Environment

Environment

Landscape Explorer shows how much the American West has changed

The online tool stitches together historical images into a map that’s helping land managers make decisions about preservation and restoration.

Animals

This bird hasn’t been seen in 38 years. Its song may help track it down

Using bioacoustics, South American scientists are eavesdropping on a forest in hopes of hearing the song of the long-missing purple-winged ground dove.

Environment

Grassland and shrubland fires destroy more U.S. homes than forest fires

Grassland and shrubland fires destroyed nearly 11,000 homes in the contiguous United States from 1990 to 2020.

Animals

Fake fog, ‘re-skinning’ and ‘sea-weeding’ could help coral reefs survive

Coral reefs are in global peril, but scientists around the world are working hard to find ways to help them survive the Anthropocene.

Animals

Pumping cold water into rivers could act as ‘air conditioning’ for fish

Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in human-made shelters, suggesting a way to help fish adapt to river warming.

Climate

Róisín Commane sleuths out greenhouse gas leaks to fight climate change

From New York City to the Arctic, atmospheric chemist Róisín Commane tries to account for the greenhouse gases in the air.

Animals

In noisy environs, pied tamarins are using smell more often to communicate

Groups of the primate, native to Brazil, complement vocalizations with scent-marking behavior to alert other tamarins to dangers in their urban home.

Climate

‘Our Fragile Moment’ finds modern lessons in Earth’s history of climate

Michael Mann’s latest book, Our Fragile Moment, looks through Earth’s history to understand the current climate crisis.

Earth

When discussing flora and fauna, don’t forget ‘funga’

Conservation efforts often overlook fungi. That can change by using “mycologically inclusive language,” researchers say.

Earth

How thunderstorms can spawn damaging ‘downbursts’

Powerful winds called downbursts are not the same as a tornado, but the damage they cause can be similar — and can hit with little warning.

Chemistry

Chemists turned plastic waste into tiny bars of soap

Researchers developed a process to turn plastic waste into surfactants, the key ingredients in dozens of products, including soap.

Climate

Emperor penguins lost thousands of chicks to melting ice last year

In 2022, groups of emperor penguins in western Antarctica lost almost all their chicks to receding sea ice, signaling the threat of climate change.