The world watches as the Great Salt Lake, one of Earth's largest saline lakes, deteriorates. 



Over the past 30 years, the lake has lost a staggering 15 billion cubic yards (11.4 billion cubic meters) of water. It has grown shallower at the rate of 4 inches (10 cm) each year.



This rapid depletion isn't a natural mystery. Decades of unsustainable water diversion, combined with increasing demand and a changing climate, have pushed the lake to a breaking point.



Agriculture is a major contributor to this dire situation, particularly in the case of livestock feed crops.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-depletion-of-great-salt-lake">Rapid depletion of Great Salt Lake </h2>



A recent study published in the journal Environmental Challenges reveals a shocking statistic. Approximately 62% of the river water heading towards Great Salt Lake gets diverted for human usage.



Agricultural activities are the primary culprits, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the water diverted.



“The research highlights the alarming role of water consumption for feeding livestock in driving the lake’s rapid depletion," explained William Ripple, a professor of ecology at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a> and co-author of the study.



Almost 80% of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-water-scarcity-is-about-to-get-much-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agricultural water</a> use is for irrigating alfalfa and hay crops - the primary feed for livestock.



This level of diversion not only depletes the lake's vital inflows but also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of current agricultural practices in the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-great-salt-lake">Significance of Great Salt Lake</h2>



The importance of Great Salt Lake extends far beyond its beauty or agricultural use.



As one of the world's largest saline lakes, it plays important ecological, economic, cultural, and spiritual roles - all of which are in grave danger due to the dramatic <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-great-salt-lake-has-reached-historically-low-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decline in lake levels</a> during the past decades.



Data from the Utah Division of Water Resources shows a disturbing trend. From 1989 to 2022, consumption and evaporation consistently outpaced inflows from river water and precipitation.



This imbalance has created an annual deficit of approximately 500 million cubic yards (380 cubic meters), which has further accelerated the lake's decline.



The water budget has faced a persistent deficit for most of the past century. The situation has been exacerbated by the growing impacts of climate change and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-drought-has-caused-crisis-levels-of-food-and-water-scarcity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prolonged drought</a>, according to the researchers.



“Abnormally large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snowmelt-changes-may-greatly-affect-farmers-in-western-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">snowmelt</a> inflow during the 1980s and 1990s served to temporarily obscure the long-term decline in lake levels, and the lake actually reached its highest level in more than a century in 1987,” explained Professor Ripple. “But it has been dropping by roughly 4 inches per year on average since then.”



Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere and ranks eighth globally. Its 21,000-square-mile drainage basin, which includes the Wasatch Mountains, relies heavily on snowfall for water replenishment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-from-declining-lake-levels">Threats from declining lake levels</h2>



Great Salt Lake is also a biodiversity hotspot, hosting over 10 million migrating birds and an estimated 350 different species of birds. These habitats are threatened by declining lake levels.



In addition, the lake creates $2.5 billion in annual economic activity. Recreation, mining, and the harvesting of brine shrimp support more than 9,000 jobs. As salinity levels increase, however, brine shrimp experience extreme stress.



Human health also suffers as the Lake shrinks, with wind-carried <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-salt-lake-drying-up-causing-major-dust-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dust from the exposed saline lakebed</a> causing a range of pulmonary problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-great-salt-lake">Saving Great Salt Lake</h2>



To halt this alarming trend and start refilling the lake, a 35% reduction of human water consumption in the Great Salt Lake watershed by 35% has been proposed.



This includes a significant cut in irrigated alfalfa production, a fallowing of much of the region’s irrigated grass hay fields, and taxpayer-funded compensation for affected farmers and ranchers.



Conservation measures such as crop shifting, reducing municipal and industrial use, and leasing water rights from irrigators have also been proposed.



The impacts of these changes will be significant, and will affect as many as 20,000 farmers and ranchers in the basin. However, the situation presents an opportunity to set a precedent for addressing water scarcity globally.



“The economic and cultural adjustments required are significant but not insurmountable. With the right policies and public support, we can secure a sustainable future for the Great Salt Lake and set a precedent for addressing water scarcity globally,” concluded Professor Ripple.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2667010024002312" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Challenges</a>.



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Great Salt Lake: Agriculture is draining a natural wonder

The world watches as the Great Salt Lake, one of Earth's largest saline lakes, deteriorates. Over the past 30 years, the lake has lost a staggering 15 billion cubic yards (11.4 billion cubic meters) of water. It has grown shallower at the rate of 4 inches (10 cm) each year. This rapid depletion isn't a natural mystery. Decades of unsustainable water diversion, combined with increasing demand and a changing climate, have pushed the lake to a breaking point. Agriculture is a major contributor to this dire situation,...

Gut microbes have received an increasing amount of attention in research literature recently, as scientists begin to understand the link between their diversity and the health of their host. Most of this research has focused on humans, where a functional gut <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-disrupts-gut-health-increasing-risk-of-other-infections/">microbiome</a> has been associated with enhanced nutrition, immunity and mental health, among others. In contrast, not much research has investigated gut microbes in wild animals, despite the fact that microbial diversity may be an indicator of the health of wild animals and even of the environments in which they live.



