Scientists and botanists are continuously exploring nature's vast variety, making tree and plant discoveries that highlight the richness of our planet's biodiversity. 



These findings spark excitement and curiosity, offering fresh perspectives on the vast array of plant species still awaiting exploration. Most recently, experts have added to the world of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-technology-will-accelerate-the-pace-of-plant-species-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">botanical discoveries</a> by naming six new tree species.



These species were identified during an exhaustive comparison of dried plant specimens gathered from across the Neotropics. 



Among the six, three unique species - Matisia petaquillae, Matisia changuinolana, and Matisia aquilarum - were identified in Panama while the other three - Matisia genesiana, Matisia mutatana, and Matisia rufula - were discovered in Colombia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-specimens-and-new-tree-species">Plant specimens and new tree species</h2>



The process of discovering these new species was a meticulous one, involving the careful collection, drying, and examination of plant samples. 



These samples were pressed into pieces of cardboard, mounted onto specialized paper, and later filed into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/did-the-centinela-mass-extinction-really-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">herbaria</a> - dedicated repositories for dried plant specimens. 



With digital advancements, curators have made a significant portion of these specimens available online, facilitating easier access and exchange of knowledge.



However, it's important to note that despite digital access, the task of identifying these plant specimens still hinges on expert plant taxonomists.



Scientists often grapple with unidentified specimens for years before they can conclusively establish whether these represent previously unknown species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-upon-previous-discoveries">Building upon previous discoveries </h2>



Ernesto Campos, a research technician at the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> (STRI), noted that José Luis Fernández-Alonso played a pivotal role in confirming the identification of a new tree species, Matisia tinamastiana in 2022.



This discovery unfolded in the Altos de Campana Forest Reserve and National Park and laid the cornerstone for the current collaborative efforts.



To identify this intriguing set of species, Fernández-Alonso examined plant samples preserved in herbaria across Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and the United States. 



Campos provided crucial assistance in Panama, facilitating the review of herbarium collections at different institutions, including the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (UCH).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-specimens-from-chagres-national-park">Specimens from Chagres National Park</h2>



The discovery journey was further enriched with the collections made by senior botanists at STRI, Rolando Pérez and Salomón Aguilar, who extended the known distribution range of Matisia aquilarum.



This achievement was possible thanks to specimens found at a study site in Chagres National Park, a part of the ForestGEO-STRI forest monitoring network.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-window-into-the-world-of-plants">Window into the world of plants </h2>



The exploration does not end here. With the help of Joana Sumich, a technician in the SCZ herbarium, the researchers are in the process of identifying other plant samples - including some that were collected decades ago. They anticipate uncovering more species previously unknown to science.



To aid non-specialists in identifying these new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-many-invasive-plant-species-are-in-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant species</a>, the authors have also included an updated dichotomous key of Matisia species for Panama in their manuscript. This represents the first such identification key published in over half a century.



David Mitre, the research manager for ForestGEO-STRI in Panama, aptly summed up the importance of these discoveries.



"Herbaria are not just collections of dried plants, they are a source of new information in the long term. Discoveries like this remind us how important it is to make sure that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-trees-are-critically-endangered-even-in-protected-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protected areas</a> are really well protected," said Mitre.



These findings elevate our understanding of our precious ecosystems, shedding light on the multitudes of plant species <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-tree-species-remain-undiscovered/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waiting to be discovered</a>.



“This window into the world of plants leads to discoveries of new pharmaceuticals and makes it possible for conservationists to justify protection for natural areas where rare species flourish," said Joshua Tewksbury, STRI Director.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reservoirs-of-preserved-plant-specimens">Reservoirs of preserved plant specimens</h2>



Herbaria play a pivotal role in botanical research, serving as reservoirs of preserved plant specimens that hold invaluable information about the planet's biodiversity. 



These collections, some dating back centuries, are meticulously maintained to ensure their scientific integrity. 



Advances in digital technology have made many herbarium records accessible online, revolutionizing how researchers study plant species across the globe.



