# data[].attributes.headline
Alyssa Burns #8: AI has an Environmental Problem

# data[].attributes.subject
Alyssa Burns #8: AI has an Environmental Problem

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about how AI has an environmental problem, and how the world can handle it. The article explains how AI can be used to solve environmental issues, but it’s causing an issue itself that it’s a problem. It explains how AI is producing electric waste into the environment, which consumes a lot of water which is a major resource for some countries. The article defines AI as a “catch-all term for a group of technologies that can process information and, at least superficially, mimic human thinking.” It asks the question of why are people excited about the potential of AI when it comes to the environment? The article answers this question by saying that the benefit of using ai is that it finds data and helps the government/individuals figure out how to make more environmentally friendly choices. Which then leads to the question of how AI is bad for the environment. It answers this question by saying that AI is in data centres by making computers using raw materials from the environment, it produces electronic waste, and a lot of energy is used every time somebody uses it. The solution to this problem the article talks about is that people are finding ways to use a series of non-binding recommendations on the ethical use of AI, and the U.S. introduced legislation to temper the environmental impact of using AI.

Overall, I think this article is very interesting since nobody really thinks that AI can harm the environment, when it really can. People sometimes don’t understand how much electricity it uses which takes up the water sources and produces waste into the environment. This article can definitely give people a wake up call on what AI is currently doing to the environment which is why it shouldn’t be supported for very bad reasons or excuses. 190 different countries are trying to find the solution to get AI used to stop harming the environment. I think that this is a really good article for someone who wants to research the downsides of AI since this is a large contributing factor that's harming the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AI has an environmental problem. Here’s what the world can do about that.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The sprawling data centres that house AI servers churn out toxic electronic waste and are voracious consumers of electricity, which in most places is still produced from fossil fuels.

# data[].attributes.headline
Alyssa Burns #9: What is the Carbon Cycle and how Does it Effect the Environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Alyssa Burns #9: What is the Carbon Cycle and how Does it Effect the Environment

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about the Carbon cycle and how it affects climate change and life on Earth. It describes the definition of the Carbon cycle being the circulatory system of the planet balancing different forms of carbon for each ecosystem. To know what the carbon cycle is, people have to understand what carbon is as an element. In the article it talks about how carbon as an element can create multiple covalent bonds which allows it to create chains and frameworks for the building blocks of DNA. Carbon is the type of element that will go everywhere and will never stay in one place and will be all over the atmosphere and biosphere. Carbon is also located in different parts of the ecosystem like aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The article also explains photosynthesis in relation to carbon where it’s stated to be an important process in the cycle. It states that grass and leaves are solar-powered carbon capture devices, mainly forests. One more thing the article talks about are some of the roles carbon takes place in like the oceans role, which is the equalizer that absorbs 1/4th of carbon that's emitted into the atmosphere each year, the role of fossil fuels where coal, oil, and natural gases were formed through decomposition and created ancient forms of carbon, and lastly, the human role which humans are the most powerful source in the carbon cycle as humans released more than 35 billion tons of carbon in the atmosphere.

Overall, I think this article is really good at explaining the different roles in the carbon cycle and is a good resource to use when learning about the different things that are included in the cycle. It’s also surprising to learn about how there are a lot of impacts that impact our environment like human impact being one of the largest contributors for releasing carbon in the atmosphere. This is also a good topic for people to learn about because it will give people a heads up for what the future can look like for the Earth since global warming does exist and nobody will know when it will go over the turning point. I think it’s a good idea for people to learn about the cycles like the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle because it’s important to balance these things on the Earth so we can keep the climate healthy and not have to worry about the risks of what can happen to the future if we don’t take care of the environment as we should now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is the Carbon Cycle? How It Affects Climate Change and Life on Earth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every breath we take and every leaf that falls is part of a story older than humanity itself—a story written in carbon. This element, simple yet…

# data[].attributes.headline
Ciel Blaise-Thomas #9 - Climate Change Impacts

# data[].attributes.subject
Ciel Blaise-Thomas #9 - Climate Change Impacts

# data[].attributes.body
Human-induced climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world today. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and industrial production release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing the Earth’s temperature to rise. This warming has led to more extreme weather events, including stronger hurricanes, longer droughts, intense heat waves, and devastating wildfires that affect millions of people every year. Rising temperatures are also causing glaciers and ice caps to melt, leading to sea level rise that threatens coastal communities around the world. Climate change impacts agriculture by changing rainfall patterns and reducing crop yields, making it harder for farmers to grow food and increasing the risk of food shortages. Wildlife is also suffering as many species lose their habitats and struggle to adapt to changing conditions. Beyond environmental effects, climate change can harm human health through poor air quality, heat-related illnesses, and the spread of diseases. As these impacts continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly important for governments, businesses, and individuals to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We often think about human-induced climate change as something that will happen in the future, but it is happening now. Ecosystems and people in the United States and around the world are affected by the ongoing process of climate change today.

# data[].attributes.body
This article explains how deep-sea mining is the process of collecting valuable minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese from the ocean floor, often thousands of meters below the surface. These minerals are important because they are used to make electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and other technologies that support the shift toward renewable energy. As countries around the world work to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, the demand for these resources continues to grow. Because land-based supplies are limited, many governments and companies see deep-sea mining as a possible way to meet future mineral needs.

However, deep-sea mining is also highly controversial because scientists still know very little about the ecosystems found in the deep ocean. Many of these habitats contain unique species that may exist nowhere else on Earth. Mining operations could damage these fragile environments, create sediment plumes that affect marine life, and disrupt food chains in ways that are not yet fully understood. As a result, researchers and environmental groups have called for more studies and stronger regulations before large-scale mining begins.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the race to cut greenhouse gas emissions and rein in climate change, demand for critical minerals is surging. Materials such as lithium, cobalt and graphite are essential components of EV batteries, wind turbines, solar panels and other low-carbon technologies increasingly powering the world's energy systems. Mining for these materials on land is already underway, but with demand surging, some are now looking to tap the seafloor for its millions of square kilometers of metal ores.

Indeed, some nations are already applying to the UN's International Seabed Authority (ISA) for permits to explore deep-sea mining in international waters, where the bulk of the ocean's critical minerals are found. But despite years of research, little is still known about the deep ocean. Many fear that extracting minerals from it could pose grave consequences for both marine life and planetary health.

After failing to reach an agreement in July 2023, the ISA now has until 2025 to finalize regulations that will dictate whether and how countries could pursue deep-sea mining in international waters. Formal discussions about its potential environmental impacts will kick off in 2024 and could help inform ISA's decision. What will happen in the meantime remains unclear.

With the future of deep-sea mining still under debate, here's what we know so far about the proposed practice and its impacts - and what we don't:

1) What Is Deep-sea Mining and How Would It Be Done?

Deep-sea mining aims to retrieve valuable mineral deposits found on the ocean's floor, hundreds or even thousands of meters below its surface. Alongside a diverse array of marine life at these depths are significant reserves of copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, silver, gold and rare earth elements - materials that are essential to building zero-carbon energy components and other technologies but can be difficult to source.