A new study has now analyzed the microbial communities present in the guts of wild American pine marten (Martes americana) living in two different areas. Pine marten are carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, related to weasels, ferrets and mink. They are found throughout Canada, Alaska and the northern United States. In the study, the gut microbiomes of marten living in a pristine habitat were compared with those of marten from a natural habitat that was more heavily influenced by human activity.&nbsp;



The researchers collected gut microbiome data from 21 marten for this study. Sixteen individuals were harvested during a legal trapping season, in an area that was closer to human habitation and influence. The remaining five were trapped safely and released in the Huron Mountain Club, which is a pristine forest area located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The results, published <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLoS ONE</a>, identified distinct differences between the two groups of marten sampled.



“Our goal here was to determine how, if at all, human disturbance of a landscape affects the gut microbiome of American marten that live in that landscape,” says Diana Lafferty, co-lead author of the paper and an assistant professor of biology at Northern Michigan University. “And the answers here were pretty clear.”



“Specifically, we found that wild marten in relatively undisturbed environments have more carnivorous diets than martens in human-affected areas,” says Erin McKenney, co-lead author of a paper on the work and an assistant professor of applied ecology at <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a>.&nbsp;



Previous studies on gut microbiomes have focused largely on the variation exhibited in humans and laboratory organisms. Only recently has interest grown in the host-gut bacterial associations in wildlife species, and very little research has been conducted comparing the gut microbes of conspecifics that inhabit different natural environments. Several factors have been implicated in shaping the gut microbial communities in animals, including host genotype, life history traits and behavior, social organization, health status, diet and the environment itself.



“In conjunction with our other work on carnivore microbiomes, this finding tells us the microbial ecosystems in carnivore guts can vary significantly, reflecting a carnivore’s environment,” McKenney says. “Among other things, this means we can tell how much humans are impacting an area by assessing the gut microbiomes of carnivores that live in that area – which can be done by testing wild animal feces. In practical terms, this work is revealing a valuable tool for assessing the health of wild ecosystems.”



The researchers found that the gut microbiomes of marten in the pristine forest of the Huron Mountain Club were clearly distinct from those of the marten harvested in other areas. The finding highlights an emerging tool that will allow researchers and wildlife managers to assess the health of wild ecosystems.



“The Huron Mountain Club is particularly important for this study, because it’s relatively pristine – one of the largest, primeval forests in the eastern United States,” Lafferty says. “That makes it an excellent juxtaposition to the 16 marten that were harvested, since those were collected in regions that are more impacted by human activity.”



“This reflects the fact that marten in relatively pristine forest are able to forage at a higher trophic level, meaning they occupy a higher place in the food web,” Lafferty says. “In other words, the marten in relatively pristine forest have a more carnivorous diet, whereas marten in areas where there are more people were more omnivorous. Basically, the findings tell us a disturbed landscape results in a significantly different diet, which is reflected in their gut microbiomes.”



“It’s also worth noting that we were able to trap and release the marten in Huron Mountain Club during the dead of winter because we designed and built custom box traps to protect them from the elements,” says Chris Kailing, a co-author of the paper who worked on the project while at Northern Michigan University. “That’s of interest because it makes winter sampling possible for future wildlife research even in harsh winter conditions.”



“This is the latest chapter in an ongoing body of research that is helping us understand carnivore gut microbiomes,” McKenney says. “Carnivore gut microbiomes are inherently more variable than the gut microbiomes of other animals. This study lends nuance to the emerging picture that all of this variability is not just noise. Rather, this variability stems from the nutritional landscape carnivores have access to – and that, in turn, reflects the health of the ecosystem carnivores inhabit. And that means that monitoring the gut microbiome of wild carnivores can offer us real insight into the ecosystems those carnivores live in.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Carnivore gut microbes reflect the health of wild ecosystems

Gut microbes have received an increasing amount of attention in...

According to the latest<a href="https://ipbes.net/global-assessment">&nbsp;Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</a>, climate change is currently emerging as a major threat for biodiversity, with plant and animal species facing greater risks of thermal stress as global warming pushes temperatures beyond their usual thermal tolerance. 



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/">Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> (IAP) has found that terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-impacts-biodiversity-in-protected-areas-worldwide/">protected areas</a> not only offer habitat, but also provide a thermal buffer against climate change, thus serving as refugia for biodiversity.&nbsp;



The scientists discovered that, when compared to nonprotected areas which are often disturbed or even converted to other land uses, protected areas of natural and semi-natural vegetation can effectively cool the land surface temperature. For instance, such areas cool the local daily maximum temperature in the tropics, and reduce diurnal and seasonal temperature ranges in temperate and boreal regions. 



Moreover, vegetation in these areas has a higher amount of foliage in the canopy than in nonprotected areas (even of the same vegetation type), thus modulating local temperatures through physiological and biophysical processes.



