Mountain Hayfields Can Filter Nutrients and Support Clean Water

Irrigated mountain hayfields can act as large filtration systems that reduce sediment, phosphorus and other contaminants from runoff, sometimes improving the quality of water flowing back into the environment, Colorado State University research has found.

Natural Restoration Is Key to Reviving Threatened Tropical Rainforests

As nations race to restore ecosystems and curb climate change, research has shown that letting nature do the work is a cost-effective and viable solution. 

Dark Boreal Forests of Canada Absorb Enough Heat to Cancel Up to a Fifth of Their Climate Benefit, Scientists Warn

Dense evergreen plantations in Canada’s boreal forest absorb so much winter sunlight that the resulting surface warming can offset 6 to 20 percent of the climate benefit they are credited with. 

The Changing Shape of Extreme Rain in the U.S.

Extreme precipitation events are among the most damaging natural disasters and a major concern in our changing climate.

MIT Engineers Connect Bacteria to Create Living Transistors

MIT researchers have engineered bacteria that can function as transistors, allowing the team to create living “circuit boards” that can be printed onto a growth medium in a Petri dish.

As a UF Student and NVIDIA Intern, I’m Using Agricultural AI to Help Transform Global Food Production

When people hear that I am completing my doctorate in agricultural and biological engineering at UF, they often assume my work is confined to farmland, crop yields and tractors.

Research Confirms Tropical Regions as Historic Methane Source

A new analysis of ice cores collected from the Andes in Peru has produced the first global record of historical tropical methane, filling a critical gap in our understanding of the origins of Earth’s greenhouse gases.

Antarctica’s Brief Rebound was Caused by Climate Variability, Not a ‘New Normal’

Between 2021 and 2023, Antarctica appeared to be growing.

Buildings That Cool Like African Elephants

During sunny and sweltering summer days, much relief comes from sweat.

Plants Could Transform How We Measure Tidal Marshes

Growing up in New Jersey, Emily Wilson regularly passed tidal marshes without giving them much thought. They were part of the coastal landscape—stretches of green and blue she saw from the road.

It wasn’t until she began studying environmental science as an undergraduate that she realized how remarkable they were—plants thriving in salty, waterlogged environments amidst the constant ebb and flow of tides.

Today, as a Boston University PhD candidate in Earth & Environment, Wilson studies those same ecosystems—and has discovered that the plants she once drove past may hold important information to more accurately track the global climate.

Read more at: Boston University

Photo Credit: Emily Wilson, Boston University