Despite this accessibility, the identification of new species remains a time-intensive process that relies heavily on skilled plant taxonomists. 



By carefully analyzing physical traits, geographical data, and historical records, these experts uncover the stories behind each specimen. 



The recent discoveries of the six Matisia tree species highlight the importance of herbaria in preserving the natural history of our planet and contributing to conservation efforts.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://raccefyn.co/index.php/raccefyn/article/view/malvaceae-neotropicae-novae-vel-minus-cognitae-nuevas-especies-d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales</a>.



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Six new tree species identified in Columbia and Panama

Scientists and botanists are continuously exploring nature's vast variety, making tree and plant discoveries that highlight the richness of our planet's biodiversity. These findings spark excitement and curiosity, offering fresh perspectives on the vast array of plant species still awaiting exploration. Most recently, experts have added to the world of botanical discoveries by naming six new tree species. These species were identified during an exhaustive comparison of dried plant specimens gathered from across the Neotropics. Among the six, three unique species - Matisia petaquillae, Matisia changuinolana, and...

More than 400 million years ago, Earth saw an unprecedented explosion of new life. In a new study, geologists have added to the growing mountain of evidence connecting this burst of biodiversity to rising oxygen levels on the planet.

A team of scientists led by Dr. Cole Edwards of <a href="http://www.appstate.edu/">Appalachian State University</a> found that oxygen levels spiked at around the same time that life began diversifying during the Ordovician Period, between 445 and 485 million years ago.

"This oxygenation is supported by two approaches that are mostly independent from each other, using different sets of geochemical records and predicting the same amount of oxygenation occurred at roughly the same time as diversification," Edwards said in a press release about the study.

The researchers made use of geochemical proxies, high-resolution data and chemical signatures preserved in rocks to identify when oxygen levels rapidly increased during the Middle and Late Ordovician Period. Their discovery of a nearly 80 percent oxygen increase during that period coincides with what’s become known as the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.

The explosion of life led to enormous changes in existing species and a spike in new marine life.

Previous studies have estimated that Earth’s oxygen levels spiked to nearly modern levels during the Cambrian Period from 485 to 541 million years ago. However, measuring prehistoric oxygen levels is difficult because there’s no way to directly measure ancient seabeds or atmospheric makeup. The new study shows oxygen levels may not have peaked until the Ordovician Period.

"This study suggests that atmospheric oxygen levels did not reach and maintain modern levels for millions of years after the Cambrian explosion, which is traditionally viewed as the time when the ocean-atmosphere was oxygenated," Edwards said. "In this research, we show that the oxygenation of the atmosphere and shallow ocean took millions of years, and only when shallow seas became progressively oxygenated were the major pulses of diversification able to take place." 

However, it still remains unclear what effect higher oxygen levels may have had on animal life, the researchers said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: luisrsphoto, <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

Study: Biodiversity on Earth connected to oxygen levels

More than 400 million years ago, Earth saw an unprecedented...

Plant respiration contributes more to carbon emissions than previously thought, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology</a>. The scientists also found that global warming may weaken the ability of Earth's surface to absorb emissions.

The researchers based their study on the comprehensive <a href="https://www.try-db.org/">global trait database</a>, which contains over 10,000 measurements of carbon dioxide plant respiration. The experts linked this data to computer models of global land <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/co2-levels-record-highs/">carbon</a> cycling.

"The study uses plant respiration data from over 100 remote sites around the world, from hot deserts in Australia, to the deciduous and boreal forests of North America and Europe, the arctic tundra in Alaska, and the tropical forests of South America, Asia, Africa and northern Australia,” said study co-author Owen Atkin.

The analysis revealed that plant respiration has been an underestimated source of carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon release by plant respiration worldwide was found to be as much as 30 percent higher than previously calculated. 

The study also demonstrated that as global temperatures rise, respiration will increase significantly and vegetation will become less effective in absorbing carbon dioxide emissions triggered by fossil fuels.

"Plants both capture carbon dioxide and then release it by respiration,” explained lead author Chris Huntingford. “Changes to either of these processes in response to climate change have profound implications for how much ecosystems soak up carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.”

