Plants cannot move to chase comfort, yet they still need to choose the right season to reproduce. A new study explains how a small plant uses blue light and cool air together to decide when to flower.



A research team led by Adam Seluzicki from the <a href="https://www.salk.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salk Institute for Biological Studies</a> mapped a genetic switch that listens for both signals at once. 



The study shows how one pathway senses blue light and another senses low temperature, and how they meet to control the transition to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flowering-plants-appeared-two-million-years-earlier-than-we-thought/">flowering</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-do-plants-start-flowering">When do plants start flowering?</h2>



Arabidopsis thaliana uses a blue light sensor called PHOT2 and a helper protein named NPH3 to read light signals. When the air is cool, a temperature responsive gene switch called CAMTA2 turns on another gene called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0176161716302024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EHB1</a>.



The EHB1 gene then connects with NPH3, which brings the light and temperature signals together. The plant starts flowering only when both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-tracks-changes-in-seasonal-flower-cycles-and-migration-patterns-from-the-air/">conditions</a> are met - blue light is present and the air is cool.



“Here we show that signals from the PHOTOTROPIN2 (PHOT2) blue photoreceptor combine with low temperature information to control flowering,” wrote Seluzicki.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-timing-of-plant-flowering">The timing of plant flowering </h2>



Seasonal timing depends on multiple cues, not a single trigger. A recent <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pce.15678?af=R" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> outlines how plants sense temperature through changes in cell membranes, protein activity, and chromatin.



Day length, light color, and light intensity also shape <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-new-window-into-the-early-evolution-of-flowering-plants/">flowering</a>. These signals run through several networks at once, which is why combining them gives a more reliable readout than using either one alone.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blue-light-pathway">Blue light pathway</h3>



Plant <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8630751/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photoreceptors</a> are proteins that detect wavelengths and pass along messages. The blue light sensor PHOT2, located at the cell membrane, helps direct growth and movement.



NPH3 works after the PHOT proteins and helps control how their signals are used. In the system described in the new research, NPH3 acts like the main hub. It changes its response depending on what the temperature pathway is doing.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-temperature-pathway">Temperature pathway</h3>



When it is cool, the gene switch CAMTA2 becomes active. It turns on the gene EHB1, which then slows down NPH3 at the right moment.



Other studies on NPH3 show that its behavior depends on where it is in the cell and how it is modified. These details explain why EHB1’s link with NPH3 can change the balance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seasonal-timing-can-change-quickly-over-short-distances/">signals</a> that decide when the plant flowers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revelations-about-plant-flowering">Revelations about plant flowering</h2>



When the days were long and the air was cool, plants without PHOT2 grew more leaves before making flowers compared to normal plants. At warmer temperatures, this delay disappeared, showing that PHOT2 matters most in cooler conditions.



Previous studies found that PHOT2 and other phototropins help plants adjust to daily cold at sunrise. This supports the idea that blue light sensors play an important role in how plants respond to low temperatures. 



These results together make the connection between PHOT2, CAMTA2, NPH3, and EHB1 more convincing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-plant-system-functions">How the plant system functions</h2>



PHOT2 picks up blue light and passes the signal to NPH3. When it is cold, CAMTA2 turns on EHB1, and EHB1 connects with NPH3 to help control flowering.



In warm conditions, CAMTA2 does not activate EHB1 the same way, so the system works differently. In that state, flowering is not delayed, which explains why the effect only shows up in cooler weather.



Arabidopsis uses a signal called FT, also known as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5654465/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">florigen</a>, to send the message from the leaves to the shoot, where flowers develop. FT levels go up when day length and light quality favor flowering, and this signal also takes temperature into account.



Other blue light sensors besides PHOT proteins also affect flowering time. One called <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6670086/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FKF1</a> works with the plant’s internal clock and a protein named CONSTANS to boost FT under the right day length. This shows that several blue light pathways feed into the same flowering signal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-sets-this-research-apart">What sets this research apart</h2>



Most past studies linked flowering to sensors called cryptochromes, phytochromes, or to the FT pathway. 



This new research shows that PHOT2, a sensor usually known for guiding growth, moving chloroplasts, and opening stomata, also plays a role in flowering when it is cool.



In addition, the study shows how temperature signals through CAMTA2 and EHB1 connect directly to NPH3, the hub of the light pathway. This direct link explains why flowering is affected only when both light and temperature signals are present.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-crops">Implications for crops</h2>



Climate change is altering seasonal light patterns and nighttime temperatures in many places. A system that only triggers when both signals line up can help prevent plants from flowering too early in unpredictable springs.



The Salk team’s results highlight genes that plant breeders could adjust to control flowering in cooler conditions. 



Small changes in PHOT2, CAMTA2, NPH3, or EHB1 could help time flowering to match better conditions for pollination and seed production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



Future work can map where, within a leaf, this module is most active. Tissue specific data would show how the signal flows into FT production and transport.



It will also be important to test crop species. If a similar module exists in brassicas or cereals, targeted edits could help stabilize yields when cold snaps interrupt the start of the growing season.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62194-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Plant flowering is triggered by blue light and cool air

Plants cannot move to chase comfort, yet they still need to choose the right season to reproduce. A new study explains how a small plant uses blue light and cool air together to decide when to flower. A research team led by Adam Seluzicki from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies mapped a genetic switch that listens for both signals at once. The study shows how one pathway senses blue light and another senses low temperature, and how they meet to control the transition to flowering. When...

The icy fringe of our planet is sprouting new growth. Fast warming in the Arctic - now running at roughly four times the global average - is reshaping tundra landscapes and affecting shrubs and meadows that have looked the same since the last ice age.



A vast forty‑year experiment, spread across more than 2,000 research plots, shows that almost every facet of Arctic plant life is in flux. Scientists say the changes are an early sign that the wider <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-fjords-show-signs-of-struggle-in-a-warming-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a> system, from wildlife to water supplies, will also shift.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summers-lengthen-arctic-shrubs-thrive">Summers lengthen, Arctic shrubs thrive</h2>



Researchers have spent decades tracking the low carpets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-moss-helps-restore-land-damaged-by-oil-and-gas-exploration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mosses</a>, grasses, and dwarf shrubs that dominate mountains and polar plains. They found that almost six in ten plots have already lost some long‑standing species or gained new arrivals.



No single winner or loser stands out everywhere. Local soil moisture, shelter from wind, and the number of frost‑free days all tip the balance in different directions. Yet the pattern is unmistakable: taller, woodier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrubs-play-a-dual-role-in-forest-recovery-following-wildfires/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shrubs</a> thrive when summers lengthen, shading out species that hug the ground.



“Changes in vegetation are an early warning signal that the entire ecosystem will change, with consequential effects on wildlife, humanity, and Earth's natural ability to store <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon</a>,” said co-author Anne Bjorkman, a researcher in plant ecology at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shrubs-stretch-higher-meadows-shrink"><a></a>Shrubs stretch higher, meadows shrink</h2>



Investigators see the biggest gains among evergreen stragglers such as lingonberry and crowberry, along with fast‑growing willow bushes that keep their leaves only for the warm season. These plants once clung to the Arctic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warming-climate-turns-tundra-from-carbon-sink-to-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tundra</a> only where snow melted early.



Now they push onto windswept ridges because snow lies for fewer days each year. Where they thicken, their leaves intercept sunlight that formerly bounced off pale lichens or was absorbed by low moss mats. Tall stems also sling snow into drifts that insulate soils, letting roots stay active later in autumn.



“The change in what grows on a site is extensive, with new species appearing and/or existing species disappearing on almost 60% of the experimental plots. There are many factors that determine how plant life changes at a particular Arctic site, such as how wet the soil is, or how windy it is. This affects the microclimate that plants experience,” said Robert Bjork, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg.



“In general, we see that shrubs benefit from a longer growing season, they simply steal the sunlight from species with a low growth habit.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-of-arctic-shrubs">Impacts of Arctic shrubs </h2>



On open ridges where dwarf birch and willow take hold, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-plant-diversity-can-help-combat-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant diversity</a> often drops. The low‑lying herbs and sedges that fuel summer pollinators can no longer compete.



South of the tree line, mountain birch saplings work upslope, nibbling away at alpine meadows soaked in brief bursts of meltwater. Once those meadows vanish, the displaced flora has no colder niche to retreat to.



“But where the shrubs take over, biodiversity will decrease, and then the question is where the outcompeted species will go. There are no colder regions than the Arctic, and some species may disappear completely from large areas,” Bjorkman said.



Shrub lines affect more than flowers. Dark leaves absorb solar energy, warming surface layers and melting permafrost ice that holds ancient carbon. 



When that carbon leaks as methane or carbon dioxide, regional warming accelerates. Taller plants also trap snow that would otherwise reflect sunlight and delay spring thaw, another feedback that adds heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ripples-through-animals-people-and-water"><a></a>Ripples through animals, people, and water</h2>



“Changes in vegetation obviously also affect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-biodiversity-benefits-from-large-herbivores-like-elephants-and-moose/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">herbivorous animals</a>. Reindeer husbandry cannot have the same grazing areas in the valleys as today, perhaps they can find new ones on the bare mountains,” Bjork explained.



