weeks of grape consumption produced substantial heart health benefits, reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.



“We found that grapes have a beneficial effect on gut bacteria, which is great news, since a healthy gut is critical to good health,” said study lead author Professor Zhaoping Li.



“This study deepens our knowledge and expands the range of health benefits for grapes, even as the study reinforces the heart health benefits of grapes with lowered cholesterol."



Grapes are considered to be a "superfood" that is rich in powerful antioxidants called polyphenols that can decrease inflammation.



The study was focused on participants between the ages of 21 and 55 who consumed about 40 grapes per day, which is the equivalent of two servings. After several weeks, the individuals had higher levels of gut microbiome diversity.



This community of trillions of bacteria in the gut is widely considered to be the body's first line of defense against chronic illness and disease. Therefore, diverse gut bacteria are critically important to human health.&nbsp;



After a month of eating grapes on a daily basis, the study participants were found to have nearly eight percent less “bad” cholesterol. In addition, bile acids fell by more than 40 percent. This is significant because malabsorption of bile acid leads to a drop in good cholesterol and a rise in bad cholesterol.&nbsp;



The harmful fats associated with bad cholesterol can cause blocking and clotting of blood clots and cut off blood flow to the heart or brain.



Previous studies have linked improved heart health to grapes in other forms as well, including red wine. According to the researchers, the findings suggest a promising new role for grapes in gut health and reinforce the benefits of grapes on heart health.



“In summary, our results provide novel preliminary information about the effects of grape intake on the gut microbiome, host cholesterol, and BA metabolism. These data will assist in the future design of studies to explore the health benefits of grape consumption.”



---



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

Grapes lower bad cholesterol and protect heart health

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death...

Citrus Greening Disease, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), causes bitter, useless citrus fruit. Florida’s citrus industry has been decimated by the disease, which has now been discovered in California where 80 percent of the US’s citrus is grown. Over a quarter of a million <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oranges-lower-risk-macular-degeneration/">oranges</a>, grapefruits and mandarins are threatened.&nbsp;



To combat this menace, a $1.5 million grant has been given to <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California Riverside</a> (UCR) scientists to find disease resistant citrus plants.&nbsp;



“If you find a disease affecting your crops, a good first step is to look for plants that are able to grow and produce despite infection," said UCR geneticist Danelle Seymour. "Then you can start to identify the genetic basis of the disease tolerance and make sure the next generation of plants includes these genes.”



To find tolerant plants, Seymour and UCR plant pathologist Philippe Rolshausen will study 350 citrus hybrids grown by collaborators in Florida. These plants are already infected with HLB but seem to be living longer, healthier lives and producing more fruit than other infected plants. This is what makes this project unique, in that it’s looking at infected plants in an area where the disease is endemic and the test size is quite large as well.&nbsp;



“The environment in which these plants were grown means we can be confident that these rootstocks will enhance tree health and yield in HLB-affected areas," said Seymour. "Also, because our data set is so large, we’ve got the opportunity to identify plants with levels of tolerance that exceed current commercial varieties.”



Beyond resistance to HLB, the scientists are also testing citrus plants for resistance to other diseases already found in California.&nbsp;



“This way, we’re making sure the next generation of rootstocks will include the right genes and that we’re being as efficient as possible in our breeding practices,” said Seymour.



---



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

Scientists seek out citrus plants with disease resistance

Citrus Greening Disease, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), causes bitter,...

Land use changes are a major contributor to local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-critical-for-reaching-climate-goals/">climate</a> and extreme weather, and a new study reveals how this phenomenon can be seen across rapidly developing West African coastal cities. Here, the researchers found that the frequency of thunderstorms has doubled over the past 30 years, and this increase is strongly connected to deforestation. 



The clearing of vegetation is known to heighten the risk of mudslides and flooding by removing Earth's natural barrier of trees. The new study demonstrates a previously overlooked connection between deforestation and storms that also heightens the risk of flooding. 



The experts analyzed three decades of satellite data in West Africa to investigate how deforestation may have altered weather patterns. The results of the analysis show that the removal of large forested areas had greatly intensified global warming and storm activity along the coastal regions of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. 



In areas where forests had been cleared, the frequency of thunderstorms doubled over the past two decades. Forested areas experienced an increase of storm activity by just 40 percent.



“The extent of increase in coastal storm activity is likely to vary in different regions, depending on the local climate, but we would expect deforestation to have a similar effect in other coastal deforested areas," said Professor Chris Taylor of the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology</a>.



“Around 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100km of the coast, so increases in flash flooding causes disruption to millions of people’s lives. Our findings therefore provide a warning to fast-growing coastal cities across the world.”



Many of the communities that are most affected by deforestation and the subsequent changes in local climate have infrastructure that is not equipped to handle major flooding. In places such as Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone, increasingly frequent storms and torrential rainfall will certainly lead to more devastating extremes, including deadly floods and landslides.



“Deforestation is exacerbating the impacts of climate change in some of the least resilient cities on Earth, making it much harder for these communities to cope with extreme weather events," said Professor Taylor.



The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation. The study results are published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



---



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

Deforestation exposes coastal cities to more deadly storms

Land use changes are a major contributor to local climate...