Dr. Mary Heskel from the <a href="http://www.mbl.edu/ecosystems/">Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory</a> said, "We are now one-step closer to more accurately modelling carbon-exchange in ecosystems across the world. Indeed, the study provides the most informed picture to date of current and future carbon release from plants in terrestrial systems."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/?style=0Department">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Carbon emissions from plant respiration largely underestimated

Plant respiration contributes more to carbon emissions than previously thought,...

New research on succulents could help boost crop production in drought-prone regions. 

Succulents are an increasingly popular houseplant due to their incredible efficiency with water, which makes them especially easy to care for.

Succulents, cacti, and agaves are all considered drought-resistant because they use a special type of photosynthesis that conserves water called crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). 

Succulents and other CAM plants harvest carbon dioxide and stores it overnight. This stored CO2 is then used during photosynthesis the next day. 

CAM photosynthesis is dependent on the plant’s internal circadian clock. 

A new study conducted by plant scientists at the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool </a>examined this unique photosynthesis in succulents to see what genetic factors were at work during the CAM process. 

For the study, the researchers focused on an enzyme called PPCK. PPCK is used to convert CO2 that is stored overnight into malic acid and then back to CO2 the next day. This process is integral to CAM photosynthesis. 

The researchers were able to effectively switch off the PPCK gene in a succulent plant called Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi to see how this affected the CAM process. 

Without PPCK, the succulent wasn’t able to perform the CAM process properly and only stored one-third of the CO2 that most other plants store. 

The results also showed that switching off the PPCK gene interfered with the plant’s circadian clock. 

The researchers were able to gain insight into the CAM process, but further research is necessary in order to fully understand the roles that CAM photosynthesis and the PPCK gene play in water conservation in CAM plants. 

"Our work demonstrates that ongoing efforts to engineer CAM photosynthesis into other plants will need to include PPCK,”  said Dr. James Hartwell, one of the authors of the study. “The unexpected complexity we revealed in the relationship between PPCK, CAM, and the circadian clock also highlights the need for continued research into CAM processes before we can fully understand and exploit their ways.” 

The researchers hope by examining the CAM process further, it will help enhance global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">agriculture</a> by producing crops that can thrive in hot, arid, regions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

How succulents are so efficient with water

New research on succulents could help boost crop production in...

Algae is growing out of control across the United States, making people sick and even killing animals. Over the last ten years, toxic algae outbreaks have become a major environmental problem in every state, and the trend is likely to gain momentum as water temperatures rise.

In 2016, a state of emergency was declared in Florida and beaches were closed when algae blooms spread from Lake Okeechobee to surrounding streams. In Utah, over 100 people got sick after swimming in the lake, while 32 cows died from toxic algae on a ranch in Oregon. 

According to scientists, monster blooms of algae are created by excessive agricultural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-lake-erie-from-agricultural-runoff/">fertilizer runoff</a> into warm, calm waters. Chemicals and manure are washed into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Dead zones, areas starved of oxygen due to algae decay, are 30 times more prevalent since 1960. Every summer a dead zone appears in the Gulf of Mexico, and this year’s was the largest ever measured.

"It's a big, pervasive threat that we as a society are not doing nearly enough to solve," said  <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> environmental scientist Don Scavia. "If we increase the amount of toxic algae in our drinking water supply, it's going to put people's health at risk. Even if it's not toxic, people don't want to go near it. They don't want to fish in it or swim in it. That means loss of jobs and tax revenue."

Federal agencies have conducted billions of dollars worth of studies, but the findings of an analysis from the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a> (AP) suggest that the research has not helped matters much. 

The AP found that the levels of algae-feeding nutrients are rising in many lakes and streams. The report also said that only a small minority of farms participate in federal programs that promote practices to reduce fertilizer runoff, and farmers are often turned away from funding because there is not enough money.

The <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/">U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service</a> reports spending $29 million on such voluntary programs since 2009, and says that 500,000 operations have participated.

