Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Environmental Science

Environmental Science
Jenna Zukswert

A Matter of Mulch: Restoring Post-Fire Pine Forests in the Western United States

Following severe fires, forest soils can erode, depositing sediment into nearby waterways after it rains and threatening local water quality as a result. Mulch is often used to reduce soil erosion in forests following wildfire. Following the High Park Fire in Colorado, scientists tested several types of mulch to determine which was most effective. Thanks to this study, we now know that wood mulch is better than wheat-straw mulch at promoting the return of pine trees and excluding non-native species from taking over, while also stabilizing the soil, probably because wood mulch persists longer and holds more moisture.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceToxicology
Samantha Andres

Predator-free New Zealand? Conservation ethics

https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/content/pdf/10.1007/s10806-019-09815-x.pdf Biodiversity hotspots Without a doubt, New Zealand is a biodiversity hotspot. It consistsof two islands that have evolved independently

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ClimateEnvironmental Science
Jeannie Wilkening

Uncool beans: The future of coffee under climate change

A lot of people would say that a hot cup of coffee is a morning necessity, but a hotter future under climate change could mean trouble is brewing. In this study, scientists examined how rising temperatures might impact the growth of one of the major types of coffee produced in the world.

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Case StudiesEnvironmental Science
Riley Lovejoy

Humans, Livestock, and Wild Carnivores

What comes to mind when you think of human and wildlife conflict? One major source of conflict is predation of livestock by wild carnivores. Livestock management strategies can help lessen conflict by reducing predation events, but those strategies must be based on sound ecological concepts to be most effective.

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CitiesEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Jessica Wright

We love our city street trees – how do local governments make decisions about what trees to plant?

Have you ever wondered how decisions about urban trees are made? We all enjoy having trees in our cities – read on to learn more about how trees are planted to be the most successful they can be!

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Environmental Science
Jackie Webb

Modelling nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture once fertilizer leaves the field

Countries need to keep track of their national greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to meet targets to combat climate change. Even though carbon dioxide gets most of the attention, nitrous oxide is the most potent of the top three greenhouse gases that contribute to current global warming, having 300 times the warming strength of carbon dioxide. In many countries agriculture is the largest source of nitrous oxide emissions. Keeping track of these emissions after they leave the farm fields via water pathways is difficult.

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Animal behaviorEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Garrett Frandson

A sucker for ecosystem engineers

Sonoran suckers, like other ecosystem engineers like beavers or salmon, substantially influence the spatial and temporal distribution of their environment’s resources. These fish create divots in soft sediments during their nightly feeding rounds in shallow waters far from where they seek refuge during the day. This feeding and these divots contribute heavily to shaping patterns of aquatic insects and suspended sediment in the Gila River, establishing the suckers as important ecosystem engineers in the river.

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Animal behaviorCitiesEnvironmental Science
Connor Rosenblatt

Collision course: bird strikes caused by building lights at night

Each year, billions of birds die from colliding with building windows. What characteristics of buildings make some more prone to collisions than others? A team of researchers set out to shed some light on the answer

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