Unrelenting swarms of Azteca <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ants-swap-spit-to-share-food-and-special-fluids/">ants</a> fiercely guard the Cecropia trees they live in throughout neotropical forests. Recently, a bored teenager found that there’s something more to the ant’s relationship with the tree than the fearsome stinging and biting of herbivores and clumsy humans.&nbsp;



Wandering through the forest in Panama, a high school student shot a hole through a Cecropia tree with a clay ball fired from a slingshot. Returning to the scene of the crime the next day, he noticed that the ants living inside the Cecropia had neatly patched up the slingshot hole.&nbsp;



This intriguing discovery inspired five high school students to participate in the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s (STRI) volunteer program.&nbsp;



"Some species of Azteca ants live in a permanent symbiosis with Cecropia plants: these mutualistic ants aggressively defend their host plants against herbivores, and in exchange the plants provide them with food and shelter," wrote the researchers.&nbsp;



"The ants prevent damage to their hosts’ leaves, because the ants’ food is produced at the base of the petioles and the undersides of the leaves. Worker ants also open and maintain small entrance holes in each internode that they occupy."



The teens set out to determine what happens when damage to the Cecropia tree compromises the ant's shelter instead of its food production. Working with STRI staff scientist William T. Wcislo, the students drilled holes into Cecropia trees and documented repair by the ants.&nbsp;



The research revealed that as soon as holes were completed, ants were on the job repairing them. Within two and a half hours, significant progress was made and the work was often finished within twenty four hours.&nbsp;



“I was totally surprised by the results," said Wcislo. "And I was impressed by how they developed a simple way to test the idea that ants repair damage to their home.”



Anteaters often visit Cecropia trees and sometimes punch holes in branches with their sharp claws. The research group speculates that this is how the ants evolved their repairing behavior.&nbsp;



The research leaves some questions remaining though. Some of the ants did not repair holes in their homes. The factors of why or why not the repairs were made remain unclear and a good topic for future research.



The study is published in the <a href="https://jhr.pensoft.net/">Journal of Hymenoptera Research</a>.



---



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

Ants living in Cecropia trees quickly repair wounds to their host

Unrelenting swarms of Azteca ants fiercely guard the Cecropia trees...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-021-00971-3">Nature Genetics</a> has found that lychees have been grown in China since ancient times, with records of their cultivation dating back to 2,000 years ago. In fact, this radiant and flavorful fruit seemed to have been so highly esteemed by ancient Chinese that it was domesticated twice, in two different regions of the country.



Lychee is a tropical agricultural crop in the&nbsp;Sapindaceae family (including also maples and horse chestnuts). It is one of the most widespread fruit crops in Eastern Asia, and is becoming increasingly famous even in the United States, where it is often found as a flavorful ingredient in bubble gum, cocktails, or ice creams.



In this recent study, scientists used genomic analysis to peer deeper into the lychee’s history. “By sequencing and analyzing wild and cultivated lychee varieties, we were able to trace the origin and domestication history of lychee. We demonstrated that extremely early- and late-maturing cultivars were derived from independent human domestication events in Yunnan and Hainan, respectively,” explained study senior author Jianguo Li, a professor at the <a href="https://english.scau.edu.cn/">South China Agricultural University</a>.



The results suggest that wild lychees originated in the Yunnan province of southwestern China, spread east and south to Hainan Island, and then were domesticated independently in each of these two regions. According to the scientists, the evolutionary split between lychee populations in Yunnan and Hainan probably occurred around 18,000 years ago.



Besides shedding new light on the history of lychee plants, the study also provides an in-depth look at flowering time, a crucial trait in agriculture. “Early-maturing lychees versus late-maturing lychees came from different places and were domesticated independently,” said senior co-author Victor Albert, an evolutionary biologist at the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a>. “This, by itself, is an interesting story, but we also wanted to know what causes these differences: Why do these varieties fruit and flower at different times?”



By comparing the DNA of several lychee varieties, Professor Albert and his colleagues have discovered a genetic variant (a chunk of missing DNA) that can now be used to create a simple test for identifying early- versus late-blooming lychee plants. Yunnan varieties that bloom early appear to have this genetic deletion, while Hainan varieties that mature late do not have it at all.&nbsp;



“This is very useful for breeders. Because the lychee is perishable, flowering times have been important to extending the season for which the lychee is available in markets,” Albert concluded.



---



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

Genetic testing sheds new light on lychee plants

A new study published in the journal Nature Genetics has...

Although many people, myself included, find spinach wonderful as it is, some find it less palatable. Researchers from <a href="https://btiscience.org/">Boyce Thompson Institute</a> (BTI) and six different Chinese universities have set out to change spinach.



The focus is partially on the genetics of “spinach teeth,” the chalky mouthfeel caused by the plant’s concentration of oxalate. The scientists are also looking into genes that fight downy mildew, a major disease of spinach <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crops-have-a-drought-memory-that-prepares-them-for-tough-times/">crops</a>.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the study provides valuable insights into spinach evolution and domestication, as well as valuable resources to facilitate breeding.