“The cooling effect of protected areas on daily and seasonal maximum temperatures is particularly important because it can protect species in the wild from episodes of extreme heat,”&nbsp;explained study senior author Gensuo Jia, an expert in the impact of climate change on ecosystems at IAP. “Under a warming climate, as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more intense, protected areas create thermal refugia.”



According to the researchers, biodiversity responses to climate change are determined by microclimate – the local set of atmospheric conditions near the ground that is modulated by habitats and landscape features at the local scale. Thus, protected areas provide shaded habitats which can moderate biotic responses to macroclimate warming.



While nature conservation has long been recognized as a nature-based solution to climate change, helping prevent carbon emissions from land-use change and enhancing carbon removal from the atmosphere, this study shows that the effectiveness of nature protection in stabilizing local climates cannot be ignored. According to the scientists, protected forests effectively slow the rate of warming, with a warming rate in protected boreal forests up to 20 percent lower than in surrounding regions.



“The slowed rate of warming is particularly important for species in the boreal regions because the northern high latitudes have warmed faster than the rest of the world,”&nbsp;said lead author Dr. Xiyan Xu, an expert in climate change at IAP. “Protected areas provide a home for threatened species, and the home is air-conditioned naturally!”



The findings suggest that protected areas can significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and highlight the need to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises simultaneously.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abo0119">Science Advances</a>.&nbsp;



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

Protected areas provide a thermal buffer against climate change

According to the latest&nbsp;Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem...

Aerial,View,Of,Amazon,Rainforest,,South,America

The central Congo Basin is home to the world’s largest tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-can-increase-fires-in-tropical-peatlands/">peatland</a> complex, covering an area of around 16.7 million hectares, which is bigger than the area of England and Wales combined. Unlike temperate peat bogs that mostly accumulate carbon in the form of mosses, these peatlands underlie lush tropical forests and contain organic matter from the fall of leaves and forest debris. In addition, they are influenced by the movement of water from rivers and have been a source of food and resources for local people for thousands of years.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Congo Basin spans across six central African countries, but the peatlands occur mostly within the Republic of Congo (ROC) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Due to the remote and inaccessible location of these peatlands, little research has been done on how the ecosystems function, although a previous study estimated that 29 Pg of carbon is stored below ground in peat across the region. (A Petagram is equivalent to a Gigaton and equals one billion metric tons.)&nbsp;



With the uncertainties surrounding the effects of climate change, scientists are concerned that this massive amount of stored carbon may be released into the atmosphere and contribute further to greenhouse gas concentrations. In order to understand the history of the Congo Basin peatlands, Congolese and European researchers have now taken samples of peat from beneath the remote swamp forests in the region. The results of their analysis, published in the journal Nature, carry a sober warning for the entire world, particularly as environmental leaders gather at the COP27 climate talks next week.



The research, led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>, involved analyzing plant remains in samples taken at depths beneath the surface of the peat. The scientists used waxes from plant leaves preserved in the samples to calculate the rainfall levels at the time that the plants were living. This enabled them to reconstruct a record of the vegetation and rainfall in the central Congo Basin over the last 17,500 years, from when the peat began to form.&nbsp;



The record showed that peat was accumulated gradually in the region up to around 7,500 years ago. During this time, the peat acted as a store of carbon. However, between 7,500 and 2,000 years ago, the peat layers either decomposed or never accumulated. The researchers described this as the “ghost interval." This same ghost interval was found in peat samples from hundreds of kilometers away in the DRC indicating it happened across the whole peatland region.&nbsp;



“The peat samples show us that there was a period of around 5,000 years when there was almost no build-up of peat, less than 0.1 mm per year.&nbsp;The samples also reveal what the rainfall and vegetation was like when the peat was formed. Together they give a picture of a drying climate that got progressively drier until about 2,000 years ago," explained study lead author Dr. Yannick Garcin of the National Research Institute for Sustainable Development of France.



At the height of this drought, rainfall was reduced by at least 800 mm a year. This caused the water table in the Congo peatlands to drop, exposing older layers of peat to the air, which led to decomposition and the release of carbon dioxide.&nbsp;The peatlands&nbsp;only&nbsp;stopped releasing carbon and reverted back to&nbsp;taking carbon out of the atmosphere when the&nbsp;climate&nbsp;got wetter&nbsp;again&nbsp;in the past 2,000 years, according to the results of the study.&nbsp; &nbsp;



“This drought led to a huge loss of peat, at least 2 meters,” said Dr. Garcin. “The drought flipped the peatland to a huge carbon source as the peat decomposed. This decomposition only stopped when the drought stopped, allowing peat to start accumulating again.”&nbsp;



The scientists warn&nbsp;that, while the peatlands are&nbsp;currently largely intact and managed sustainably by local people, they are vulnerable.&nbsp;If current global warming produces drying effects in the Congo region, history could repeat itself and 30 billion tons of carbon from decomposing peat could end up in the atmosphere. This is equivalent to all the emissions from burning fossil fuel globally over a three-year period, and the impact on climate change could be catastrophic.&nbsp;



