Microbes may be a viable solution to managing desertification. Photo: Richard Allaway CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 GenericPhoto: Richard Allaway CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

Microbes are a key resource for slowing desertification

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Chinese investigation shows how microbes play a relevant role in countering desertification through their ability to manage essential soil nutrients
Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, have a high iron content and can be used to produce biological fertilizers. Photo: Josef Reischig CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 UnportedJosef Reischig CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Cyanobacteria are amazing biofertilizers for soil

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According to a U.S. study, cyanobacteria or "blue-green algae" can be used to produce a biofertilizer suitable for iron-poor soils, thus turning into a valuable natural resource for farmers
The survey on the effect of biodiversity in countering exotic species was arealized in Chapada dos Veados National Park, west-central Brazil. Photo: Eliane de Castro CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 InternationalEliane de Castro CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

When restoring ecosystems, biodiversity is the key

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Brazilian study highlights how the use of increased biodiversity of reintroduced species in restoration areas limits the colonization of invasive species
Japan's forests trap about 420 trillion airborne microplastics per year in their canopies. Photo: ajay_suresh CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Genericajay_suresh CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

Forests keep us from breathing in microplastics

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Airborne microplastics latch onto tree leaves, explains a Japanese study. In this way, forests act as sinks thereby limiting their uptake by humans
To measure the effectiveness of biodiversity protection strategies, researchers analyzed the distribution of forest bird habitat in Colombia. Photo: Halfpaap CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 GenericPhoto: Halfpaap CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

In biodiversity protection, choosing the right areas halves the costs

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This is supported by an Australian study: in protecting biodiversity it is better to target smaller but more at-risk areas. The goal is to achieve greater convenience and better results
Degradation of peatlands generates 5% of anthropogenic emissions. Photo: Pixabay, Pixabay LicencePixabay, Pixabay Licence

Drainage channels in peatlands produce significant emissions

In Southeast Asian peatlands, man-made channels to drain soil contribute to carbon leakage into the atmosphere, research says
A good irrigation strategy is crucial as the increasing frequency of extreme events favors floods and droughts. Photo: Global Water Forum CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

In northern China, spring irrigation mitigates effects of heat waves

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Combination of spring and summer irrigation "reduces the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events by 6.5 days and 1°C," according to a Chinese study
PREPSOIL promuove la nascita di una biblioteca online sulla salute del suolo. Immagine: PREPSOIL

Prepsoil is creating an online library on soil health

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The Knowledge Hub is an initiative implemented as part of the European Prepsoil project with the goal of building a multilingual online library to aggregate soil knowledge by engaging the communityby
Peatlands store one-third of the organic carbon in global soils. Photo: Brian Nelson CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 GenericBrian Nelson CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

In peatlands, climate change supports the degradation of organic carbon

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An experiment shows that in peatlands all organic soil components decompose more rapidly when temperatures are higher
Subsidence, or the lowering of the land surface due to the removal of material from underground, impacts 25 percent of the Planet's population. Photo: David Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 GenericPhoto: David Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Land subsidence threatens 2 billion people

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Subsidence, or the lowering of the land surface due to the removal of material from underground, impacts 25 percent of the Planet's population, U.S. researchers have found

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