An electric current can clear vineyard weeds as effectively as herbicides and mowing, scientists have shown. It offers growers a chemical‑free option that performs well in real‑world conditions while posing only a minor seasonal fire risk.



The discovery comes from research led by  Catherine Borger and Miranda Slaven from <a href="https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-primary-industries-and-regional-development">Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development</a>. 



Working with the <a href="https://zasso.com/">Zasso XPower</a> system, the team compared electric weeding with glyphosate spraying and mowing during two consecutive spring seasons.



The findings give fresh momentum to electric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boosting-crop-colors-with-gene-editing-can-improve-weed-control/">weed control</a> at a time when herbicide resistance and consumer concern over chemical residues are on the rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-high-voltage-weeding">Testing high-voltage weeding</h2>



The trials took place in 2022 and 2023 at four commercial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wine-production-in-a-warming-world-the-winners-and-losers/">vineyards</a> near Yallingup, a cool‑climate wine region south of Perth. 



Each site carried dense spring growth. It was dominated by annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fairy-circles-kill-all-newly-planted-grasses-deepening-their-mystery/">grasses</a> such as rigid ryegrass and long‑flowered veldtgrass, as well as sprawling legumes and hardy kikuyu.



Researchers mounted a 36 kW power unit on a tractor and fitted retractable electrode arrays to reach beneath vine canopies.



Traveling at a cautious 0.7 to 0.9 mph, they applied either the full 48-horsepower or a reduced 32-horsepower setting to each vine row.



Parallel plots received a standard tank mix of glyphosate plus amitrole or were mown at a height of 2 inches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effective-alternative-to-herbicides">Effective alternative to herbicides</h2>



The researchers harvested the biomass five weeks later, and the numbers were clear.



Electric weeding at either power level removed 84 to 87 percent of weed mass. This matched the 88 percent weed removal rate that glyphosate achieved. Mowing lagged behind at 65 percent.



“We show electric weed control in viticulture has comparable efficiency to that achieved by herbicides,” Borger said.



Just as important for growers, repeated NDVI scans confirmed that neither voltage setting injured the grapevines themselves; canopy greenness and shoot growth were identical across all treatments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-good-fit-for-organics">Good fit for organics</h2>



Electric pulses kill by puncturing plant tissues and burning roots, and they bring several advantages that chemicals cannot match.



“These advantages include no chemical residues in the environment or food, no rain‑fast period after application, no restrictions on use in windy conditions, no chemical resistance and no impacts on neighboring vegetation or waterways," noted Borger.



The benefits carry particular weight in Australian viticulture. More than six percent of production is now certified organic, and herbicide‑resistant ryegrass threatens many conventional blocks.



“Electric weed control will be of particular importance for organic growers,” Borger added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-of-electric-weeding">Limits of electric weeding</h2>



The technology is not without drawbacks. The disadvantages include slow application speed and high fuel usage.



Fire was the other concern. To quantify the danger, the researchers applied electricity to plots covered with dry barley straw and oat hay. 



Sparks ignited debris only when plant residues were bone‑dry and the tractor moved slowly. Doubling ground speed cut sparks by 90 percent. Real vineyard passes in damp spring conditions produced no ignition at all.



“In every field experiment we conducted during spring, there were zero fires, and this is the most common time of year for weed management in Western Australia,” Borger said.



“Electric weed control is suitable for use in winter/spring weed management within the Mediterranean climate but not for control of summer or autumn weeds.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-integrating-electric-weeding">Integrating electric weeding</h2>



Taken together, the findings suggest a practical pathway for growers. Electric treatment can substitute for one or two spring herbicide applications, reducing chemical load and slowing resistance. Conventional spraying or mowing can still tidy escapes later in the season.



Adoption may accelerate as autonomous tractors become common in vineyards. Slow operating speeds are far less costly when machines can run unattended.



Further work will test performance at higher speeds, different soil moistures, and against perennial weeds with deeper reserves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sustainable-weed-control">Sustainable weed control</h2>



By proving that electric weeders can match chemicals under commercial conditions, Borger’s team has electrified the weed‑control debate. They have also supplied rare quantitative data on fire risk, giving growers concrete guidance on when and how to use the tools safely.