“Our study brings a brutal warning from the past. If the peatlands dry beyond a certain threshold they will release colossal quantities of carbon to the atmosphere, further accelerating climate change," said study senior author Professor Simon Lewis. “There is some evidence that dry seasons are lengthening in the Congo Basin, but it is unclear if these will continue. But evidence from our study shows that drier conditions have existed in the past and did trigger a breakdown of the peatlands as a store of carbon.”&nbsp;



“This is an important message for world leaders gathering at the COP27 climate talks next week. If greenhouse gas emissions drive the central Congo peatlands to become too dry, then the peatlands will contribute to the climate crisis rather than protect us," emphasized Professor Lewis.



In addition to the threat of the peatlands getting drier&nbsp;from climate change, the region is subject to additional pressures which could cause damage to the fragile peatland ecosystem. These include draining the peatlands for industrial-scale agriculture, logging, and oil exploration.&nbsp;The central Congo peatlands are home to a rich biodiversity, including forest elephants, lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos, all of which form part of this globally important but threatened ecosystem.



Professor Corneille Ewango from the University of Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, led the expeditions to collect the peat samples from the DRC.&nbsp;



“This is another astonishing finding about the peatlands. They are more vulnerable than we thought, and everyone must play their role in protecting them," said Professor Ewango. “Polluting countries must cut their carbon emissions fast, to limit the possibility of droughts pushing the peatlands past their tipping point. The DRC will also need to strengthen protection of the peatlands. At stake is one of the most wildlife and carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth."



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Congo Basin could release billions of tons of carbon

The central Congo Basin is home to the world’s largest...

Experts have identified a new method of using compost that could boost global crop production and help mitigate climate change. Professor Susanne Schmidt of the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> explained that adopting a Precision Compost Strategy (PCS) in large-scale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-could-play-a-key-role-in-limiting-global-warming/">agriculture</a> could improve crop yield and soil health, and would keep biowaste from ending up in the landfill where it releases harmful greenhouse gases.



“Instead of relying just on mineral fertilisers, PCS involves supplementing the right type of compost with nutrients to match the needs of soils and crops,” said Professor Schmidt.



“Soils that have become compacted and acidic are then aerated and neutralized. The result is they can retain more water, facilitate root growth and nourish the organisms that keep soils and crops healthy.”



According to Professor Schmidt, soil plays a crucial role in ensuring global food security. “But currently 30 percent of the world’s agricultural soil is classified as degraded, with projections that this could rise to 90 percent by 2050."



The researchers estimate that precision compost could boost the annual global production of major cereal crops by 96 million tons. “This has flow-on effects for consumers by addressing food shortages and price hikes," said Professor Schmidt.



The study also suggests that applying a precision compost strategy to large-scale agriculture could help mitigate climate change.



“In Australia alone, more than 7 million tons of biowaste ends up in landfill every year where it generates huge amounts of avoidable greenhouse gases and other undesirable effects,” said Professor Schmidt.



“If we repurpose it, we can restore crucial carbon in cropland topsoil. There are cost benefits too - diverting just 15,000 tons of biowaste could save a local council as much as $2-3 million a year.”



Tony Rossi is a sugarcane farmer in North Queensland. His family's company V. Rossi &amp; Sons has been using precision compost for seven years. “We’ve been able to almost halve our fertilizer use which is so much better for the environment, and our crop yield is the same,” said Rossi.



The research was supported by Fight Food Waste CRC and is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00584-x">Nature Food</a>.



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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

Compost could boost crop yields by millions of tons

Experts have identified a new method of using compost that...

A recent study led by the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> has found that the practice of moving our clocks forward – resulting in a later sunset – could reduce night-time associated car accidents with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/energy-development-disrupts-mule-deer-migration/">deer</a> by 16 percent. The experts developed a model showing the major benefits that permanent daylight savings time could have, not only in saving animal lives, but also in the reduction of human injuries (and even deaths) and collision costs.



“We saw these huge, abrupt shifts in human activity associated with the timing of sunrise and sunset, so it got us thinking: if humans are responding to clock time, whereas animals are responding to the daylight time, does that then create more opportunities for human-wildlife conflict?” said study lead author Calum Cunningham, a postdoctoral research fellow in Biology at the University of Washington.



By using data from 23 state agencies from the <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/">U.S. Department of Transportation</a>, the researchers analyzed 1,012,465 deer-vehicle collisions, together with 96 million hourly traffic observations across the entire United States.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that vehicle collisions were 14 times more frequent two hours after sunset than before, and, even more strikingly, that the rate of deer-vehicle collisions increased by 16 percent the week following the change to standard time.



Taking these numbers into account, the scientists estimated that, if daylight savings time became permanent, it could prevent at least 36,550 deer deaths, 33 human deaths, 2,054 human injuries, and $1.19 billion in collision costs each year.



