Category

Climate change

Dec 01
1
Image: The Sphagnum genus of mosses absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, storing it in peat bogs. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Researchers develop new method to analyze proteins in ecologically significant moss

By | Climate change, News, Plant Science

Sphagnum divinum, a resilient type of peat moss, is actively evolving in response to hot, dry conditions, defying climate threats. Researchers developed a database with S. divinum’s proteins and a method to determine their functions, shedding light on its adaptive mechanisms. As environmental stressors deplete peatland carbon reserves, understanding genetic resilience becomes crucial. Using high-performance computing and AI, the team predicted structures for S. divinum’s 25,134 proteins, revealing insights into their functions. The findings advance climate resilience understanding and support future research on Sphagnum moss compounds.

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Nov 29
0

Researchers conduct first-ever study of cultural adaptation to climate change

By | Agriculture, Climate change, News

As climate change intensifies, societal and individual struggles to adapt become more apparent. To explore cultural adaptation, researchers conducted the first study of its kind. Analyzing U.S. crop data over 14 years, they applied the science of cultural evolution. Their findings reveal farmers adapting to climate change in some regions, while in others, crops are increasingly mismatched. This first cultural approach marks a milestone in refining climate adaptation strategies.

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Jun 22
1

Plant ecology study shows dominant influence of climate on vegetation

By | Botany, Climate change, Forestry, News

For several years, ecological research has argued that climate often has no determining influence on the distribution of forests and savannas in tropical regions. However, an international research team has now succeeded in proving that it depends mostly on climatic factors whether regions in Africa are covered by forest or savanna. The study, confirms the dominant role of climate in the formation of global vegetation patterns.

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May 25
0

Understanding the long-term impact of climate change on Indian crops

By | Agriculture, Climate change, News

Over the past few decades, it has become obvious that climate change, and consequent extreme weather events, can wreak havoc on crop yields. Concerningly, there is a large disparity in agricultural vulnerability between developed and developing countries. In a new study, researchers have looked at major food grains in India to understand the long- and short-term effects of climate change on crop yields.

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May 22
0

The climate crisis and biodiversity crisis can’t be approached as two separate things

By | Climate change, DSI, News, Policy

Anthropogenic climate change has, together with the intensive use and destruction of natural ecosystems through agriculture, fishing and industry, sparked an unprecedented loss of biodiversity that continues to worsen. In this regard, the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are often viewed as two separate catastrophes. An international team of researchers calls for adopting a new perspective. In their review study they recommend (in addition to complying with the 1.5-degree target) protecting and restoring at least 30 percent of all land, freshwater and marine zones, establishing a network of interconnected protected areas, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between political institutions, which often operate independently.

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