If follow‑up trials confirm similar benefits in orchards and row‑crop systems, voltage could become a central pillar of integrated weed management. 



Electric weed control would help farmers meet market demands for cleaner produce while protecting the efficacy of precious herbicides.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/weed-science/article/electric-weed-controlhow-does-it-compare-to-conventional-weed-control-methods/488C45B191B97E84E34257E80EB9CFC6">Weed Science</a>.



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Killing weeds without chemicals - the future may be electric

An electric current can clear vineyard weeds as effectively as herbicides and mowing, scientists have shown. It offers growers a chemical‑free option that performs well in real‑world conditions while posing only a minor seasonal fire risk. The discovery comes from research led by  Catherine Borger and Miranda Slaven from Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Working with the Zasso XPower system, the team compared electric weeding with glyphosate spraying and mowing during two consecutive spring seasons. The findings give fresh momentum to electric weed control at a...

Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees, Maui, Hawaii, USA

Eucalyptus trees can be genetically modified to prevent them from reproducing and invading native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-ecosystems-are-needed-to-prevent-future-pandemics/">ecosystems</a>, according to a study from <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>. 

The advanced gene editing technique used by the researchers was nearly 100 percent efficient in knocking out the master gene behind flower formation, known as LEAFY.

"The flowers never developed to the point where ovules, pollen or fertile seeds were observed," said Professor Steven Strauss. "And there was no detectable negative effect on tree growth or form." 

"A field study should be the next step to take a more careful look at stability of the vegetative and floral sterility traits, but with physical gene mutation we expect high reliability over the life of the trees."

There are more than 700 species of eucalyptus, and most of them are native to Australia. The study was focused on a hybrid of two species, Eucalyptus grandis and E. urophylla, that is commonly found in the Southern Hemisphere.

"Roughly 7% of the world's forests are plantations, and 25% of that plantation area contains non-native species and hybrids," said study lead author Estefania Elorriaga. 

"Eucalyptus is one of the most widely planted genera of forest trees, particularly the 5.7 million hectares of eucalyptus in Brazil, the 4.5 million hectares in China and 3.9 million hectares in India."

According to the researchers, these plantings can lead to undesirable mingling with native ecosystems. Therefore, eliminating the ability of eucalyptus trees to sexually reproduce would be an effective way to reduce the potential for invasive spreading.

"This was the first successful application of CRISPR to solve a commercial problem in forest trees," said Elorriaga. "Research with CRISPR in forest trees to modify different traits is ongoing in many laboratories around the world. Global warming is having large impacts on forests of all kinds, and gene editing may be an important new breeding tool to supplement conventional methods."

Strauss said that despite the promising findings, trees genetically modified as they were in this research could not legally be planted in Brazil, where the cultivation of eucalyptus trees is highly profitable.

"The trait could not be used there due to laws against modifying plant reproduction with recombinant DNA methods," explained Strauss. 

"It would also be disallowed for field research or commercial use under sustainable forest management certification in many parts of the world - something scientists have come together to severely criticize in recent years."

Strauss recently joined a coalition of forestry researchers to call for a review of what they see as overly restrictive policies regarding biotech research.

"Hopefully, studies like this one, that show how precise and safe the technology can be in modifying traits, and that help to promote ecological safety, will help to change regulations and certification rules. Happily, such discussions are well underway in many nations."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14677652">Plant Biotechnology Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Eucalyptus trees can be modified to prevent invasive spreading

Eucalyptus trees can be genetically modified to prevent them from...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society</a>, experts warn that there is much uncertainty regarding how mammals will respond to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-cut-agricultural-productivity-by-21-percent/">climate</a> change, especially in regions that are the most vulnerable. 

While it is known that nearly 25 percent of mammal species are threatened with extinction, the threats associated with climate change are complex and not well understood. This is because different environmental changes have multiple effects on the lives of animals, including survival and reproduction.

The current study, conducted by an international team of researchers from 15 institutions, has found that most research on terrestrial mammals has not investigated the full range of effects brought on by climate change.