“It surprised me how striking this pattern was, of how much more likely deer are to get struck in the hour or two after darkness. This one-hour shift in human activity could have such a significant effect,” Cunningham concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.007">Current Biology</a>.&nbsp;



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

Daylight savings time reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions

A recent study led by the University of Washington has...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.colgate.edu/">Colgate University</a> has found that summer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thawing-arctic-hillsides-are-contributing-to-climate-change/">thaw</a> in Antarctica occurs nearly a month earlier, and lasts for a full two months longer than previously thought. These findings change our scientific understanding of seasonal thawing in parts of the Antarctic continent, raising alarms regarding the negative impact of global warming on our planet.



“Antarctic water tracks and ephemeral wetlands are a primary location for biogeochemical soil processes driving cold desert soil formation. Though the spatial extent of water tracks and wetted soils has been mapped in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) on the basis of mapping darkened pixels in high-resolution commercial satellite imagery, the timescale over which water tracks and wetlands form and the duration of these biogeochemically active environments remain unknown,” the study authors explained.



By using a combination of in situ soil sensors and data from two complementary remote imagining platforms (<a href="https://www.planet.com/">Planet</a> and <a href="https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/">WorldView</a>) - which can scan the surface of the Earth daily or even multiple times per day - the scientists determined the start and end dates, together with the duration of wetted soils at ten sites located across the MDV. Their analyses revealed that Antarctic summer thawing is much more extended temporally than previously thought.



“What we found was that when you can scan coastal Antarctica almost every day, not just a couple of times a summer, we see that the ground is actually thawing and turning into icy swamps a full month earlier than we used to think, and it’s staying wet and thawed a full two months later, even into March,” said study co-author Joseph Levy, a geomorphologist and planetary scientist at Colgate.



“What’s even more fascinating is that this ground is thawing and staying thawed at temperatures below freezing, so we know salts must be helping it to melt and keeping it muddy, like salting a road during a snowstorm.”



According to the researchers, while this extended melt is beneficial for organisms that need meltwater to survive in Antarctica’s harsh climate, it is quite bad news for the long-term stability of the permafrost and for ecosystems that thrive in freezing conditions.



“This extended hydroperiod has intriguing implications for biogeochemical processes such as long-term soil development in the Antarctic, biological functioning in long-lived soil waters and droplets, and the thermal evolution of Antarctic permafrost. Our observations can serve as a baseline for detecting future change in the duration and extent of water track and wetland processes in the terrestrial Antarctic in response to future climate change,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2022.2123858">Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Antarctic summer thaw lasts longer than previously thought

A new study led by Colgate University has found that...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-lakes-are-releasing-methane-from-melting-permafrost/">Arctic</a> is warming up at twice the average global rate and this is predicted to affect a variety of biogeophysical variables, such as rainfall, permafrost temperatures, ice mass, snow thickness and the structure and composition of Arctic vegetation. In turn, different types of vegetation influence the surface energy budget (SEB), which is the energy exchange between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. It is thus highly relevant to ask how the various types of vegetation found in the Arctic affect the surface energy budget, in order to understand how energy exchange in this sensitive area may change in the future.



An international team, led by two researchers from the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies of the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a> (UZH), has now taken a closer look at the factors driving the energy flux of the land surface in the Arctic. They focused their study on the circumpolar land north of 60° latitude, and specifically on the extent of the circumpolar Arctic vegetation map (CAVM). At 64 different tundra and glacier study sites across the area, they obtained half-hourly and hourly in situ observations of energy fluxes and meteorological variables from various monitoring networks, over the period between 1994 and 2021.&nbsp;



Their focus was on the summer months between June and August, during which sunlight, and thus energy absorption, is particularly high. Depending on the type of vegetation, either the surface or the air are warmed to varying degrees. In addition, with increasing shrub density land warms up earlier after winter. “The shrubs’ dark branches emerge from under the snow early, absorb sunlight and pass it on to the surface long before the snow melts away,” explains postdoc Jacqueline Oehri, first author of the study.



In an effort to explain differences in surface energy fluxes at the different sites, the scientists used a variance partitioning analysis to compare the extent to which 15 selected drivers predict mean magnitudes of surface energy fluxes. The drivers included factors such as cloud cover, snow cover, soil and permafrost characteristics, topography, precipitation, air temperature and vegetation type.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, current Earth system models represent Arctic vegetation as being of one or only a few functional types, while in truth it is far more diverse. In their study, they quantified the presence of all the main classes of vegetation described in the CAVM, namely barren complexes, grassy tundra, prostrate dwarf-shrub tundra, erect-shrub tundra, wetland complexes, glaciers and boreal peat bog.



Their results, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34049-3">Nature Communications</a>, indicated that the Arctic’s diverse vegetation, which is disregarded in most climate models, is one of the key factors predicting the extent of the summer energy exchange between the Earth’s land surface and the atmosphere.



