For many decades, scientists have documented how burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that trap heat near Earth’s surface, driving a gradual - but consistent - warming trend.&nbsp;



Recently, however, the world has experienced an extraordinary surge in temperatures, catapulting the climate system into uncharted territory and confounding some of the best climate models available.&nbsp;



This abrupt, persistent streak of unprecedented warmth over the past two years has shattered temperature records, raising urgent questions: Why is it so much hotter than expected right now, and does it signal a more profound transformation underway?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-remarkable-and-persistent-heat-surge">A remarkable and persistent heat surge</h2>



After decades of steadily rising temperatures, 2023 saw a dramatic jump in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mapping-2024s-record-heat-unveiling-earths-climate-danger-zones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global heat</a> - enough for it to become the hottest year in recorded history. But the extraordinary nature of this uptick did not stop there.&nbsp;



By 2024, average sea-surface and air temperatures had shot up again, setting new records that far exceeded previous benchmarks.&nbsp;



According to the <a href="https://wmo.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Meteorological Organization</a>, the temperature anomalies between June 2023 and September 2024 were so far beyond typical year-to-year variability that experts called it an “unprecedented streak,” with 2024 now on track to be the warmest year ever documented.



“Warming in 2023 was head-and-shoulders above any other year, and 2024 will be as well,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of the <a href="https://www.giss.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies</a>. "I wish I knew why, but I don’t. We’re still in the process of assessing what happened and if we are seeing a shift in how the climate system operates.”



While all scientists agree that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gases</a> from fossil fuel use remain the primary driver of Earth’s overall warming trend, they are still debating how to explain this short-term explosion in global temperatures.&nbsp;



Changes in cloud patterns, air pollution, and the planet’s capacity to store carbon are among the suspected contributors, but experts believe it may take at least another year or two to fully untangle the puzzle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uncharted-territory-in-climate-records">“Uncharted territory” in climate records</h2>



Climate specialists characterize the past two years as pushing the planet “well into uncharted territory,” a phrase used by Richard Allan, a climate scientist from the University of Reading in the UK.&nbsp;



The magnitude of recent warming has tested established climate models, placing it, according to climatologist Sonia Seneviratne at ETH Zurich, “at the limit of what we would expect based on existing climate models.”&nbsp;



At the same time, Seneviratne emphasized that rising fossil fuel emissions make long-term warming trends wholly unsurprising.



So how is it that temperatures became so anomalous? Early theories focus on how natural climate variability has intersected with human-driven warming.&nbsp;



One factor is the unusually strong shift from a rare, three-year La Niña - which generally cools the planet by sending additional heat into the deep oceans - to a warming El Niño event that started in mid-2023, releasing stored energy back into the atmosphere.&nbsp;



While this helps explain some portion of the spike, temperatures remained persistently high even after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-event-may-push-earth-towards-its-hottest-year-ever/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Niño</a> peaked in January.



“It is difficult to explain this at the moment,” said Robert Vautard, a member of the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC). “We lack a bit of perspective. If temperatures do not drop more sharply in 2025, we will really have to ask ourselves questions about the cause.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-contributing-to-the-heat-surge">Factors contributing to the heat surge</h2>



Amid these extraordinary conditions, scientists have zeroed in on multiple theories that go beyond El Niño.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifts-in-airborne-pollution">Shifts in airborne pollution</h3>



A global shift to cleaner shipping fuels around 2020 might have slashed emissions of sulfur compounds that ordinarily create reflective, mirror-like clouds in shipping lanes.&nbsp;



With fewer sulfur aerosols, more sunlight could be reaching the Earth’s surface, potentially accelerating warming.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reduction-in-low-lying-clouds-nbsp">Reduction in low-lying clouds&nbsp;</h3>



A peer-reviewed study proposed that a global decline in low-lying clouds might have allowed extra solar radiation to heat the surface, but establishing consistent data across the planet remains challenging.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weakening-of-carbon-sinks-nbsp">Weakening of carbon sinks&nbsp;</h3>



Forests and oceans, traditionally known to absorb much of humanity’s carbon emissions, showed signs of stress in 2023. Scientists described this as an “unprecedented weakening” of Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountains-both-carbon-sinks-and-carbon-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon sinks</a>, suggesting the planet’s ability to store CO₂ might be faltering.&nbsp;



If sinks become less effective at capturing carbon, warming could speed up beyond current estimates.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-tundra-emissions-nbsp">Arctic tundra emissions&nbsp;</h3>



In December, the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> reported that Arctic tundra, which has locked away carbon dioxide for millennia, has begun releasing more CO₂ than it captures.&nbsp;



Such a shift, scientists warn, might tip the balance of the global carbon cycle, further feeding into accelerated warming.



None of these hypotheses alone fully accounts for the heat surge, prompting climate experts to suspect the convergence of multiple factors.&nbsp;



“We cannot exclude that some other factors also further amplified the temperatures... the verdict is still out,” said Seneviratne.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-at-odds-with-climate-models">At odds with climate models</h2>



Climate models, which have reliably simulated broad, decades-long warming trends, appear to have underestimated just how extreme and enduring this recent heat streak would be.&nbsp;



“What occurred was at the limit of what we would expect based on existing climate models,” Seneviratne said. Some experts worry that if any key feedbacks or phenomena were missing from these models, the planet could be approaching a threshold of more profound, potentially less reversible changes.



Johan Rockström, director of the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a>, voiced concerns about rapidly warming oceans, which have long served as massive heat and carbon sinks.&nbsp;



“Oceans are warming at a rate scientists cannot fully explain,” he said last month. “Could this be a first sign of a planet starting to show a loss of resilience? We cannot exclude it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-warning-for-what-may-lie-ahead">A warning for what may lie ahead</h2>



Record-high temperatures in 2023 and 2024 offer a stark reminder of the fragility of Earth’s climate system.&nbsp;



Although some interplay of El Niño, cloud cover, and carbon sink changes may explain part of the observed heat, the fundamental driver remains human emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels.&nbsp;



Even if the dramatic peak fades in coming months, the possibility persists that Earth’s temperature baseline has permanently ratcheted up, edging us closer to thresholds that portend more dangerous extremes.



For many climate experts, these heat surges serve as yet another clarion call to reduce emissions swiftly, to develop robust adaptation strategies, and to keep monitoring the climate system’s every nuance. 



If the current anomalies hint at hidden processes at work - like a weakening Arctic tundra sink or oceanic shifts - policy decisions made now to cut emissions and preserve resilience could become all the more consequential.



Vautard emphasized that if the climate doesn’t cool off more sharply in 2025, it would prompt scientists to reevaluate their assumptions about the interplay of natural and human-driven factors - perhaps indicating a more profound shift in how our climate operates.&nbsp;



In this uncertain scenario, building deeper scientific understanding becomes ever more urgent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-resilience-against-future-heat-surges">Building resilience against future heat surges</h2>



Although the short-term temperature surge has challenged existing forecasts, the broader climate consensus remains intact: Earth is warming at an alarming rate, primarily due to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.&nbsp;



This abrupt heat wave may be a harbinger of future extremes, or possibly just a short-lived but jarring deviation from expected patterns.&nbsp;



Determining which is the case will likely require another year or two of data, plus renewed efforts to bolster climate observation networks, refine models, and capture nuanced processes in the oceans, atmosphere, and polar regions.



No matter the final explanation, the world’s experience over the last two years underscores the climate’s capacity to surprise - sometimes by margins that drastically shift our sense of what is “normal.”&nbsp;



For policymakers, this event highlights both the urgency of emission cuts and the importance of resilience-building measures against more frequent or severe heat surges.&nbsp;



For scientists, the anomaly reveals how much is still left to learn about the planet’s complex interplay of feedbacks and stresses.



“We’re still in the process of assessing what happened and if we are seeing a shift in how the climate system operates,” Schmidt said.&nbsp;



Whether this remarkable episode proves to be a short detour or a glimpse of a new reality, it adds fresh impetus to the effort to better predict, manage, and mitigate the precarious path Earth is on.



