Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Climate change in the forests of northern Germany      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More and more trees are suffering the consequences of decades of human-made climate change. The growth of the European beech has so far suffered decline mainly in southern Europe. European beech is Germany's most important native forest tree species and it is most commonly found in Central Europe. A research team has now been able to show that the European beech is suffering from increasing drought stress in summer in northern Germany as well. This climate stress is particularly pronounced at warmer sites, when there is a higher density of these trees together, and on very sandy soils.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Household air cleaners improve heart health among individuals with COPD, researchers find      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A six-month study oncludes that the use of portable home air purifiers can improve some markers of cardiovascular health in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Post-lockdown auto emissions can't hide in the grass      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have a new way to demonstrate which neighborhoods are most affected by air pollution from vehicle emissions: analyzing wild grass for radiocarbon content, which is a proxy for fossil fuel emissions.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Health benefits of using wind energy instead of fossil fuels      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study finds that the health benefits associated with wind power could more than quadruple if operators turned down output from the most polluting fossil-fuel-based power plants when energy from wind is available. However, compared to wealthier communities, disadvantaged communities would reap a smaller share of these benefits.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Adults living in areas with high air pollution are more likely to have multiple long-term health conditions      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Exposure to traffic related air pollution is associated with an increased likelihood of having multiple long-term physical and mental health conditions according to a new study of more than 364,000 people in England.

Geoscience: Landslides
Published

Study shows landbuilding, site of freshwater diversion      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Supporters of the large-scale Mississippi River sediment diversions currently being planned by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority got a boost to their case recently when scientists published an analysis of two existing freshwater diversions on the state's coastline, one of which shows a significant amount of land having formed over the past 17 years.

Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Paleontology: Climate
Published

Old-growth trees more drought tolerant than younger ones, providing a buffer against climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new analysis of more than 20,000 trees on five continents shows that old-growth trees are more drought tolerant than younger trees in the forest canopy and may be better able to withstand future climate extremes. The findings highlight the importance of preserving the world's remaining old-growth forests, which are biodiversity strongholds that store vast amounts of planet-warming carbon, according to forest ecologists.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Plants can adapt their lignin using 'chemically encoding' enzymes to face climate change      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study shows how plants 'encode' specific chemistries of their lignin to grow tall and sustain climate changes: each plant cell uses different combinations of the enzymes LACCASEs to create specific lignin chemistries. These results can be used both in agriculture and in forestry for selecting plants with the best chemistry to resist climate challenges.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Finding genes to help fruiting plants adapt to droughts      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have conducted the first spatiotemporal study of the effects of prolonged water stress on tomato fruits, identifying genes that could help plant breeders develop fruit crops that can adapt to drought conditions.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Landslides
Published

Landslide risk remains years after even a weak earthquake      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Satellite observations have revealed that weak seismic ground shaking can trigger powerful landslide acceleration -- even several years after a significant earthquake.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Major fires an increasing risk as the air gets thirstier, research shows      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Greater atmospheric demand for water means a dramatic increase in the risk of major fires in global forests unless we take urgent and effective climate action, new research finds. Researchers have examined global climate and fire records in all of the world's forests over the last 20 years.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Paleontology: Climate
Published

1930s Dust Bowl led to extreme heat around Northern Hemisphere      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The 1930s Dust Bowl affected heat extremes across much of North America and as far away as Europe and East Asia, according to new research. The study found that the extreme heating of the Great Plains triggered motions of air around the Northern Hemisphere in ways that suppressed cloud formation in some regions and contributed to record heat thousands of miles away.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A combination of behavior change campaigns and technology could help to keep air pollution at a minimum in schools      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Creating campaigns that tap the diverse community around many of the UK's schools could help to keep air pollution low, especially as much of the country experiences the cost-of-living crisis, according to a new study.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Researchers discover root exudates have surprising and counterintuitive impact on soil carbon storage      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers examined root exudates and their impact on soil carbon storage revealing surprising and counterintuitive results.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Synthetic fibers discovered in Antarctic air, seawater, sediment and sea ice as the 'pristine' continent becomes a sink for plastic pollution      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Microplastic fibers discovered in samples (air, seawater, sediment and sea-ice) from the last remaining pristine environment on Earth.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Limiting global warming now can preserve valuable freshwater resource      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team has found that the Andean region of Chile could face noticeable snow loss and roughly 10% less mountain water runoff with a global warming of approximately 2.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels over the next three decades. The study also shows that what happens in the Andes could be a harbinger of what is to come for the California Sierra Nevada mountain range, and highlights the importance of carbon-mitigation strategies to prevent this from occurring.

Geoscience: Landslides
Published

Satellites cast critical eye on coastal dead zones      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have found a new and better way to use remote sensing to understand where coastal dead zones are and predict changes.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Turning wastewater into fertilizer is feasible and could help to make agriculture more sustainable      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The wastewater draining from massive pools of sewage sludge has the potential to play a role in more sustainable agriculture, according to environmental engineering researchers.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Air pollution high at US public schools with kids from marginalized groups      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Race- and ethnicity-based discrepancies in exposure to air pollution, especially regarding proximity to roadways and industrial zones, are well-established. A new study reports the first nationwide patterns in atmospheric fine particulate pollution and nitrogen dioxide exposure at U.S. public schools.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Which weather characteristics affect agricultural and food trade the most?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Changing weather patterns have profound impacts on agricultural production around the world. Higher temperatures, severe drought, and other weather events may decrease output in some regions but effects are often volatile and unpredictable. Yet, many countries rely on agricultural and food trade to help alleviate the consequences of local, weather-induced production shifts, a new article suggests.