“Remarkably, in summer the difference in heat flux between two types of vegetation – such as a landscape dominated by lichens and mosses, and one with shrubs – is about the same as between the surface of glaciers and green grasslands,” says Oehri.



The researchers suggest that the various types of Arctic vegetation have different heights, productivities and albedos (solar radiation reflected rather than absorbed), all of which may affect surface energy fluxes. Furthermore, they say that as the Arctic warms, the distribution and extent of the different vegetation types will change, which will further impact climate changes.&nbsp;



“Our findings on the energy flows in the Arctic are extremely relevant, since the preservation of permafrost depends to a large extent on the heat flux into the ground,” says UZH professor Gabriela Schaepman-Strub. The study’s data now make it possible to incorporate the effects of different plant communities, and their distribution, into climate predictions. Researchers can thus use improved climate models to calculate whether, and to which extent, tundra vegetation in the Arctic plays a role in cooling the land surface.



“We now know which plant communities have a particularly pronounced cooling or warming effect through energy exchange. This enables us to determine how changes in plant communities, which are occurring in many regions in the Arctic, are affecting permafrost and the climate,” says Schaepman-Strub.&nbsp;



However, the study does highlight important data gaps. Long-term, year-round energy flux data for Arctic vegetation are still very scarce, and data are missing for autumn and winter seasons at many sites. In addition, observations for barren tundra vegetation are few and far between, even though this type of vegetation shows large differences in surface energy flux from the other types of tundra. The authors believe that new stations are needed in those Arctic landscapes where data are incomplete, and they also call for current stations to remain in operation.&nbsp;



The Arctic is changing rapidly and will have a major impact on the climate dynamics of the entire planet. This study indicates the important role of vegetation in driving energy exchanges, and emphasizes the fact that understanding and predicting how vegetation will be distributed in the Arctic in future, will help scientists to make more accurate climate projections in this sensitive system, as well as globally.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Vegetation is a key driver of energy flux in the Arctic

The Arctic is warming up at twice the average global...

The <a href="https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/">Woodland Trust</a> – the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity – has recently identified a worrying trend for Halloween pumpkins to be discarded in the nearest woods, in a well-meaning yet misguided attempt to provide food for birds and other woodland animals.



“A myth seems to have built up that leaving pumpkins in woods helps <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/minor-changes-could-improve-human-wildlife-coexistence/">wildlife</a>.&nbsp;People&nbsp;think they’re doing a good thing by not binning them in landfill and instead leaving them for nature,” said Paul Bunton, an engagement and communications officer at Woodland Trust.



“But pumpkin flesh can be dangerous for hedgehogs, attracts colonies of rats, and also has a really detrimental effect on woodland soils, plants, and fungi. We can’t leave dumped pumpkins to rot, so we end up with an orange mushy mess to deal with at many of our sites.”



According to the experts, hedgehogs are particularly endangered by such practices, since they are highly opportunistic eaters that spend the autumn and early winter building up fat reserves they need for hibernation.



“As a result, hedgehogs can gorge themselves on easily available food like dumped pumpkins. Although not toxic to them, the fleshy fibrous fruit can cause stomach upsets and diarrhea, as they are not designed to eat large quantities of fruit,” explained Trevor Weeks, from the <a href="https://wildlifeambulance.org/">East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service</a>.&nbsp;



“This can lead to them becoming bloated and dangerously dehydrated which in turn can be fatal. At this time of year, they can’t afford to become ill, or they may not survive the winter hibernation.”



In order to avoid such situations, the Woodland Trust advises Halloween revelers to make pumpkin bird feeders in their own gardens with the leftovers, instead of discarding them in the woods. However, these feeders should be kept high off the ground so hedgehogs cannot reach them.



“Jack-o-lanterns can be good for wildlife in small quantities in gardens, but not woodland or other countryside. We are urging people everywhere to make soup, birdfeeders for your garden, but please don’t make a mess of the countryside!” Bunton concluded.



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

Dumping pumpkins in the woods can endanger wildlife

The Woodland Trust – the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity...

Floods, wildfires, overfishing, and pollution are some of the many disruptions that can change the balance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecosystems-moving-north/">ecosystems</a>, often endangering entire species. However, evaluating these ecosystems to assess which species are most at risk, in order to focus conservation efforts and policies where they are most needed, is a highly challenging task.&nbsp;



While previous attempts assumed that ecosystems are essentially in a state of equilibrium, with external perturbations causing only temporary shifts before things eventually return to an equilibrium state, a study led by the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) has now argued that ecosystems are in fact often in flux, with the relative abundances of their different components shifting on timetables of their own. By starting with this more realistic assumption, the experts devised a better, predictive way of evaluating these systems in order to rank the relative vulnerabilities of different species, and to detect which of these species are most at risk.