“Then tourism will be affected when mountain birches and shrubs take over on the mountains and the alpine meadows with beautiful wildflowers disappear. And it will be difficult to get hold of drinkable water when the glaciers and the late snowfields melt away.”



Reindeer and caribou herds already follow thinner green waves in sprinting summers. The loss of valley forage may force animals higher, straining age‑old herding routes. 



Visitors who come for wide carpets of summer color may find thickets instead. Local communities could face water stress as shrinking glaciers feed fewer melt streams during late summer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-radical-changes-ahead">Radical changes ahead</h2>



Scientists at the Latnjajaure field camp near Abisko, Sweden, witness these shifts in real time. Birches creep onto formerly barren slopes. 



Moss mats turn patchy under rising shrubs. Streams surge earlier in spring and dwindle sooner in August. Yet no one can plot the exact timetable for the next leap.



“We are in the midst of climate change and will reach certain thresholds where the flora will change radically, but we don't know when it will happen. Or how it will happen,”  Bjorkman warned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-arctic-shrubs">The future of Arctic shrubs</h2>



More data will refine forecasts, but the direction is set. Open alpine meadows will contract as shrub lands will expand. Carbon and energy flows between ground and sky will alter, pushing feedback loops that amplify <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frequent-heatwaves-have-become-the-norm-in-the-arctic-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic heat</a>.



For conservationists, the lesson is urgent: protect refuges where cold‑loving plants might survive and plan for landscapes that will not stay as they were such as the Arctic. For everyone else, the message is simpler.



The quiet creep of shrubs in the far north is one more sign that climate change is coming. It is here, and it is rewriting the map from the top downward.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08946-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Arctic plant alert: Rising shrubs and vanishing meadows

The icy fringe of our planet is sprouting new growth....

Close-up,Of,A,Young,Woman,Blowing,Nose,With,Tissue,Paper

A new artificial intelligence (AI) system can now separately identify fir, spruce, and pine pollen in seconds. The achievement promises cleaner city design, sharper allergy alerts, and deeper insight into ecological change.



The project was led by experts at the <a href="https://www.uta.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Texas at Arlington</a>, the University of Nevada, and Virginia Tech. Working together, the scientists trained nine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-could-revolutionize-drug-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">machine learning</a> models on microscope images held at the University of Nevada’s <a href="https://www.unr.edu/natural-history" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Museum of Natural History</a>. 



The best algorithm outpaced human specialists in both speed and precision. It did so while still relying on expert‑prepared slides and careful ecological context.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-provides-sharp-data-on-pollen">AI provides sharp data on pollen</h2>



“With more detailed data on which tree species are most allergenic and when they release <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollen-alters-cloud-formation-and-changes-weather-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollen</a>, urban planners can make smarter decisions about what to plant and where,” said study co‑author Behnaz Balmaki, an assistant professor of research in biology at UTA.



Better planting choices can lower the pollen burden near schoolyards, hospital entrances, playgrounds, and high‑density housing. The same data can feed real‑time dashboards that warn residents ahead of high‑pollen days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-offers-timely-pollen-health-alerts">AI offers timely pollen health alerts</h2>



“This is especially important in high‑traffic areas like schools, hospitals, parks and neighborhoods. Health services could also use this information to better time <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-allergy-season-worse-and-longer-lasting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">allergy</a> alerts, public health messaging, and treatment recommendations during peak pollen seasons,” Balmaki said.



Many current forecasts lump all tree pollen together. The new model can flag which species spike on which day. That detail lets doctors adjust advice and lets patients fine‑tune medication schedules.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-windows-into-past-climates"><a></a>Windows into past climates</h2>



Pollen grains preserved in lake mud and peat bogs provide a time‑stamped record of earlier landscapes. By identifying each grain, researchers track how forests moved as rainfall and temperature shifted. Until now, the work was often slow and limited to broad plant families. AI can cut that bottleneck and it begins with pollen.



“Even with high‑resolution microscopes, the differences between pollens are very subtle,” Balmaki noted. That subtlety forced specialists to spend hours at the eyepiece. In large sediment cores, millions of grains wait for classification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deep-learning-speeds-the-count"><a></a>Deep learning speeds the count</h2>



“Our study shows deep‑learning tools can significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of pollen classification,” Balmaki said.



“That opens the door to large‑scale environmental monitoring and more detailed reconstructions of ecological change. It also holds promise for improving allergen tracking by identifying exactly which species are releasing pollen and when.”



Automated pipelines could soon scan thousands of slides and upload results to open databases. That will give climatologists a sharper map of past <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/droughts-and-extreme-weather-events-are-escalating/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">droughts</a>, heat waves, and recovery phases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-for-farm-and-field"><a></a>Benefits for farm and field</h2>



“Pollen is a strong indicator of ecosystem health,” Balmaki said. Plants that drop less pollen than normal may signal water stress or soil decline. Farmers who watch those shifts gain an early warning about crop risk years before yields drop.



“Shifts in pollen composition can signal changes in vegetation, moisture levels, and even past fire activity. Farmers could use this information to track long‑term environmental trends that affect crop viability, soil conditions, or regional climate patterns.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-pollinators-with-technology">Protecting pollinators with technology </h2>



Healthy meadows rely on bees, butterflies, and other insects that depend on exact bloom times. As Balmaki put it, “many animals, including insects like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-do-not-learn-to-be-cooperative-it-is-in-their-genes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bees</a> and butterflies, rely on specific plants for food and habitat.” 



If certain pollen types disappear, conservation teams know which wildflower patches need rescue due to the latest AI technology.



“By identifying which plant species are present or declining in an area, we can better understand how these changes impact the entire food web and take steps to protect critical relationships between plants and pollinators.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-pollen-with-ai-models">Testing pollen with AI models</h2>



The researchers scanned vintage fir, spruce, and pine grains dating back decades. Each algorithm learned minute ridge patterns and pore counts that mark one conifer from another. The top model flagged correct IDs at rates that rival seasoned palynologists.



“This shows that deep learning can successfully support and even exceed traditional identification methods in both speed and accuracy,” Balmaki said.



Still, glass slides must be spotless, and labels must remain clear. The team stresses that people and machines work best together.



“But it also confirms how essential human expertise still is. You need well‑prepared samples and a strong understanding of ecological context. This isn’t just about machines - it’s a collaboration between technology and science,” he added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-resilient-cities-and-landscapes">More resilient cities and landscapes</h2>



The group will now feed images from oaks, maples, grasses, and weeds into the network. With AI, a national atlas of species‑specific pollen bursts could emerge within a few years. Scientists could chart vegetation shifts after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-hurricanes-help-oceans-fight-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hurricanes</a>, track drought damage, or study warming trends that push southern trees northward.



The fusion of AI and classical botany offers more than scientific speed. It equips city planners with plant lists that cut respiratory distress. It hands growers a living gauge of soil and climate change. It gives ecologists a microscope that never tires.



As pollen seasons lengthen in a warming world, such precision tools will matter. The research marks a step toward a future where every grain of pollen tells its story quickly and clearly, helping people breathe easier and guiding smarter stewardship of plants and the land.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/big-data/articles/10.3389/fdata.2025.1507036/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Big Data</a>.



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AI is transforming pollen science and health planning

A new artificial intelligence (AI) system can now separately identify...

Roses have long been treasured for their elegance and symbolic meaning. Rose petals, admired in gardens worldwide, have fascinated people with their striking formation patterns.



Recent findings suggest that geometric frustration in tissue growth and cell orientation contributes to the formation of sharp tips in rose petals.



According to new research led by Yafei Zhang from the University of Central Florida, the flower’s pointed edges arise through a mechanism different from commonly known <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015JMP....56h2202H/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gauss incompatibility</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-pointed-petals-of-roses">The pointed petals of roses</h2>



Botanists have often assumed that most curling leaves and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flowers-get-their-shape-and-scent-from-a-single-gene/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">petals</a> share the same principles of shape formation. Those principles involve internal growth stresses that produce wavelike edges in many plants.



Roses, however, do not follow that broad trend. They showcase crisp margins that hint at a different structural phenomenon.



Researchers discovered that these pointed rims result from Mainardi-Codazzi-Peterson (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002250962100226X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MCP</a>) incompatibility, which focuses stress into narrow zones. This focus leads to the petal’s signature pointed form without the soft ripples found in other blossoms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-internal-stress-directs-growth">How internal stress directs growth</h2>



Stress in plant tissue often emerges when natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-the-gene-that-gives-a-flower-its-scent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expansion</a> meets physical limits. Instead of spreading the strain throughout the entire petal, roses concentrate it into small pockets along the rim.



That high-pressure concentration brings about clearly defined tips. Over time, this process creates a feedback loop in which the tissue continues to shape itself around those focused areas of stress.



