Millions of square kilometers of wetlands have been drained or converted to make room for crops, pastures, or development. In some places, up to 80% are gone.
land use
Posted inNews
Satellites Show Magnitude of Human Influence on River Sediment Flux
Dam-building has decreased the amount of sediment transported by rivers, while land use changes have increased the amount.
Posted inNews
Peeking at Peatlands: Satellite Data Fuel New Findings
Researchers are combining hard-to-get field measurements with satellite imagery to gain new insight into where peatlands are and how they work.
Posted inNews
After a Hurricane, Coastal Systems Draw a Line in the Sand
A new study finds nature can’t have it both ways: On the basis of thousands of case studies from dozens of hurricanes, there’s always a trade-off between resistance and resilience.
Posted inENGAGE, News
Deforestation Is Flooding West African Coasts
The lack of trees is contributing to increased rainfall along the coast of southwest Africa, where communities are already vulnerable to flash flooding.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring (but Later)
Mismatch between the pace of climate change and crop phenology may signal a new challenge for climate change adaptation.
Posted inNews
Birds Are Getting Caged In at Brazil’s Savanna
Deforestation and climate change threaten life in the Cerrado. A new study shows how few places there are left to go.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Land Use Affects Nutrient Pollution in a Changing Climate
As heavy rain falls more frequently, the land alongside a river has a greater effect on the waterway’s nutrient levels—for better or worse.
Posted inNews
Devastating Floods Hit India for the Second Year in a Row
The deadly floods raise questions of land use and extreme precipitation trends.
Posted inNews
European Contact with the Americas May Have Triggered Global Cooling
The loss of precontact agricultural communities to genocide and disease may have led to massive reforestation, a dip in carbon dioxide, and one of the coldest snaps of the Little Ice Age.