This study is analogous to Edward Lorenz’s groundbreaking analyses of weather patterns decades ago, in which he argued that tiny perturbations in a complex system could eventually lead to disproportionately large outcomes – famously exemplified by the idea that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one place could ultimately lead to a massive hurricane somewhere else (the so-called “butterfly effect”).&nbsp;



However, while in cases such as weather forecasting, scientists largely understand the underlying physics of the phenomena and can produce equations to describe their dynamics, in the case of complex ecosystems, this is much more difficult. Nevertheless, over the past decade, scientists have managed to develop mathematical techniques that could provide descriptions of complex ecosystems without knowing the underlying equations.



The MIT researchers and their colleagues developed two such approaches – called “expected sensitivity ranking” and “Eigenvalue ranking” – which performed well in tests using large sets of simulated data, producing rankings that closely matched those expected. While traditional attempts to rank the vulnerability of species tended to focus on measures such as body or population size, “these species are embedded in communities, and these communities have nonlinear emergent behavior such that a small change in one place would change completely in a different way some other aspect of the system,” as study senior author Serguei Saavedra (an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT) put it.



“Approaches based on equilibrium dynamics have this static view of species interaction effects,” added study lead author Lucas Medeiros, a former PhD student at MIT. “Under nonequilibrium abundance fluctuations, these interaction effects can change over time, impacting the sensitivity of any given species to perturbations.”&nbsp;



For instance, species that are highly active during summer, but dormant in winter may be strongly affected by summer wildfires or heatwaves, but completely unaffected by various disruptions happening in the winter.



The techniques developed by the researchers are general enough to be applied for any out-of-equilibrium dynamical system, and have even been used to predict fluctuations in financial markets. However, their primary goal remains the assessment of species vulnerabilities, which is crucial in times of marked environmental disruptions such as ours.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</a>.



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

New research will make it easier to rank species vulnerability

Floods, wildfires, overfishing, and pollution are some of the many...

A team of zoologists from <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/">Trinity College Dublin</a> (TCD) in Ireland and the <a href="https://www.uho.ac.id/">Halo Oleo University</a> in Indonesia has recently found several new species of colorful, tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-song-of-the-east-african-sunbird-may-be-a-million-years-old/">sunbirds</a>, including the “Wakatobi Sunbird” (Cinnyris infrenatus), which lives only on the tiny Wakatobi Islands in Central Indonesia. Moreover, by examining the more widespread Olive-backed Sunbirds and Black Sunbirds, the scientists found that individuals named as such actually belong to multiple unrecognized species. These findings have important implications for our understanding of evolution in this highly biodiverse region.



Living in the tropics from Africa to Australia, sunbirds resemble the American hummingbirds and fill similar ecological niches. Male sunbirds frequently have bright plumage, with iridescent feathers that shine in the sunlight. For centuries, zoologists have examined sunbirds’ plumage to identify different species, over 140 of which are currently recognized. However, with the help of new forms of evidence, such as DNA, song recordings, and statistical analyses of body measurements, the scientists have now found that this family is even more diverse than previously thought. To discover these new species, the researchers re-traced famous biologist Alfred Russel Wallace’s steps, as he based his theories on his investigations of animals across the islands of present-day Indonesia.



“One of Wallace’s major findings is referred to as ‘Wallace’s Line’ – a boundary between deep and shallow seas that many animals have been unable to cross, leading to marked differences in the species found on either side. The widespread Olive-backed Sunbird appeared to be an exception, being found all the way from China to Australia with Wallace’s Line right in the middle of its range,” said study lead author Fionn Ó Marcaigh, a PhD student in Zoology at TCD.&nbsp;



“The new study, however, has shown that the populations on either side actually represent two different species, in keeping with Wallace’s original predictions. The Black Sunbird was already known to be subject to Wallace’s Line, but the new research has shown that the population around Sulawesi is a separate species from the one in New Guinea.”



While the Olive-backed Sunbird covers quite a wide range for such a small bird, the newly discovered Wakatobi Sunbird is restricted to the tiny Wakatobi Islands off the coast of Sulawesi. Besides being genetically unique, this species also has darker plumage, a higher-pitched song, and shorter wings than the Olive-backed Sunbird. According to the scientists, its short wings have likely contributed to its remaining isolated on these islands.



“The identification of the Wakatobi Sunbird serves to remind us that biodiversity is everywhere. This bird wasn’t found in a remote rainforest, but along the scrubby margins of busy towns and villages. Let us hope the children of the Wakatobi will be able to enjoy these special birds for generations to come,” concluded co-author David Kelly, a behavioral ecologist at TCD.



The study is published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac081">Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society</a>.



Image Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin



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

New sunbird species discovered in Indonesia

A team of zoologists from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in...

According to two preliminary studies to be presented at the <a href="https://ahascientificsessions.org/">American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022</a> (November 5-7 in Chicago), neighborhood walkability – a measure of how easy and safe it is to walk to reach resources for daily living, such as grocery stores, schools, pharmacies, work, or church – is associated with lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steep-rise-in-cardiovascular-disease-expected-in-the-u-s/">cardiovascular disease</a> burden and risk.&nbsp;



Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the U.S. and globally. An important factor for achieving optimal cardiovascular health and reducing disease risk is physical activity. Thus, walkable neighborhoods could turn out to be essential in improving heart health. 