In the deep sea, these minerals are contained within slow-forming, potato-sized polymetallic nodules, as well as in polymetallic sulphides (large deposits made up of sulphur compounds and other metals that form around hydrothermal vents) and metal-rich crusts on underwater mountains (seamounts). While there has been commercial interest in these minerals for decades, recent advancements in technology have made it possible to mine these areas by sending vehicles down to harvest mineral deposits from the seafloor.

In the case of polymetallic nodules - which are currently the primary focus for deep-sea mining - mining vehicles would collect mineral deposits from the surface of the seabed, not unlike a tractor plowing a field, along with the top layers of sediment. The materials collected would then be piped up to a surface vessel for processing, and any waste, such as sediments and other organic materials, would be pumped back into the water column.

2) What's the Current Status of Deep-sea Mining?

While exploratory mining to test equipment has occurred at a small scale, deep-sea mining has not yet been undertaken commercially. But some national governments and mining companies plan to begin as soon as possible, which could be within the next few years. What happens next will largely hinge on the ISA and how it decides to regulate deep-sea mining.

In 2021, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru notified the ISA of its plans to begin mining in international waters, triggering a contentious provision in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) known as the "two-year rule." The rule requires that, starting two years after the date of this notification, the ISA must "consider" and "provisionally approve" applications to mine - regardless of whether a final set of regulations has been agreed on. The two-year period elapsed in July 2023 and ISA's ensuing meeting ended with no final rule in place. Now, its Council is working with a view to adopt regulations by 2025.

The ISA Assembly (comprised of all 168 members) will meet in 2024 and will likely discuss the potential impacts of seabed mining on the marine environment for the first time. Some hope these discussions will lead to a "precautionary pause" on mining activities while further research is conducted, although whether this will occur - and what could happen in the meantime - remains unclear.

While the ISA has two more years to establish a code for international waters, countries could still go ahead with deep-sea mining projects in their own domestically controlled waters, known as "exclusive economic zones" (EEZs).

In January 2024, Norway initiated a process to open its own waters for exploration of deep-sea mineral resources, likely starting in the early 2030s. Other countries may follow suit, though in practice, many will be constrained by a lack of available funding and technical ability. There is also a great diversity of opinion on seabed mining among nation states. Some, such as Norway and Nauru, are leading the charge for exploration and extraction; others, such as Germany and Canada, as well as the European Parliament, have called for national and regional moratoria.

In addition, the bulk of the most attractive mineral deposits are found not in countries' EEZs but on vast seafloor abyssal plains in international waters. One area of particular interest is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean. This mineral-rich region already hosts exploration contracts for 17 deep-sea mining contractors, with their combined exploration areas covering approximately 1 million square kilometers (about the same area as Ethiopia).

3) What Are the Potential Benefits of Deep-sea Mining?

Proponents of deep-sea mining argue that it can help meet the world's pressing need for critical minerals, which will likely only continue to grow as countries scale their decarbonization efforts. Estimates suggest that global demand for some such minerals could rise by as much as 400%-600% in the coming decades as the world increases its reliance on wind and solar power, electric vehicles, batteries and other zero-carbon technologies. Several studies have concluded that there is no shortage of mineral resources on land, but the world still faces significant hurdles in locating viable reserves and quickly scaling up mining and processing operations.

Some also view deep-sea mining as an alternative pathway that can circumvent certain risks associated with mining activities on land. Since extraction activities would occur exclusively at sea, deep-sea mining is unlikely to be associated with environmental hazards such as deforestation and freshwater pollution that can impact communities neighboring mines on land.

Similarly, the difficulty in accessing deep-sea mineral deposits for exploitation means that artisanal (small-scale) mining operations would be impossible and strong regulation of labor conditions may be feasible. This could potentially avoid the human rights abuses associated with some terrestrial mining operations. However, experiences of labor abuse in distant-water fishing operations show this outcome is not guaranteed.

4) What Are the Risks of Deep-sea Mining?

While the deep sea was once thought to be devoid of life - too dark, cold and starved of food for anything to survive - we now know that it is the largest habitable space on the planet and home to a dazzling array of life. To date, tens of thousands of species have been found in the deep ocean, with estimates that there could be millions more. In the Clarion-Clipperton Zone alone, a key area of interest for deep-sea mining, researchers have recently discovered over 5,000 species that were entirely new to science.

With exploration and testing still in the early stages, further research is required to determine the possible ecological impacts of deep-sea mining. But the science to date paints a concerning picture.

Direct harm to marine life: There is a high likelihood that less mobile deep-sea organisms would be killed through direct contact with heavy mining equipment deployed on the seabed, and that organisms would be smothered and suffocated by the sediment plumes these machines are likely to create. Warm mining wastewater could also kill marine life through overheating and poisoning.

Long-term species and ecosystem disruption: Mining activities could impair the feeding and reproduction of deep-sea species through the creation of intense noise and light pollution in a naturally dark and silent environment. For example, the sound pollution from these activities could negatively impact large mega-fauna like whales, posing further risk to populations already strained by climate change and other human activities. Because many deep-sea species are rare, long-lived and slow to reproduce, and because polymetallic nodules (which may take millions of years to develop to a harvestable size) are an important habitat for deep-sea species, scientists are fairly certain that some species would face extinction from habitat removal due to mining, and that these ecosystems would require extremely long time periods to recover, if ever.

Possible impacts on fishing and food security: It's not just the seafloor that's at risk. Under current designs, waste discharge from mining vessels could spread over large distances, potentially kilometers away from the areas being mined. This may pose a threat to open ocean fish and invertebrates which are crucial to international fisheries - such as tuna stocks that help drive the economies of many small island developing states in the Pacific, including Kiribati, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands. Effects of this mining waste could include suffocation, damaged respiratory and feeding structures, and disrupted visual communication within and amongst species, alongside changes in the oxygen content, pH, temperature and toxicity of seawater. However, more research is needed on the characteristics of the discharge plumes themselves and the tolerance of ocean species to fully understand these impacts.

Economic and social risks: While extraction would occur offshore, the deep-sea mining industry would still need shoreline facilities, whether for processing or transshipment of material. This would require land acquisition and development, which has historically driven habitat loss affecting coastal communities dependent on marine resources the most. And, though the UN has designated high-seas minerals "the common heritage of [hu]mankind" and declared that any mineral extraction should benefit all nations, the current regulatory regime of the ISA appears to promote the flow of mining profits to developed states, or to shareholders of mining companies, rather than being inclusive of developing nations.

Potential climate impacts: The ocean is the world's largest carbon sink, absorbing around 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Microscopic organisms play a critical role in this climate-regulating system, helping to sequester carbon in the deep sea and reduce emissions of other planet-warming gases, such as methane, from seabed sediments. The loss of deep-sea biodiversity following mining activity may impact the ocean's carbon cycle and reduce its ability to help mitigate global temperature rise.

5) Is Deep-sea Mining Necessary?