Out of the 5,728 terrestrial mammal species reviewed by the researchers, only 106 studies were found that examined both survival and reproduction at the same time. These studies involved only 87 species, or less than one percent of all terrestrial mammals.

"Researchers often publish results on the effects of climate on survival or on reproduction - and not both. But only in rare cases does a climatic variable (say, temperature) consistently negatively or positively affect all studied rates of survival and reproduction." said study lead author Dr. Maria Paniw of the University of Zurich.

For example, hotter temperatures may decrease the number of offspring, but if those offspring have less competition they also have a better chance of survival. In this case, the population size would not necessarily be affected. 

However, if higher temperatures decrease both reproduction and survival, the potential impacts on a group of mammals would be underestimated.

The study also revealed that experts have learned very little about the potential climate impacts on mammals in the most vulnerable regions of the world. 

"We were surprised by the lack of data on high-altitude (alpine) mammals. Climate change is expected to be very pronounced in higher elevations." said Dr Paniw. 

"In our review, we had a few alpine species, such as yellow-bellied marmots and plateau pikas, but I was expecting a study or two on iconic species such as snow leopards.

"To inform evidence-based conservation, we need to prioritize more holistic approaches in data collection and integration to understand the mechanisms that drive population persistence."

"There are many reasons why this data isn't being captured. An important aspect is that collecting such data requires long-term investment without immediate returns, which has not been favored by many funding agencies and is also logistically challenging. These challenges are compounded in climate-vulnerable regions, which include many countries with underfunded infrastructure for long-term ecological research."

The researchers plan to conduct similar reviews on animal groups that are not as well-studied as mammals, such insects and amphibians. 

"I would like to foster collaborations that will jumpstart new research and 'repurpose' existing data in climate-vulnerable areas of the globe to fill the knowledge gaps we identified in our work," said Dr. Paniw.

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652656">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It remains unclear which mammals can survive climate change

In a new study published by the British Ecological Society,...

Male baboons who achieve a high social rank do not live as long as males with lower social status, according to a new study from <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>. The experts found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epigenetic-passed-future-generations/">epigenetic</a> marks associated with a struggle for dominance that speed up aging.

Using blood samples collected from 245 wild baboons in Kenya, the researchers examined chemical genetic modifications known as DNA methylation marks.

"Environmental stressors can make the clock tick faster, so that some individuals appear biologically older than their actual age and experience a higher risk of age-related disease," explained study co-first author Jordan Anderson.

"We sought to answer what social or early life experiences contribute to accelerated aging in baboons."

Methylation marks are found throughout the entire genome. The team measured about 400,000 of these sites and then narrowed that number down to about 500 sites which best predicted age.

Surprisingly, adversity in early life did not affect the rate of aging among male baboons. The strongest relevant factor was found to be social status. 

"Male baboons who compete successfully for high social status appear to age faster," said study senior author Professor Jenny Tung. "We repeatedly sampled some of these males and were able to show that the clock can speed up or slow down as males move up or down the social ladder."

Higher body mass index, which is associated with having more lean muscle mass in baboons, was also associated with accelerated aging. This is likely because of the physical demands that come along with maintaining high social status. 

The researchers found that aging speeds up as the animals climb the social ladder. By contrast, if a male drops in social status, there is a corresponding drop in his rate of aging.

The study authors explained that the reason the baboons work so hard to achieve a high-stress social status is for the sake of having offspring.

"If male baboons are going to have babies, they need to achieve high rank," said Professor Tung. "They will have very little chance to leave offspring if they don't achieve high rank, which creates a powerful evolutionary motivation."

"While the findings reveal how social pressures can influence aging for males, we don't see the same effect of rank in female baboons, who are born into their social rank rather than having to fight for it."

"Our results have important implications for research on the social determinants of health in humans and other animals because they show that 'high status' can mean very different things in different contexts. They also highlight the importance of examining the effects of both early life and current life environments on biological aging."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/">eLife</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Male baboons age faster as they climb the social ladder

Male baboons who achieve a high social rank do not...

Over the last 50 years, annual rainfall has become less predictable and dry periods have become longer across most of the western United States, according to a new report from the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>.

