The Amazon is a mosaic of diverse environments. According to a new study, these differences also influence the distribution of insect-borne diseases. Photo: lubasi, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0)Photo: lubasi, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

In the Amazon, diseases follow forest transformation

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A Brazilian study of more than one million cases of malaria, dengue, Chagas disease and leishmaniasis reveals how diseases cluster in distinct “health landscapes” shaped by different land-use: from forest communities to large-scale agricultural systems
Signs of wildfire damage in a tropical forest in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. While the consequences of large-scale deforestation are well documented, the effects of degradation in forests have remained much less certain until now. Photo: Thyrome, CC BY 4.0.Thyrome, CC BY 4.0.

New database reveals the climate cost of degradation in tropical forests

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Researchers have synthesized nearly four decades of data, producing one of the most comprehensive assessments ever compiled of forest carbon dynamics following disturbances and during subsequent regeneration
The slender extensions of chloroplasts have been revealed as a sophisticated cellular communication system, essential for plant survival under conditions of extreme heat, soil salinity, or drought. Photo: pxhere, CC0 Public Domain. Free for personal and commercial use. No attribution requiredpxhere, CC0 Public Domain. Free for personal and commercial use. No attribution required

The tiny “fingers” that help plants survive stress

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Una ricerca tedesca chiarisce il ruolo degli stromuli delle piante, i sottili prolungamenti dei cloroplasti che trasmettono segnali di stress al nucleo della cellula e attivano le difese contro caldo, siccità e salinità
Interaction with plant roots impacts soil health. Photo: Philip Halling CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 GenericPhilip Halling CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Why restoring soil health is a win-win for farmers and the environment

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More than half of Europe’s soils are degraded. Researchers are showing that restoring soil through better farming makes both ecological and financial sense
Some viruses can help enhance the bioremediation of contaminated soil, which is one of the major global environmental challenges. Photo: pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution requiredpxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

Here are the viruses that help clean up contaminated soil

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Uno studio australiano propone di sfruttare i virus batteriofagi per potenziare i batteri che degradano gli inquinanti, aprendo nuove prospettive per il biorisanamento del suolo
Brazilian Amazon. In the future, the forest's ability to restore normal emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds may become progressively impaired. Photo: Neil Palmer/CIAT. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).Photo: Neil Palmer/CIAT. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

When El Niño-related drought strikes, Amazon forest turns to chemical self-defense

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A study shows how the rainforest altered its volatile compound emissions during the most severe drought ever recorded in the Amazon, triggering a mechanism with implications for the atmosphere
Experimental Salicornia plots at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture. The global phenomenon of soil salinization has spurred research into natural strategies that can increase plant resilience. Photo: Charbel El Khouri - International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, CC BY-SA 4.0Photo: Charbel El Khouri - International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, CC BY-SA 4.0

Here is how soil bacteria can save crops from salinization

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An international study has identified soil bacteria that naturally boost plants' resistance to soil salinization stress. The discovery opens up new opportunities for an agriculture that relies less on fertilizers
In the south-western United States, climate change and the build-up of plant matter are fuelling increasingly extreme wildfires. Photo: Eric Coulter, Public Domain Mark 1.0 UniversalEric Coulter, Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal

In California, the most devastating wildfires are the new normal

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Uno studio mostra come il cambiamento climatico e la gestione delle foreste abbiano trasformato la natura prevalente degli incendi. Dal 2012 sono più comuni i roghi ad alta intensità, con conseguenze ambientali ed economiche sempre più gravi
Individuare nuovi operatori capaci di impegnarsi nella tutela del suolo in Europa e di contribuire in prima persona al progresso della ricerca scientifica. È questo l'obiettivo della seconda open call lanciata dal progetto ECHO

ECHO is back: seeking new Soil Ambassadors across Europe

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The second open call for the ECHO project aims to expand the network of citizens, teachers, farmers and organisations involved in soil monitoring and conservation activities using a citizen science approach
Palm oil production in Brazil. Biodiversity loss linked to agriculture is concentrated in tropical areas, which account for almost 80 per cent of the total impact. Photo: Miguel Pinheiro/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DeedMiguel Pinheiro/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed

Palm, coconut and soybean oil account for 1.5 per cent of global biodiversity loss

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A new study reveals that these three oil crops alone are responsible for around 75% of the biodiversity loss linked to agricultural expansion. A consequence of growing demand for many everyday products

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