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Puzzling heat surge pushes Earth’s climate to new extremes

For many decades, scientists have documented how burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that trap heat near Earth’s surface, driving a gradual - but consistent - warming trend.&nbsp; Recently, however, the world has experienced an extraordinary surge in temperatures, catapulting the climate system into uncharted territory and confounding some of the best climate models available.&nbsp; This abrupt, persistent streak of unprecedented warmth over the past two years has shattered temperature records, raising urgent questions: Why is it so much hotter than expected right now, and does it...

Researchers have discovered that as city heat intensifies, bird diversity dwindles. The revelation comes from an expansive study that spanned 336 cities in China, which was conducted by scientists at Zhejiang University and the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>.



The findings, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166200">Science of the Total Environment</a>, reveal a direct link between urban heat, particularly from heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces, and declining bird diversity.



<h2 id="h-urban-heat-islands">Urban heat islands&nbsp;</h2>



"The heat-retention characteristic of cities is a well-known phenomenon called the urban heat island effect," said Frank La Sorte from the Cornell Lab. "Our findings document, for the first time, the direct relationship between bird diversity and the urban heat island effect across multiple seasons."&nbsp;



“The heat island effect is not unique to Chinese cities and it is likely that the patterns documented in this study are occurring in other large cities across the globe that have abundant asphalt, steel, and concrete with little green vegetation."



<h2 id="h-moving-to-cooler-areas">Moving to cooler areas&nbsp;</h2>



The study authors said <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-birds-dream-of-flying-scientists-say-they-now-know-the-answer/">birds</a> move to cooler suburban areas, decreasing diversity in the city during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, but the trend is especially strong during the nonbreeding season.&nbsp;



Interestingly, the size or location of the city doesn’t seem to make a difference - the decline in bird species diversity remains consistent.



The researchers utilized data from an ongoing study on bird diversity in China. They gauged the surface urban heat island intensity of each city in relation to its suburban surroundings.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-unexpected-diversity-loss">Unexpected diversity loss</h2>



"What we did not expect was that diversity loss was even more pronounced during the nonbreeding season," said study senior author Jiayu Wu from Zhejiang University.



"We predicted that the urban heat island effect would relax the costs of staying warm during the winter, making it less necessary for birds to migrate and resulting in an increase in species diversity during the nonbreeding season, especially in colder cities.”&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-some-birds-have-a-higher-heat-tolerance">Some birds have a higher heat tolerance</h2>



Yet, contrary to their predictions, the effect of urban heat on bird diversity showed a consistent negative trend during both seasons in most regions of China.



However, in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, birds seem to be bucking the trend. Here, the urban heat island effect positively correlates with bird species numbers.&nbsp;



The scientists suggest that birds native to this region might have developed adaptations to its alpine conditions, which could have heightened their tolerance to extreme temperatures. This resilience might be what allows them to flourish amidst the heat of the urban landscapes in the plateau.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



The implications of this study are profound, especially as we grapple with the escalating challenges of climate change. Birds, already struggling with other challenges like pollution and shrinking habitats, will face even more dire circumstances as temperatures continue to rise.&nbsp;



While introducing more vegetation in cities can alleviate some of the heat, it has not proven sufficient in significantly altering the adverse impacts of urban heat islands in China.&nbsp;



A key area of further exploration would be to determine the exact amount of greenery required to make cities hospitable, not just for the avian world but for humans as well.



<h2 id="h-more-about-declining-bird-populations">More about declining bird populations&nbsp;</h2>



The decline in bird populations is an issue that reaches beyond the borders of China and has profound ecological, cultural, and aesthetic implications.&nbsp;



Birds play an essential role in various ecosystems, acting as pollinators, seed dispersers, and indicators of environmental health. The observed decline in bird diversity and populations due to the urban heat island effect is just one piece of a larger, more concerning puzzle.



<h3 id="h-global-decline">Global decline</h3>



Bird populations are dwindling globally, and not just in urban areas. A 2019 report revealed that North America had lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, a decrease of almost 30%.&nbsp;



Similar trends have been observed in Europe and other parts of the world. Various factors contribute to this decline, ranging from habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, pollution, to the introduction of invasive species and diseases.



<h3 id="h-habitat-loss-and-fragmentation">Habitat loss and fragmentation</h3>



Rapid urbanization and deforestation lead to the loss and fragmentation of bird habitats. This disrupts breeding patterns and food availability, forcing many species to relocate, often with detrimental effects on their numbers.



<h3 id="h-climate-change">Climate change</h3>



Changes in weather patterns and temperatures can disrupt migratory patterns, breeding seasons, and food availability. The urban heat island effect, as noted in the Cornell study, is a localized example of how these temperature changes can directly impact bird diversity.



<h3 id="h-pollution">Pollution</h3>



Pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants can have lethal effects on birds. For example, certain pesticides are known to be highly toxic to birds, leading to immediate deaths or long-term reproductive issues.



<h3 id="h-invasive-species">Invasive species</h3>



The introduction of non-native species can disrupt local ecosystems, leading to increased competition for food and nesting sites. This can drive native bird species to extinction in localized areas.



<h3 id="h-human-intervention">Human intervention</h3>



Direct human actions like hunting and building wind turbines without proper consideration for bird flight paths can also have detrimental effects on bird populations.



<h3 id="h-conservation-efforts">Conservation efforts</h3>



Recognizing the decline in bird populations, conservationists are working to preserve and restore habitats, implement legal protections, and conduct ongoing research to understand the underlying causes better. Public education campaigns are also underway to involve local communities in bird conservation efforts.



<h3 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h3>



The declining bird populations across the globe are a complex issue with multiple causes. The recent study on the urban heat island effect in China adds to our understanding of this decline but also highlights the complexity of the issue. Coordinated global efforts are required to halt and reverse this decline.



—-



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As urban heat continues to rise, birds are moving away

Researchers have discovered that as city heat intensifies, bird diversity...

Although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-in-some-parts-of-the-world-actually-benefit-from-warming-el-nino-events/">coral reefs</a> are home to remarkable levels of biodiversity, they currently face unprecedented declines due to marine heatwaves and subsequent mass coral bleaching and mortality events. Thus, to survive climate change, coral communities need to adapt to progressively more intense and frequent heatwaves.&nbsp;



Yet, the rate at which the thermal tolerance of coral reefs can increase naturally and whether it can match the rapid pace of ocean warming has remain largely unknown.



<h2 id="h-some-corals-have-increased-their-heat-tolerance">Some corals have increased their heat tolerance</h2>



By investigating historic mass bleaching events, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> has found that coral reefs in Palau, an island nation located in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean, have increased their thermal tolerance and adjusted to higher ocean temperatures.&nbsp;



This could reduce future bleaching impacts of climate change, but only if global carbon emissions are cut down.



<h2 id="h-future-trajectories">Future trajectories&nbsp;</h2>



Drawing on decades of field observations, the experts modeled a variety of possible future coral bleaching trajectories for Palauan reefs, each with a different simulated rate of thermal tolerance enhancement.&nbsp;



The investigation revealed that if thermal tolerance continues to increase during this century, major reductions in bleaching impacts are possible. However, the severity of future coral bleaching depends on carbon emissions reductions.&nbsp;



For instance, high-frequency bleaching can be fully mitigated for some reefs under low-to-middle emissions scenarios that would fulfill the Paris Agreement. If the emissions remain higher though, such bleaching impacts are unfortunately unavoidable.



The scientists tested different levels of global action to mitigate climate change and reduce carbon emissions, by taking into account four emissions scenarios and their impact on future coral bleaching projections.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-natural-resilience">Natural resilience&nbsp;</h2>



The analysis showed that the thermal tolerance of corals in Palau has increased at a rate of 0.1 degrees Celsius per decade since the late 1980s, suggesting that natural mechanisms – such as genetic adaptation or acclimatization of corals and their symbiotic microalgae – may have contributed to the enhancement of thermal tolerance.



“Our study indicates the presence of an ecological resilience to climate change, yet also highlights the need to fulfil Paris Agreement commitments to effectively preserve coral reefs,” said lead author Liam Lachs, a marine scientist at Newcastle.&nbsp;



“We quantified a natural increase in coral thermal tolerance over decadal time scales which can be directly compared to the rate of ocean warming. While our work offers a glimmer of hope, it also emphasizes the need for continued action on reducing carbon emissions to mitigate climate change and secure a future for these vital ecosystems.”



