Sunday, June 7, 2026

Welcome to Envirobites

We want to make cutting edge research in the environmental sciences accessible to all by highlighting recent studies and explaining how these advances shape the understanding of our world.

Interested? Subscribe below:

EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Lauren Otolski

Versatile Invaders: Exploring the movement and interactions of nonnative pine trees, fungi, and hoofed mammals in Argentina

Invasive species are a concern across the globe, and efforts are being made to stop their spread. In some cases, multiple invasive species may help each other spread and become established, adding a new layer of complexity to predicting what areas might be at risk for future invasion. How do invasive deer, fungi, and pines interact in Argentina, and how important are these relationships in helping non-native pine trees spread?

Read More
EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Etienne Herrick

Perennial polycultures for sustainable agriculture: Trees, shrubs, and herbs, oh my!

Many farms across the Midwestern U.S. have been designed to meet one goal: producing high crop yields. However, this is often at the expense of other important sustainability goals, like supporting pollinator populations and maintaining healthy soils. Can changing the number and types of plant species growing on farms help meet all these goals at once? Read on to find out the answer!

Read More
View of a river surrounded by vegetation on both sides
Case StudiesEcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Jenna Zukswert

More Accessible Monitoring: Using Freely-Available Aerial Photos and Software to Map Changes in River Migration and Vegetation

Riverside vegetation, or “riparian buffers”, provides wildlife habitat, maintains water quality, and reduces flood damage. Human activity can negatively affect these services, and monitoring this vegetation over time can be costly and resource-intensive. Researchers at SUNY ESF have developed a new way of mapping river channels and vegetation that uses open-source remote-sensing software, using the Genesee River in New York to develop this method. Their method greatly improves our ability to monitor this important resource over time with over 90% accuracy.

Read More
EcosystemsEnvironmental Science
Maria Marlin

Endophytes: Enemies or Friends?

Endophytes are microorganisms, such as fungi, that live inside plant tissue. They can benefit a plant by secreting chemicals that deter and inhibit pathogen growth. Trees are under increasing stress due to warming environmental conditions, making them more prone to disease. This study investigates whether endophytes from Scots pine have antagonistic abilities and if they can create a systemic immune response within the plant. This response could result in lower disease severity.

Read More
ClimateEcosystems
Andrea Valcarcel

Prickly Adaptability: Will Crown-of-Thorn Starfish Populations Survive Rising Ocean Temperature and Acidity?

Crown-of-Thorns starfish outbreaks are of growing concern for the wellbeing of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. When these starfish populations grow too quickly, they feed on corals at rates that don’t allow the ecosystem to recover fast enough. With coral reefs struggling to survive rising ocean temperatures and acidity, it is essential to determine how these conditions affect their predators – in this case, the Crown-of-Thorn starfish. A recent study found that ocean warming and acidification affect larval development but not survivability. Could this mean bad news for coral reefs?

Read More
ClimateRemediation
Brandi Pessman

Using mangrove genes to protect where the land meets the sea

When two of Earth’s forces meet, we often get monumental products. Where the land meets the sea, the mighty mangrove forest protects the coastline and all its inhabitants. Deforestation has led to rapid declines of mangroves, threatening the diversity of life that they support. Analyzing the genetic variation in a forest is a promising tool for protective measures and restoration. Saving mangrove forests might be in the genes.

Read More
Case StudiesEcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceRemediation
Brianne Palmer

Radioactive exclusion zone or restoration at work? Insights from the re-wilding of Chernobyl

In 1986 a nuclear disaster rocked Belarus and forced thousands of people to abandon their homes for fear of radiation exposure. Now, removed from the impacts of human settlements, wildlife are returning to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). In a new study, researchers studied the raptors in the CEZ to test re-wilding and ask the question: can removing humans from a landscape help restore the natural environments? And like all things in ecology, the answer is more complicated than it seems but offers a glimmer of hope for re-wilding endeavors in this Decade on Ecological Restoration.

Read More