The global supply of critical minerals and rare earth elements must grow in the coming years, and quickly. But there is no easy answer to meeting this need, given the immature state and potential dangers of deep-sea mining and the well-understood harms associated with terrestrial mining. While mineral reserves on land appear sufficient to meet global needs, the world must address how to responsibly scale up mining and processing operations in a way that minimizes environmental and social risks.

Within the next 15-20 years, mineral recycling could become a viable alternative to mining for a large portion of material requirements. The World Bank estimates that if recycling rates for end-of-life batteries increase significantly by 2050, it could decrease the need for newly mined minerals by around one-quarter for copper, nickel and lithium and by about 15% for cobalt. However, in the short term ( by 2030), there will not be enough of these minerals in circulation to make recycling a feasible approach.

Better recycling practices in established waste streams, such as from electronics and electrical equipment, can help alleviate some short-term supply pressure while preparing the secondary supply chain to handle a large volume of end-of-life zero-carbon energy products in the future. There is also a range of research efforts underway to obtain the necessary minerals without mining virgin land, including recovery from coal waste or hard rock mine tailings.

Finally, as battery technologies continue to evolve, it is possible that deep-sea mineral deposits will lose their attraction as alternative technologies not reliant on such minerals become more common. For instance, there is a growing shift away from nickel manganese cobalt oxides (NMC) batteries towards lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, with LFP batteries gaining significant market share from 2015 to 2022; their key materials, lithium and iron, are not targets of deep-sea mining. Emerging technologies such as sodium-ion batteries also have the potential to alter the EV battery market by replacing lithium and cobalt with cheaper and more abundant options.

With Serious Questions Still Unanswered, What Comes Next?

In developing regulations for deep-sea mining, the ISA and other stakeholders have a rare opportunity to take a breath before taking the plunge. Rather than extracting resources first and addressing the consequences later, this is a chance to step back and consider the environmental and social implications of deep-sea mining before any activity gets underway. Any decision made should be rooted in evidence robust enough to ensure that no serious harm is done to people, nature or the climate.

In order to continue with the possibility of deep-sea mining, key questions and knowledge gaps should be addressed by the ISA, the mining industry, scientists and national governments:

What is the potential magnitude and extent (both in space and time) of deep-sea mining impacts on marine species and environments, and what are the likely ecological consequences?

What are the potential social and economic impacts of deep-sea mining? Is it possible for the industry to be advanced in a way that meets the UNCLOS goal of fostering sustainable economic development, international cooperation and equitable trade growth for all countries?

How can a circular mineral economy be further developed to lessen the need for environmentally intrusive practices? More research must be conducted into land-based and urban mining practices to improve their efficiency, as well as into improving product design to reduce demand for and increase recycling of critical minerals.

What are the possible positive and negative implications of deep-sea mining in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as for furthering research into deep-sea environments?

What regulations could be developed to ensure that the financial benefits from deep-sea mining operations, should they occur, are equitably distributed among nations?

Finally, for the exploration of deep-sea mineral resources to continue, regulations should be drafted in full and in transparent collaboration with interested parties and key stakeholders, including ISA members, mining corporations and scientists. These regulations should be backed by science and other forms of knowledge, be enforceable, and offer effective protection for delicate marine environments from the impacts of mining.
This article was originally published in July 2023. It was last updated in February 2024 to reflect developments in national deep-sea mining policy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What We Know About Deep-sea Mining - And What We Don't

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some countries hope to start mining the ocean's floor for valuable critical minerals. But this may pose serious risks for marine life and the planet.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lucy Jurkiewicz #8 - A Landslide in Alaska Set Off a Tsunami. There May Be More to Come.

# data[].attributes.subject
Lucy Jurkiewicz #8 - A Landslide in Alaska Set Off a Tsunami. There May Be More to Come.

# data[].attributes.body
This article explains a huge landslide that happened in Tracy Arm, Alaska, in August 2025, which created one of the largest landslide-generated tsunamis ever recorded. A massive section of rock (about 24 times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza) collapsed into a fjord and triggered a wave that reached more than 1,500 feet up in the air. The tsunami caused major damage and even created a long-lasting “sloshing” effect in the fjord for over a day. Scientists studying the event used computer models and satellite data to recreate what happened and found that it likely occurred with very little warning. They think the retreat of nearby glaciers due to climate change made the slope unstable by removing support and exposing bare rock. The study raises concerns that as glaciers continue to melt and permafrost thaws, similar landslides could become more common in Alaska and other cold regions. Researchers also pointed out that it is very difficult to predict these events, especially since current monitoring systems may miss early warning signs.

I think this article is really eye-opening because it shows how climate change can lead to dangerous natural disasters in ways people don’t usually think about. I usually associate climate change with things like warmer temperatures or rising sea levels, but this shows it can also trigger sudden, powerful events like landslides and tsunamis. It’s shocking that something this large could happen so quickly and with almost no warning, especially in places where tourists and cruise ships are common. That makes it even more worrying because people could easily be in harm’s way without realizing it. I also found it interesting that scientists are still trying to figure out how to detect these events earlier, which shows how complex nature really is. Overall, I think this research is important because it highlights the need for better monitoring systems and shows how urgent it is to understand the wider impacts of climate change.

# data[].attributes.headline
10# Amazon rain forest biodiversity loss

# data[].attributes.subject
10# Amazon rain forest biodiversity loss

# data[].attributes.body
As mentioned in the Greenpeace article, "Biodiversity and the Amazon Rainforest", the Amazon rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems of our planet. Specifically, it says that the area is home to over 3 million species of plants and animals and more than 2,500 different types of trees. In addition, the article notes that biodiversity helps provide many services for the ecosystem, such as supplying clean water and fertile soil, providing carbon sinks, pollination, and regulation of climate. Finally, the connection between the Amazon and human beings is highlighted, as its wellbeing directly impacts people's lives.

In my opinion, the article provides quite useful information about the problem of biodiversity loss. Firstly, as it was mentioned above, the causes are described in detail deforestation, mining, logging, industrial agriculture, and infrastructure. Secondly, these processes lead to a number of dangerous consequences. Namely, biodiversity depletion leads to ecosystem disruption, while continued deforestation can lead to a situation in which Amazon will go over a threshold and transform into a savannah. As a result, there will be fewer species within the region.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #10 - Efforts to save Australia's southern cassowaries 

# data[].attributes.subject
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #10 - Efforts to save Australia's southern cassowaries 

# data[].attributes.body
My article discusses Australia's southern cassowaries, this species has been listed as endangered under Australia's environment protection and biodiversity conservation act of 1999. The reason for this is the fact that the populations have been so difficult to track. This species has a striking blue neck, jet black plumage, and bright red drooping wattles. It stands up to 2 meters tall and is often labeled as the world's most dangerous bird. Estimates have changed dramatically since the turn of the 21st century, growing from fewer that 15,000 braids in the early 2000's to around 4,400 in the most recent national survey. In 1988 a wave of environmental campaigns against logging helped secure world heritage status for the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In the years that followed conservation policies, community advocacy and reforestation began to stabilize cassowary populations. This bird is critical to regeneration of tropical plants and trees. The Cassowary spreads the seed of more than 200 species and its particular importance for rain forest trees.

