After analyzing 40 years of tree records across the Andes and Amazon, researchers found that climate change is reshaping tropical forests in uneven ways. Some regions are steadily losing tree species, especially where conditions are hotter and drier, while others are seeing gains. Rainfall patterns turned out to be just...
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This small soil upgrade cut locust damage and doubled yields
Locust swarms can wipe out crops across entire regions, threatening food supplies and livelihoods. Now, scientists working with farmers in Senegal have shown that improving soil health can dramatically reduce locust damage. By enriching soil with nitrogen, crops become less appealing to the insects, leading to fewer locusts, less plant...
Ancient giant kangaroos could hop after all
Giant kangaroos that lived during the Ice Age may not have been as slow and grounded as once believed. A new study finds their leg bones and tendons were likely strong enough to support hopping, despite their massive size. Rather than traveling this way all the time, these animals may...
Wood Burning in Homes Drives Dangerous Air Pollution in Winter
Thousands of U.S. deaths per year linked to particulate matter from wood smoke.
After L.A. Fires Receded, Indoor Air Pollution Grew, Study Finds
Even after the disastrous L.A. wildfires abated last year, the danger from smoke persisted for many people living nearby.
Illinois Study: How a Potential Antibiotics Ban Could Affect Apple Growers
Antibiotic resistance in human and animal health is on the forefront of public debate, but it’s a less well-known issue in plant agriculture.
Scientists ranked monogamy across mammals and humans stand out
A new study suggests humans belong in an elite “league of monogamy,” ranking closer to beavers and meerkats than to chimpanzees. By comparing full and half siblings across species and human cultures, researchers found that long-term pair bonding is unusually common in our species. Even societies that permit polygamy show...
Engineering a Low-Cost Alternative Catalyst for Producing Sustainable Petrochemicals
Newly identified methods to harness the properties of tungsten carbide could yield viable substitutes for precious metals like platinum.
Sea Star Murder Mystery: What’s Killing a Key Ocean Species?
It started in the summer of 2013. Sea stars were dying in huge numbers in Washington State’s Olympic National Park: They became covered in white lesions.
In Hunt for Rare Earths, Companies Are Scouring Mining Waste
Over many decades, coal mining in West Virginia has exposed sulfur-bearing rocks to oxygen, creating a widespread problem that continues to plague the region: the draining of highly acidic water into streams and creeks, which are then rendered lifeless.