A new study describes agricultural intensification strategies to allow Brazil, the world's largest soybean exporter, to increase its soybean production by 36% in the next 15 years without further encroachment into the Amazonian rainforest. The study draws heavily upon the Global Yield Gap Atlas, an agronomic database covering more than...
Climate change made the 2022 summer droughts more likely
High temperatures, fuelled by climate change, dried out soils across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere this summer, finds a team of climate scientists.
New field of research: Crystal traces in fossil leaves
In fossil leaves, puzzling structures are often visible under the microscope. Researchers have now been able to show for the first time that they originate from calcium oxalate crystals. On the one hand, their discovery facilitates the identification of the ancient plant remains. But it also provides answers as to...
Microbial enzymes are the key to pectin digestion in leaf beetles
A research team shows in a new study how leaf beetles could successfully use new and previously indigestible food sources in the course of evolution. The insects acquired enzymes from microorganisms via horizontal gene transfer that enabled them to degrade pectins, solid components of the plant cell wall. Since the...
High levels of methane in the Nord Stream leak area
Researchers have detected methane levels that were up to 1,000 times higher than normal in the Nord stream leak area.
Global warming at least doubled the probability of extreme ocean warming around Japan
A new study has revealed that global warming has at least doubled the occurrence probability of extreme ocean warming events near Japan since the 2000s, which rarely occur in the preindustrial era. This study suggests that limiting global warming below 1.5°C is efficient to prevent record-high sea surface temperatures to...
Green hydrogen: Faster progress with modern X-ray sources
In order to produce green hydrogen, water can be split up via electrocatalysis, powered by renewable sources such as sun or wind. A review article shows how modern X-ray sources such as BESSY II can advance the development of suitable electrocatalysts. In particular, X-ray absorption spectroscopy can be used to...
Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’ and spread on teeth
Researchers found that the bacteria and fungi responsible for a severe form of childhood tooth decay together form 'superorganisms' with unexpected properties. The cross-kingdom groupings were more resistant to antimicrobials and physical removal than either species alone, sprouting 'limbs' to move as a group and spread rapidly on teeth.
What drives ecosystems to instability?
Researchers find the behavior of complex ecosystems can be predicted based on just two pieces of information: the number of species in the community and how strongly they interact with each other.
Energy development holds up deer during spring migration
The new study shows how development disrupts deer movements, resulting in deer losing their ability to match their foraging with the wave of the most-nutritious springtime plants.