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> says indirect runoff is now the biggest source of water pollution in the United States, yet the Clean Water Act of 1972 prevents the government from regulating runoff as it does not release waste directly into waterways. 

The government only asks farmers to volunteer to participate in safer practices regarding fertilizer runoff, such as planting cover crops and developing more efficient irrigation systems.

According to <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> wetland ecologist Mark Clark, farmers are free to use excessive fertilizer to produce higher yields with no consequences in place for allowing runoff.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Toxic algae is a growing threat in the United States

Algae is growing out of control across the United States,...

Researchers have identified a new species of grass that is covered in minute drops of liquid that make it sparkle. The grass, which is named Triodia scintillans, also tastes like potato chips, according to the scientists.

The species was found during a four-year research project conducted by PhD student Ben Anderson at the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a>. It is a type of spinifex, a tough grass that grows across nearly one-third Australian Outback.

Scientists became aware that the newly-discovered grass had unique properties during experimentation in Perth.

“We were doing late-night experiments, handling specimens of that species,” research scientist Matthew Barrett told <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/">ABC News</a>. “Someone licked their hand at some point and tasted that flavor.”

“It looks pretty inconspicuous when you first get to it, but if you look at it very closely it has very, very minute sparkling droplets on the stems,” explained Barrett. “When you lick them, they taste like salt-and-vinegar chips.”

According to ABC, Barrett said the tiny droplets that give the spinifex its distinctive flavor is the liquid that makes the grass sparkle.

Because of its strength and special properties, spinifex has many commercial uses. Spinifex has already been used in the mining and condom industries, and scientists believe it has the potential to transform the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-reduce-plastic-pollution/">plastic</a> industry.

Dr. Barrett has been analyzing various types of spinifex in the the Australian Outback for 15 years. He explained that there are more than 30 species in the Pilbara region alone, and a total of 64 spinifex species across the outback. The sparkling grass is one of eight new species recently identified.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Thomas Schoch/Wikimedia Commons

Sparkling grass discovered in Australia tastes like potato chips

Researchers have identified a new species of grass that is...

Aspidistra elatior is a popular houseplant nicknamed the "cast iron plant" for its resilience. Its unique pollination ecology was not understood until recently, when scientists discovered that this flowering plant is primarily pollinated by fungus gnats, which is likely due to the fact that it intentionally resembles a mushroom.

Prior to this analysis, experts thought that the flowers of A. elatior were pollinated in the most unusual way, by slugs and amphipods. Closer observation revealed this was not the case. Senior researcher Sueyoshi Masahiro of the <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/67062.html">Forest Zoology Group</a> teamed up with Professor Suetsugu Kenji of <a href="http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/index.html">Kobe University</a> for the study.

Native to southern Japanese islands, A. elatior is characterized by purple, fleshy flowers which bloom directly above the soil, almost burrowing into the ground and often hidden by leaves. The researchers believe the oddly-shaped flowers of A. elatior are likely a strategy to mimic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">mushrooms</a> in order to trick fungus gnats into pollinating them.

While many plants rely on pollinating insects that fly, some plants use animals for pollination. For example, there are species of bananas that are pollinated by bats.

Documentation that slugs pollinate A. elatior dates back 100 years, when slugs were observed visiting plants in Europe. Despite the fact that this theory is still widely accepted and reported in textbooks, the observation was not made in the plant’s natural habitat. In addition, slugs have been known to visit plants for reasons other than pollination such as eating leaves and flowers.

In 2009, it was claimed that fungus gnats were visiting A. elatior flowers. However, this observation was also made outside the plant's native habitat and was only a single report that did not provide enough evidence. The research team took a new approach for their study.

"For two years we observed the animals that visited these flowers in their native habitat, continuously, day and night,” said the study authors. “We discovered that no slugs visited, and hardly any beach fleas. The candidate that emerged as an effective pollinator was the fungus gnat. Fungus gnats that visited the plants quickly dived into the center of the flowers, attached a large amount of pollen to their bodies, and flew away." 

