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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
Indigo-colored polluted water in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Removing synthetic dyes from industrial wastewater is complicated by the chemical stability of many of these substances. Photo: Oded Gilad, CC BY-SA 4.0Oded Gilad, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bulrush waste could help remove dyes from wastewater

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Researchers at Doshisha University in Japan have developed a new product that puts plant waste to use and removes dyes from water. A new opportunity for the circular bioeconomy
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
Exposure to a fungicide promotes antibiotic resistance and, when combined with higher temperatures, reduces soil microbial activity and affects barley growth. Photo: Blonder1984, CC BY-SA 3.0Blonder1984, CC BY-SA 3.0

Fungicides and warming: a double pressure on soil microbes

Two studies from Trinity College Dublin link exposure to a fungicide to antibiotic resistance and show how exposure to the fungicide and higher temperatures together affect soil microbial activity and barley growth
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
Penn State University tested the use of multispectral imagery and machine learning to estimate pigment, carbon, and nitrogen content in the biocrusts of semi-arid ecosystems. Photo: Penn State. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Deed.Penn State. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Deed.

AI uses a pigment to reveal the condition of biocrusts

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For the first time, researchers have remotely measured the concentration of scytonemin, an indicator of the development and resilience of biocrusts in arid ecosystems
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
A wildflower meadow, one of the key elements of biodiversity-friendly farming systems such as agriwilding. These habitats provide food resources and shelter for a wide range of pollinating insects. Photo: Nathanieljoyce, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)Nathanieljoyce, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Insects, food production and biodiversity thrive together through agriwilding

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Productive crops, trees, species-rich grasslands and natural succession: agriwilding, a Belgian study explains, encourages the return of pollinators and opens new prospects for more sustainable agriculture
A forested area in the Sanjiang region of Heilongjiang Province, one of the northern areas involved in China’s decades-long forest protection and expansion program. Photo: Rutger van der Maar, CC BY 2.0.Rutger van der Maar, CC BY 2.0.

China’s planted forests are growing faster than natural forests

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A study of China's planted forests reveals faster leaf area expansion driven by younger trees and stronger CO₂ responses, but the advantage may not last

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It’s beneath our feet but we never think about its value. We tread on it, we mistreat it, but a healthy, fertile soil means life. It’s time to take care of the soil and each one of us can and must make a difference.

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