This article was very interesting to me because it shows the decline of an important species that we rely on. It is also inspiring because of the impact that was made on a species survival because the population worked together to encourage the survival of the species. Protecting existing habitats are the best way to protect Cassowaries and while the rain forest can regrow itself it needs a helping hand."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Amid efforts to save Australia’s southern cassowaries, their numbers remain unknown

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With a striking blue neck, jet black plumage and bright red drooping wattles, the southern cassowary cuts an imposing figure in the dense tropical rainforests of Far North Queensland, Australia. Standing up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) tall and armed with razor-sharp claws, it is often labeled as the world’s most dangerous bird. In reality, […]

# data[].attributes.headline
Ryen Waters #10 - Four days of extreme rain in Indonesia killed 7% of world’s rarest great apes, study finds

# data[].attributes.subject
Ryen Waters #10 - Four days of extreme rain in Indonesia killed 7% of world’s rarest great apes, study finds

# data[].attributes.body
The effects of extreme weather events on the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan in Indonesia, which are connected to climate change, are discussed in this article. Scientists discovered that during November 2025, there was a significant amount of intense rainfall and landslides that destroyed a large part of the habitat of the orangutan and killed around 58 orangutans, which is around 7% of the total orangutan population in the world. The study shows that besides habitat loss and deforestation, biodiversity is also at risk due to the increasing intensity of weather events. The Tapanuli orangutan population is already small, and if it continues to be lost, it can have a significant impact on the survival of the species. Experts predict that as the climate continues to change, these events may become more common and severe, making recovery efforts more challenging. This article illustrates the close link between climate change and biodiversity loss and how environmental changes can have a rapid effect on vulnerable species.

This article was particularly alarming to me because it illustrates the rapid loss of biodiversity when multiple environmental stressors are present for endangered species. The death of 7 percent of the world's most endangered great ape population in a matter of days is a testament to the fragility of some ecosystems. To me, conserving biodiversity is not just about conserving individual species, but also conserving whole habitats and minimizing the impacts of climate change. Governments should increase the size of the protected areas of critical habitats like the Batang Toru forest and restrict activities that cause degradation of ecosystems. International cooperation is also required to cut down greenhouse gas emissions and give the funds for conservation programs. With action now, there is still time to save the Tapanuli orangutan and to save the biodiversity of one of the world's most unique ecosystems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Four days of extreme rain in Indonesia killed 7% of world’s rarest great apes, study finds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan population falls after heavy rain and landslides, fuelled by climate crisis, in North Sumatra

# data[].attributes.headline
Ryen Waters #9 - Shifts in Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks under climate change

# data[].attributes.subject
Ryen Waters #9 - Shifts in Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks under climate change

# data[].attributes.body
The article, "Shifts in Arctic Vegetation and Associated Feedbacks Under Climate Change," explores the changes in the Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks as a result of the increased temperatures. The scientists applied climate models to estimate the future of vegetation in the Arctic by the 2050s. They discovered that at least half of the vegetated areas in the Arctic may change to other vegetation types, and that woody shrubs could grow much more widespread across the region. The changes are of significance as they affect climate through parameters like albedo, evapotranspiration and carbon storage. The more the shrubs grow darker, the more light is absorbed by the earth and the more heat is absorbed, causing even more warming. Climate change is not only changing temperatures, but also entire ecosystems, which may affect wildlife populations, biodiversity, and ecosystem services throughout the Arctic, the article points out.

This article was interesting because it shows how climate change can cause a domino effect in environmental impacts. This study illustrates how the warming can affect the ecosystems and produce feedbacks that exacerbate warming, which many people consider to be the only effect of climate change. This is alarming because many species rely on tundra habitats for survival, and the potential for more than half of Arctic vegetation to change within a few decades. I believe the most important thing to do is to limit greenhouse gas emissions, in my opinion, to slow these changes before they are irreversible. Governments have opportunities to invest in renewable energy, make energy more efficient, and enhance international climate treaties. Furthermore, scientists need to keep tracking Arctic ecosystems to ensure that conservation strategies are in place to safeguard vulnerable species and support communities' ability to adapt to environmental shifts. The action now could limit warming in the future and maintain the Arctic's special biodiversity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Subscribe to Journal

Get full journal access for 1 year

$231.00

only $19.25 per issue

All prices are NET prices.
VAT will be added later in the checkout.

Rent or Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

All prices are NET prices.

Additional access options:

References

1. 2.
et al. in Eurasian Arctic Land Cover and Land Use in a Changing Climate (eds Gutman, G. & Reissell, A.) 9-36 (Springer, 2011).

2. 6.
Lawrence, D. M. & Permafrost response to increasing Arctic shrub abundance depends on the relative influence of shrubs on local soil cooling versus large-scale climate warming. Environ. Res. Lett. 6, 045504 (2011).

3. 10.
& Shrub expansion and climate feedbacks in Arctic tundra. Environ. Res. Lett. 7, 011005 (2012).

4. 12.
IPCC Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis (eds Solomon, S. et al.) (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007).

5. 13.
Peterson, A. T. et al. Ecological Niches and Geographic Distributions (Princeton Univ. Press, 2011).

6. 15.
Euskirchen, E. S. , , , & Thompson, C. C. Changes in vegetation in Northern Alaska under scenarios of climate Change, 2003-2100: Implications for climate feedbacks. Ecol. Appl. 19, 1022-1043 (2009).

7. 16.
, Callaghan, T. & Future changes in vegetation and ecosystem function of the Barents Region. Climatic Change 87, 51-73 (2008).

8. 21.
Climate change and the migration capacity of species. Trends Ecol. Evol. 21, 111-113 (2006).

9. 26.
Migratory bird species as indicators for the state of the environment. Biodiversity 6, 7-13 (2005).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank G. Arnesen, J. Elith, A. Elvebakk, P. J. Ersts, N. Horning, M. C. Mack, J. Silverman and Y. Ryu. Supported by NSF grants IPY 0732948 to R.G.P., IPY 0732954 to S.J.G., and Expeditions 0832782 to T.D.

Author information

Present address: Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK

Affiliations

1. Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York 10024, USA

2. Woods Hole Research Center, 149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, Massachusetts 02540, USA

Contributions

R.G.P. and S.J.G. conceived the study; R.G.P. analysed data; S.J.P. analysed data and ran Random Forests models; M.M.L. led albedo and evapotranspiration analyses; P.S.A.B. led biomass and S N analyses; T.D. ran multi-kernel Relevance Vector Machines models; S.J.K. ran preliminary analyses; R.G.P., M.M.L. and P.S.A.B. wrote the paper with contributions from all authors.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard G. Pearson.

Supplementary information

To obtain permission to re-use content from this article visit RightsLink.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shifts in Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks under climate change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This study shows that climate change could lead to a major redistribution of vegetation across the Arctic, with important implications for biosphere-atmosphere interactions, as well as for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Woody vegetation is predicted to expand substantially over coming decades, causing more Arctic warming through positive climate feedbacks than previously thought.