Once those pointed regions appear, the petal’s growth follows a new path. This pattern sets roses apart from leaves or flowers that display wave-like edges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rose-petals-and-pressure-zones">Rose petals and pressure zones</h2>



In typical leaf development, Gauss incompatibility describes how mismatched growth rates cause edges to bend or ripple. Many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-tracks-changes-in-seasonal-flower-cycles-and-migration-patterns-from-the-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a> rely on that effect, ending up with gentle curves that flutter in the breeze.



Roses tap into an alternative method for shaping themselves. Their petals emphasize localized pressure zones, almost like a carefully placed fold that defines the final outline.



Scientists have long used geometry to explain how thin sheets buckle and curl. Roses provide a vivid example of how nature experiments with more than one geometric strategy to achieve a unique aesthetic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-petals-that-are-sharply-sculpted">Petals that are sharply sculpted </h2>



Zhang’s group took a practical approach to confirm that MCP incompatibility drives rose petal formation. They created synthetic petals that mimicked rose tissue growth and tested how those models behaved.



By adjusting parameters in the laboratory, they witnessed the same kind of stress concentration that nature uses. When the tension peaked along certain zones, the synthetic petals sprouted the same crisp tips seen on real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-bees-choose-the-same-flowers-again-and-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">roses</a>.



The team combined theoretical analyses, computer simulations, and hands-on fabrication. Each part of their work reinforced the idea that focusing stress can sculpt petals more sharply than traditional wavy patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rose-petal-mechanics-inspire-engineers">Rose petal mechanics inspire engineers</h2>



Insights from plant development often inspire new products. Engineers are intrigued by the way delicate biological structures can fold themselves into complex shapes without external force.



Rose petals might serve as a model for materials that need precise curves. By copying the stress-targeting method, researchers could craft surfaces that transform shape when stimulated.



“Identifying Mainardi-Codazzi-Peterson incompatibility as a shaping mechanism is not only an important milestone in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/morphogenesis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">morphogenesis</a> research but also an inspiration for new designs of shape-morphing materials and structures,” wrote Lishuai Jin from the <a href="https://www.cityu.edu.hk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">City University of Hong Kong</a>, who authored a related perspective.



Devices that curl or crease on demand could lead to innovations in soft robotics or smart textiles. Observing how roses manage tension might help inventors design structures that cleverly change their form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-broader-view-of-nature-s-tricks">A broader view of nature’s tricks</h2>



Gauss-based effects remain familiar territory for botanists studying rippled leaves or wavy petals. Those undulating edges show how differential growth alone can create attractive curvatures in plant organs.



Roses prove there is more than one path to sculpting a petal. Their localized tips reveal that living organisms have multiple strategies for shaping themselves over time.



Scientists suspect that other species might also depend on lesser-known mechanical processes for leaf or petal design. Exploring such adaptations could shed light on previously overlooked nuances in plant development.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



Zhang and colleagues have opened fresh perspectives on how pointed petals form in nature. Their focus on stress localization offers a direct explanation for the neat edges that give roses their distinct charm.



Biologists now wonder if combining Gauss and MCP effects might generate exotic forms yet to be documented in plants or artificial models. This approach could allow horticulturists to encourage new petal varieties and shapes by tuning growth conditions.



Unraveling these geometric strategies not only expands our understanding of plant morphology but might also influence fields that rely on thin-sheet mechanics. From flexible electronics to architectural design, such phenomena hold potential for creative solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subtle-physics-of-rose-petals">Subtle physics of rose petals</h2>



Roses stand out in a garden for their elegant appearance and alluring fragrance. Yet behind that pleasant exterior lies a fine-tuned interplay of expansion and stress that channels shape in unusual ways.



Scientists see this as a reminder that nature’s aesthetics often result from subtle physics. Roses simply turn these principles into an iconic display admired around the world.



Petals shaped by MCP incompatibility demonstrate just how varied growth processes can be. They signal that nature, in its variety, sometimes uses a different blueprint to craft recognizable forms.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt0672" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Scientists finally understand why rose petals have pointed tips

Roses have long been treasured for their elegance and symbolic...

Plants perched high on mountain slopes often seem untouchable. Many people picture these hardy survivors persisting no matter what the world throws at them.



Jill Anderson from the University of Georgia (<a href="https://www.uga.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UGA</a>) led a nine-year study that tracked more than 100,000 <a href="https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/flowering-plants/drummonds-rock-cress" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Drummond’s rockcress</a> plants (also known as Boechera stricta), which are short-lived and grow in the mountains of North America. 



The <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr1010" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">findings</a> show that climate change is accelerating so quickly that natural processes struggle to keep up, putting even these widely distributed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-future-climate-conditions-will-transform-plant-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a> at risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mountain-plants-face-unexpected-threats">Mountain plants face unexpected threats</h2>



Some assume that cool alpine air insulates species in higher elevations. Yet these peaks are not immune to changing weather patterns, which shift temperatures and snowpack conditions.



Scientists use the term <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">montane</a> to describe mountainous regions where cold temperatures shape <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant</a> and animal communities. In these settings, species must cope with short growing seasons and sudden weather swings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-adaptation-under-threat">Local adaptation under threat</h2>



Many species across large geographic ranges show <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982222001105" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">local adaptation</a>, meaning each population is especially fit for its specific climate. A <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-could-soon-talk-to-farmers-and-listen-too/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant</a> growing at one elevation may thrive in cooler settings, while relatives at lower altitudes prefer warmer days.



When warming speeds up faster than these populations can adjust, their specialized genetic traits can become a burden. 



Scientists have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31061126/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warned</a> that climate change may shrink viable habitats before plant populations can produce new traits or spread existing genes to more favorable locations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-flow-in-the-wrong-direction">Gene flow in the wrong direction </h2>



Natural <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/natural-selection-genetic-drift-and-gene-flow-15186648/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gene flow</a> is the mixing of genetic material between populations when seeds or pollen move across different areas. In mountain landscapes, genes often travel downslope, which can be a problem when populations uphill need genes adapted to warmer conditions.



Once temperatures ramp up, plants at higher elevations may lag behind in acquiring the beneficial traits found at lower sites. Many experts believe that if gene flow continues to flow in the wrong direction, certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">populations</a> will lose out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-mountain-plants-are-not-safe">Local mountain plants are not safe</h2>



Many mountain plants live in narrow climate zones. Even small temperature changes can force them to move if suitable conditions shift uphill.



Furthermore, relocation can be slow. Limited seed dispersal and competition for newly available terrain make uphill migration a difficult gamble.



In the Colorado Rockies, researchers tested how these plants fare when the snowpack is manipulated to reflect varying future scenarios. Conditions mimicked both historical climates and predicted warmer settings.



Their data showed that populations already adapted to local sites were not safe just because they fell within the broader species range. As the weather changed, those local advantages vanished.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-gene-flow-alone-is-not-enough">Why gene flow alone is not enough</h2>



If some high-altitude plants cannot access the genetic diversity they need, their survival chances drop. Rising temperatures also move faster than seeds can scatter uphill.



It is possible that downhill gene exchange will leave upper populations stuck with less-suitable traits. Over time, that mismatch poses a real problem for any species in a fast-warming world.



Researchers suggest <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/new-research-shows-first-successful-demonstration-assisted-gene-flow-corals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">assisted gene flow</a>, which involves moving seeds or plants from warmer-adapted locations to cooler zones. The aim is to insert heat-tolerant genes into colder populations before it is too late.



Such action requires careful planning to avoid harming the resident community. It can help maintain enough genetic variation for future climate scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mountain-plants-may-not-adapt-in-time">Mountain plants may not adapt in time</h2>



Sally Aitken, a professor at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of British Columbia</a>, elaborated on the research in a related perspective.



"The lessons from Anderson et al. are sobering with respect to the ability of natural populations to adapt to, and persist under, rapid global warming,” she wrote. 



This warning echoes broader concerns that standard models often miss how real populations respond. Simple range maps do not reveal the underlying genetic limits that influence whether plants can hang on.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-conservation">Implications for conservation</h2>



Some protected areas might not serve as reliable safe havens if warming outpaces adaptation. That’s especially worrisome for species already confined to mountaintops, where there is nowhere higher to go.



Those who manage conservation efforts might include assisted gene flow when other approaches are too slow. But balancing interventions with natural processes is tricky business.



Plants form the backbone of many mountain ecosystems. If they fade away, pollinators and seed-eating animals lose vital resources.



Such ripple effects can spread downhill, affecting everyone relying on mountain watersheds for irrigation and drinking water. Decreased plant cover can alter soil stability, which influences runoff and erosion patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-species-will-need-a-helping-hand">Some species will need a helping hand</h2>



There is no universal fix. Solutions must address local challenges and take into account how quickly climates are shifting uphill.



Short-lived species can adapt quickly under the right conditions, but only if gene flow and the environment align. That makes thoughtful conservation choices even more urgent.



Some plants will persist if we reduce greenhouse gas emissions and give them time to adjust. Others may need a helping hand when relocation or genetic mixing becomes their best option.



Experts believe that mountain environments could lose more species if assistance does not arrive. Adaptive capacity has its limits when conditions change too fast.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr1010" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Mountain plants are not safe from rapid climate change

Plants perched high on mountain slopes often seem untouchable. Many...