The team also witnessed fungus gnats carrying pollen to A. elatior flowers from other flowers, and noted that the flowers they visited produced fruit. Therefore, the research team established that fungus gnats were the true pollinators of A. elatior.

"We believe that the similar appearance of A. elatior and mushroom fruit bodies may help attract fungus gnats,” said Professor Suetsugu. “In addition, A. elatior emits a strong musty odor. Therefore, the fungus gnats may be deceived by both visual and chemical mimicry."

The findings of the study are published in the online edition of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology">Ecology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Kobe University

This flower pretends to be a mushroom to attract insects

Aspidistra elatior is a popular houseplant nicknamed the "cast iron...

A study from the <a href="https://www.tum.de/en/homepage/">Technical University of Munich</a> (TUM) is the first to confirm that trees in metropolitan areas have been growing faster worldwide. The research also points out that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-trees-increase-ozone/">urban trees</a> have been exposed to changing climate conditions for a long time, while trees in rural areas are only just beginning to be exposed to a changing climate.

“While the effects of climate change on tree growth in forests have been extensively studied, there is little information available so far for urban trees,” said co-author Hans Pretzsch. 

The research team set out to investigate the growth of urban trees mainly due to the current trend toward global urbanization. According to the United Nations, the urban population worldwide is expected to increase by more than 60 percent by 2030. Trees already improve the environment in metropolitan areas, and the continuing upward trend in urbanization makes them even more significant in improving the health and well-being of city residents.

The team collected and analyzed tree samples from Berlin, Brisbane, Cape Town, Hanoi, Houston, Munich, Paris, Prince George, Santiago de Chile, and Sapporo for the study. The cities cover different climate zones, ranging from boreal to temperate, Mediterranean, and subtropical. Overall, the researchers examined nearly 1400 trees. 

“We can show that urban trees of the same age are larger on average than rural trees because urban trees grow faster,” said Pretzsch. 

Upon further analysis, the researchers established that the size difference between urban and rural trees decreases with age, yet it is still relevant. 

“While the difference amounts to about a quarter at the age of 50, it is still just under 20 percent at a hundred years of age,” explained Pretzsch.

The researchers attribute the accelerated growth of urban trees to the heat island effect, which is the occurrence of higher temperatures in urban settings. Compared to the surrounding rural area, cities are hotter by as much as ten degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures affect the trees in two major ways - by stimulating photosynthetic activity and by extending their growing season.

The positive effect of faster-growing trees also comes with the negative aspect of more rapidly aging trees. According to Pretzsch, the sped-up life cycle means that cities will have to replace aging trees sooner.

The study, which is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, is the first of its kind to examine the growth of urban trees worldwide for trends resulting from changing climate conditions.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trees grow faster in cities, study confirms

A study from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/">U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station</a> have been investigating the interactions between native birds and plants in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feds-assessing-health-hawaiis-fish-population/">Hawaii</a>. Their study has revealed that seasonal changes in plants from year to year, which are heavily influenced by climate change, have an alarming impact on bird populations.

The scientists set out to examine the changes in bird abundance, breeding, and molting based on climate-induced alterations to vegetation. To do this, the team reviewed extensive data collected between 1976 and 1982 at a 40-acre monitoring site on Hawaii Island. 

The experts established that "bottom-up processes” in the food chain strongly influence the survival rates of Hawaiian bird communities. The density of bird populations was frequently found to mirror the availability of their food sources.

"Our results suggest that changes in climate can cascade up the food chain and strongly affect wildlife at higher levels in the chain," said lead author Jared Wolfe.

The researchers observed that three native bird species all timed their breeding season with the availability of specific flowers, which were abundant after periods of heavy rain. Similar correlations were found in other bird varieties, both native and non-native. The birds based breeding patterns on the accessibility of their flower or fruit food sources as well as the timing of molting, a physically demanding process by which the birds replace their feathers. 

"The susceptibility of many Hawaiian birds to climatically-induced changes in their food web is alarming when considering that the archipelago has been subject to an increasingly drier climate during the last 30 years," said Wolfe.