"Changes in precipitation have far‐reaching consequences for socio-ecological systems, especially in water‐limited regions such as those common in the western U.S.," wrote the researchers.

"While the total amount of precipitation is important for these systems, key aspects of precipitation timing, such as the length of dry periods between precipitation events, can strongly influence ecosystem services including ecosystem carbon uptake, productivity for grazing and forage, wildfire frequency, and intensity, and water availability for societal use."

Study co-senior author Joel Biederman is a research hydrologist with the ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson, Arizona. He explained that total yearly rainfall has decreased by an average of four inches, while the longest dry period in each year increased from 20 to 32 days across the West.

"The greatest changes in drought length have taken place in the desert Southwest. The average dry period between storms in the 1970s was about 30 days; now that has grown to 45 days," said Biederman.

"Consistency of rainfall, or the lack of it, is often more important than the total amount of rain when it comes to forage continuing to grow for livestock and wildlife, for dryland farmers to produce crops, and for the mitigation of wildfire risks."

The rate of increasing variability of rainfall appears to be accelerating. Exceptions to these drought patterns were found in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; parts of Montana and Wyoming; and the most western parts of North and South Dakota. In these regions, the researchers noted some increases in total annual rainfall and decreases in drought intervals. 

Together, these changes support what models have predicted as a consequence of climate change: a northward shift in the mid-latitude jet stream, which brings moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the western United States, explained Biederman.

For the investigation, the researchers used actual rainfall data from 337 weather stations spread across the western United States. This revealed variability that is often overlooked by the more common use of "gridded" data.  

"Fangyue Zhang, lead author of the manuscript and a post-doctoral researcher on our team, did the hard, painstaking work of compiling and analyzing data from more than 300 weather stations with complete daily records to reveal these changing drought and rainfall patterns," said Biederman.

Study co-senior author William K. Smith of the University of Arizona said the team was surprised to find widespread changes in precipitation have already occurred across large regions of the West.

"For regions such as the desert Southwest, where changes clearly indicate a trend towards longer, more erratic droughts, research is urgently needed to help mitigate detrimental impacts on ecosystem carbon uptake, forage availability, wildfire activity, and water availability for people."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Western U.S. hit by widespread changes in precipitation

Over the last 50 years, annual rainfall has become less...

Rising temperatures are signalling crops to flower too early and become less productive. Global warming is expected to reduce crop yields by as much as one third in the next three decades. 

But now, experts at <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">UC Riverside</a> have identified two genes that help plants sense heat. The research may ultimately enable scientists to engineer heat-resistant crops that are able to thrive despite global warming.

"We need plants that can endure warmer temperatures, have a longer time to flower and a longer growth period," said Professor Meng Chen. "But, to be able to modify plants' temperature responses, you first have to understand how they work. So, that's why identifying this gene that enables heat response is so important."

The experts report that a shift in ambient growth temperature of only a few degrees can significantly alter the expression of hundreds of temperature-responsive genes, resulting in dramatic adaptive responses in plant development, growth, metabolism, and immunity.

"Because increases in global temperature are expected to drastically reduce crop productivity, understanding the mechanism of temperature signaling has become imminent to create a knowledge base for devising strategies to sustain crop production in a changing climate," wrote the study authors. 

Professor Chen and his colleagues identified the heat-sensing gene HEMERA two years ago. They used an experiment to search for other genes that may be involved in heat response.

The team engineered a mutant Arabidopsis plant so that it was completely insensitive to temperature, and then modified it once again to become reactive.

While examining the genes of this twice-mutated plant, the team discovered a second gene, RCB, which works closely with HEMERA to stabilize the heat-sensing function. "If you knock out either gene, your plant is no longer sensitive to temperature," said Professor Chen.

The two genes, HEMERA and RCB, are needed to control the abundance of a group of master regulatory genes that perform multiple functions, such as turning plants green and responding to light and temperature.

Going forward, Professor Chen says his laboratory will focus on understanding how these two parts of the cell communicate and work together to achieve growth, greening, flowering, and other functions.