"When a person’s environment is conducive to walking, there is a greater likelihood of engagement in physical activity such as walking,” explained Elizabeth A. Jackson, the past chair of the American Heart Association’s Committee on Social Determinants of Health.&nbsp;



“Ample data support the cardiovascular benefits of regular physical activity including walking, therefore, designing neighborhoods to be walkable may assist residents in improving their cardiovascular health.”



In the first study, over 70,000 U.S. census tracts were analyzed to explore the potential association among neighborhood walkability and cardiovascular disease and risk factors. 



The analysis revealed that cardiovascular disease prevalence was lower (5.4 percent) in the most walkable neighborhoods compared to the least walkable ones (7 percent), and that 36 percent of adults living in the least walkable neighborhoods had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obesity compared to about 30 percent in the most walkable ones. 



Moreover, type 2 diabetes prevalence was 11.6 percent in the least walkable neighborhoods compared to 10.6 percent in the most walkable ones.



In a second study – conducted only in Houston – the scientists examined the city in terms of its walkability, while evaluating the health data of over 900,000 adults in the Houston Methodist Cardiovascular Disease Learning Health System Registry from 2016 to 2021. 



The researchers found that for people without cardiovascular disease, living in a walkable neighborhood was associated with being twice as likely to have optimal cardiovascular risk factors compared to those living in car-dependent neighborhoods. Furthermore, people with cardiovascular disease living in higher walkability areas had 58 percent higher odds of having an optimal cardiovascular risk profile than those living in lower walkability areas.



Based on these findings, the experts urge policymakers to prioritize resources for building more walkable cities which offer close access to educational, retail, food, recreational, and entertainment venues in order to encourage walking as a normal way to get around.



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

Walkable neighborhoods help reduce cardiovascular risk

According to two preliminary studies to be presented at the...

According to a new report by the <a href="https://www.healtheffects.org/">Health Effects Institute</a> (HEI), nearly the entire African continent faces the most severe health impacts in the world caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-stroke/">air pollution</a>. The experts found that Africa is home to five of the top ten most polluted countries in the world in terms of outdoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is the most consistent predictor of deaths from respiratory, cardiovascular, and other diseases in previous studies of long-term exposure to air pollution. Moreover, widespread exposure to household air pollution (HAP) – which results from burning solid fuels such as coal, wood, or charcoal for cooking – also has a significant impact on African mortality, causing 63 percent of the 1.1 million pollution-related deaths in 2019.



Since across East, West, Central, and Southern Africa, about 75 percent of the population relies on solid fuels for cooking, residents are exposed to high concentrations of harmful pollutants at home every day. In these regions, newborns and infants are at a particularly high risk from HAP, with 14 percent of all deaths in children under five linked to exposure to such hazardous pollutants. Moreover, children’s exposure to HAP – as well as to outdoor pollution – has long-term consequences for their health, including lung development problems and increased susceptibility to infectious respiratory diseases.



“This report gives evidence of the substantial threat air pollution poses to the health, and even life, of babies and children under the age of five. This vulnerable group needs special attention to mitigate their exposures, for example, through policy and intensive awareness campaigns with practical solutions for mothers and caregivers,” said Caradee Wright, a Chief Specialist Scientist at the <a href="https://www.samrc.ac.za/">South African Medical Research Council</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the report authors, air pollution sources and their health impact can vary widely across the continent. For instance, Western Africa experiences the highest PM2.5&nbsp;pollution - with an average concentration of 64.1 μg/m3 - while Southern Africa has the lowest, at 26.5 μg/m3. Although most of this pollution comes from similar sources as elsewhere in the world – such as fossil fuel use for energy production, industrial and semi-industrial activities, or transportation – in parts of Africa, windblown dust (a natural source of air pollution) is also a major contributor to increased PM2.5&nbsp;levels.



Fortunately, countries across Africa are currently implementing a wide range of programs to lower the impacts of air pollution, such as establishing national air quality policies, providing access to clean fuels for cooking, and transitioning to clean energy sources.&nbsp;



&nbsp;“Air pollution greatly contributes to the rising frequency of chronic noncommunicable diseases in Africa, putting further strain on a health system already stretched by chronic infectious diseases and, more recently, Covid-19. These findings call for the African Union and member states to promote, plan, and fund air quality interventions to prevent unnecessary disabilities and deaths&nbsp;throughout the continent,” concluded Patrick de Marie Katoto, an expert in Public Health at the Catholic University of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.



The State of the Air Quality and Health Impacts in Africa report can be found <a href="https://www.stateofglobalair.org/sites/default/files/documents/2022-10/soga-africa-report.pdf">here</a>.



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

Air pollution caused one million deaths in Africa in 2019

According to a new report by the Health Effects Institute...

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



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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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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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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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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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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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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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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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