<h2 id="h-climate-action-is-still-needed">Climate action is still needed</h2>



“We know that coral reefs can increase their overall thermal tolerance over time by acclimatization, genetic adaptation or shifts in community structure, however we know very little about the rates at which this is occurring,” added co-author James Guest, a research fellow in Coral Reef Ecology at the same university.&nbsp;



“This study uses data from a remote Pacific coral reef system and estimates the rate of increase in tolerance since the late 1980s. The results provide some hope that reefs can keep up with increasing temperatures, but only if strong action is taken on climate change.”



Yet, as co-author Simon Donner – an expert in Climate and Coastal Ecosystems at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> – argued, this resilience can also come at a cost, in terms of reduced reef diversity and growth.&nbsp;



“Without sharp cuts in greenhouse gas emissions over the next two to three decades, the reefs in the Pacific won’t provide the resources and protection from waves that Pacific peoples have depended upon for centuries,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40601-6">Nature Communications</a>.



<h2 id="h-more-about-pacific-coral-reefs">More about Pacific coral reefs</h2>



Pacific coral reefs are among the most diverse and complex marine ecosystems in the world.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-location">Location</h3>



They are predominantly found in the Pacific Ocean, stretching from the eastern coasts of Australia to the islands of Polynesia, and from the Philippines down to the Solomon Islands.



<h3 id="h-biodiversity">Biodiversity</h3>



The Pacific reefs are home to thousands of marine species, from small colorful fishes like clownfish and damselfish to larger creatures like sharks and rays.&nbsp;



Coral reefs, in general, are believed to support 25% of all marine life, despite covering less than 0.1% of the ocean's floor.



<h3 id="h-coral-bleaching">Coral bleaching</h3>



Like other coral reefs globally, Pacific coral reefs have been subjected to the damaging effects of coral bleaching, primarily caused by rising sea temperatures due to climate change.&nbsp;



Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the algae (zooxanthellae) that live inside their tissues, causing the coral to turn completely white.



<h3 id="h-threats">Threats</h3>



Aside from coral bleaching, these reefs face various threats, including overfishing, pollution, sedimentation, coastal development, and the increasing acidity of oceans.



<h3 id="h-importance">Importance</h3>



Coral reefs act as nurseries for many marine species. They also play a vital role in coastal protection by reducing the impact of waves and storm surges. Furthermore, they are of significant economic importance for many Pacific Island nations due to tourism and fisheries.



<h3 id="h-conservation">Conservation</h3>



Numerous efforts are underway to conserve and protect Pacific coral reefs. This includes the establishment of marine protected areas, research on coral resilience and restoration, and local community involvement in reef management.



<h3 id="h-cultural-significance">Cultural significance</h3>



For many Pacific Island communities, coral reefs have significant cultural and spiritual importance. They are often integrated into local customs, legends, and daily life.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Pacific coral reefs have naturally increased their heat tolerance

Although coral reefs are home to remarkable levels of biodiversity,...

As cities grow and stretch out over the wilderness, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fireworks-can-have-long-lasting-impacts-on-wildlife/">wildlife</a> they encroach upon is forced to adapt or perish. Birds, with their intrinsic flexibility and adaptability, often find ways to thrive in these transformed landscapes.&nbsp;



One such species, the song sparrow, is demonstrating an unexpected evolution in its behavior, suggesting that the hustle and bustle of city life might be turning male songbirds into more attentive parents.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



Historically, numerous bird species that have made urban areas their home have displayed heightened levels of aggression.&nbsp;



The increase in aggression is typically attributed to the need to defend their territories, especially since city-living sparrows face fewer encounters with their kind due to reduced species density.&nbsp;



This has led to the interesting phenomenon of urban song sparrows displaying consistently stronger territorial aggression than their countryside counterparts.



A recent study led by Dr. Samuel Lane of North Dakota State University and conducted at the Sewall Lab at Virginia Tech delved into the potential ripple effects of this urban-induced aggression on the parental care exhibited by male birds.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-unexpected-behavior">Unexpected behavior&nbsp;</h2>



“Male songbirds in temperate zones are thought to reduce parental care when they are more aggressive. Yet in this study, we show that urban male song sparrows provided more care for their young," said Dr. Lane.



“Against our expectations, we found that they visited nests more frequently and were more successful parents than rural males.”



This is a surprising revelation, suggesting that these city-residing birds are breaking the expected behavior molds.



<h2 id="h-prioritizing-parental-care">Prioritizing parental care</h2>



In their quest to understand these ‘super songbirds,’ the research team theorized that if these urban male song sparrows were investing more energy and time into defending their territories, they would have lesser bandwidth to tend to their offspring.&nbsp;



This could mean that these birds might be compromising on parental care for the sake of territorial defense, potentially affecting their young's survival rates.



However, after observing six specific sites in south-west Virginia, which had recently witnessed urban expansion, over four breeding seasons, the researchers discovered an outcome that contradicted their initial hypothesis.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-super-dads">Super dads</h2>



Urban male sparrows not only visited their nests with higher frequency than their rural counterparts but also commenced their nestling feeding routines earlier in the day.&nbsp;



“It turns out urban males are super males – able to defend their territories and care for their young.”



Yet, urban life isn’t without its challenges. The research highlighted increased instances of brood parasitism in the city, where birds like the brown-headed cowbird exploit the nests of other species for their egg-laying.&nbsp;



This can hamper the growth and survival of the rightful nest inhabitants. However, the silver lining for these urban birds is the notably lower rates of nest predation, which boosts their overall nesting success.



<h2 id="h-benefits-of-city-living">Benefits of city living</h2>



Dr. Lane emphasized the counter-intuitive nature of their findings, noting, “It is often assumed that urban areas are more challenging for wild animals. Our study adds to growing evidence that certain species of songbirds even benefit from living in urban environments when there is sufficient green space for them to find food and nest locations.”



While this research has shed light on the intriguing adaptations of the song sparrow in urban settings, it’s crucial to remember that these findings might not be universally applicable. Different species and varying degrees of urbanization can lead to unique behavioral outcomes.



The hope is that these insights will guide future city planning efforts to cultivate urban ecosystems that not only accommodate but actively nurture their wild inhabitants.



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1234562">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.&nbsp;



—-



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City-living transforms male song sparrows into "super fathers"

As cities grow and stretch out over the wilderness, the...

Thinning ice sheets may be more than just markers of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5-degrees-celsius-would-save-billions-of-lives/">global warming</a>; they may also be indicative of a significant increase in subglacial waters flowing out into the ocean. This alarming possibility is the outcome of a new study led by <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Tech</a> researchers Alex Robel and Shi Joyce Sim.



In collaboration with Colin Meyer from Dartmouth, Matthew Siegfried from Colorado School of Mines, and Chloe Gustafson from the USGS, the team formulated a new model that is challenging previous assumptions.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-profound-implications">Profound implications&nbsp;</h2>



The findings, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh3693">Science Advances</a>, suggest that we might be grossly underestimating the amount of subglacial water draining into our oceans.&nbsp;



Specifically, there could be up to twice the amount of subglacial water than initially believed. This revelation holds profound implications for glacial melt, sea level rise, and even marine biology.



While the concept of studying subglacial flow is not new, the methodology adopted by many scientists is cumbersome, entailing time-consuming computations.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



The uniqueness of the study lies in its methodology. The researchers created a simple, yet effective equation which makes predictions based on satellite measurements of Antarctica and thinning ice sheets from the last twenty years.



"In mathematical parlance, you would say we have a closed form solution," said Professor Robel. "Previously, people would run a hydromechanical model, which would have to be applied at every point under Antarctica, and then run forward over a long time period.”



<h2 id="h-simple-approach-to-a-complex-issue">Simple approach to a complex issue</h2>



The brilliance of their approach is in the simplicity. As Professor Robel points out, using their equation, the entire prediction can be performed on a basic laptop in mere seconds.&nbsp;



The team tailored their theory for specific conditions that exist beneath ice sheets. As he put it, “This is, to our knowledge, the first mathematically simple theory which describes the exfiltration and infiltration underneath ice sheets.”



