environmental science research for everyone
Primary article: Hutton, J.M et al. Occupancy and abundance of stream salamanders along a specific conductance gradient. Freshwater Science. 2020.
Read moreHow do we communicate our science? Are traditional methods of science communication equitable? Let’s explore how scientists share information.
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International agreements on climate change action, like the Paris Agreement of 2016, are typically reached by individual countries working together. However, sub-national governments and non-governmental entities pursuing their own policies of combating climate change can often lead to significant positive impact. The United States, which signed and then withdrew from the Paris Agreement, is a model of this scenario.
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The Privilege of clean drinking water It’s easy to take for granted the availability of clean, safe water at the
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If you were following coverage of Hurricane Delta this week, you might’ve noticed that it seemed to come out of nowhere — one day we were all talking about Tropical Storm Gamma, and then seemingly overnight the conversation shifted to sounding alarms over Hurricane Delta. This phenomenon, in which a hurricane goes from nobody to nightmare in under a day, is known as rapid intensification. The one-two punch of rapid intensificaton being both deadly and difficult to predict has made it an urgent problem for forecasters as we all try to adjust to our changing climate.
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Blue carbon is the carbon that is stored within marine ecosystems. It is being used more frequently within global carbon budgets, which are calculated to help us reduce climate change. Historically, only tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds have been used in calculating stored carbon for carbon budgets. A team of researchers from Norway wanted to see if kelp forests could significantly contribute to carbon storage. They studied the kelp forests along Australia’s southern coast and found their storage potential to be similar to that of the other historically used ecosystems. Conserving and restoring kelp forests could therefore increase carbon storage and help reduce climate change.
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Who is impacted most by climate change? While most environmental carbon originates in the developed world, most of the immediate effects are being felt by those in developing or least developed countries. Could describing climate change in a human frame be the key to mobilizing mitigation action? Researchers use new data sets to assess the flood risk of a previously unexplored population of vulnerable communities living in river deltas around the world.
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Environmental conditions can change quite quickly. In this case, due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 we’ve all been wearing masks when we venture outside. How might this sudden change in our appearance affect animals that frequently live amongst us? Find out how Eurasian tree sparrows responded to wearing masks in two provinces of Sichuan, China.
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Have you ever thought about the microorganisms living under your tent while you’re camping? It may seem like setting up the tent and trampling all over the campsite may harm the organisms that live in the soil but new study in the Arizona savanna turns that idea on its head. Read on to learn about camping resistant plants, microbes, and resiliency of this awesome ecosystem.
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Planting trees along highway roadsides is a good way to increase tree coverage in cities, but getting trees to grow here and maintaining these plantings over time can be difficult. Reducing soil compaction and adding organic material, such as compost, can improve roadside soils and support tree growth in these areas. A 5-year study in Ontario recently found that loosening up the soil and mixing in 10-25% food waste compost relative to soil can help improve tree growth along roadsides, possibly reducing the need to follow up and maintain these trees over time.
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