# data[].attributes.headline
London Bieler-Morris #10- Rocks falling from melting icebergs host deep-sea biodiversity oases of biodiversity

# data[].attributes.subject
London Bieler-Morris #10- Rocks falling from melting icebergs host deep-sea biodiversity oases of biodiversity

# data[].attributes.body
As a result of glaciers breaking apart in the Arctic Strait, the number of stones has increased, resulting in new habitats for sponges, corals, and other organisms. As glaciers were formed, they picked up rocks along the way, and now that they’re melting, these rocks are being freed. The rocks that are being freed are referred to as “dropstones”, and even though they’re a result of climate change, these stones are increasing the biodiversity in the deep waters of the Arctic Strait. Dropstones are rare and, overall, are difficult to study because of how deeply they sink. But they provide us with new views on the effects of climate change that haven’t been thought of before.

In my opinion, this article is very interesting because it discusses a “positive” effect of climate change. It is an oxymoron because overall climate change is a horrible environmental change that our earth is going through, but in the Arctic Strait, with climate change melting glaciers and releasing dropstones, it's increasing biodiversity. In all cases, increased biodiversity is a positive environmental change. These dropstone habitats are in the deep waters of the Arctic Strait, making it difficult for scientists to research and get a consensus on the level of new biodiversity being explored. On the other hand, scientists still have to come up with solutions to limit the melting of these glaciers, even though they’re increasing biodiversity in some places, they’re still a result of climate change and global warming.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rocks falling from melting icebergs host deep-sea oases of biodiversity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A ripple effect of climate change is providing habitat for corals, sponges and other Arctic animals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Max Wolkwitz #10- Desertification in North Africa: A Growing Threat to the Environment, Economy and Daily Life.

# data[].attributes.subject
Max Wolkwitz #10- Desertification in North Africa: A Growing Threat to the Environment, Economy and Daily Life.

# data[].attributes.body
The article “Desertification in North Africa: A Growing Threat to the Environment, Economy and Daily Life,” by Green Piece reveals rising temperatures and human events are the cause of a lot of widespread land degradation throughout Northern Africa. Climate change, extensive droughts, and deforestation are all turning productive different areas of land into dry desert. The article states that overgrazing is the driving factor to desertification in about 58% of cases in Africa. It also states that Morocco has lost between 0.5% and 0.8% of its forests year after year. Changes like this in the environment lead to less food and water to go around, loss of plant and animal species and the displacement of whole communities. Greenpeace warns people and governments that the MENA region could be under very very extreme water droughts by 2050.

From an anthropocentric point of view desertification is a problem that shouldn't be swept under the rug as it is a great danger to human health, the economy and resource abundance. When viable farm land is degraded, farmers are not able to produce a sufficient amount of food, which means inflation of prices and less food for communities and surrounding regions. The article highlights that Morocco’s Grain production dropped a significant amount by around 40% in 2023 because of extreme drought. This points out how quickly people’s lives can be affected by environmental changes caused by humans. Desertification also makes migration and displacement much worse, with over 2.5 million people displaced by 2020. The protection of biodiversity like food and water is super important and governments should prioritize the mitigation of biodiversity loss as it can help their countries prosper.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
غرينبيس الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Desertification in North Africa: A Growing Threat to the Environment, Economy and Daily Life - Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Desertification in North Africa stems from a complex interplay of natural and human-induced factors.

# data[].attributes.headline
Max Wolkwitz #9- Earth's Changing Biomes

# data[].attributes.subject
Max Wolkwitz #9- Earth's Changing Biomes

# data[].attributes.body
UCAR's article "Earth's Changing Biomes" explains how natural events and human disturbances are changing different types of biomes like forests, grasslands, deserts, and tundras over time. For thousands of years the change in climate has led to changes in the location and size of different biomes. The article highlights that these changes are occurring much quicker than they have in the past due to today’s rapid rates of climate change. Rapidly rising temperatures, changing weather rates and patterns are all affecting different ecosystems world wide. The Article also explains how human activities such as deforestation and agriculture are also causing changes in the many biomes. All together these problems are forever changing ecosystems and changing biodiversity globally which is what the article is trying to portray.

From an anthropocentric viewpoint, shifting biomes are an important topic because they heavily impact humans. Productive and healthy ecosystems are super important for people to have different sources of food and natural resources. As the climate rises, biomes change, different communities face negative issues such as water shortages and other things. These environmental changes can also significantly impact different industries which in turn can affect millions of different people all over the world . Protecting biomes should be a priority to governments as ecosystems that are intact provide necessities for people in their everyday lives. Taking action today can help make sure that future generations are able to have resources and can mitigate the changing biomes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Earth's biosphere consists of five main types of biomes: aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra. These biomes can be further divided according to location, elevation, or other definitions. Biomes are generally defined by the types of vegetation, soil, climate, and wildlife within them. Note that a biome is different from an ecosystem. A biome is a specific geographic area notable for the species living there, while an ecosystem is defined as the interaction of living and nonliving things within an environment. Each biome can be home to several different ecosystems.

Natural Changes Happen Over Long Timescales

Biomes can be affected by changes within the Earth system at both long and short timescales. The primary biome present in an area can change over time as the climate changes. Ten thousand years ago, parts of North Africa were green, lush landscapes with abundant trees and flowing rivers. Today, that region is part of the Sahara Desert, the world's largest desert. But how do these shifts happen, and over what timescales?

Natural processes happening all the time lead to some of these changes. Not all of the details of the mechanisms involved in forming the Sahara Desert are well understood, but scientists have found evidence that various influences, including drying associated with periods of glaciation, small wobbles of Earth's axis, and variations in monsoon activity, have caused the Sahara to alternate between desert and savanna grassland in an approximately 20,000-year cycle. This cycle has swung the region's dominant biome back and forth, from wetter to drier, for at least 2 million and up to 7 million years.

Other changes are caused by shorter-timeframe influences, such as human-caused global warming. In fact, more than 89% of the changes that we have seen within ecosystems and biomes today are consistent with a response to climate change. For example, small changes in temperature are enough to cause spring thaw to happen earlier and fall frost to come sooner, which changes the timing of the growing season for plants and trees. Over time, these types of shifts cause a region to become more favorable for certain plant or tree species than for others, which can alter the types of plants or trees present in an area. Already, the suitable habitats for certain tree species are moving northward and to higher elevations where temperatures are cooler. The suitable habitat for sugar maple, which is an economically important tree species, is expected to shrink within the northeastern U.S. as its preferred climate conditions shift north into Canada. Warmer temperatures can increase outbreaks of forest pests and pathogens, while at the same time, growing deer populations degrade forest understories. These stresses affect overall biodiversity, function, and resilience within a biome. Instead of timescales of thousands and millions of years, many of these changes have occurred in just a few decades.

Early Humans Impacted Biomes Long Ago

Over time, many of Earth's biomes have been impacted by human activity, and these changes began to happen almost as soon as humans were around. For instance, hunting by early humans is thought to have contributed to the extinction of some megafauna, and the controlled burning of forests dramatically altered landscapes as long as 12,000 years ago. In the 1700s, prior to the Industrial Revolution, almost half the world was covered in wilderness, but current estimates indicate that just 23% of the area within land-based biomes and 13% of the area within marine biomes remains untouched by human industrialization.