Echoing Professor Robel's enthusiasm, Sim said: "It's really nice whenever you can get a very simple model to describe a process - and then be able to predict what might happen, especially using the rich data that we have today. It’s incredible. Seeing the results was pretty surprising.”



<h2 id="h-alarming-feedback-cycle">Alarming feedback cycle&nbsp;</h2>



The research sheds light on a concerning feedback cycle. Aquifers, essentially underground reservoirs, can release water when the weight on them reduces, a process known as exfiltration.&nbsp;



Historically, the focus on exfiltration has been on longer time frames like interglacial cycles. Modern-day ice sheets, particularly those thinning in Antarctica, have garnered less attention.



However, with the innovative theory and recent satellite data, Robel and Sim are filling this knowledge gap.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-concerning-revelations">Concerning revelations</h2>



Professor Robel raised a concerning possibility: "There's a wide range of possible predictions. But within that range of predictions, there is the very real possibility that groundwater may be flowing out of the aquifer at a speed that would make it a majority, or close to a majority of the water that is underneath the ice sheet."



Another crucial element that the study illuminates is the nature of the Antarctic ice sheet itself. Contrary to popular belief, the warmest part of the ice sheet isn't on its surface but at its very base, thanks to the geothermal heat trapped underneath.&nbsp;



This understanding paints a clearer picture: thinning ice sheets allow for increased exfiltration which, in turn, accelerates the melting of the ice.



“When the atmosphere warms up, it takes tens of thousands of years for that signal to diffuse through an ice sheet of the size of the thickness of the Antarctic ice sheet. But this process of exfiltration is a response to the already-ongoing thinning of the ice sheet, and it's an immediate response right now," explained Professor Robel.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



This research doesn't just stop at glacial melt and rising sea levels. Some of the richest marine environments thrive off Antarctica’s coast.&nbsp;



Understanding exfiltration better could be pivotal for marine biologists aiming to gauge marine productivity and how it will change in the future.&nbsp;



Robel also hopes this work will open the doorway to more collaborations with groundwater hydrologists who may be able to apply their expertise to ice sheet dynamics, while Sim underscores the need for more fieldwork.



“Getting the experimentalists and observationalists interested in trying to help us better constrain some of the properties of these water-laden sediments - that would be very helpful,” said Sim. “That's our largest unknown at this point, and it heavily influences the results.”



“It's really interesting how there's a potential to draw heat from deeper in the system. There's quite a lot of water that could be drawing more heat out, and I think that there's a heat budget there that could be interesting to look at.”



—-



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Water beneath glaciers may surge due to thinning ice sheets

Thinning ice sheets may be more than just markers of...

Our planet’s rapidly changing climate is taking an increasingly heavy toll in various regions around the globe, due to phenomena such as floods, rising sea levels, droughts, wildfires, and other extreme weather events. 



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> has found that the values of property where these hazards are projected to worsen will also be significantly affected unless aggressive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-will-the-world-look-in-2100-due-to-climate-change/">climate change</a> mitigation actions are urgently undertaken.&nbsp;



The properties at risk of losing value include those located in forested areas exposed to increased wildfires and tree mortality caused by climate stresses and beetle infestation.



<h2 id="h-adaptation-and-risk-mitigation">Adaptation and risk mitigation&nbsp;</h2>



“As a society, we have this tremendous capacity to deal with and minimize, adapt to and mitigate risk,” said lead author William Anderegg, the head of the<a href="https://wilkescenter.utah.edu/">&nbsp;Wilkes Center for Climate Science &amp; Policy</a> at Utah. “We have insurance policies, we have seat belts in cars and airbags."



"All of these are to mitigate the risk of getting in a car accident or having a fire burn down your house. But fundamentally, all these tools to mitigate risk are predicated on knowing what the risks are and capturing how those risks might change.”



According to Anderegg, climate change is a huge “game changer” since we don’t know precisely where, when, or by how much it will elevate certain threats.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



However, this new study shows promise in clarifying how climate change may affect specific variables, such as property values.&nbsp;



“This is a really clear case of where we need cutting-edge science and tools to tell us what are the risks and how are they possibly or likely to change this century due to climate change. Climate change is going to drive wildfire and disturbance risks up and is already driving them up. Insurers leaving states like California really underscores that,” explained Anderegg.



The research was a collaboration with faculty from the<a href="https://csbs.utah.edu/">&nbsp;College of Social and Behavioral Sciences</a> including geographer Tim Collins and sociologist Sara Grineski.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



The team found that property values exposed to climate-sensitive disturbances increase sharply in future climate scenarios, especially in existing high-risk regions of the western U.S., while novel exposure risks will also emerge in some currently lower-risk regions, such as the southeast and Great Lakes regions.&nbsp;



Sadly, the massive impact of climate change has already become clear last week in the tropical Hawaiian Islands, where the nation’s <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/19/us/hawaii-maui-rebuilding-after-wildfire/index.html">deadliest wildfire</a> destroyed an entire city and killed over 100 people.



According to the scientists, most of the affected real estate is in the Southwest and California, where soaring values of public private property near publicly owned woodlands are currently colliding with escalating fire risks and declining forest health.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-climate-action-could-help">Climate action could help</h2>



Moreover, although this study deliberately avoided identifying specific areas at risk, even a causal glance at Western real estate can provide an idea of where the trouble spots are, such as valuable residential property from Northern Utah located in scenic locales that face wildfire risks, such as Emigration Canyon and Summit Park.



The researchers focused on three different phenomena impacting property values - wildfires, tree mortality from drought and other climate stresses, and tree mortality from insect infestation – and projected what would happen by mid-21st century and end of the century under opposing emission mitigation scenarios. The analysis revealed that emission-reduction strategies, if implemented effectively, could substantially curb exposure.



“We looked at two separate climate scenarios, one in which we don’t really do anything [to reduce emissions driving warming]—it’s just business as usual, and things get more dramatically worse—and one in which we implement mitigation more aggressively,” Collins explained. “What the results show is that under a scenario in which we actually try to mitigate emissions in a way that reduces impacts of climate change, you see substantially less property value at risk in the future.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-billions-in-property-value-at-stake">Billions in property value at stake</h2>



According to the experts, focusing only on privately owned lots one acre in size or larger reveals that about $4 billion in property is currently exposed each year to wildfire risks in the U.S. These values are projected to grow to $22 and $44 billion by 2049 and 2099, respectively, under the “do-nothing scenario.” However, if aggressive climate action is undertaken, the value of exposed property that could lose their market value tops out at only $11 billion.



“What’s interesting is that people are drawn to those environments because of the amenities associated with forest resources,” Collins said. “This is where you’re seeing the high value of these lands, like California - areas that are identified as wildland-urban interface - are some of the fastest growing landscapes in terms of residential development.”



<h2 id="h-conservative-estimates">Conservative estimates&nbsp;</h2>



These findings are ultimately conservative, since they don’t take into account anticipated growth in these at-risk areas.&nbsp;



“Under climate change, in the hot arid West, many people, as temperatures rise, are going to be increasingly drawn to these mountainous environments," said Collins.&nbsp;



"We actually just hold constant current levels of development, and we look at what is the effect of climate change and increased forest disturbance in terms of placing current property values at risk in the future. It doesn’t even take into account the fact that more and more people are being drawn to these forest landscapes because of the amenities,” Collins concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ace639">Environmental Research Letters</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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U.S. property values will drop as wildfire risk escalates

Our planet’s rapidly changing climate is taking an increasingly heavy...

City living is not just stressful for humans, but also takes a toll on wildlife. According to researchers at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a>, urban dwelling coyotes face unique challenges that are impacting their overall health.&nbsp;



The team measured the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in the hair of nearly 100 coyotes inhabiting the Chicago Metropolitan Area.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-higher-stress-levels">Higher stress levels</h2>



The experts discovered that the animals residing in the most developed areas exhibited higher cortisol levels - a marker for chronic stress - compared to those in suburban or natural regions.



