In temperate forests, the biomass-building benefits of warmer growing seasons are offset by damaging variability in winter weather—a disparity that climate models may miss.
Health & Ecosystems
First Species-Level Assessment Reveals Extinction Risk in Mesoamerica
Forty-six percent of tree species in Mesoamerica are threatened with extinction. Researchers hope a new regional study will inform targeted conservation strategies.
Artificial Light Lengthens the Urban Growing Season
New research shows that artificial light at night lengthens the plant growing season in cities, overshadowing the effect of high urban temperatures.
Policy Success: Fees and Bans on Plastic Bags Reduce Beach Trash
Regardless of the patchwork of regulations aimed at limiting plastic bag use in the United States, new research indicates that such legislation does, indeed, limit the number of plastic bags found on beaches.
Anchoring Is Damaging the Fragile Antarctic Seabed
Scientists call for better protection of Antarctica’s vulnerable seafloor ecosystem as ship traffic increases around the continent.
Biomass and Biodiversity Were Coupled in Earth’s Past
Measuring shells and skeletons encased in thousands of limestone samples has revealed that the sheer amount of living stuff in Earth’s oceans changed alongside the diversity of organisms.
Pollution from Wildfires Can Contaminate Our Water for up to 8 Years, Study Finds
An analysis of 500 watersheds found levels of organic carbon, phosphorus, and other pollutants up to 103 times higher after a wildfire.
Environmental Groups Sue to Block Everglades Detention Facility
The groups assert that the facility will undermine decades’ of work and billions of dollars spent restoring and protecting the Everglades’ delicate ecosystem.
Precipitation Extremes Drive Swings in Lake Tahoe’s UV Exposure
An 18-year study reveals dramatic year-to-year variations in ultraviolet radiation penetration tied to Sierra Nevada precipitation cycles.
Científicos revelan los peligros ocultos del calor y las inundaciones en Texas
Una parte más amplia del “Estado de la Estrella Solitaria” podría verse afectada por más olas de calor e inundaciones de lo que sugieren registros previos.
