Maple sugar is the most important non-timber forest product in the northeastern U.S. A new study shows greater amounts of nitrogen in the soil can lead to sweeter sap and therefore higher maple sugar yields.
While much research has pointed to a steady decline of the Sumatran orangutan as a consequence of habitat loss, a recent study shows population estimates are higher than previously thought. Are these higher estimates enough to preserve the species?
A recent study showed empirical evidence of a turning point of Indonesia CO2 emissions. According to the findings, CO2 emissions will start to decline as income per capita reaches around $8,000, with profound implication Indonesian energy policy.
As one of the largest and arguable strongest economies on the African continent, South Africa has not shown the kind of leadership on renewable energy as might be expected, a group of researchers says.
The world has long attributed Tibetan wisdom to the Buddhist monks and their teachings, but largely ignored the wisdom of the nomads. Recently, scientists have proven that traditional grazing practiced by these nomads are crucial for Tibetan rangelands, promoting plant diversity and nectar production.
Nigerian communities can welcome economic prosperity with simple fixes. A study assessed the role of local community members in improving ecotourism in three historic and popular destinations.
In a recent study, a team of scientists was able to show how places like Norfolk, Va. will experience more flooding and coastal erosion than ever before — not only during hurricanes like Sandy and Isabel, but more frequently during typical rain and wind events.
Researchers have had initial success using waste wool and recycled polyester fibers (RPET) as an environmentally-friendly alternative for building insulation, a recent study finds.
A team of scientists from the U.S. and Canada has expanded the conversation about climate change and its effects on the world's ecosystems. In a study they look at a critical consequence of climate change — the potential for entire ecological systems to transition into new systems — and begin a discussion of management strategies, including whether or not we should intervene.
While lion populations in West, Central, and East Africa have all been declining at alarming rates, one study finds that lion populations in fenced reserves, specifically in South Africa, have actually been on the rise.
Household air pollution and contaminated drinking water are the two leading causes of death among children under the age of five in Rwanda. A recent study investigated the effectiveness of using cookstoves and water filters to improve children's health.
Can the alliance between trees and fungi reduce climate change effects? A recent study looks at the role of fungi in increasing the ability of trees to take up the potent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.
Researchers in California noticed alarming changes to ecosystems. Starvation of Brown Pelicans, disappearance of seabirds, and sea lions deaths all happening in succession begged the question: what was happening in their habitat? A recent study suggests an unlikely answer: the anchovy.
Shale gas and oil production have been associated with earthquakes in several parts of the world. New research shows that in the United Kingdom, human activities have caused earthquakes in the past and more fracking will likely increase the frequency of earthquakes.
Anyone with a smartphone can add to the collective understanding of science, including data that can help us understand changes in animal behavior. But how good is the data they collect and is it usable?
A recent study outlines the steps we need to take to fundamentally transform our power system and rely primarily on renewable energy sources. Reaching that goal will be challenging but not impossible.
Can social media reduce disaster impacts? If so, how much? A recent study successfully explored the influence of social media in reducing financial damages during the 2011 Bangkok flood and quantified the impact.
A recent study shows that whites and non-whites prioritize environmental concerns differently depending on how the issues are framed. It also shows that, over generations, Mexican-origin immigrants become less concerned about the environment as they assimilate into U.S. society.
A recent study found correlations between state welfare programs and enforcement of environmental regulations. The author contends that the generousness of welfare programs is a signifier for whether African Americans are viewed as "deserving" of government assistance and benefits, attitudes that translate to better or worse monitoring of polluting facilities and enforcement of environmental regulations.
Climate change presents an unequal threat to the most marginalized groups of society, which current urban adaptation plans have not adequately addressed. Researchers have proposed a research roadmap toward an adaptation planning framework that is more equitable and sustainable.
Environmental migrants are often categorized or "framed" as victims, a security threat, adaptive agents, or political subjects. How these framings evolved and are used in a variety of contexts by multiple actors can have a significant impact on policy action.
In Delhi, scientists, municipal workers, and people living in unauthorized settlements have vastly different understandings of the city's wastewater challenges. Using an urban political ecology lens, a new case study links problems of wastewater with the way legitimacy is awarded to competing systems of knowledge in the city.
A recent study shows that many parents in Shanghai would be willing to make financial contribution to increase air quality for their children's health.
A new study makes the first attempt to explore the relationship between land use and birthweight in the eastern United States. It finds that living near more green spaces may reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes
Why is it so hard to reduce the amounts of food produced and wasted in the United States and around the world? A recent paper examimed the issues at the intersection of public health and food loss and waste.
Drought is a common and widespread occurrence in the United States. A new study explores the complex relationship between drought and mental health by creating a causal process diagram that can be used to guide further prevention efforts, public health programming, and vulnerability, and risk assessment.