Urban green spaces do much more than beautify cities. They shape air quality, cool heat-trapped streets, absorb floodwaters, and provide comfort to stressed populations. 



Recent work by researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) demonstrates how diverse tree populations and green infrastructure directly affect urban resilience and human well-being.



Through the FutureBioCity and GrüneLunge (Green Lung) projects, KIT scientists show that cities need not only more green - but smarter, more diverse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-trees-might-be-misleading-us-about-climate-change-impact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green</a>. The researchers focused on modeling green infrastructure in Karlsruhe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parks-with-many-tree-types">Parks with many tree types</h2>



The FutureBioCity project explored what makes public parks appealing. "We wanted to understand how people choose public parks, and what role the structure and composition of urban and peri-urban forests play in this choice,” said Dr. Somidh Saha, lead researcher at <a href="https://www.kit.edu/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KIT</a>.



His team blended ecological fieldwork with social surveys. Most people said they felt better in parks where they perceived a high diversity of tree species. 



“That shows that future parks should be designed to be as diverse and natural as possible so they appeal to people,” said Dr. Saha.



Although the data doesn't yet confirm whether diversity itself improves mental health, the strong preference for variety points to a clear design principle for future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-tree-layout-influences-human-health-and-mortality-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban planning</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-trees-reduce-heat-and-floods">Urban trees reduce heat and floods</h2>



Green spaces do more than lift moods - they help cities manage climate risks. Concrete-heavy districts trap heat and repel rainwater, creating urban heat islands and flash floods. 



KIT’s GrüneLunge project modeled how trees and bioswales (vegetated trenches that absorb water) could reduce these effects. The team ran five-year simulations in 27 districts of Karlsruhe using the i-Tree HydroPlus model. 



The results showed that increasing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-trees-absorb-much-more-carbon-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree</a> cover by 30% and routing runoff into bioswales led to dramatic improvements: a 64.5% drop in hours of extreme heat and a 58% reduction in water runoff. These effects were strongest in districts with the least existing green space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soil-moisture-changes-tree-performance">Soil moisture changes tree performance </h2>



Cooling and drainage benefits vary by soil condition. Dry soils help urban trees absorb more water, reducing flood risk. 



Wet soils, however, enhance cooling via evapotranspiration - especially during heatwaves. This reveals a trade-off in how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-trees-in-the-wrong-place-can-make-cities-hotter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green</a> infrastructure should be deployed: soil moisture drives different outcomes.



Another important finding: trees offer major nighttime cooling benefits. Tree canopies reduced surface heat buildup during the day, cutting nighttime temperatures by up to 5.5 °C (9.9 °F) between midnight and dawn.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prioritizing-vulnerable-communities">Prioritizing vulnerable communities </h2>



Some districts in Karlsruhe, like Palmbach, saw big gains from greening due to low starting tree cover. Others, like Innenstadt, still benefited - especially when bioswales were added.



The experts also recommend prioritizing older populations and vulnerable communities in climate planning. Linking tree planting with demographic data helps make cities safer and fairer.



But there's a caveat: tree survival depends on water. During drought, urban trees can't cool the air if they don’t have enough moisture. This makes irrigation planning crucial for long-term success.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-supports-healthy-aging">Nature supports healthy aging</h2>



While these urban studies focus on physical infrastructure, they tie into broader themes in aging science. A separate review on gut aging explains how weakened gut barriers and reduced microbial diversity drive systemic inflammation. This “inflammaging” leads to cognitive decline, frailty, and disease.



Green space access and microbiome health may connect in unexpected ways. Time in biodiverse environments may help expose people to microbes that regulate immune health. Moreover, interventions like fiber-rich diets, probiotics, and polyphenols can also support healthy gut aging.



The researchers suggest tailoring these approaches to age, sex, and gut type - just as tree-planting strategies should match local demographics and climate conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-areas-need-diverse-trees">Urban areas need diverse trees </h2>



Together, these findings point to a central idea: healthy cities and healthy bodies both need diversity, resilience, and thoughtful design. 



Diverse green infrastructure can lower flood risk, reduce heat, and lift spirits. Microbial diversity in the body can slow aging and protect against disease.



If cities want to survive rising temperatures and aging populations, they must treat trees and microbes as allies - not extras. The sooner cities act, the stronger they will stand.



The results are published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-89842-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670725001714?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sustainable Cities and Society</a>.



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Diverse trees reduce heat and promote healthy aging in urban areas

Urban green spaces do much more than beautify cities. They...

As the newest Biomass satellite begins its journey in orbit following its launch on April 29, it brings fresh momentum to efforts aimed at understanding how forests shape our climate. 



A newly released dataset - built from nearly two decades of satellite data - offers the clearest, most detailed view to date of how much carbon is stored in the woody parts of trees across the planet, and how that’s changed over time.



Developed as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative, the updated forest carbon maps mark a major step forward, with scientists from <a href="https://www.aber.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aberystwyth University</a> playing a key role in their scientific development and validation.



The long-term record, which will soon include data from the Biomass satellite itself, combines measurements from multiple missions such as Envisat, Copernicus Sentinel-1, Japan’s ALOS PALSAR, and NASA’s ICESat and GEDI lidar sensors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-carbon-ledger">A global carbon ledger</h2>



The new data focuses on the carbon-dense parts of trees - mainly trunks and branches - around the globe. It covers various years between 2007 and 2022 and offers resolutions from 100 meters to 50 kilometers.



The maps are designed to support climate modeling, help countries manage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boreal-and-temperate-forests-have-emerged-as-the-main-carbon-sinks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> more effectively, and guide greenhouse gas reporting under the Paris Agreement.



“The new release, version 6, is a pivotal moment for climate science as it provides an unprecedented level of consistency and timeliness in the provision of above-ground biomass estimates globally," said Frank Martin Seifert.



“This empowers researchers and policymakers alike to track carbon dynamics with the temporal precision necessary for meaningful climate action."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-forest-biomass-matters">Why forest biomass matters</h2>



Forests are a key player in the global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-carbon-cycle-trends-of-the-past-50-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon cycle</a>. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as biomass in their trunks, branches, and leaves.



When forests are cleared or burned, that stored carbon gets released back into the atmosphere. Tracking the amount of biomass stored in forests helps scientists understand how much carbon is being absorbed - how stable that storage is - and how much might be released.



The revised dataset corrects long-standing underestimates in dense, carbon-rich areas, thanks in part to international collaboration with partners like the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 



Updates to the algorithm used to retrieve biomass data have made the results more reliable, especially in capturing trends across the globe’s major forest regions.



“The new dataset provides a much more accurate representation of global forest biomass, particularly in regions where earlier versions underestimated high-density forests,” explained Richard Lucas, who leads ESA’s Biomass Project.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-still-remain">Challenges still remain</h2>



Despite the improvements, measuring extremely dense forests remains tricky. 



“Detecting biomass densities above 400 tonnes per hectare is considerably more difficult because the relatively short wavelengths of current radar sensors don’t fully penetrate or interact with the larger woody components of dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-losing-their-carbon-storage-capacity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tropical forests</a>,” Lucas added.



Maurizio Santoro, from Gamma Remote Sensing in Switzerland, emphasized that accuracy has improved with this version. “When assessed against independent reference data from all over the world, the new maps are of higher quality,” he said.



Still, Santoro acknowledged that there’s more work to be done. “Better characterization of the states and dynamics of carbon stored in vegetation is still necessary, which will be facilitated by ingesting additional satellite data from past missions, and from future satellites.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-biomass-satellite">Significance of the Biomass satellite </h2>



This is where the ESA’s new Biomass satellite steps in. It carries a P-band radar - the first of its kind in space - with a wavelength of about 70 centimeters. This allows it to penetrate dense tree canopies, especially in regions like the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, where carbon estimates have traditionally been more uncertain.



Lucas expressed optimism about what lies ahead. “We hope and anticipate that data from the Biomass mission, once available, will be able to extend the record of biomass stored in the world’s forests, with this reducing uncertainties in the global carbon cycle and its contribution to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-mitigate-climate-change-with-deep-ocean-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>."



With each new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-space-age-satellites-can-track-canopies-and-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite</a> and dataset, scientists edge closer to understanding the true scale of the carbon stored in our forests - and what that means for our future.



Image Credit: ESA



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Satellite view of forest biomass reveals hidden carbon trends

As the newest Biomass satellite begins its journey in orbit...

As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and biodiversity intensifies. How we grow food shapes the planet’s health. From wheat fields in the Midwest to rice paddies in Southeast Asia, farmland is expanding and changing rapidly. But at what cost?



For decades, environmentalists and policymakers have debated two main strategies to boost food production. One is expansion - clearing more land for farms. The other is intensification - increasing the yield on existing farmland through high-input practices like pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation.



The common belief is that intensification is less damaging to biodiversity. But a new study by researchers at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) reveals that this assumption may not always hold.