Forest and Grassland Biomes Are Altered by Agriculture

Agriculture is a human activity having significant impacts across biomes as well as the whole Earth system. The entire food system - from production to consumption - accounts for about 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Agricultural production has advanced to feed the world's growing population, which quadrupled in size over the past century to just over 8 billion people in 2022.

Nearly half of all cultivated land on the planet is devoted to growing cereal crops - corn, wheat, rice, and other staple grains. Although many farmers and ranchers feel strongly about preserving the environment and growing crops in a sustainable way, some agriculturally driven land use changes end up harming or causing stress to other parts of the Earth system. For instance, cutting rainforests to make room for grazing cattle can shift the dominant biome from forest to grassland.

Even within an existing biome, monocropping and overfarming can alter soil properties, leading to longer-term changes in what can grow or not grow. And decreases in the amount of available water can dry out a biome, increasing desertification in areas previously dominated by grasslands, for example. Agriculture is currently estimated to account for 70% of freshwater use worldwide. But keeping a growing population fed may require an additional 15% more water by 2050, which threatens to deplete aquifers, river systems, and groundwater supplies.

Forests Are Experiencing Multiple Threats

Wildfire is another factor affecting Earth's biomes, particularly the planet's forests. Wildfires are a part of nature, but recent years have seen more fires, as well as larger fires, than in the past. The number and size of wildfires are increasing in part due to warmer, drier conditions that lengthen the fire season. Instead of fires typically occurring in the summer or fall, when fuels dry out, many places now experience wildfires at any time of year.

As our climate warms, the hotter and drier conditions contribute to the spread of insects like the mountain pine beetle, killing trees and providing fuel for wildfires to very quickly consume and spread. Warmer wintertime temperatures have already allowed pine beetles to spread and thrive across many parts of the U.S. Mountain West. These beetles have killed tens of thousands of trees, causing direct impacts on forests in many areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Earth's biomes change over long time periods as a result of natural cycles, but can change more abruptly due to human impacts. Earth's forest biomes in particular are changing, as a result of agriculture, outbreaks of tree-killing pests, and wildfires.

# data[].attributes.headline
Max Wolkwitz #8-Yale Experts Explain PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’

# data[].attributes.subject
Max Wolkwitz #8-Yale Experts Explain PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’

# data[].attributes.body
The Yale Sustainability article “Yale Experts Explain PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’” explains the dangers of PFAS, a group of human made chemicals that are found in items such as non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing and food packaging. The article calls PFAS “forever chemicals” because they aren't easily removable from the environment. Due to this, they build up in soil, water, and humans over time. The article explains the PFAS contamination that has seeped into many drinking water sources and is now a widespread environmental danger. The article also discusses studies that link PFAS exposure to cancer, liver damage, immune system problems and reproductive health problems.The article ends off with a push for more strict regulations while also implementing improved water treatment technologies and continued scientific research.

From an anthropocentric point of view, the issue of PFAS contamination is very significant because it has a direct effect on human health. These chemicals do have some benefits like that they make products more durable and resistant to water and stains, but the dangers to humans and the environment outweigh the benefits heavily. PFAS have been tied to major health problems like cancer and immune system problems and is a prominent public health issue. Governments need to have tighter regulations to eliminate human exposure and stop further contamination. Another idea is holding PFAS manufacturers responsible for the cleanup and other related costs. Human health should be the main concern when manufacturing these chemicals. Investing in better alternatives should be a must, to stop the contamination of these chemicals and allow for humans and ecosystems to thrive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Yale Experts Explain PFAS 'Forever Chemicals'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vasilis Vasiliou and Robert Bilott on the challenges of PFAS and ways to limit exposure.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #10- Costa Rica paid landowners to restore forests and biodiversity—bioacoustics indicate that it worked

# data[].attributes.subject
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #10- Costa Rica paid landowners to restore forests and biodiversity—bioacoustics indicate that it worked

# data[].attributes.body
The Phys.org article analyzes the ecological recovery of degraded tropical forests in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula following decades of deforestation driven by farming and cattle ranching. The country's Payment for Ecosystem Services program, established in 1996, pays landowners to restore forests and now protects over 200,000 hectares of land. As mentioned in the article, researchers from the Institute of Integrative Biology in Zurich assessed biodiversity recovery using soundscape analysis, recording over 16,000 hours of audio across 119 sites representing different land-use types, including naturally regenerating forests, monoculture plantations, degraded pastures, and mature reference forests. The research shows that naturally regenerating forests under the PES program were 1.4 times more acoustically /audibly similar to mature reference forests than degraded pastures, and also up to 4 times more similar at certain times and at certain sites. The research suggests that large-scale restoration programs like the ones mentioned in the article can truly drive ecological recovery, and utilizing acoustic monitoring can be a great tool to measure biodiversity. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- I found this article very interesting. I thought the use of acoustics as a measure for biodiversity was really intriguing, and it made me wonder how truly reliable this tool can be, and what factors must be considered for it to function. The data presented in the article gives a really encouraging image of what coordinated restoration efforts can look like and what they can achieve. Deforestation poses a threat to our global ecosystem, particularly in how it can affect the deeply complex webs present. I liked how it focused on tropical forest ecosystems, because when looking at deforestation, we obviously see the consequences towards carbon storage and overall climate regulation. Yet at the same time it is affecting countless species that depend on these forests for their habitats. The article emphasizes how interconnected natural systems truly are and how restored forests help with the diversity of species, which then influences the landscape of the ecosystems. The article was hopeful in the way it showed how biodiversity loss can be slowed and even reversed. For this to be achieved, it is important to combine social acts with environmental goals in order to produce real results. Hopefully, the solutions used in Costa Rica can be applied elsewhere with further research.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #10 - Blue Fronted Lorikeet Rediscovered

# data[].attributes.subject
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #10 - Blue Fronted Lorikeet Rediscovered

# data[].attributes.body
The article I read discusses the issue of scientists rediscovering the Blue-fronted Lorikeet. For the past century this species has been one of Indonesia’s most elusive bird. This is because this bird is an endemic species meaning it is found nowhere else on earth. The bird was first spotted during an expedition led by an “Indonesian mountaineering group” in April of this year. It was the first time in the past twelve years this species of bird has been photographed. As well as being photographed the group was able to record sounds of its higher pitched calls. The group found at least 9 individuals living in this area. This was very interesting for me to read about as I learned that if their habitat is destroyed or damaged this species could go completely extinct. This article was also very hopeful for the future of this species as the conservationists hope that the species can now recover.