"This is the first mammalian carnivore that has been evaluated for stress in an urban environment. The city does present challenges for them, even though they’re really good at doing what they’re doing. This is helping us understand how well animals are adjusting to urban systems – or not adjusting to them," said study lead author Stan Gehrt, a wildlife ecologist at Ohio State.



<h2 id="h-related-factors">Related factors</h2>



Factors such as poor body condition, linked mostly to sickness with mange, and specific social roles within the pack were associated with higher stress levels. But the relationship between these factors and urban living is not entirely clear.



The research, conducted by the Urban Coyote Research Project under Gehrt's leadership, was recently published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165965">Science of the Total Environment</a>.&nbsp;



The project has been monitoring Chicago's urban coyotes since 2000, collecting valuable biological samples and data on their behavior, movement, and reproductive success.



<h2 id="h-complexities-of-urban-life">Complexities of urban life</h2>



First author Katie Robertson, who carried out the work as a PhD student at Ohio State, utilized hair samples from the animals for the analysis, providing an estimate of long-term stress. The hair samples were assessed for cortisol concentration, revealing key factors connected to higher stress.



The team's hypothesis that coyotes in more urbanized Chicago areas would display higher stress levels was confirmed by the results.&nbsp;



However, the findings also exposed further complexity in modern coyote life. Infections and environmental factors such as cold Chicago winters contributed to the stress, raising questions about the root causes.



<h2 id="h-which-coyotes-are-affected">Which coyotes are affected?</h2>



"The alphas are the dominant animals in their pack, so they’re the ones that are responsible for all of the territorial defense and they’re the only ones that are breeding," said Gerht.



"So there’s a lot going on with the alphas, whereas the subordinates and the pups, they have a pretty easy life. Their parents are doing all the hard work and they’re just coasting a little bit. And that was actually reflected in the cortisol levels."



Transients, on the other hand – adult coyotes that have left their parents but not yet established or joined a pack – have a different set of worries. 



"Transients were right up there with the alphas in terms of stress. They don’t have to defend a territory, but they have to avoid getting attacked by resident coyotes – they’re going through territories on a constant basis – and are trying to avoid people and trying not to get hit by cars," Gehrt said.



In 2014, Gehrt's observations highlighted the adaptability of some urban coyotes, as they learned to look both ways before crossing streets. This new research contributes to an understanding of coyotes' resilience and the inherent challenges they face.



<h2 id="h-some-coyotes-adapt-quite-well">Some coyotes adapt quite well</h2>



"We see them on a regular basis living in some pretty challenging areas, and it seems to me they’re adjusting quite well – their survival rates are high, and the food supply is great," said Gerht.



"And that’s what we found, that there are trends related to higher stress, but there are also coyotes that are doing quite well in the city with fairly low stress levels – even alphas in some pretty intense environments."



"Even without the urban system, this is the first free-ranging coyote population to be evaluated for stress. And we see there’s stress associated with their very complicated social system and a lot of rules they’re following – intrinsic sources of stress that other species don’t have to deal with. It’s an interesting look into another window of their lives."



The study's findings offer a fresh perspective on the complexity of wildlife adaptation in urban environments, prompting further exploration of how city life may be shaping the health and behaviors of various animal species.&nbsp;



—-



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Think city life is stressful? Some coyotes would agree

City living is not just stressful for humans, but also...

A recent study in the United States has revealed alarming disparities in excess deaths following hurricanes, with higher mortality rates in recent years and in areas where the population is more socially vulnerable.&nbsp;



The research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>, demonstrates how these excess deaths have varied greatly across different hurricane seasons and regions.



Researchers from institutions including Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Imperial College London, University of California Irvine, and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed variations in cyclone-related excess deaths by several factors.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered&nbsp;</h2>



The experts found that over recent decades, 83 percent of hurricane-related deaths occurred more recently and 94 percent occurred in socially vulnerable counties.



The study sheds light on the variability of the impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intense-tropical-cyclones-are-set-to-double-by-2050/">tropical cyclones</a>, highlighting how demographic, economic, and social factors can drive differences. The total excess deaths were particularly elevated in counties with the largest proportion of minorities, filling a critical knowledge gap in understanding post-hurricane excess deaths.



<h2 id="h-excess-death-counts">Excess death counts</h2>



The findings reveal some alarming numbers. For example, the largest number of excess deaths was in Orleans Parish, LA, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with 719 excess deaths.&nbsp;



This was followed by Harris County, TX, after Hurricane Rita in 2005 (309 excess deaths), Broward County, FL, after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 (185 excess deaths), and Nassau County, NY, after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 (178 excess deaths)



The most significant number of estimated excess deaths in a single year was in 2005, with 2,163 estimated post-tropical cyclone excess deaths, including 1,491 from Hurricane Katrina.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-long-standing-systemic-issues">Long-standing systemic issues&nbsp;</h2>



“In our study, excess death counts after tropical cyclones were higher more recently and for the most socially vulnerable," said study lead author Dr. Robbie M. Parks, assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a>.



Dr. Parks attributed the surge in these deaths partly to long-standing systemic issues.&nbsp;



“This was likely in part due to lack of access to adequate short-term transportation, as well as inequitable access to financial resources, education, employment opportunities and timely warnings on tropical cyclone proximity, all of which are results of long-term institutional neglect.”



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



The study emphasizes the necessity of understanding short-term excess deaths following tropical cyclones as a key metric for grasping the public health burden of climate-related disasters.&nbsp;



This information is vital, as deaths can arise from several major causes, including injuries, diseases, cardiovascular issues, neuropsychiatric conditions, and respiratory ailments.



Using extensive death registration data and statistical models, the researchers estimated the number of excess deaths after tropical cyclones across four decades, offering insights that are compared with data from official sources and international disaster databases.



<h2 id="h-hurricanes-remain-a-public-health-concern">Hurricanes remain a public health concern&nbsp;</h2>



“Trends of heightened activity and increased intensity of tropical cyclones in recent years indicate that tropical cyclone exposure is and will remain a public health concern,” said study senior author Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, ScD.



"Future research may be able to study associations by smaller areal units - ZIP Codes, for example - as appropriate exposure and outcome data become available."



"It is also essential to prepare for tropical cyclones by accounting for the social determinants of risk and vulnerability of exposed communities, since the most socially vulnerable bear the greatest burden of excess mortality.”



“Our work highlights how deaths are impacted by tropical cyclones, an understudied exposure in relation to public health, and one which will remain an important threat as the climate changes,” said Dr. Parks.&nbsp;



"As a public health priority, future research should focus on understanding the biological and structural drivers of cyclone-related mortality, how to minimize the number of excess deaths related to tropical cyclones, and the impacts on the scale from years to decades.”



<h2 id="h-more-about-post-hurricane-excess-deaths">More about post-hurricane excess deaths&nbsp;</h2>



Post-hurricane excess deaths refer to the additional deaths that occur in the aftermath of a hurricane beyond what would be expected under normal circumstances.&nbsp;



These deaths are not only the direct result of storm impacts (e.g., deaths due to flooding, falling debris, or storm surge) but also from indirect and longer-term effects of the hurricane on the affected community.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-direct-vs-indirect-deaths">Direct vs. indirect deaths</h3>



Direct deaths result directly from the forces of the hurricane. This includes drowning due to storm surge or flooding, injuries from flying debris, or deaths from structural collapses.



Indirect deaths occur after the storm has passed and can be attributed to conditions caused or exacerbated by the hurricane.&nbsp;



Examples include deaths from lack of medical services, worsening of chronic illnesses due to stress or lack of resources, electrocution from downed power lines, and more.



<h3 id="h-factors-contributing-to-excess-deaths">Factors contributing to excess deaths</h3>



<h4 id="h-infrastructure-damage">Infrastructure damage</h4>



Destruction of health care facilities, transportation systems, and essential utilities can lead to delays in emergency response, hampered medical care, and lack of essential services.



<h4 id="h-lack-of-access-to-medical-care">Lack of access to medical care</h4>



Chronic patients might miss treatments or medication doses, leading to deterioration of their conditions.