The findings challenge long-held views and call for a more informed, flexible strategy in agricultural policy and conservation. The study invites us to question how food security and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental protection</a> can truly coexist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-expansion-and-intensification">Farm expansion and intensification </h2>



At first glance, farmland intensification seems ideal. It promises more food from the same land, sparing natural ecosystems from conversion. Yet the study led by Dr. Silvia Ceaușu at the UCL Center for Biodiversity &amp; Environment Research suggests a deeper problem.



“Feeding the global human population comes at an increasing cost for our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-are-the-biggest-drivers-of-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet</a>'s biodiversity. Our new research highlights that it's actually more complicated than that,” noted Dr. Ceaușu.



Using a large global dataset, the researchers analyzed biodiversity patterns around farms producing maize, wheat, rice, and soybean - crops that make up over half of the world’s calorie intake.



The experts focused on areas where some natural vegetation remained, excluding untouched wildlands. They then assessed biodiversity in terms of species richness, total abundance, and how widespread species were.



The results revealed that both expansion and intensification damage biodiversity, but the extent varies by region, crop type, and existing vegetation. In some areas, intensification harmed local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-biodiversity-scientists-discover-hidden-pattern-guiding-species-distributions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> more than converting new land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-farm-yields-can-harm-biodiversity">Boosting farm yields can harm biodiversity</h2>



Much of modern agricultural planning encourages “closing yield gaps,” meaning increasing production in areas where crop yields lag behind their potential. The logic is to reduce the need for land expansion. But this new study shows that doing so may come with serious ecological consequences.



“We show that farmland expansion is indeed drastically changing local biodiversity. However, once agriculture is established, intensifying agricultural practices can further degrade local biodiversity, sometimes more so than by further removing natural vegetation from the area,” noted Dr. Silvia Ceaușu.



This challenges the narrative of intensification as a safe compromise. It also suggests that even well-meaning conservation policies might backfire if they overly favor intensification without context.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-pressure-is-changing-biodiversity-faster-than-we-realize/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implications</a> stretch far. International trade agreements often restrict imports from newly converted farmland but welcome goods from intensified farms. That distinction might be too simplistic, especially when intensified farms are located in biodiversity hotspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexity-over-simplicity-in-agricultural-policy">Complexity over simplicity in agricultural policy</h2>



One of the most striking conclusions of the study is that there is no universal rule. Every landscape is different. What works in temperate monocultures may fail in tropical mosaics. This variation makes broad policies difficult to apply effectively.



“Simple suggestions like favoring farmland intensification over expansion are not always effective - there’s no one-size-fits all solution for sustainable agriculture,” noted Professor Tim Newbold at UCL.



Instead of relying on single-solution strategies, policymakers must consider specific ecological, social, and agricultural data. This includes understanding which species are at risk, how ecosystems function locally, and what kind of vegetation remains around farms.



It’s not just about where and how we farm - but also about what lives nearby, and what might disappear as farming intensifies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-practices-reshape-biodiversity-over-time">Farm practices reshape biodiversity over time</h2>



Beyond ecological damage, the study touches on evolutionary consequences. As intensified agriculture becomes more common, it reshapes entire ecosystems. 



Only species that can adapt to altered environments survive. Over time, this selects for generalist traits - those that thrive in simplified, human-managed landscapes.



This process, described in the study as a shift in "evolutionary filters," could gradually lead to less diverse and more homogenized wildlife communities. 



Specialists, who depend on complex, intact ecosystems, are the first to vanish. This affects not only biodiversity statistics but also ecosystem function and resilience.



In intensified landscapes, nature becomes simpler. And while simple might seem efficient for farming, it rarely is for ecology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-farmland-use">Rethinking farmland use </h2>



While the researchers don’t endorse farmland expansion into untouched habitats, they do caution against assuming that intensification is always benign. In certain contexts, expansion into already degraded or marginal lands could do less harm than squeezing more output from heavily farmed areas



“There is likely a balance that can be struck between intensification and expansion… informed by local and crop-specific data,” noted co-author David Leclère of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>), Austria.



The goal isn’t to choose one path but to design farming systems that work for both people and the planet.



“We would not suggest expanding farmland into intact natural areas as it is vital for the planet that such unmodified landscapes are preserved,” said Dr. Newbold.



In other words, any new expansion must avoid primary forests, wetlands, and biodiversity-rich habitats. The challenge lies in identifying and managing lower-risk landscapes while avoiding additional intensification that might push ecosystems past recovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-consumers">The role of consumers </h2>



For consumers, the picture remains complex. It’s difficult to track how sustainable any specific food product is, especially when impacts vary so widely across regions and crops. However, individuals still hold some power.



The researchers recommend reducing food waste and cutting back on meat consumption. Both actions lower agricultural demand and reduce pressure on biodiversity. 



These changes, while small at the individual level, can aggregate into meaningful shifts when adopted widely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-farming-and-biodiversity">Balancing farming and biodiversity </h2>



As the climate crisis unfolds and food insecurity grows, the global community must confront difficult questions. How do we produce enough food without sacrificing biodiversity? Can we make space for nature and still nourish billions?



This new study makes one thing clear: the answers will not come from easy slogans or blanket policies. They will come from detailed data, local context, and a willingness to embrace complexity.



Feeding the world is not just a technical challenge - it is a deeply ecological one. And how we respond will determine the kind of world future generations inherit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02691-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Feeding the world without harming nature: The complex balance of farming

As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and...

Walk through a Mediterranean mountain meadow, and you're likely to spot a patch of Sideritis - a hardy, aromatic plant that has long been used for making Greek mountain tea. For centuries, this herb has been prized by locals for its healing properties; it is believed to soothe everything from colds to stomach issues.



But in recent decades, something has been shifting quietly in these high-altitude ecosystems. The grassy slopes where Sideritis once thrived are being taken over slowly by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrubs-play-a-dual-role-in-forest-recovery-following-wildfires/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shrubs</a> and trees. This transformation is not just about aesthetics. It's a sign of how climate change and land use are altering the very makeup of mountain biodiversity.



Researchers from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, the National Observatory of Athens, and the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Copenhagen</a> have been studying the genetic consequences of these changes, with a focus on Sideritis. Their findings are unsettling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-are-losing-genetic-diversity">Plants are losing genetic diversity</h2>



Mountain regions are known for their rich biodiversity - they support countless unique and specialized species. However, over the past 50 years, many of these habitats have seen changes. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/single-degree-temperature-warming-boreal-forests-wreak-havoc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warmer temperatures</a> and reduced grazing have triggered what's known as "mountain greening" - a steady spread of woody plants into areas that were formerly open grasslands.



Sideritis is among the species feeling the pressure. Once common across the Mediterranean's montane grasslands, it now faces a shrinking habitat. But it's not just the plant’s numbers that are declining. It’s losing genetic diversity as well, which may compromise its natural resilience to stress and change.



“We examined populations in 11 Greek mountain ranges and combined satellite data from several decades with genetic analyses of herbarium specimens from the 1970s and present-day plant samples,” explained study leader Spyros Theodoridis.



The team’s approach was unusual: they paired old herbarium specimens with modern genetic testing and decades of satellite imagery. This allowed them to see how Sideritis populations had changed genetically over time and how those changes tracked with the increase in denser vegetation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-toll-of-inbreeding-and-isolation">The toll of inbreeding and isolation</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"></blockquote>



“The results show that in eight of the 11 mountain regions we studied, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-trees-protect-their-genetic-diversity-for-millions-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic diversity</a> declined significantly during this period. In particularly affected regions, up to 20 percent of the genome of individual plants is now subject to inbreeding – an indication of declining population sizes,” explained Theodoridis.



The numbers point to a worrying trend. As woody plants crowd out the open spaces, Sideritis populations become smaller and more isolated. This leads to inbreeding, which weakens the species’ ability to handle diseases, droughts, and other stresses.



“The speed at which shrubs and trees are spreading in previously open grasslands can be directly linked to the decline in genetic diversity in Sideritis populations,” noted study co-author David Nogués-Bravo. 



“The genetic diversity of a species is crucial for its ability to adapt to environmental changes. If this diversity dwindles, resistance to disease, drought, or other stress factors decreases, which can lead to extinction in the long term.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-watching-plant-changes-from-space">Watching plant changes from space</h2>



One of the most impressive parts of the study is how it links satellite technology with genetics. For years, scientists believed it was impossible to track genetic diversity using remote sensing. This study proves otherwise.



“This combination opens up new possibilities for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-monitoring-method-may-help-prevent-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity monitoring</a>,” emphasized Theodoridis. “It allows us to use satellite images to identify indications of genetic changes in mountain ecosystems without having to genetically examine each individual population on site.”



This method could make it easier to monitor hard-to-reach mountain regions or areas where on-the-ground data is limited.



“However, our results show that the extent of genetic erosion can be predicted with surprisingly high accuracy, based solely on the increase in vegetation density,” said study co-author Thomas Hickler.