"These types of studies are rare because they depend on long-term data and labor-intensive field work," said co-author C. John Ralph. "But findings from long-term studies, such as this one, are critically important because they provide insights into how changes in climate might affect organisms in seemingly indirect ways."

The study is published in this month's issue of <a href="http://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1939-9170/">Ecology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change altering plants and bird populations in Hawaii

Researchers at the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station...

Researchers have found that a psychedelic drug called Ayahuasca that is often used in the Amazon region gives people an improved sense of wellbeing, and may be an effective treatment for alcoholism and depression.

Ayahuasca is a potent brew used in healing ceremonies as a spiritual medicine that contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a psychedelic drug. DMT is classified as a Schedule 1 drug in the United States and is illegal in almost every country.

A growing collection of research suggests that psychedelic drugs such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">magic mushrooms</a> and LSD can help treat alcoholism and depression. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> analyzed Global Drug Survey data from more than 96,000 people worldwide to examine the potential therapeutic benefits of ayahuasca.

The study revealed that ayahuasca users reported significantly lower alcohol issues than people who took LSD or magic mushrooms. In addition, those who took ayahuasca reported higher overall well-being in the year leading up to the survey.

"These findings lend some support to the notion that ayahuasca could be an important and powerful tool in treating depression and alcohol use disorders," said lead author Dr. Will Lawn. “Recent research has demonstrated ayahuasca's potential as a psychiatric medicine, and our current study provides further evidence that it may be a safe and promising treatment.”

Dr. Lawn pointed out that ayahuasca users still reported high drinking levels, and that further research is needed “to fully examine ayahuasca's ability to help treat mood and addiction disorders.” He added that, this study is still important because it is most likely “the largest survey of ayahuasca users completed to date."

The acute effects of ayahuasca last around six hours, and are felt most intensely one hour after ingestion. Most people surveyed reported taking the drug with a healer or a shaman.

"If ayahuasca is to represent an important treatment, it is critical that its short and long-term effects are investigated, and safety established,” said senior author Celia Morgan.

Of the survey participants, 527 were ayahuasca users, 18,138 used LSD or magic mushrooms, and 78,236 did not take psychedelic drugs.

"In this work, long-term ayahuasca use has not been found to impact on cognitive ability, produce addiction or worsen mental health problems,” said Morgan. "In fact, some of these observational studies suggest that ayahuasca use is associated with less problematic alcohol and drug use, and better mental health and cognitive functioning."

The study is published in the Nature journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ayahuasca may be effective treatment for alcoholism, depression

Researchers have found that a psychedelic drug called Ayahuasca that is...

Letting nature take its course might be the best way for restoring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-habitat-conversion-biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> in tropical forests, as a new study has found that nature bests human intervention at recovering native tree species.  

Previous research has often asserted that human intervention was needed to recover habitat and tree loss in forests. Active intervention methods like planting trees and limiting deforestation through policy-change were thought to be pivotal ways to recover habitat loss. 

However, new research conducted by Renato Crouzeilles, an expert in the fields of landscape ecology and restoration, shows that natural regeneration in tropical forests is more effective and impactful than active intervention. 

The number of previous studies that focus on efficient forest restoration methods is limited, and the results often contradictory.

Crouzeilles wanted to investigate if an active intervention was, in fact, the best way to recover tropical forests. 

For the study, a team of researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 133 different studies, examining the recovery of biodiversity and forest restoration in different sites that had either used active recovery methods or natural regeneration. 

Surprisingly, natural regeneration was more effective at restoring biodiversity and increasing plant growth compared to those sites that had used active interventions.

The results, published by the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>, show that natural regeneration can be a powerful tool in recovering tropical rainforests. However, the researchers also note that some forests may need a combination of both active intervention and natural restoration to fully recover its biodiversity.

---

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Robin L. Chazdon

Let nature take its course: Regeneration restores biodiversity

Letting nature take its course might be the best way...