"When you change light or temperature, genes in both the nucleus and chloroplasts change their expression. We think HEMERA and RCB are involved in coordinating gene expression between these two cell compartments," explained Professor Chen.

The ultimate goal is to achieve the ability to modify temperature response to secure the future of the global food supply.

"We were excited to find this second gene," said Professor Chen. "It's a new piece of the puzzle. Once we understand how it all works, we can modify it, and help crops cope better with climate change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study identifies genes that control heat response in crops

Rising temperatures are signalling crops to flower too early and...

Scientists are seeking inspiration from plants and animals to create medical implants with antibacterial surfaces. The wings of insects and other natural surfaces have evolved the ability to kill bacteria on contact, and the experts hope these remarkable features can translate into healthcare materials.

In a new study from <a href="https://publishing.aip.org/">AIP Publishing</a>, an interdisciplinary team of researchers has turned its attention to surfaces like dragonfly wings and lotus leaves that have natural antibacterial properties to optimize medical implants.

"Objects in nature have such unique features, like spikes sharper than a bacterium, which give them the power of disturbing and killing a bacterium, making them antibacterial," said study co-author Saurav Goel of London South Bank University. "We can make these features with our ultraprecision engineering instruments."

Many studies have identified various mechanisms by which natural surfaces kill bacteria, including chemical reactions, the roughness of the surface, or the ability of bacteria to rest on the surface. However, the commercial exploitation of these discoveries has been virtually nonexistent. 

According to the researchers, the lack of real-world application is partially due to the need for suitable manufacturing techniques that can produce these nature-inspired features with controlled accuracy on a large scale. Goel describes this as one of the major puzzles faced by 21st-century applied physics.

The experts are developing a new laser-based technique that can modify the surface properties of a material by manufacturing the desired features in a freeform manner based on 3D computer models.

Once the new technique is fully developed and refined, the researchers plan to create a prototype of an implant with an antibacterial surface.

"The end goal is a prosthesis that I can implant with clinical evidence that it kills bacteria and reduces the infection rate," said study co-author Oliver Pearce of Milton Keynes University Hospital in Buckinghamshire, England.

The vast majority of infections associated with implants are caused by staphylococci and streptococci. Eradicating their effect would reduce infections by up to 90 percent, according to the study authors. The technology would be applicable to prosthetics in all parts of the body.

"It's simplistic to have an advanced surface that kills bacteria and to say that the infection problem is eradicated," said Pearce. "It won't eliminate all infections, but in my mind, it will make the rate significantly lower."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/are">Applied Physics Reviews</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dragonfly wings inspire antibacterial medical implants

Scientists are seeking inspiration from plants and animals to create...

Climate change is creating agricultural challenges on a global scale. A new study from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> reveals how climate change is impacting coffee production in Colombia, the third largest producer in the world. 

The experts report that the effects on Colombian coffee beans vary widely depending on where they are grown. 

"Colombia is a large country with a very distinct geography. The Andes Mountains cross the country from its southwest to northeast corner. Colombian coffee is currently growing in areas with different altitude levels, and climate impacts will likely be very different for low altitude and high altitude regions," said study co-author Professor Sandy Dall'Erba.

Previous studies that have investigated the effects of climate change on Colombian coffee production have focused on either the entire country, or on a few regions within the country. 

The current study accounted for the entire country broken down into 521 municipalities, which allowed the researchers to identify significant regional variations.

"Colombia is not going to experience reduced productivity overall. But when we look into the impact across municipalities, we see many differences that get lost in the national average. That has important implications for coffee growers who live in one municipality versus another," explained study lead author Federico Ceballos-Sierra.

"Low-altitude municipalities will be negatively affected by climate change, and thousands of growers and their families in these areas will see their livelihood jeopardized because productivity is likely to fall below their breakeven point by mid-century."

At the national level, the team estimates that coffee productivity will increase by 7.6 percent over the next four decades. This estimate covers a wide margin of spatial differences, including a 16 percent increase in high altitude regions at 5,000 feet above sea level and an 8.1 percent decrease in low altitude regions. 

The study shows that areas which are now marginal for coffee production will benefit from rising temperatures, while areas that are currently prime coffee growing locations will become too hot and dry.