In my opinion this article was interesting for me to read because it helped me learn more about the topics and units we have been learning about in the past couple months and how species depend on each other and their environment. I Learned things in this article that I’ had never thought of before. For example, the article mentioned that even though this species had not been spotted in over a decade they were still somehow able to survive and live undetected. Finally, this is the reason why protecting biodiversity is so important and crucial because many species rely on specific ecosystems for survival.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blue-fronted Lorikeet was found in April on Buru island

Parrot was recognised as a lost species in 2024

Expedition captured first sound recordings of lorikeet

June 3 (Reuters) - For the past century, the Blue-fronted Lorikeet was one of Indonesia's most elusive birds, known only from a 2014 photographic record and a handful of ​museum specimens, with a lingering hope that it had not vanished. After days of climbing through sharp limestone, biting insects and ‌difficult mountain terrain, a flash of green feathers high on Buru's highest peak showed that this dazzlingly colourful parrot was still there.

Endemic to the island of Buru - meaning it is found nowhere else on Earth - the small bird was spotted in April during an expedition led by an Indonesian mountaineering group. The team photographed the bird for the first time in ​12 years and captured the first sound recordings of its high-pitched calls - sounds birds often use to keep contact in the forest canopy.

Sign up here.

The ​lorikeet's bright green body, orange bill, blue hindcrown and pointed tail helped the team identify it.

The team was looking ⁠specifically for this species, but the odds felt slim.

"When you are looking for a bird that has only been documented once in the past century it ​feels like a long shot," said John Mittermeier, director of the Search for Lost Birds at the American Bird Conservancy conservation group.

First described from seven specimens ​collected in the 1920s, the Blue-fronted Lorikeet has been one of Indonesia's avian mysteries. The bird went unrecorded for nearly 90 years despite searches in lowland and mid-elevation forests, before being photographed in 2014.

There was a long-held suspicion that the parrot may not have been gone, but rather living higher up in the mountains than searchers had managed to look. ​The highlands landscape where the lorikeet was found had remained largely inaccessible until recently, when local climbers mapped a route into the mountains.

Mittermeier said steep ​limestone terrain, cliffs, sharp boulders and no water make the area difficult to access.

"There are no other birds on the island that look like the lorikeets, so when we ‌saw them ⁠we knew immediately what they were," Mittermeier said.

"We saw at least nine during the trip," Mittermeier added.

James Eaton, a birder involved in the expedition, said the rain, jagged limestone, river torrents and lack of trails meant anyone trying to reach the peak needed "a strong - or crazy - reason to even attempt it."

"This bird was our reason for doing so," Eaton said.

After a gruelling week, "to actually photograph our holy grail suddenly made all the hardships disappear - it's a feeling adrenaline junkies would ​know well," Eaton said.

The sighting capped ​years of preparation for Eaton.

"It makes ⁠all the researching, reading, plotting - some of which are years in the making, totally justified - it makes you feel alive, a justification for your dedication," Eaton said.

The Blue-fronted Lorikeet was listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List ​and recognised in 2024 as a lost species by the Search for Lost Birds, a global partnership between American ​Bird Conservancy, Re:wild ⁠and BirdLife International.

Mittermeier said further work is needed to learn the bird's population size and possible threats.

"A finding like this ... is the first step to being able to protect it," Mittermeier said.

For Eaton, the rediscovery was a reminder of the beauty and surprise still far from public view.

Amid unrelenting negative news, Eaton said, "these moments of ⁠joy and discovery ​are a healthy reminder of what a beautiful world is there."

"This small green parrot," Eaton ​said, "it was here long before humans stepped foot on the island, just like birds living in your garden at home - they have more right to be there than you or I."

Reporting by Marta Serafinko in Gdansk; Editing by Will Dunham

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Marta covers financial markets across the Iberian Peninsula, reporting on market movements, companies and business developments in Spain and Portugal, as well as key European Union economic indicators. Reflecting her interest in research and discovery, she also contributes to Reuters' science coverage. Outside journalism, her photography from around the world has been featured in national photography competitions and related exhibitions in Poland.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indonesian parrot, seen once in a century, reappears in mountain forest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For the past century, the Blue-fronted Lorikeet was one of Indonesia's most elusive birds, known only from a 2014 photographic record and a handful of ​museum specimens, with a lingering hope that it had not vanished.

# data[].attributes.headline
Alyssa Burns (10) What Does Biodiversity Mean and why it's Important

# data[].attributes.subject
Alyssa Burns (10) What Does Biodiversity Mean and why it's Important

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about the research of what biodiversity is and how we can protect it. The article explains the definition of biodiversity which is “the diversity within species and of ecosystems, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi.” They all work together to create life on Earth. The main goal of biodiversity on the planet is to keep ecosystems balanced because life needs resources to survive like food, clean water, medicines, and shelter. Biodiversity is also one of the most important things that are also combating climate change like the ecosystems of oceans and land because they act as carbon sinks which absorb a lot of the carbon that's left in the atmosphere once it's emitted. There have also been many organizations that are going out to protect the biodiversity of certain species because they are keys to keeping the environment balanced. By 2050, these organizations want to secure biodiversity so in the future we will be able to live with nature on the planet. One more thing the article questions and that’s if biodiversity is a current crisis in the world. The answer is yes because of human impacts like deforestation, overfishing, and the degradation of the carbon sinks like the aquatic and land ecosystems, mainly forests.

Overall, I think this article is really good because this is a current thing that the entire world should be trying to preserve. It’s important for the Earth to have biodiversity because if there isn’t any, then there can be no life on Earth. I like how this article addresses biodiversity loss as a major environmental crisis that everybody has to work on to help manage global warming. The article's main plan which I agree with is that they are doing the Global Biodiversity Framework which is getting 196 countries to help preserve biodiversity and nature throughout the years going into the year 2030. They plan to halt deforestation, restore the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and leave degraded ecosystems under protection until 2030.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What does 'biodiversity' mean and why is it important?

In simple terms, biodiversity refers to all types of life on Earth. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity ( CBD) describes it as "the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi". These three levels work together to create life on Earth, in all its complexity.

The diversity of species keep the global ecosystem in balance, providing everything in nature that we, as humans, need to survive, including food, clean water, medicine and shelter. Over half of global GDP is strongly dependent on nature. More than one billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods.

Biodiversity is also our strongest natural defence against climate change. Land and ocean ecosystems act as "carbon sinks", absorbing more than half of all carbon emissions.

Why are we talking about it now?

Because the first big push of the year to put the UN's bold plan to protect biodiversity into practice takes place in the Swiss capital, Bern, between 23 and 25 January.

Introducing the conference, Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP) Law Division, warned that the lack of coordination between the various organizations trying to protect biodiversity is a "critical challenge" that needs to be urgently overcome "as we strive for a world living in harmony with nature by 2050". A key aim of the conference will be to solve that problem by pulling together the various initiatives taking place across the world.

Is there a crisis?

Yes. It's very serious, and it needs to be urgently tackled.

Starting with the natural and land sea carbon sinks mentioned above. They are being degraded, with examples including the deforestation of the Amazon and the disappearance of salt marshes and mangrove swamps, which remove large amounts of carbon. The way we use the land and sea is one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss. Since 1990, around 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses. Agricultural expansion continues to be the main driver of deforestation, forest degradation and forest biodiversity loss.

Other major drivers of species decline include overfishing and the introduction of invasive alien species (species that have entered and established themselves in the environment outside their natural habitat, causing the decline or even extinction of native species and negatively affecting ecosystems).

