Tropical forests play a critical role in supporting human well-being, food security, and the maintenance of biodiversity.
agriculture
Posted inNews
Agriculture at the Center of the Aztec Horizon Calendar
Horizon calendars were a key part of time measurement for pre-Hispanic cultures in the Basin of Mexico. A new study suggests that calendars were used to manage the agricultural cycle.
Posted inNews
Satellite Data Reveal Uptick in Cover Cropping on Farms
Over the course of a decade, farmers growing corn and soybeans in the U.S. Midwest increased their adoption of cover cropping—a tenet of so-called conservation agriculture—by fourfold.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The World’s Roots Are Getting Shallower
Root-filled soils are hot spots of nutrient cycling and carbon storage. New research finds that the world has lost millions of cubic meters of rooted soil volume—and we’re on track to lose much more.
Posted inENGAGE, News
How Climate Change Is Affecting Women in the Amazon
Droughts and floods have radically altered family farming, but women leaders are finding solutions for themselves and their communities.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
High-Frequency Monitoring Reveals Riverine Nitrogen Removal
Years of daily readings provide an unprecedented view into how a submerged aquatic meadow kept nitrogen from reaching the St. Lawrence Estuary as well as insights on how climate change may alter it.
Posted inENGAGE, News
Warmer Winters Keep Crops Sleepy into Spring, Hurting Yield
Annual crops go dormant during winter. Frosty temperatures cue them to wake up—but the warmer winters brought on by climate change scramble the cold signal, hurting yield.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Food Deficits in Africa Will Grow in a Warmer World
Under the combined stress of growing populations and current warming trends, many African nations will face increasing shortfalls in food production in the coming decades.
Posted inNews
Wetlands on the Farm: Potent, Nutrient-Capturing Tools in (Relatively) Small Packages
Constructed wetlands can significantly reduce water pollution from tile-drained farms.
Posted inNews
Irrigation in Indo-Gangetic Plain Has Little Impact on Heat Stress
Irrigation-related cooling during summer months is overestimated by roughly 5 times, highlighting the need for climate models to accurately reflect local agricultural practices.