<h4 id="h-disease-outbreaks">Disease outbreaks</h4>



Stagnant floodwaters can become breeding grounds for disease vectors like mosquitoes, leading to outbreaks of diseases like dengue or Zika. Contaminated water sources can also lead to waterborne diseases.



<h4 id="h-mental-health">Mental health</h4>



The trauma from experiencing a hurricane can lead to mental health issues, with some studies suggesting an increase in suicides and other related fatalities post-hurricanes.



<h4 id="h-economic-strain">Economic strain</h4>



The loss of jobs, homes, and resources can lead to prolonged stress and its associated health risks.



<h3 id="h-vulnerable-populations">Vulnerable populations</h3>



As highlighted in the study, socially vulnerable populations often face a higher risk of post-hurricane excess deaths. Factors such as poverty, lack of access to transportation or medical care, language barriers, and more can all contribute to increased vulnerability.



—-



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Hurricane-related deaths on the rise, especially in vulnerable communities

A recent study in the United States has revealed alarming...

Gray wolf populations in the United States have seen a remarkable resurgence over the past three decades. Once pushed to the brink of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shellfish-consumed-by-humans-are-ironically-more-resistant-to-extinction/">extinction</a>, these majestic creatures now roam freely across a vast expanse of the nation.&nbsp;



While the recovery efforts have been heralded as a success, the growing populations of wolves are now facing substantial threats as they attempt to colonize human-dominated areas.



<h2 id="h-remarkable-challenges">Remarkable challenges</h2>



In the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biad053">BioScience</a>, wolf specialists David E. Ausband and L. David Mech delve into the conservation scene, shedding light on the challenges these returning wolves encounter. "Remarkable wolf conservation success yields remarkable challenges," said the experts, noting that a staggering 6,000 wolves have reclaimed territories across 11 states.



While this might sound like a celebration, the narrative is not that simple. These returning wolves are stepping into landscapes that have changed dramatically since they last roamed there. 



As Ausband and Mech highlight, emerging wolf populations grapple with "fragmented habitats and barriers to dispersal," resulting in increased confrontations with humans, pets, and livestock.



<h2 id="h-rising-concerns">Rising concerns&nbsp;</h2>



The burgeoning gray wolf populations haven't just raised eyebrows in the scientific community - they've also stirred the pot politically. Addressing rising concerns regarding wolves preying on domesticated animals and reducing prey populations, several areas have responded with decisive actions.&nbsp;



In Wisconsin, for instance, "the legislature requires a public hunting or trapping season whenever wolves are delisted from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) list of Endangered species." In Colorado, on the other hand, wolves are celebrated and a recent ballot initiative has given the green light for their reintroduction.



<h2 id="h-potential-ripple-effects">Potential ripple effects&nbsp;</h2>



While supporters of their reintroduction might be a beacon of hope for the gray wolf in the short term, Ausband and Mech warn of the potential ripple effects. Such initiatives could inadvertently establish a legal groundwork that obstructs future reintroductions, thereby complicating the entire management process.&nbsp;



The experts express concern that an unstable regulatory environment could trigger dramatic swings in wolf numbers, jeopardizing the very conservation efforts that led to their resurgence.



<h2 id="h-meticulous-management-is-needed">Meticulous management is needed</h2>



So, what's the path forward? According to Ausband and Mech, the key lies in meticulous management that prioritizes the myriad of stakeholders involved.&nbsp;



"Future wolf conservation in the United States will be affected by the ability of managers to predict colonization and dispersal dynamics, to reduce hybridization and disease transmission, to mitigate and deter wolf–livestock conflicts, to harvest wolves sustainably while satisfying diverse stakeholders, to avert a reduction in tolerance for wolves due to a disinterest in nature, and to engage diverse stakeholders in wolf conservation to avoid management by ballot initiative or legislative and judicial decrees."



<h2 id="h-more-about-gray-wolves">More about gray wolves&nbsp;</h2>



Gray wolves (Canis lupus) are fascinating creatures with a complex history and a wide range of behaviors and adaptations. They are a symbol of the wild, representing both the challenges and the potential of conservation in the modern world.



<h3 id="h-distribution-and-habitat">Distribution and habitat</h3>



Historically, gray wolves were found throughout much of North America, Europe, and Asia, making them one of the most widely distributed land predators in the world. However, human activity, including habitat destruction and hunting, can greatly reduce their numbers and range.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-physical-characteristics">Physical characteristics</h3>



Gray wolves vary in color from grizzled gray or black to all-white. Adults typically weigh between 40 and 175 pounds, with males being larger than females. They have a strong physique, with powerful jaws capable of generating tremendous biting pressure.



<h3 id="h-diet-and-hunting">Diet and hunting</h3>



Wolves primarily prey on large ungulates like elk, deer, and bison, but they can and will eat smaller prey if necessary. Wolves are pack hunters, relying on cooperation and strategy to take down prey much larger than themselves.



<h3 id="h-social-structure">Social structure</h3>



Gray wolves are known for their complex social structures and live in packs. A pack generally consists of an alpha male and female, their offspring, and sometimes unrelated wolves. They communicate using vocalizations, body postures, and scents.



<h3 id="h-reproduction">Reproduction</h3>



Mating typically occurs between February and March, with a gestation period of about 63 days. Litters can range from 1 to 11 pups, with the average being 4 to 6. Pups are born blind and defenseless but grow quickly.



<h3 id="h-cultural-significance">Cultural significance</h3>



Wolves have been a part of human folklore, myths, and legends for millennia. In some cultures, they are revered and considered sacred, while in others, they're seen as symbols of danger or evil. Their perceived cunning and communal hunting tactics have both fascinated and frightened humans.



<h3 id="h-human-wolf-conflict">Human-wolf conflict</h3>



As wolf populations recover and expand, they sometimes come into conflict with humans, especially in areas where they prey on livestock. This has led to tension between conservationists who wish to protect wolves and ranchers or farmers who view them as threats.



—-



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The return of the gray wolf: Triumph or tragedy?

Gray wolf populations in the United States have seen a...

Around the world, the dire impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-climate-change-happening-too-fast-for-birds-to-keep-up/">climate change</a> and human-caused environmental alterations are placing enormous strain on living organisms, including plants, animals, and even microbes.&nbsp;



Amid this turbulence, scientists are seeking to understand which species are adaptable enough to thrive in varied environments, and which are tethered so tightly to their niches that they are at risk of extinction?



<h2 id="h-generalist-and-specialist-species">Generalist and specialist species</h2>



Traditionally, ecologists categorize organisms into two broad types. Think of it as a spectrum: on one end, we have the "generalists" - hardy creatures able to thrive in diverse environments and habitats.&nbsp;



By contrast, the "specialists" at the opposite end possess narrow survival criteria, often rooted in very specific environments.&nbsp;



The iconic panda bear is a perfect example of a specialist. With its exclusive bamboo diet, its existence hangs precariously on the fate of this single plant species.



Beyond the visible life forms, there is a microscopic realm teeming with life beneath our feet and inside of us. Which category do the soil microbes belong to?



To investigate, Michelle Afkhami's biology lab at the <a href="https://www.as.miami.edu/">University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences</a> embarked on a groundbreaking study.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



The research, which is now published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02149-y">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>, centered on prokaryotes - a vast microbial group encompassing all bacteria and archaea.



“The idea behind the project was to find out whether these microbes can exist within a narrow or broad range of conditions along many different environmental dimensions,” said Damian Hernandez, a former graduate student in Afkhami’s lab who is now a postdoc preparing for a biology fellowship with the National Science Foundation.&nbsp;



“Specifically, we wanted to know whether microbes are typically multidimensional specialists, multidimensional generalists, or use different strategies on different environmental dimensions—and what effect that could have on their roles within communities."



“The environmental dimensions we used to determine whether the microbes are generalists or specialists were based on multiple environmental conditions in the soil in which they live, for example, leaf litter, temperature, water, and nutrients."



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



For two years, the team meticulously dissected the DNA sequences from over 200 soil samples gathered from various U.S. locations by the National Ecological Observatory Network.&nbsp;



Their analysis of over 1,200 prokaryotes yielded unexpected revelations. Contrary to prior assumptions, a staggering 90% of the microbes exhibited either "multidimensional generalist" or "multidimensional specialist" traits.