“This renders our method particularly attractive for use in mountainous regions that are difficult to access or in areas where genetic monitoring has hardly been possible to date.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historical-specimens-hold-the-genetic-key">Historical specimens hold the genetic key</h2>



This research was made possible, in part, by historical plant specimens that have been stored in herbaria - archives of pressed and preserved plants.



“Without the historical plant specimens in herbaria, the direct comparison over a period of 50 years would not have been possible,” explained co-author Marco Thines. “These archives of nature are invaluable for biodiversity research.”



These old samples provided a genetic snapshot of the past, which was essential for comparing with modern populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-to-the-genetic-diversity-of-plants">Threats to the genetic diversity of plants </h2>



This isn’t just a local problem. Mountain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2020-was-earths-greenest-year-in-two-decades/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greening</a> is happening all over the world, as climate warms and traditional land-use practices decline. 



You can see the shift clearly in satellite images - meadows turn darker as shrubs and trees move in. That’s why the researchers believe that now is the time to act.



“There is an urgent need for comparable studies with other species and in other regions,” concluded Theodoridis. “This will allow us to gain a comprehensive picture of how environmental changes are affecting the genetic basis of biodiversity - and how we can effectively counter this development.”



Protecting plants like Sideritis means protecting more than just a tea ingredient. It means defending the integrity and resilience of entire ecosystems - before they vanish under a wave of greenery.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="http://ell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00436-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982225004361%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">Current Biology</a>.



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Mountain greening threatens genetic diversity of iconic plants

Walk through a Mediterranean mountain meadow, and you're likely to...

In western Canada’s wetlands, a quiet revolution is taking shape. Scientists are bringing mossy peatlands and damaged well pads back to life after decades of oil and gas activity left them altered.



A research team from the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a>, supported by several Canadian institutions, has tested a new restoration method to revive peatland vegetation on oil well pads.



These pads, once used for drilling, have disrupted the delicate water <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-microbes-in-amazon-peatlands-help-balance-the-global-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a> and plant life of boreal fens. Now, the team’s breakthrough shows that true mosses - the core builders of peatlands - can grow again, even on degraded, mineral-rich soils.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-pads-disrupted-peatland-ecosystems">How pads disrupted peatland ecosystems</h2>



Canada’s boreal peatlands are not just rich in moss - they store massive amounts of carbon and regulate freshwater systems across the country. 



However, many of these ecosystems have been disrupted by the construction of over 36,000 hectares of well pads and 100,000 km of access roads.



These pads bury native vegetation under layers of clay and sand, severing their connection to natural hydrology and altering nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peatland-canals-are-hidden-hotspots-for-carbon-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>. 



Traditional restoration techniques often focused on replanting trees or grasses to convert damaged land into forest or grassland.



But such solutions overlook the unique role of peatlands in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. The new method shifts the focus: it seeks to restore the land to its original, moss-dominated state.



“These results are the first to suggest that the re-establishment of peatland vegetation on full-scale lowered well pads is possible,” said Murdoch McKinnon, PhD candidate in the Faculty of Environment. 



“Well pads bury all of the native peatland vegetation under clay or sand, negatively impacting the ability of the peatland to sequester carbon and also reducing the availability of habitat for wildlife.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moss-based-method-on-well-pads">Moss-based method on well pads</h2>



In 2020, researchers implemented this large-scale trial on a decommissioned well pad near Slave Lake, Alberta. The strategy involved partially removing the upper layers of the pad and transplanting native mosses collected from a nearby donor site. 



The moss <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immune-power-of-mosses-can-be-transferred-to-other-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> included true mosses like Aulacomnium palustre, Tomentypnum nitens, and Helodium blandowii - all typical of rich fens. The surface of the pad was reshaped to include low and high microtopographies. 



This mimics natural peatland surfaces and helps retain water in dips, which is essential for moss survival. A straw mulch layer was applied to half the plots to slow evaporation and protect the mosses from drying winds.



The approach draws inspiration from a natural process called paludification, where peatlands expand over mineral soils due to consistent water saturation. 



By partially removing the well pad <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oil-profits-could-save-the-planet-if-governments-tax-them-now/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface</a>, the method aimed to replicate conditions that allow early successional peatland vegetation to thrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moss-needs-steady-water-to-survive">Moss needs steady water to survive</h2>



Peatland mosses, unlike vascular plants, lack roots and internal water transport systems. Their health depends entirely on the moisture around them. 



In this study, researchers found that mosses thrived when the water table stayed within six centimeters of the surface. These optimal conditions were found mostly along the pad’s edges, which were still hydrologically connected to the surrounding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peatland-canals-are-hidden-hotspots-for-carbon-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural peatland</a>.



In contrast, interior zones of the pad experienced rapid drying during the late season. This dryness occurred because those sections lacked direct groundwater input and had poor water retention due to the coarse sandy substrate. 



Mosses in these interior zones faced significant risks of desiccation, particularly during the second study year, which was drier than normal. 



The team concluded that the restoration method works best when a steady flow of water can reach the transplanted mosses. Otherwise, even with added mulch, the mosses struggled to maintain the hydration needed for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sounding-the-alarm-microplastics-are-disrupting-photosynthesis-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a> and growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dry-years-limit-moss-growth">Dry years limit moss growth</h2>



The study ran over two growing seasons. The first season had near-average rainfall, while the second was drier, reflecting potential future climate scenarios. 



In the wet year, seven plots on the pad maintained near-surface water tables and showed high potential for moss establishment. In the drier year, only one plot - located at the hydrologically favorable northeast corner - retained adequate moisture.



Drying trends in interior plots suggested that the partial removal technique alone may not suffice under climate stress. Mosses planted in these areas often encountered moisture conditions below their survival threshold. 



This highlights the need to improve subsurface hydrological connectivity across the pad, perhaps by altering slope design or installing water flow conduits.



“Preserving peatlands is critical because of the role they play storing and supplying water in the landscape,” said Dr. Richard Petrone, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at Waterloo. 



“They are also our best choice for nature-based climate change <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/abandoned-oil-wells-could-revolutionize-energy-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solutions</a> because of the vast amounts of carbon that they store.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-when-moss-dries-out">What happens when moss dries out</h2>



The risk of moss desiccation became particularly clear in the pad’s interior zones. Researchers measured soil moisture and water potential across different microtopographic levels. 



They found that when the water table dropped below 54 cm, mosses - especially those on high ground - entered the desiccation danger zone. Mulching helped slightly in low areas but had limited effect overall. 



The straw was often blown off high points by wind, reducing its ability to shield mosses from evaporation. These findings suggest that water table depth has a stronger impact than surface treatments in controlling moss health.



Some moss species can tolerate drying, but growth slows or halts altogether. Rewetting takes time, and extended dry periods can stunt long-term recovery. This makes mosses in interior pad zones especially vulnerable during drought years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-mosses-thrive-on-well-pads">Some mosses thrive on well pads</h2>



Not all mosses need the same conditions. Species like Tomentypnum nitens and Aulacomnium palustre can survive across a wide range of moisture levels. 



These species may establish even in dry interior areas. However, the long-term success of a diverse peatland community depends on retaining wet microsites and providing favorable conditions across the landscape.



Interestingly, plots near the pad edges also saw some short-term saturation. This may allow submergence-tolerant mosses to dominate. 



Researchers noted that while prolonged flooding can reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/details-photosynthesis-water-viewed-atomic-level-cryo-microscope/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a>, it is less damaging than complete desiccation.



These microtopographic differences might ultimately support greater moss diversity by allowing multiple species to thrive in different niches. But the initial phase is critical. Without stable moisture early on, even hardy mosses can fail to establish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-moss-other-restoration-pathways">Beyond moss: Other restoration pathways</h2>



In some parts of the pad, especially where water tables dropped sharply, true mosses may not be the best candidates. 



These zones could instead support sedges like Carex and Scirpus species, which tolerate fluctuating moisture better. Introducing these plants might kickstart <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-carbon-buried-deep-beneath-the-forest-is-disrupted-by-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">organic matter</a> buildup and improve soil water retention over time.



The idea is not to force every plot to become a moss-dominated peatland. Instead, researchers are exploring mixed strategies tailored to local conditions. 



Over decades, sedges could help transform dry mineral soils into suitable environments for future moss colonization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peatland-restoration-requires-better-tools">Peatland restoration requires better tools</h2>



The study marks a turning point in how scientists approach restoration on former drilling sites. While the partial removal method shows promise, it works best when combined with other interventions. 



Adding organic matter, adjusting terrain slopes, or installing water flow conduits may improve moss survival rates in drier regions. Long-term monitoring remains essential. 



The researchers will continue studying how moss communities develop over time and whether introduced species can become self-sustaining. There’s also a need to refine water availability thresholds for different moss types to better guide future efforts.



This work reflects a growing understanding that restoration is not just about replanting vegetation. It’s about re-establishing the physical and hydrological foundations that ecosystems need to thrive.



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The full findings of this study are detailed in Hydrologic assessment of mineral substrate suitability for true moss initiation in a boreal peatland undergoing restoration, published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092585742500103X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecological Engineering</a>.



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Planting moss helps restore land damaged by oil and gas exploration

In western Canada’s wetlands, a quiet revolution is taking shape....