Ceballos-Sierra grew up on a coffee farm in the Tolima district of Colombia and has seen firsthand how changing climate conditions affect production.

"My family's farm is about 1,900 meters above sea level. Twenty years ago, people would consider that an upper marginal coffee growing area. But now we're getting significant improvements in yield," said Ceballos-Sierra.

At the same time, coffee growers in lowland areas are experiencing decreasing yields. In these regions, pests such as the coffee bean borer are becoming more aggressive and prevalent.

"In the future it will be more beneficial to grow coffee higher up in the mountains. So for those who can afford it, buying land in those areas would be a good investment," said Professor Dall'Erba. 

"The government might want to consider building infrastructures such as roads, water systems, electricity, and communication towers that would allow farmers in more elevated places to easily access nearby hubs and cities where they can sell their crops. We would expect more settlements and an increasing need for public services in those locations."

Relocation is expensive, however, and will not be an option for most of Colombia's 550,000 smallholder coffee growers. These farmers will need to find other ways to adapt, including new strategies such as more frequent irrigation, increased use of forest shade, or shifting to different coffee varieties and additional crops.

"Our research presents what we anticipate will happen 20 to 40 years from now, given current conditions and practices," said Professor Dall'Erba.

"Future studies can look into different adaptation strategies and their costs, and evaluate which options are best. Beyond the 40-year horizon we focus on, the prospects might be grimmer without adaptation. Production cannot keep moving to higher levels. Indeed, no mountain top is above 5,800 meters (18,000 feet) in Colombia."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/agricultural-systems">Agricultural Systems</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Colombian coffee production will increase, but not at low altitudes

Climate change is creating agricultural challenges on a global scale....

Seafood is lacking in nutrients in ecosystems where the number of species have been reduced by overfishing, pollution, or climate change, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>. 

On the other hand, the experts report that high levels of biodiversity in marine environments supply a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids to seafood.

Study co-author Joey Bernhardt is a G. Evelyn Hutchinson postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He said that the research showed that biodiversity is crucial to human health.

The experts said that while humans can achieve their protein requirements with seafood from less-diverse systems, meeting their need for key nutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc requires high levels of biodiversity. 

According to Bernhardt, seafood sourced from biodiverse ecosystems can help combat a phenomenon known as "hidden hunger," in which people have access to enough calories, but not enough micronutrients.

The impacts of low marine biodiversity on human health are especially pronounced in coastal populations that are heavily dependent on seafood in their diets.

In collaboration with study co-author Mary I. O'Connor of the University of British Columbia, Bernhardt analyzed more than 7,000 nutrient samples from 801 marine and freshwater finfish and invertebrates. 

The analysis revealed that different species have distinct and complementary nutrient profiles. There was little difference in the protein content among the marine species, but concentrations of micronutrients - such as iron, calcium and essential fatty acids - varied significantly.

The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and preserving biodiversity in changing aquatic ecosystems across the globe, noted the study authors.

"While we have known that biodiversity on land is important for benefits such as forest production, this study provides new evidence that the benefits of biodiversity in oceans and freshwaters are as great as on land," said Bernhardt. 

"Ecological concepts of biodiversity can deepen our understanding of nature's benefits to people and unite sustainability goals for biodiversity and human well-being."

The study is 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

Biodiversity supports healthier seafood

Seafood is lacking in nutrients in ecosystems where the number...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a> describes how wildlife diversity helps to protect human health. The experts report that restoring and preserving nature is critical for preventing future pandemics. 

The researchers note that a growing collection of evidence suggests that biodiversity loss increases our exposure to both new and established zoonotic pathogens.

"There's a persistent myth that wild areas with high levels of biodiversity are hotspots for disease. More animal diversity must equal more dangerous pathogens. But this turns out to be wrong. Biodiversity isn't a threat to us, it's actually protecting us from the species most likely to make us sick," explained study lead author Professor Felicia Keesing.

Zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 and Ebola are caused by pathogens that can jump from animals to humans. However, animal species vary in their ability to pass along infectious pathogens.