This means a microbe that's a generalist in one environmental aspect extends its versatility across all aspects. Conversely, a specialist microbe remains specialized across every environmental axis.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



While this is a breakthrough in understanding microbial communities, the discovery also raises alarms.&nbsp;



The specialist microbes, despite their vital roles as ecosystem engineers – nurturing plant growth, detoxifying soil, breaking down complex carbons, and replenishing soil nutrients – are vulnerable to environmental shifts. These microbial "community organizers," despite their high functionality, face an uncertain future in our rapidly changing world.



“We found that microbes can be very restricted on where they can exist,” said Hernandez, who is the first author of the study.&nbsp;



“The generalist microbes are very flexible and can withstand a wider range of conditions. But the specialist microbes are sensitive to many different environmental conditions because they are restricted on multiple environmental axes and thus any changes in the environment may hinder their survival."



“Hypothetically, if an ecosystem is structured by microbes that are specialists, then those ecosystems are more likely to be sensitive to environmental change,” he said.



<h2 id="h-which-microbes-will-survive">Which microbes will survive?</h2>



Afkhami confirms that the findings present an interesting argument on how microbes can survive in a changing climate.



“As we learned from the study, microbes that are generalists can live across a wide range of habitats, and this can mean that those microbes may be resilient to climate change or habitat fragmentation because they are likely to tolerate changing environmental conditions. They are also very dominant within microbial communities,” she said.&nbsp;



“This is very concerning because what we also learned in the study is that microbial specialists are highly connected within the microbial network and can be considered as keystone species for maintaining and driving the diversity and function of the microbiome,” said Afkhami.&nbsp;



“In this study, we can start to understand - across a wider sense in the microbiome community - some of their biological functions, their roles in the microbial community, and how they will respond to global changes on the planet.”



—-



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Can soil microbes survive climate change?

Around the world, the dire impacts of climate change and...

In countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Morocco, or Oman, people living in foggy areas often hang up nets to catch droplets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-collected-fog/">water</a>, which trickle down the mesh and are collected to provide water for for drinking, cooking, or washing. By using a fog net with an area of only a few square meters, as much as several hundred liters of water can be harvested daily.&nbsp;



Although this method can be a blessing for foggy regions with little rain or spring water, a major drawback is atmospheric pollution, since dangerous pollutants also end up in the droplets of water. In many of the world’s large cities, pollution is so prevalent that any water harvested from fog is not clean enough to be used untreated for drinking or cooking.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-revolutionary-technology">Revolutionary technology&nbsp;</h2>



Now, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> has developed a revolutionary method that collects water from fog while simultaneously purifying it. To achieve this, the experts devised a close-mesh lattice of metal wire coated with a mixture of specially selected polymers and titanium dioxide.&nbsp;



While the polymers ensure that water droplets collect efficiently on the mesh and then trickle down as fast as possible into a container before being taken away by the wind, the titanium dioxide acts as a chemical catalyst, breaking down the molecules of many organic pollutants contained in the droplets and rendering them harmless.



“Our system not only harvests fog but also treats the harvested water, meaning it can be used in areas with atmospheric pollution, such as densely populated urban centers,” said lead author Ritwick Ghosh, a scientist at the <a href="https://www.mpip-mainz.mpg.de/en/home">Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-low-maintenance-system">Low-maintenance system</h2>



Once installed, this groundbreaking technology requires little to no maintenance and no energy besides from a small but regular dose of UV to regenerate the catalyst. Due to a property known as photocatalytic memory, half an hour of sunlight is sufficient to reactivate the titanium oxide for another 24 hours. Since periods of sunlight are often rare in foggy areas, this is a very useful quality.



The experts tested the new fog collector in the lab and in a small pilot plant in Zurich, and were able to collect eight percent of the water in artificially created fog and break down 94 percent of the organic compounds which had been added to it (including extremely fine diesel droplets and bisphenol A, a hormonally active chemical).



<h2 id="h-recovering-fresh-water">Recovering fresh water</h2>



Besides harvesting drinking water from fog, this novel technology could also be employed to recover water used in the cooling towers.&nbsp;



“In the cooling towers, steam escapes up into the atmosphere. In the United States, where I live, we use a great deal of fresh water to cool power plants,” said senior author Thomas Schutzius, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> who conducted the study while leading the Laboratory for Multiphase Thermofluidics and Surface Nanoengineering at ETH Zurich.&nbsp;



“It would make sense to capture some of this water before it escapes and ensure that it is pure in case you want to return it back to the environment.”



In future research, the scientists hope to further refine these methods in order to make greater use of fog and steam as a previously underutilized source of water that could alleviate the needs of millions of people living in areas afflicted by water scarcity.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01159-9">Nature Sustainability</a>.



<h2 id="h-more-about-fog-as-a-water-source">More about fog as a water source</h2>



Using fog as a water source is an idea that has been employed in various regions of the world, especially in areas where freshwater is scarce.&nbsp;



Fog collection involves using large pieces of mesh or netting (fog collectors) to capture water droplets present in the fog. As the fog passes through these nets, the tiny droplets of water get trapped and merge to form larger droplets. These droplets then run down into a collection system, such as a gutter, and from there into storage tanks.



<h3 id="h-advantages">Advantages</h3>



Fog collection a sustainable and passive method, requiring minimal energy or resources. It can be implemented in areas where other water sources are scarce or polluted.



<h3 id="h-limitations">Limitations</h3>



The yield can be unpredictable and varies depending on the intensity and frequency of the fog. It may not be sufficient as a primary water source for large communities but can be a supplemental source.



<h3 id="h-applications">Applications</h3>



In areas like the Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the driest places on earth, fog collection has been used to provide water for local communities.



When it comes to agriculture, fog collection can be used to provide supplemental irrigation. In reforestation efforts, the collected water can assist in supporting young plants until they're established.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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New technology captures fog from the air and turns it into water

In countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Morocco, or Oman,...

In the intricate tapestry of human emotions, our love for nature emerges as one of the most heartwarming threads. For ages, poets, writers, and philosophers have romanticized our relationship with the green world.



But the question arises – is this fondness for nature intrinsic or learned? An interesting study by researchers at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a> and the <a href="https://www.slu.se/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences</a> (SLU) suggests that it's a combination of both.



At the heart of this investigation is the concept of biophilia – an idea that people have an instinctual bond with nature. While urban areas often exemplify man's triumph over nature, the positive impact of trees and green spaces on city dwellers' well-being is undeniable. Yet, the origins of biophilia have been a matter of debate among scientists.



Historically, some experts contend that our ancestors, having evolved amidst nature, passed down an innate fondness for the environment and deep love of nature. Meanwhile, others believe that childhood encounters and teachings primarily shape this affection.



<h2 id="h-love-of-nature-involves-many-factors">Love of nature involves many factors</h2>



To decode this puzzle, the research team extensively reviewed multiple studies that delved into both our inborn traits and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/citizen-scientists-gain-a-stronger-connection-with-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life experiences</a>. Their findings suggest that while both heredity and environment influence an individual’s love for nature, it’s the interplay of myriad factors that dictates its expression.



Professor Bengt Gunnarsson is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science at the University of Gothenburg. He shed light on the findings, stating, “We have been able to establish that many people have an unconscious positive experience of nature.”



Gunnarsson added that the popular biophilia hypothesis needs reevaluation to encompass the variations rooted in the synergy of genetic and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-increased-well-being-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental factors</a>.



<h2>“Nature” takes on different meanings</h2>



Highlighting the diverse reactions people exhibit towards nature, a Japanese study found that a stroll in the woods elicited positive emotions in only 65% of participants. In contrast, another environmental psychology study discovered an inherent pull towards nature over urban settings. These feelings were particularly intensified for those who developed a love of nature from a nature-rich upbringing.



Lending a genetic perspective, Bengt cited an intriguing twin study. “An additional study on identical and non-identical twins revealed a genetic aspect influencing an individual’s bond with nature. Yet, environmental factors, too, play a crucial role in molding attitudes towards the green world.”