When naturalists tally the frogs in a farm pond or the orchids in a mountain meadow they always encounter the same rule of thumb: when you survey a larger range, the more species you find. The relationship seems simple, yet ecologists have puzzled over an odd signature hidden in species distribution data for nearly a century.



As one zooms out from local plots to regional landscapes. the tally of new species first soars. Then, it plateaus, taking off again at continental and global scales. That curious “S-shaped” curve is technically, the three-phase species–area relationship. 



It has appeared in everything from beetles to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-wings-have-a-surprising-effect-on-island-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> and from coral reefs to desert shrubs. Until now, no single mathematical framework explained why the curve changes its slope where it does.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-species-distributions">Predicting species distributions </h2>



A collaboration of researchers spanning Portugal, Germany, the United States and South Africa has now filled that theoretical gap. 



The experts combined basic geometry with giant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-are-the-biggest-drivers-of-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> datasets to show that the three phases arise inevitably from the way individual species spread their geographic ranges across Earth’s surface.



The team's model not only reproduces the classic patterns, it also generates equations that predict how many species should occur at the precise break points between phases - a feat with direct relevance for conservation planners who must estimate extinctions as habitats are lost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-range-size-affects-species-distributions">Range size affects species distributions</h2>



Ecologists formalized the species-area relationship (SAR) in the early twentieth century, discovering that a log-log plot of cumulative species versus area usually forms a straight line. Yet when studies started to cover larger domains, investigators found the line was actually composed of three segments.



In the first segment, from local quadrants to perhaps a few hundred square kilometers, adding more land brings a flood of new species because each little patch contains slightly different microhabitats. In the middle segment, spanning thousands of square kilometers, the pace slackens; the same bird species, for instance, occupy most forests inside a biogeographic region. 



Beyond that, when continents are added, evolutionary history enters the picture and the slope shoots up again as entirely different faunas come into view. Empirically describing those bends was straightforward; explaining them from first principles proved harder. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-individual-ranges-of-species">Individual ranges of species</h2>



“We demonstrated that the individual geographical ranges of all species within the studied areas shape the typical species distribution patterns we observe across the globe,” said lead author Luís Borda-de-Água of <a href="https://www.cibio.up.pt/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CIBIO</a> in Portugal.



By mathematically stacking these ranges like overlapping tiles on a floor plan, the team showed that the SAR’s inflection points fall where the average range size of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-temperature-extremes-change-the-distribution-of-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resident species</a> equals the sampling area. At small scales most ranges eclipse the plot, so each extra hectare introduces new species.



At intermediate scales the plot begins to rival range size, so fewer novelties appear. At the largest scales even the widest-ranging species occupy only one continent, restoring the steep climb.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-patterns-and-crunching-records">Testing patterns and crunching records</h2>



To test the idea the researchers turned to the <a href="https://www.gbif.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Biodiversity Information Facility</a>, a compendium of citizen-science sightings and museum records. They extracted roughly 700 million geo-referenced observations spanning birds, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-40-of-amphibians-face-extinction-due-to-escalating-climate-threats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amphibians</a>, mammals and vascular plants.



For each taxonomic group they generated empirical SARs and compared them with the theoretical predictions. The correspondence was striking: predicted transition points - where the slope of the SAR changes - matched the observed curves within confidence bounds for all groups.



Borda-de-Água noted that this is a major step forward in ecology because it links a macroecological pattern to a simple, measurable property - range size - without invoking mysterious external factors. 



Senior author Henrique Pereira is a research professor at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research <a href="https://www.idiv.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(iDiv</a>) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. 



Pereira emphasized the significance of the research. “Discovering fundamental principles in ecology is just as thrilling as breakthroughs in physics.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-stakes-for-a-shrinking-planet"><a></a>Practical stakes for a shrinking planet</h2>



Beyond intellectual satisfaction the model carries weighty consequences for biodiversity assessments. International panels such as IPBES rely on SARs to translate lost habitat into predicted extinctions. 



If analysts know where a landscape sits on the three-phase curve they can apply the correct slope and avoid over- or under-estimating risk. The new equations provide exactly that guidance. 



Suppose a logged forest fragment still covers more area than the average range of its endemic beetles; species losses may be modest. But once destruction pushes the fragment below the first transition threshold, disappearing hectares cause a much steeper decline in species count.



Because the theory is scale-free it can also help conservationists decide whether sampling has been adequate. If observed species richness does not yet reach the slowdown phase, additional survey work is warranted before managers proclaim an inventory complete.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-species-distributions">Shifting species distributions </h2>



The authors acknowledge that species’ ranges are not static. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-action-and-biodiversity-striking-the-right-balance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate change</a>, invasive species, and land-use shifts continually redraw distribution maps. 



Incorporating dynamic range models into the three-phase framework will be a priority, as will extending tests to marine organisms and microbes, whose ranges are harder to delineate.



Still, the study offers a rare optimism amid grim extinction headlines. By revealing the geometry behind one of ecology’s most robust laws, scientists gain a clearer lens through which to view and perhaps mitigate humanity’s impact on life’s diversity.



As Pereira puts it, advances like these “unveil hidden patterns that have been shaping life on Earth for millions of years,” providing the knowledge base needed to steer those patterns, responsibly, into the future.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59239-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Saving biodiversity: Scientists discover hidden pattern guiding species distributions

When naturalists tally the frogs in a farm pond or...

Agricultural chemicals sprayed over vast plant fields rarely stay where growers intend. Researchers estimate that as much as half of each application drifts into soil, water, or the atmosphere - raising costs for farmers while burdening ecosystems.



A collaboration between <a href="https://web.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a> and the <a href="https://smart.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology</a> offers a radically different approach: hollow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/inspired-by-sea-slugs-microneedles-could-transform-health-monitoring/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microneedles</a> spun from natural silk protein that inject fertilizers, nutrients, or sensing probes directly into plant tissues. 



This technique pairs surgical precision with a fabrication process so simple it can be done outside a clean room, yet robust enough for large-scale production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-silk-needles-for-smarter-farming">Silk needles for smarter farming</h2>



“Agrochemicals are important for supporting our food system, but they’re also expensive and bring environmental side effects, so there’s a big need to deliver them precisely,” explained Benedetto Marelli, the study’s senior author and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT.



Traditional foliar spraying addresses entire canopies even when only specific plants - or particular tissues - need treatment.



The new silk microneedles bypass that waste, ferrying liquids directly into a plant’s vascular network, where they can be distributed internally with minimal losses to the surrounding environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-to-feed-plants">A new way to feed plants</h2>



The research builds on medical microneedle technology originally devised for painless human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-misconceptions-are-spreading-rapidly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaccinations</a>. Earlier work from Marelli’s group proved that solid silk needles could pierce plant epidermis, but those prototypes carried only minuscule doses. 



To deliver commercially relevant volumes, Yunteng Cao and Doyoon Kim created a hollow version without the clean-room lithography medical devices usually require. They mixed purified silk fibroin with a saline solution and cast the blend into tiny conical molds.



As the water evaporated, salt crystallized inside the cones. Washing away the salt left behind either a central lumen or microscopic pores, depending on salt concentration. Despite their lightweight structure, the needles still had enough strength to penetrate stems.



“It’s a pretty simple fabrication process. It can be done outside of a clean room - you could do it in your kitchen if you wanted,” Kim said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-silk-needles-to-heal-crops">Using silk needles to heal crops</h2>



Iron deficiency, or chlorosis, stunts growth in many crops and can significantly reduce tomato yields. Sprays often fail because iron oxidizes before it enters the roots or leaves.



The team demonstrated that their hollow needles could infuse iron chelate directly into chlorotic tomato stems, reversing yellowing while using far less material than conventional soil or foliar supplements. 



Because the silk matrix biodegrades over several days, the needles acted like slow-release capsules, sustaining iron delivery as the plant recovered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enriching-crops-with-vitamins">Enriching crops with vitamins</h2>



Biofortification - boosting the nutritional content of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creating-resilient-crops-to-cope-with-the-climate-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crops</a> - typically involves genetic engineering or post-harvest additives. 



The researchers tested whether the silk microneedles could embed vitamin B12, a nutrient scarce in plant foods, into developing tomatoes. Injections into green stems resulted in ripe fruit containing measurable B12, hinting at a field-based route for nutrient enrichment.



Co-author Daisuke Urano noted that detailed assessments showed “minimal adverse effects from microneedle injections in plants, with no observed short- or long-term negative impacts,” suggesting the method could scale without compromising crop health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crop-diagnostics-and-silk-needles">Crop diagnostics and silk needles </h2>



The team also used the needles as diagnostic probes. Hydroponic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomatoes-have-a-molecular-trick-to-survive-in-extreme-heat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tomatoes</a> growing in cadmium-tainted nutrient solution can absorb the toxic metal long before visual symptoms appear.



By inserting microneedles and later analyzing the absorbed sap, the researchers detected cadmium within fifteen minutes and monitored its rise over eighteen hours. 