The quality of soil is an incredibly important factor in the sustained, healthy growth of our crops. Soil quality can make or break a farmer’s crop yield and the very value of the land it sits on. Characteristics such as the content of organic matter and the moisture of the soil play vital roles in helping plants grow. Now, researchers have found that soil temperature is also of the utmost importance.

Plants rely on certain consistent soil temperatures in order to grow. “Most plants are sensitive to extreme changes in soil temperature,” says Samuel Haruna, a researcher at <a href="http://www.mtsu.edu/">Middle Tennessee State University</a>. “You don’t want it to change too quickly because the plants can’t cope with it.”

The ability of soil to buffer against temperature change is dependent on a variety of factors. How much the soil is compacted is just one of those factors. 

Compacted soil actually causes the soil particles to transfer temperatures much faster, thus increasing temperature change. This can be caused by farmers dragging heavy machinery over the soil – which must happen often, as you can imagine. However, research has shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cover-crops-climate-change/">cover crops</a> and perennial biofuel crops help relieve soil compaction and moderate temperature.

Haruna set out to determine if these cover crops and perennial biofuel crops could also help soils protect themselves against fluctuating temperatures. He and a team of researchers grew multiple types of these crops in the field and then tested the soil in the lab for its ability to regulate temperature.

“I was amazed at the results,” says Haruna. The team found that both cover crops and perennial biofuel crops help soils become better buffers against extreme temperatures by slowing down how quickly temperatures spread through the soil. The roots of these crops break up the soil, preventing soil molecules from clumping together and compacting. These roots also add organic matter to the soil, which is an additional benefit in temperature regulation.

Furthermore, perennial biofuel and cover crops help soil retain moisture, which keeps soils from heating up too quickly as water itself is a heat buffer. 

“Water generally has a high ability to buffer against temperature changes,” explains Haruna. “So if soil has a high water content it has a greater ability to protect the soil.” 

Major temperature fluctuations are in our future as climate change becomes more prominent around the world. Haruna believes that increasing the use of cover crops may help to lessen the effects of climate change on soil quality and ultimately crop production. He looks to continue this research with more field experiments in the future.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cover crops help moderate soil temperature

The quality of soil is an incredibly important factor in...

Thanks to engineers at the <a href="http://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Institute of Technology</a>, your plant may soon be able to alert you when it needs water. The experts have developed sensors that can be printed across leaves to show when plants are getting too dry.

Study senior author Michael Strano pointed out that this new technology could not only help save <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-air-quality-home/">houseplants</a> but could also give farmers plenty of warning when their crops are in danger.

"This appears to be the earliest indicator of drought that we have for agricultural applications,"said Strano. "It's hard to get this information any other way. You can put sensors into the soil, or you can do satellite imaging and mapping, but you never really know what a particular plant is detecting as the water potential."

Some plants begin to wilt when they are in trouble, yet others do not show any symptoms until there is already significant damage. The sensor works with a plant's stomata, small pores located on the surface of a plant leaf that allow water to evaporate.

"People already knew that stomata respond to light, to carbon dioxide concentration, to drought, but now we have been able to monitor it continuously," said lead author Volodymyr Koman. "Previous methods were unable to produce this kind of information."

Using an ink made of carbon nanotubes in an organic compound enabled the scientists to print across a single pore and create an electronic circuit. By precisely measuring the pore as it opened and closed under both normal and dry conditions, the researchers determined that they could detect within two days when a plant is experiencing a water shortage.

The research, which is published in the online edition of the journal <a href="http://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/journal/lc">Lab on a Chip</a>, continues as the team is working on ways to apply the electronic circuits by simply placing stickers on plant leaves. 

In addition, Strano is collaborating with a large agricultural producer to develop the sensors for use on crops. According to Strano, the technology could also be useful to gardeners and urban farmers, and may even help scientists engineer drought-resistant plants.

Koman added, "It could have big implications for farming, especially with climate change, where you will have water shortages and changes in environmental temperatures.”

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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

New sensors show when plants need water

Thanks to engineers at the Michigan Institute of Technology, your...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image 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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image 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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



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.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



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.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; 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.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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



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.

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



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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 a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



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.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...