Conserving native ecosystems helps sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, but new statistical modeling questions the permanence of California’s carbon-rich forests with climate change.
Ecosystems, structure and dynamics
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Well-Balanced Ecosystem Uses Water Most Efficiently
Excess of a single nutrient, such as nitrogen, may boost plant productivity, but the imbalance leads to less efficient water use as plants scramble for the nutrients they lack.
Posted inNews
Pharmaceuticals Pollute the Ganges
Scientists report a cocktail of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and personal care products found near two pilgrimage cities along the river.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Advancing Knowledge of ENSO in a Changing Climate
A new book highlights research progress on El Niño Southern Oscillation dynamics and impacts and how they may change in a warmer world.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Climate Warming Improves Oxygen Mixing in a High-Altitude Lake
Long term weather and lake data from a high elevation lake in the Alps demonstrate that climate warming may actually improve the ability of high-altitude deep lakes to mix their waters.
Posted inNews
Solar Mandates in Sacred Groves
As India moves toward ambitious climate goals, it is trampling on sacred groves in desert ecosystems.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Soil Carbon May Not Remain Bogged Down in a Warmer World
Carbon was lost from an experimentally warmed boreal peatland much faster than it took to accumulate. Elevated CO2 had little effect on stored carbon, requiring re-evaluation of model assumptions.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tropical Forests May Have More Canopy Than Previously Thought
A rare attempt to directly estimate leaf area in a tropical African broadleaved forest suggests that there may be more tree foliage than previously estimated.
Posted inNews
The Flickering Sky Islands
In the Andes, islands in the sky flicker, and evolution kicks into high gear.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Stocking a Proper Buffet for a Megadiverse Smorgasbord
Mexico’s megadiverse biota challenge observation network design for efficient sampling, but novel methods can provide guidance and tests of representativeness.