Prairie in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. The functioning of meadows and pastures also depends on the diversity of plants’ functional traits and ecological strategies. Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

In grasslands lower plant diversity means less CO₂ uptake

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By 2050, meadows and pastures with lower plant diversity could absorb around 15% less CO₂ than those that retain it. With implications for livestock farming and soils
Avviato nel giugno 2023, il progetto ECHO punta a raccogliere dati da 16.500 siti attraverso 28 iniziative di citizen science, tenendo conto dei diversi usi del terreno, dei tipi di suolo e delle regioni biogeografiche. Immagine: ECHO

From citizen science to soil policy: ECHO heads to Dublin

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A workshop on 16 November will explore how citizen science can inform decisions on soil health. Discussions will focus on how the data collected can be used, the costs of monitoring and the value of this information in the European policy context
A logged area in British Columbia, Canada. Protecting the forest floor helps preserve soil carbon even after trees are harvested. Photo: Sam Beebe, CC BY 2.0Sam Beebe, CC BY 2.0

Protecting the forest floor helps preserve soil carbon

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Preserving the forest floor helps retain soil carbon after logging. Removing it, a Canadian study explains, causes losses that persist for decades
The regeneration of urban soils and the need to make agricultural systems more sustainable are two complementary actions for ensuring soil health. PHOTO: Re Soil FoundationRe Soil Foundation

States general for soil health: cities and agriculture depend on healthy soils

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The fifth edition of the event organised by Re Soil Foundation will take place on 5 November in Rimini, as part of Ecomondo. Discussions will focus on new soil protection policies, urban soil restoration and solutions to make agri-food systems more sustainable
Mexico City is one of the cities most severely affected by land subsidence. PHOTOS: By Gobierno CDMX - HJ2A4913, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115335826

Land subsidence: a global map reveals where the ground is sinking and why

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A study published in Nature Cities examines land subsidence in 465 cities across 107 countries. Often driven by excessive groundwater extraction, sinking land threatens buildings and infrastructure and increases vulnerability to flooding. But in some cities, subsidence is slowing down, showing that effective action is possible
Tundra and thaw lakes south of Utqiaġvik in northern Alaska. Soil is warming even at depth, with the fastest increases occurring in the Arctic region characterised by continuous permafrost. Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0

In Alaska, soil is warming faster in regions with continuous permafrost

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A study tracks permafrost temperatures from 1997 to 2023, providing new data to forecast thaw and plan infrastructure. Greater depth does not slow the warming trend
A study of high-altitude forests in Switzerland highlights the diminishing advantage of elevation in drought resilience and outlines how to strengthen the landscape’s natural defences. Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0

Higher elevations offer less and less protection against drought in Swiss forests

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A study highlights the declining benefits of higher elevations for forest resilience. The protective function of forests could be at risk in the long term
On hot days, tree cavities are on average 4°C cooler than the outside air. On cold nights, they retain more heat. Photo: Gareth James CC BY-SA 2.0 Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 GenericGareth James CC BY-SA 2.0 Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Tree cavities protect animals from extreme temperatures

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Analizzando dati raccolti in cinque continenti, i ricercatori dell’Università dell’Illinois hanno misurato la capacità delle cavità degli alberi di mitigare sia il caldo estremo sia il freddo. Offrendo riparo alla fauna
Drought and wildfires threaten biodiversity and carbon sequestration in Europe’s forests, highlighting the need for new monitoring models. Photo: © European Union 2018 (photo by Pavel Koubek), CC BY-NC-ND 2.0© European Union 2018 (photo by Pavel Koubek), CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Europe’s forests: why we need to measure their resilience

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Le raccomandazioni di eLTER: Superficie e biomassa non bastano più a definire la capacità di ripresa delle foreste. Necessari nuovi indicatori, osservazioni di lungo periodo e modelli capaci di anticipare i rischi
Landfill emissions peak in winter and reach their lowest levels in summer. Occasional measurements may therefore underestimate annual releases. Photo: Eric Guinther, CC BY-SA 3.0Eric Guinther, CC BY-SA 3.0

Landfill methane emissions could be far higher than estimated

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A study of two New Jersey landfills finds emissions five times higher than official figures. Cold weather and falling atmospheric pressure drive higher releases. Occasional measurements may miss emission peaks

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