The research underscores the multifaceted nature of 'nature' itself. For some, manicured parks represent an oasis, while others yearn for the raw wilderness. This gamut of preferences, the researchers argue, stems from both our DNA and upbringing.



<h2>Maintaining nature’s footprint in urban settings</h2>



Marcus Hedblom, a researcher at SLU and co-contributor to the <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(23)00149-0">research paper</a>, emphasized the importance of preserving nature's diversity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-gardens-promote-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban planning</a>. “We shouldn’t replace wild greenery with a park and assume it will cater to everyone's green cravings,” he noted.



The transformation of modern cities leans heavily on densification for sustainability. However, this often clashes with the desire to incorporate green spaces.



Research continually underscores the manifold benefits of urban greenery. These range from fostering physical activity to being a sanctuary against stress. Furthermore, trees act as urban lungs, purifying air and offering solace on sweltering days.



Wrapping up the discussion, Bengt acknowledged the potential variance in nature’s appeal among individuals. “There might be a significant chunk of the population indifferent or even aversive to nature due to genetic reasons,” he concluded.



As we look ahead, understanding the intricate dance of genes and environment in shaping our love for nature becomes crucial, especially in creating cities that cater to diverse green preferences.



In the end, nature's allure is an enchanting blend of our shared human heritage and personal tales. And as we weave the future tapestry of urban landscapes, it's paramount to let everyone find their unique shade of green.



<h2>The health benefits of being outside</h2>



Spending time outside, whether it's in nature, a park, or even just a walk in your neighborhood, offers numerous health benefits for the mind and body. Here are some of the health benefits of spending time outdoors:



<h3>Vitamin D exposure</h3>



Sunshine is a primary source of Vitamin D, which is essential for bone health, immune system function, and even mood regulation. Just be sure to protect your skin with sunscreen after sufficient exposure.



<h3>Improved mental well-being</h3>



Nature has been shown to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. Even a simple walk in the park can decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol.



<h3>Enhanced creativity</h3>



Time in nature has been linked with improved creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. This is possibly due to the reduced exposure to technology and the calming effects of nature.



<h3>Improved concentration</h3>



Activities like "forest bathing" (immersing oneself in natural surroundings) have been shown to improve focus and concentration, especially for those with ADHD.



<h3>Enhanced immune function</h3>



Regular exposure to nature can strengthen the immune system, potentially due to the combination of physical activity, exposure to diverse bacteria in natural environments, and decreased stress levels.



<h3>Physical activity</h3>



Being outside often involves physical activities like walking, hiking, biking, or playing sports, all of which boost cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and flexibility.



<h3>Reduced risk of myopia</h3>



Spending time outdoors during childhood has been associated with a reduced risk of developing nearsightedness (myopia).



<h3>Improved sleep</h3>



Exposure to natural light helps regulate the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, which can lead to better sleep.



<h3>Social connection</h3>



Outdoor activities often involve interacting with others, which can foster social connections and improve overall mental well-being.



<h3>Exposure to negative ions</h3>



Areas with moving water, such as waterfalls or beaches, release negative ions. Some studies suggest that exposure to negative ions can improve mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.



<h3>Connection to nature</h3>



Engaging with nature fosters an appreciation for the environment. This connection can have profound psychological benefits, fostering feelings of belonging and purpose.



<h3>Reduction in mental fatigue</h3>



Urban environments and technology can be mentally draining. Nature provides a respite from this overstimulation, allowing the mind to refresh and reset.



<h3>Improved air quality</h3>



Generally, outdoor air (especially in green areas away from urban centers) is cleaner and less polluted than indoor air, promoting better respiratory health.



<h3>Reduction in harmful blue light exposure</h3>



Spending less time in front of screens reduces exposure to blue light, which has been linked to disruptions in sleep patterns and eye strain.



To fully reap the health benefits of spending time outside, it's recommended to be active and engage in activities that you enjoy, whether it's gardening, hiking, or simply taking a leisurely walk. 



Also, while the outdoors offers many benefits, always ensure you are protecting yourself from potential risks, like sunburn, insects, or uneven terrain.

People’s love of nature is both learned and inherited genetically

In the intricate tapestry of human emotions, our love for...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts at Amherst</a> has found that the wealthiest Americans – individuals whose incomes place them in the top ten percent of earners – are responsible for 40 percent of the country’s total <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-cause-a-major-delay-in-rainfall/">greenhouse gas emissions</a>.&nbsp;



This study is the first to connect income – particularly that derived from financial investment – to the emissions used in generating that income. These findings suggest that policymakers should adopt taxes focused on shareholders and the emission intensity of investment income to equitably meet the goal of mitigating climate change.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-consumption-based-approaches">Consumption-based approaches</h2>



Scientists and environmentalists have long been aware that consumption – the amount and types of foods we eat, the things we buy, or the cars we drive – is closely associated to greenhouse emissions. Thus, traditional environmental policy has focused on either limiting consumption or guide it into more environmentally friendly alternatives, such as replacing red meat with plant-based diets or switching to electrical vehicles.&nbsp;



“But consumption-based approaches to limiting greenhouse gas emissions are regressive. They disproportionately punish the poor while having little impact on the extremely wealthy, who tend to save and invest a large share of their income,” explained study lead author Jared Starr, a sustainability scientist at UMass Amherst.&nbsp;



“Consumption-based approaches miss something important: carbon pollution generates income, but when that income is reinvested into stocks, rather than spent on necessities, it isn’t subject to a consumption-based carbon tax. What happens when we focus on how emissions create income, rather than how they enable consumption?”



<h2 id="h-how-do-emissions-create-income">How do emissions create income?</h2>



Answering this apparently simple question is quite challenging, since although it is relatively easy to understand the distribution of wages and salaries for about 90 percent of Americans, it is much more difficult to get a sense of the investment income which makes up a large source of the wealth of the richest Americans.&nbsp;



To address this, the experts examined three decades’ worth of data, by first using a database containing over 2.8 billion inter-sectoral financial transfers and then following the movements of carbon and income through these transactions. These methods allowed them to calculate two different values – supplier-based and producer-based greenhouse emissions of income.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



Supplier-based emissions are those generated by industries supplying fossil fuels to the economy. For example, although the operational emissions released by fossil fuel companies are in fact quite low, such companies make huge profits by selling oil to other who will burn it and thus contribute to pollution. On the other hand, producer-based emissions are those directly released by the operations of specific businesses, such as coal-fired power plants.



By taking into account these two values, the researchers linked emission data with another database containing comprehensive demographic and income data for over five million Americans. This data differentiated active income (salaries and wages earned through employment) from the passively generated investment income.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned&nbsp;</h2>



The analysis revealed that over 40 percent of U.S. emissions were attributable to the income flows of the top ten percent wealthiest citizens, with the top one percent of earners generating between 15 to 17 percent of the country’s emissions. While white, non-Hispanic households had the highest emission-connected income, Black households had the lowest.&nbsp;



Moreover, emissions tended to increase with age, peaking with the 45-54 age group, before starting to decline. Finally, the scientists also identified so-called “super-emitters” with extremely high emissions intensity, consisting of the top 0.1 percent of households, most of them active in fields such as finance, real estate, insurance, manufacturing, and mining and quarrying.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



“This research gives us insight into the way that income and investments obscure emissions responsibility,” Starr said. “For example, 15 days of income for a top 0.1 percent household generates as much carbon pollution as a lifetime of income for a household in the bottom 10 percent. An income-based lens helps us focus in on exactly who is profiting the most from climate-changing carbon pollution, and design policies to shift their behavior.”



According to the experts, to solve this problem, officials should focus on income and shareholder-based taxation rather than taxing consumables.&nbsp;



“In this way, we could really incentivize the Americans who are driving and profiting the most from climate change to decarbonize their industries and investments. It’s divestment through self-interest, rather than altruism. Imagine how quickly corporate executives, board members, and large shareholders would decarbonize their industries if we made it in their financial interest to do so. The tax revenue gained could help the nation invest substantially in decarbonization efforts,” Starr concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000190">PLOS Climate</a>.



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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America’s wealthiest 10 percent linked to 40 percent of emissions

A new study led by the University of Massachusetts at...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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