"Research is mounting that species that thrive in developed and degraded landscapes are often much more efficient at harboring pathogens and transmitting them to people," said study co-author and disease ecologist Rick Ostfeld.

"In less-disturbed landscapes with more animal diversity, these risky reservoirs are less abundant and biodiversity has a protective effect."

The mammals that are mostly likely to pass along infectious pathogens to humans include rodents, bats, primates, and carnivores. "The next emerging pathogen is far more likely to come from a rat than a rhino," said the researchers. 

This is because animals with fast life histories tend to be more efficient at transmitting pathogens, explained Professor Keesing, 

"Animals that live fast, die young, and have early sexual maturity with lots of offspring tend to invest less in their adaptive immune responses. They are often better at transmitting diseases, compared to longer-lived animals with stronger adaptive immunity."

As biodiversity is lost in an ecosystem, smaller species that live fast and die young tend to be more successful. Previous studies have shown that human development typically increases the abundance of zoonotic host species, bringing people and risky animals closer together.

"When we erode biodiversity, we favor species that are more likely to be zoonotic hosts, increasing our risk of spillover events," said Ostfeld. "Managing this risk will require a better understanding of how things like habitat conversion, climate change, and overharvesting affect zoonotic hosts, and how restoring biodiversity to degraded areas might reduce their abundance."

"Restoration of biodiversity is an important frontier in the management of zoonotic disease risk. Those pathogens that do spill over to infect humans - zoonotic pathogens - often proliferate as a result of human impacts," said Professor Keesing.

"As we rebuild our communities after COVID-19, we need to have firmly in mind that one of our best strategies to prevent future pandemics is to protect, preserve, and restore biodiversity."

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="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Preserving nature is key for preventing future pandemics

A new study from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies...

Researchers at <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/">Tel Aviv University</a> are describing a potential new defense mechanism that fireflies use to protect themselves from <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/male-bats-have-a-secret-mating-weapon/">bats</a>. The experts have discovered that fireflies seem to create a "musical shield" to deter bats from attacking them. 

According to the study, fireflies produce strong ultrasonic sounds that are inaudible to the human ear, as well as to the insects themselves.  The researchers theorize that the ultrasonic sounds are meant for the ears of bats to keep them away.

The light flashes used by fireflies for mating also serve as a warning to potential predators that they are poisonous. However, bats have poor vision, which means that a flashing light would have little effect on them. 

Since bats are among the fireflies' most prevalent predators, the researchers believe the insects may have developed an alternative defense mechanism. 

Professor Yossi Yovel explained that the idea for this study came up accidentally, during a study that tracked bats' echolocation. 

"We were wandering around a tropical forest with microphones capable of recording bats' high frequencies, when suddenly, we detected unfamiliar sounds at similar frequencies, coming from fireflies," said Professor Yovel.

Study lead author and PhD student Ksenia Krivoruchku explained that the analysis of high-speed video footage revealed that the fireflies produce the sounds by moving their wings, and that the fireflies themselves cannot hear this frequency. "Consequently we hypothesized that the sound is not intended for any internal communication within the species," said Krivoruchku.

The researchers examined three different species of fireflies that are commonly found in Vietnam. They confirmed that all of the species produce the unique ultrasonic sounds, yet cannot hear them.

Professor Yovel explained that the study did not conclusively determine that fireflies have developed the special defense mechanism specifically for bats. At the same time, there are several findings that point to this conclusion. 

For example, the fact that the fireflies cannot hear the sounds themselves, while bats can both hear and use them to locate the insects, indicates that the noise is likely produced as a warning signal. 

Krivoruochku noted that the discovery that fireflies use ultrasonic sounds is, in itself, an important contribution to the study of predator-prey relations. 

"The idea of warning signals that the sender itself cannot detect is known from the world of plants but is quite rare among animals," said Krivoruchku.

"Our discovery of the 'musical battle' between fireflies and bats may pave the way for further research, and possibly the discovery of a new defense mechanism developed by animals against potential predators."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study hints at a secret "musical battle" between fireflies and bats

Researchers at Tel Aviv University are describing a potential new...

