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Palm oil production is one of the main drivers of forest destruction in Borneo. Photo: T. R. Shankar Raman Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)T. R. Shankar Raman Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Forest restoration offsets just a quarter of carbon emissions

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Degraded forests and restoration areas in the tropics remove 107 million tons of carbon each year. That is 26 percent of the total released into the atmosphere from previous deforestation
Cattle collagen production fuels a $4 billion-a-year industry and promotes deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Photo: Kate Evans/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Kate Evans/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Collagen industry drives deforestation in the Amazon

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A media investigation points the finger at livestock companies in the Amazon that supply the cosmetics industry fueling a $4 billion industry
Soils grazed by wild herbivores have greater carbon sequestration capacity than those pastured by livestock animals. Photo: Pixabay Content license Attribution not requiredPixabay Content license Attribution not required

Antibiotics and livestock farming reduce carbon sequestration in grasslands

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Livestock herbivores impact soil microbial fauna by reducing carbon uptake capacity, an Indian research says. Antibiotics' effect on soil is crucial
The numbers showed that there was a clear connection between the unusual temperatures recorded in the Amazon and the Tibet Plateau over the past 40 years. Photo: Vinay Nair Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)Photo: Vinay Nair Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Amazon devastation is also altering Tibet’s climate

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A connection made up of interconnected climate alterations exists between the Amazon, Tibet Plateau and Antarctica, a Chinese study says. Once a so-called tipping point is reached in one region, the phenomenon is triggered in another area of the Planet
Without living roots, the abundance of soil organisms decreased by 42 percent in rainforest and 30 percent in plantations. Photo: Anton Potapov, University of Göttingen, press releaseAnton Potapov, University of Göttingen, press release

Plant roots are crucial for soil animals

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In tropical soils plant roots affect biodiversity no less than leaf litter, a German research explains. A significant finding for the development of sustainable solutions capable of balancing agriculture and land conservation
A causa dell'agricoltura moderna i tassi di erosione nelle praterie in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska e Kansas sono cresciuti di mille volte. FOTO: Austin Goode su Unsplash

USA, erosion runs 1000 times faster than normal

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The discovery is contained in a thesis of master at Umass Amherst University. To calculate the rate of erosion, a team of researchers quantified the presence of a rare element - Beryllium 10 - in cultivated prairies in 5 US states, comparing them with virgin soils
A corn field devastated by drought. Land degradation is estimated to cost the United States $67 billion a year. Photo: Bob Nichols, USDA Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Bob Nichols, USDA Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Researchers in the U.S. launch five-year soil health survey

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Four U.S. universities are launching a massive soil analysis project. The initiative aims to counter land degradation which is estimated to cost $67 bn a year in America
In one year, the Planet's soils absorbed 109 million tons of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Photo: P177 Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)P177 Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

A new project will monitor global nitrogen emissions from fertilizers

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The Global Research Alliance initiative aims to increase the availability of data on the impact of fertilizers on the Planet. And to better assess the effectiveness of mitigation practices
Fungi appear to accelerate plant growth in forests by promoting CO2 removal. Photo: Nicolas Raymond Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Nicolas Raymond Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Can soil fungi counteract climate change?

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Fungi appear to accelerate plant growth by promoting CO2 removal. A Texas company wants to explore this potential in the market for emission credits
Urban biodiversity at risk. By mid-century, 70 percent of the world's population will live in cities. Photo: Loozrboy Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) Loozrboy Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Loss of urban biodiversity is a threat to human health

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Loss of microbial biodiversity in degraded soils, which is particularly prevalent in cities, promotes the spread of bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance, says an international study. Restoring green spaces, by contrast, creates a biological barrier to their spread