“I think more consumers would be willing to buy spinach that has less oxalate," said BTI faculty member Zhangjun Fei who co-led the study. "Dietary oxalate can interfere with mineral absorption and may lead to kidney stones, and less oxalate would also make spinach more palatable to a wider market.”



The research provides information on producing disease resistant spinach with a different mouthfeel than traditional varieties. To accomplish this, the scientists compared the genetics of cultivated spinach to those of two wild relatives. They discovered genes that will be of particular interest to farmers.&nbsp;



Study co-author Chen Jiao is a former postdoctoral researcher with Fei’s group and now professor in the College of Agriculture and Biotechnology at Zhejiang University.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Our results provide rich resources for the spinach community, especially those working on increasing downy mildew resistance, improving leaf texture and reducing oxalate content,” said Jiao.



The researchers also sequenced the genome of 295 varieties and 10 accessions of two wild relatives. Most of the varieties of the different plants come from environmental adaptations to different locations.&nbsp;



“I think our most interesting finding is that the genetic diversity between Asian and European spinach is higher than it is between cultivated and wild spinaches, which is not very common in other crops," said Jiao. "This increases our knowledge of how human selection diversifies crop plants.”



Overall, the team identified a complex network of genetic regions that are responsible for disease resistance. They also found genes that encode for oxalates, the chemicals responsible for “spinach teeth,” and made the important discovery that oxalates are also important for the crop's survival, such as resistance to pests.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>,



---



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

Scientists are working to make spinach more appealing

Although many people, myself included, find spinach wonderful as it...

Begonia is one of the largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-plant-based-diet-may-be-a-great-way-to-start-the-new-year/">plant</a> genera, comprising over 2,050 known species all over the world. Most begonias are small weeds, measuring only a few centimeters. However, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.187.75854">PhytoKeys</a> has recently described the world’s largest specimen of a Begonia species, measuring over three meters in height and 2.5 meters in width.



In 2019, study lead author Dr. Daike Tian, a plant scientist at the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> led a research team to perform a field survey of wild Begonias in Tibet, China. While exploring the county of Mêdog, the researchers saw a huge Begonia in full bloom. This type of Begonia appeared to be a previously unknown species.



From a small population with only a few dozen individuals, the researchers collected two of the tallest ones to measure them and prepare the specimens for future studies.&nbsp;



One of the plants was 3.6 meters tall, with the thickest part of its ground stem reaching almost 12 centimeters in diameter. In order to be able to measure the tallest Begonia recorded in the entire Asian continent, Dr. Tian had to ask his driver to climb on top of the vehicle. To carry them back to Shanghai for further investigations, the researchers had to cut the plants into four sections.



Begonia gigantica, recently described as a new species, grows on forest slopes along streams at an elevation of approximately 450 to 1,400 meters. It is sparsely distributed in Southern Tibet, and was recently added in the “endangered” category on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">IUCN Red List</a>.



Starting on October 2020, visitors were able to see the enormous plant at the first Chinese Begonia show in&nbsp;<a href="https://tools.bgci.org/garden.php?id=4544">Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden</a>. Currently, the staff at the Chenshan Herbarium is applying for Guinness World Records for this extraordinary specimen.



---



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

World's tallest Begonia species discovered in Tibet

Begonia is one of the largest plant genera, comprising over...

A new grafting technique could help protect bananas and other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-can-slow-global-warming-but-they-cannot-stop-it/">plants</a> from destructive diseases. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have used embryonic tissue from certain plant seeds to promote disease resistance and other beneficial traits.&nbsp;



Grafting involves joining the shoot of one plant with the root of another so that they merge and grow together as one. Previously, experts did not believe it was possible to apply grafting to grass-like plants known as monocotyledons. This was because they lack a certain type of tissue - the vascular cambium - in their stem.



But now, the Cambridge team has demonstrated that root and shoot tissues taken from the seeds of monocotyledonous grasses can be successfully fused together. This breakthrough could benefit an estimated 60,000 types of monocotyledons, including major crops like rice and wheat.



According to the study authors, the research has implications for the control of serious soil-borne pathogens including Panama Disease, which has been destroying banana plantations for over 30 years. This disease has recently been spreading at an increasing rate, prompting fears of global banana shortages.



“We’ve achieved something that everyone said was impossible. Grafting embryonic tissue holds real potential across a range of grass-like species. We found that even distantly related species, separated by deep evolutionary time, are graft compatible,” said study senior author Professor Julian Hibberd.



A series of tests revealed that the grafting technique is effective in a range of monocotyledonous crop plants including pineapple, banana, onion, and tequila agave.



“I read back over decades of research papers on grafting and everybody said that it couldn’t be done in monocots. I was stubborn enough to keep going - for years - until I proved them wrong,” said study first author Dr. Greg Reeves.



"It’s an urgent challenge to make important food crops resistant to the diseases that are destroying them. Our technique allows us to add disease resistance, or other beneficial properties like salt-tolerance, to grass-like plants without resorting to genetic modification or lengthy breeding programs.”



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



---



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

New breakthrough will promote disease resistance in bananas

A new grafting technique could help protect bananas and other...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

News coming your way