A new study from <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> indicates that summertime lightning storms in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-arctic-sea-ice-threaten-polar-bears-and-narwhals/">Arctic</a> will soon become much more common as the weather in northern regions is transformed by global warming. 

The researchers found that lightning strikes in the Arctic Circle, which are rarely seen today, will increase by about 100 percent by the end of this century as a result of rising temperatures.

"We projected how lightning in high-latitude boreal forests and Arctic tundra regions will change across North America and Eurasia," said study lead author Yang Chen. "The size of the lightning response surprised us because expected changes at mid-latitudes are much smaller."

Study co-author Professor James Randerson was part of a NASA-led field campaign that studied wildfire occurrence in Alaska during 2015, which was a extreme year for wildfires in the state. 

"2015 was an exceptional fire year because of a record number of fire starts," said Professor Randerson. "One thing that got us thinking was that lightning was responsible for the record-breaking number of fires."

The researchers analyzed more than two decades of NASA satellite data on lighting strikes in northern regions. Based on climate projections from multiple models used by the United Nations, the experts predict a significantly higher number of lightning strikes, which will result from increases in atmospheric convection and more intense thunderstorms.

An increase in the occurrence of lightning could cause a range of issues in the Arctic. Professor Randerson noted that fires burn away short grasses, mosses, and shrubs that are important components of Arctic tundra ecosystems. These plants cover much of the landscape and have many functions, such as keeping the seeds of trees from taking root in the soil.

Once low-lying plants are burned, evergreen forests could expand north and replace what is typically a snow-covered landscape. While snow reflects sunlight back out into space, darker forests will absorb solar energy and contribute to Arctic warming.

Lightning-induced fires in the Arctic would also destroy permafrost, releasing carbon that has been stored in organic materials for centuries. This organic carbon would be released as carbon dioxide and drive regional warming even further. 

According to the researchers, scientists need to start paying more attention to the frequency of Arctic lightning strikes in order to gauge how the story will unfold in the coming decades.

"This phenomenon is very sporadic, and it's very difficult to measure accurately over long time periods," said Professor Randerson. "It's so rare to have lightning above the Arctic Circle." 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lightning strikes will increase by 100 percent in the Arctic

A new study from UC Irvine indicates that summertime lightning...

The environment in which humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-help-children-improve-their-confidence-and-social-skills/">dogs</a> live has an effect on their reproductive health, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>.

The researchers analyzed the link between geographical location and polluting chemicals present in dog testes, some of which are known to affect reproductive health. 

"In humans and dogs, a temporal decline in semen quality and increased incidence of testicular cancer is hypothesised to be associated with exposure to anthropogenic chemicals, particularly during fetal development," wrote the researchers.

"Human studies suggest that differential exposures to environmental chemicals may be associated with geographical differences in male reproductive health."

The experts chose to focus their study on dogs because they share the same environment as people and are effectively exposed to the same household chemicals as their owners.

The investigation revealed that the chemicals present, as well as any abnormalities in the testes, were different depending on where the dogs lived. 

"For the first time, we have shown that the profile of chemical pollutants found in dog testes depends on where they are from," said study lead author Dr. Rebecca Sumner.

"We have also shown that the same cohorts of dog testes also show geographic differences in testicular pathology and evidence of an imbalance in cells that are important for sperm production."

The researchers noted that for more than seven decades, the potential effects of anthropogenic chemicals on human male fertility have been of significant concern. 

"A series of widely cited meta-analyses have reported a temporal decline in human male semen quality and, over the same period, both increased incidences of testicular germ cell cancer in younger men and malformations of babies at birth have been reported," wrote the study authors. 

"This has led to the hypothesis that these abnormalities are linked to exposure to chemical pollutants and that these developmental and functional abnormalities have the same environmental origin."

Professor Gary England said the current study is of pivotal importance because it used dogs as a sentinel species for humans to focus directly on the testis, where chemicals are likely to influence male reproductive function.

"This work is significant since collectively, these findings indicate that environmental exposures are determined by location and this may underpin regional differences in male reproductive health."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reproductive health is impacted by geographic location

The environment in which humans and dogs live has an...

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.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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"

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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

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