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In Chicago, annual changes in tree canopy cover are associated with trends in all-cause mortality. Photo: Warren LeMay CC BY-SA 2.0Warren LeMay CC BY-SA 2.0

Crucial trees: urban canopy loss drives up mortality rates

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A research conducted in Chicago links increased tree canopy cover to lower mortality. Protecting mature trees is more effective than planting new ones, the study has found 
The study analyzed the response of forests in the Yangtze River Basin to the exceptional climate event of summer 2022. Photo: Tom Jarrett, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) DeedTom Jarrett, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Deed

Heat and drought: natural forests resist better, planted forests recover faster

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A Yangtze Basin study reveals a trade-off between resistance and recovery in forests: biodiversity and structure protect natural forests, while young, fast-growing trees promote recovery in planted forests
Xerothermic grassland at Clifton Meadow, in the United Kingdom: an ecosystem in which high plant biodiversity helps to improve resilience to drought events. Photo: Steve Daniels Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 DeedSteve Daniels Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

Extreme drought: biodiversity helps grasslands, but not forests

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An international study finds that high biodiversity levels can reduce productivity losses in the driest grasslands during extreme drought events. However, the same pattern is not found in forested areas
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
For decades, geomorphologists have been trying to understand how Arctic terraces form spontaneously, as a result of the extremely slow movement of surface ground caused by permafrost thawing. Photo: Hannes Grobe Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic CC BY-SA 2.5 DeedHannes Grobe Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic CC BY-SA 2.5 Deed

A fluid could explain the mystery of permafrost terraces

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For decades, scientists have struggled to explain how Arctic permafrost terraces form spontaneously. A new model suggests that their origin may lie in the same physical principles that generate waves in complex fluids
Cotton cultivation in the Mississippi Delta region. In this area, water management and soil fertility are key challenges for agricultural sustainability. Photo: Chris Light, Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Chris Light, Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cover crops and reduced tillage cut water demand in cotton fields

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A Mississippi State University study shows that cover crops and conservation tillage increase soil water retention, reducing and sometimes even eliminating the need for supplemental irrigation
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
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
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

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