Regional climate variability plays a big role, but reduced forest cover and a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide are also factors.
land use
Posted inNews
Road Development May Put Habitats at Risk
New research links road construction with increased urbanization and more fragmented species ranges.
Posted inNews
South America Is Drying Up
A new study shows that dry, warm, and flammable conditions have skyrocketed across the continent, favoring the spread of uncontrolled fire.
Posted inNews
Agricultural Lands Are Losing Topsoil—Here’s How Bad It Could Get
A new study says topsoil erosion is likely to increase under climate change, though policy changes now could help stem the loss.
Posted inFeatures
Forests, Water, and Livelihoods in the Lesser Himalaya
Complex changes in land use, land cover, climate, and demographics are combining to stress water security for millions of people in the region.
Posted inNews
Climate Change Threatens the Future of Wild Rice
As a precious plant struggles to thrive in the U.S. Upper Midwest, researchers are taking steps to understand the reasons for its decline.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Urban Greening Could Help Achieve Carbon Neutrality Goals
A new modeling framework highlights that urban greening is a sustainable solution to achieve environmental co-benefits in mitigating heat and carbon emissions.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Earth’s Critical Zone Remains a Mystery Without its People
Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals may only be possible if human activities are central to critical zone science.
Posted inNews
Natural Floodplains Are Quickly Vanishing
From 1992 to 2019, 600,000 square kilometers of natural floodplains were lost globally due to land conversion.
Posted inNews
Tracking Land Use and Deforestation in the Amazon
A new study mapped 2 decades of deforestation in the Amazon and concluded that some types of land management are more effective than others.