Current imaging methods only reveal stress after growth falters, and pulling sap manually is laborious. A microneedle array could act as an “IV line,” continually sampling fluid for on-farm analytics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-robotic-treatment-for-plants">Robotic treatment for plants</h2>



At present, technicians place the needles by hand, but Marelli envisions mounting them on robotic arms or autonomous drones that already patrol high-tech farms. Such systems could target individual plants flagged by imaging or soil sensors, applying nutrients or pesticides only where needed.



“We want to maximize the growth of plants without negatively affecting the health of the farm or the biodiversity of surrounding ecosystems,” Marelli said. “There shouldn’t be a trade-off between the agriculture industry and the environment. They should work together.”



While agriculture is the immediate focus, the underlying manufacturing technique could benefit human medicine. 



Hollow polymeric microneedles loaded with drugs or vaccines can offer painless, self-administrable alternatives to hypodermic needles. Cao noted salt-templating can customize pore size and shape for controlled release in both skin and plant stems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-precise-crop-injections-with-silk-needles">Precise crop injections with silk needles </h2>



Global demand for food is climbing even as arable land and freshwater resources strain under climate change and pollution. Precision tools that conserve inputs while protecting surrounding ecosystems are crucial, and silk microneedles offer a versatile platform.



The technology cuts waste and boosts crop care by infusing treatments, enriching nutrients, and enabling fast, in-plant diagnostics. 



If automated at scale, farmers could soon replace broad sprays with pinpoint injections, feeding a growing world more responsibly and efficiently.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01923-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Nanotechnology</a>.



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Smarter farming: Silk needles heal crops with precision

Agricultural chemicals sprayed over vast plant fields rarely stay where...

High in the Dolomites of northern Italy, a quiet forest of spruce trees witnessed a cosmic event. As the moon began its slow passage across the face of the sun, these trees did something extraordinary. They didn’t just react to the solar eclipse - they prepared for it. 



Hours before the eclipse unfolded, the inner signals of the trees began to shift in synchrony, echoing across the forest like an invisible wave.



What if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-are-losing-the-battle-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> could think? What if they didn’t just survive but sensed, remembered, and collectively adapted? These questions are no longer the domain of poetic speculation. A new international study has brought scientific weight to these ideas, revealing a forest’s capacity for anticipation and communication.



Led by Professor Alessandro Chiolerio of the Italian Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.iit.it" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIT</a>) and the University of the West of England (<a href="https://www.uwe.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UWE</a>), and Professor Monica Gagliano of <a href="https://www.scu.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southern Cross University</a>, the research shows how spruce trees behave not just as individuals but as members of a responsive, interconnected ecosystem.



The trees began altering their bioelectrical rhythms well before the eclipse. This wasn’t passive reaction - it was a coordinated prelude.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-older-trees-sense-eclipse-first">Older trees sense eclipse first</h2>



The researchers placed specialized sensors on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-new-trees-brings-hope-for-healthier-babies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trees</a> ranging from decades-old elders to young saplings. The trees’ bioelectrical signals - minute voltage changes across their tissues - began shifting as early as 14 hours before the solar eclipse occurred.



Remarkably, older trees were the first to display these changes. They exhibited increased entropy and bioelectrical complexity long before the event, suggesting deep memory rooted in past experiences. 



These ancient trees acted as environmental archives, holding clues from previous eclipses and perhaps other rare events that have repeated over their long lives.



“The fact that older trees respond first - potentially guiding the collective response of the forest - speaks volumes about their role as memory banks of past environmental events,” said Professor Gagliano.



This age-based hierarchy of response shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-trees-are-reaching-new-heights-in-the-mountains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trees</a> are not just passive organisms. Instead, they may actively use memory to shape real-time responses to future events. The old trees don’t simply endure - they teach.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tree-signals-sync-before-an-eclipse">Tree signals sync before an eclipse</h2>



Custom-built CyberTree sensors recorded data from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/slow-and-steady-tree-growth-wins-the-race-for-carbon-capture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trees</a> at four distinct forest sites. Trees of different ages and light exposure were included. Some trees were healthy and tall, others young and shaded, and several were even stumps from felled trees.



In one 20-year-old tree, researchers noticed sharp, square-wave-like bioelectrical spikes hours before the eclipse. These signals vanished immediately after the event, creating a clear boundary in the data. 



Older trees showed broader but more persistent fluctuations. During the eclipse itself, bioelectrical activity became less chaotic and more ordered.



“This study illustrates the anticipatory and synchronized responses we observed are key to understanding how forests communicate and adapt, revealing a new layer of complexity in plant behavior,” explained Professor Gagliano.



This coordination wasn’t superficial. It ran deep through the trees’ vascular systems - through xylem and phloem - recorded using electrodes both within trunks and around their circumference. The result was a living, electrical map of the forest’s inner state.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whole-forest-acts-as-one-system">Whole forest acts as one system</h2>



The synchrony wasn’t limited to isolated trees. Researchers applied cross-correlation analysis to examine relationships among signals from different trees. What they found was striking. As the eclipse approached, trees didn’t just change individually. They aligned with each other.



Compared to normal days, during the eclipse the trees exhibited larger deviations in signal symmetry. This meant the forest wasn’t operating randomly. Each tree’s electrical behavior influenced - and was influenced by - others. These shifts showed signs of communication and responsiveness beyond traditional ecological models.



“We now see the forest not as a mere collection of individuals, but as an orchestra of phase correlated plants,” said Professor Chiolerio.



Especially strong synchrony occurred between the oldest trees, suggesting that longevity also brings a central role in networked behaviors. Their signals moved together like synchronized swimmers, responding as one to the cosmic shift overhead.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-trees-align-their-behavior">How trees align their behavior</h2>



To make sense of this synchrony, the team turned to an unlikely ally - quantum field theory (QFT). Trees, they argued, are open, dissipative systems. They constantly exchange energy with their environment, and classical physics falls short in describing their complex coordination.



By using thermal QFT models, the researchers could describe the trees' behavior at both molecular and systemic levels. They showed how microscopic structures like ion channels and water molecules aligned their activity, giving rise to coherent macroscopic behavior.



In this framework, the forest’s response becomes a form of spontaneous symmetry breaking. That is, a small environmental trigger - in this case, the eclipse - produces a large-scale shift in system organization.



During the eclipse, the system’s entropy dropped, coherence increased, and the forest appeared to enter a new state - like an orchestra locking into tempo after tuning their instruments. The forest was not only alive. It was aware.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gravity-may-cue-the-response">Gravity may cue the response</h2>



A mystery remained: how could trees begin responding before the eclipse even started? The usual suspects - light, temperature, and humidity - couldn’t explain it. Trees began shifting their signals when it was still daylight and warm, and the Moon was far from their sky.



The authors propose another trigger: gravimetric tides. These are subtle shifts in Earth’s gravitational field caused by the alignment of the Moon and Sun. During a solar eclipse, especially one aligned with a Saros cycle, these tides peak.



Such gravimetric cues are hard for humans to detect, but not for trees. Their deep-rooted structure and fluid dynamics make them excellent sensors. Older trees, which have lived through several Saros cycles, may recognize this pattern and respond early.



“This discovery underscores the critical importance of protecting older forests, which serve as pillars of ecosystem resilience by preserving and transmitting invaluable ecological knowledge,” said Professor Gagliano.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-conservation-science">Implications for conservation science</h2>



This research expands our understanding of what a forest is. No longer can we see it as a collection of competing individuals. The trees synchronize their internal processes, align responses to stimuli, and likely share information across time and space.



This makes old-growth forests irreplaceable. Logging them erases not just biomass, but knowledge - decades or centuries of stored information that newer trees have not yet acquired.



From the lens of ecological stability, these forests act like community elders. They modulate, anticipate, and respond, ensuring the forest survives sudden changes. Protecting them becomes not only an act of conservation, but an act of safeguarding planetary memory.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-hidden-intelligence-of-forests">The hidden intelligence of forests</h2>



To share this finding with a wider audience, the research team collaborated on a documentary. Il Codice del Bosco (The Forest Code) is scheduled for release in Italy in May 2025. It brings the forest’s hidden world to life, showing trees as responsive and intelligent beings.



“Basically, we are watching the famous ‘wood wide web’ in action!” said Professor Gagliano.



The documentary will visualize the forest’s electrical signals, offering viewers a glimpse into a world usually invisible. It represents a step toward redefining how we relate to nature - not as masters, but as fellow participants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-remember-eclipses-and-adapt">Trees remember eclipses and adapt</h2>



The study of spruce trees during a solar eclipse has revealed something profound. Trees do not simply endure. They anticipate, adapt, and align with each other through non-verbal, bioelectrical communication. They exhibit behaviors long thought reserved for animals - coordination, memory, and possibly a form of decision-making.



As we understand this hidden intelligence, our approach to ecology must evolve. Forests are not just lungs of the planet. They are its silent minds - thinking slowly, speaking in signals, and remembering events we cannot see.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241786" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Trees sync up their communication signals before a solar eclipse

High in the Dolomites of northern Italy, a quiet forest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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