environmental science research for everyone
Rivers have suffered the most from human urbanization. Damming, river straightening and removal of large woody debris have disrupted many natural processes essential for healthy habitats of fish, insects and algae. Many land managers have returned fallen trees back into rivers in hopes to improve habitat quality. It wasn’t until this research by Thompson and colleagues that there was clear evidence that this management strategy was successful.
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We know that plants flower in spring, but when exactly? And does climate change impact this timing? Is this pattern consistent across the world and can we expect it to be the same in all plants? A new study identifies how flowering time in different plant types responds to changes in climate over the years.
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By 2050, the demand for staple food crops, such as potatoes and wheat, is expected to nearly double from what it is today. We could farm all the land in the world, but scientists and others believe this could be detrimental for a multitude of reasons. How can we increase our crop yields without expanding our already limited fields? The answer may lie in cutting out leaves. Taking this approach, Srinivasan and colleagues increased soybean production by up to 8%, that’s approximately 6.5 metric tons per year.
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How impactful are restoration projects for the environment? With the help of isotopic analysis researchers hope to find the answer.
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Boreal forests of Alaska are expanding north and to higher latitudes due to higher annual temperatures, but the snowshoe hare may be limiting the growth of these forests.
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The majority of marine policy addresses concerns of commercial fisheries and science. The only problem is they aren’t the only voices to be heard on issues surrounding the ocean. This article argues to inclusion of local indigenous communities of Alaska in future policy.
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There’s much more to this world than meets the eye. This study examines the potential role of microbial communities in salt marshes and how their community and role of decomposition may be altered by rising sea levels.
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Derksen-Hooijberg M, Angelini C, Lamers LPM, et al. Mutualistic interactions amplify saltmarsh restoration success. J Appl Ecol. 2017;00:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12960
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