These activities, UNEP has shown, are pushing around a million species of plants and animals towards extinction. They range from the critically endangered South China tiger and Indonesian orangutans to supposedly " common" animals and plants, such as giraffes and parrots as well as oak trees, cacti and seaweed. This is the largest loss of life since the dinosaurs.

Combined with skyrocketing levels of pollution, the degradation of the natural habitat and biodiversity loss are having serious impacts on communities around the world. As global temperatures rise, once fertile grasslands turn to desert, and in the ocean, there are hundreds of so-called "dead zones", where scarcely any aquatic life remains.

The loss of biodiversity affects the way an ecosystem functions, leading to species being less able to respond to changes in the environment and making them increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. If an ecosystem has a wide diversity of organisms, it is likely that they will not all be affected in the same way. For instance, if one species is killed off then a similar species can take its place.

What is the Biodiversity Plan?

The Plan, officially called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, is a UN-driven landmark agreement adopted by 196 countries to guide global action on nature through to 2030, which was hashed out at meetings in Kunming, China and Montreal, Canada, in 2022.

The aim is to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights. Indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately from loss of biological diversity and environmental degradation. Their lives, survival, development chances, knowledge, environment and health conditions are threatened by environmental degradation, large scale industrial activities, toxic waste, conflicts and forced migration as well as by land-use and land-cover changes such as deforestation for agriculture and extractives.

There are concrete measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including putting 30 per cent of the planet and 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030. Currently 17 per cent of land and around eight per cent of marine areas are protected. The plan also contains proposals to increase financing to developing countries - a major sticking point during talks - and indigenous peoples.

Countries have to come up with national biodiversity strategies and action plans as well as set or revise national targets to match the ambition of global goals.

What else will the UN do to protect biodiversity this year?

Next month the UN Environment Assembly ( UNEA), otherwise known as the "World's Environment Parliament" will meet at the UN office in Nairobi. The eventbrings together governments, civil society groups, the scientific community and the private sector to highlight the most pressing issues and improve global governance of the environment. UNEA 2024 will focus on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

However, the main event will be the UN Biodiversity Conference, which will take place in Colombia in October. Delegates will discuss how to restore lands and seas in a way that protects the planet and respects the rights of local communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Biodiversity: What is it and how can we protect it?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The UN and its global partners will grapple with the massive loss of animal and plant species and how to avoid further extinction at a major conference beginning 23 January. Here's a primer on what exactly biodiversity is and how the UN can help support efforts to enable nature to survive and thrive.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maya Cassidy #10- Mangrove forests are healing after decades of human destruction

# data[].attributes.subject
Maya Cassidy #10- Mangrove forests are healing after decades of human destruction

# data[].attributes.body
This article published by BBC is about the regeneration of mangrove forests, a significant ecosystem along tropical and subtropical coastlines. Originally, the mangrove trees had been declining rapidly due to human intervention, such as clearing for fish farms and housing. From the 1980s to 2010, 4600 sq miles of mangroves were cleared or destroyed across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. But, since 2010, mangroves have taken an extreme reversal in population decline. With decreased human intervention, both reforestation and natural regeneration have caused the total net losses to be reduced to 328 sq miles. Along with new forest growth, existing mangroves have become healthier, the proportion of closed canopy mangroves has grown by nearly 20%. The decrease in harmful human activities in mangrove forests is mainly due to public awareness about their role in human safety. Their tangled roots can slow down waves and protect coastal communities from storm surges and tsunamis. Not only do they benefit humans but also the organisms that inhabit mangrove forests. The same roots provide a suitable nursery for many species of fish and other marine life, protecting them from predators and providing them with food. They are also a notable carbon store, storing up to 5 times more carbon than land based forests. The comeback of mangrove forests is very beneficial for the Earth, increasing biodiversity in once scarce areas.

I found this article to be very hopeful, as in just 15 years the area of mangrove forests has increased by so much. I believe it successfully displays how a decrease in harmful human activity can reverse changes we have made to ecosystems. It shows that there is actually a reward for considering nature’s survival. It also reinforces this by mentioning how mangroves protect communities from natural disasters. This shows that the relationship between human and nature can mutualistic, as when humans don’t destroy mangroves they reward them by providing protection. If we chose to consider this around the world we could recover a percentage of the amount of land that we have destroyed, making big changes to the state of the planet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Matt McGrath & Esme Stallard, BBC Climate & Science

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mangrove forests are healing after decades of human destruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Swampy mangrove forests are staging a surprise comeback - which is good news for coastal communities and the climate.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ciel Blaise-Thomas  #10 - Burmese Pythons and their invasion on the Sunshine state

# data[].attributes.subject
Ciel Blaise-Thomas  #10 - Burmese Pythons and their invasion on the Sunshine state

# data[].attributes.body
This article from the National Geographic tells the story of how the Burmese python became one of the most invasive and destructive species in Florida. These snakes are native to Southeast Asia and were introduced to the United States as exotic pets. Some of the pythons escaped or were released into the wild and they eventually formed a breeding population in the Everglades. The article gets into the real facts about burmese pythons. For example this article describes how Burmese pythons can grow to over 20 feet in length and prey on a wide variety of animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and even endangered species. They do not have many natural predators in Florida other than the hunters. While they have increased rapidly in numbers and distribution throughout South Florida. The article also mentions the work of wildlife officials trying to monitor, control, and move pythons out of the Everglades. Overall, it illustrates the impact that a non-native species can have on biodiversity and ecosystem health, and the potential for severe and long-term impacts.

I found this article interesting because it shows how a problem caused by people can end up affecting an entire ecosystem. Before reading it, I knew invasive species could be harmful, but I did not realize how much damage a single species could cause. The fact that Burmese pythons can reduce native wildlife populations so easily is concerning. I think Florida's python removal programs are important, but preventing invasive species from being released in the first place is an even better solution. Educating pet owners and strengthening regulations on exotic pets could help prevent similar issues in the future. This article reminded me that ecosystems are connected and that human choices can have long lasting effects on biodiversity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Travel to the jungles and grassy marshes of Southeast Asia to see this beautifully patterned, generally docile reptile, one of the largest snake species on Earth.

# data[].attributes.headline
David Smith #10 - Scientists find new species of dragonfly, grasshopper and a fluorescent spider

# data[].attributes.subject
David Smith #10 - Scientists find new species of dragonfly, grasshopper and a fluorescent spider

# data[].attributes.body
The article is about a scientific expedition that took place in the remote Lisima Plateau in Angola, where numerous new species were discovered. These included newly discovered dragonflies, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, an armored predaceous cricket and a crowned crab spider that glitters under ultraviolet light. The plateau was studied by scientists due to its importance in providing water for four of the great rivers of Africa. The finds underscore the extent to which much of the planet's biodiversity has yet to be documented: Scientists estimate that there are about 8.7 million species on Earth, but only 1.5 million have been identified. The article also explains a number of species are under threat due to deforestation, diamond mining and slash-and-burn agriculture. Scientists are now in a rush to record species, as biodiversity is in fast decline – with more than 800 animal species disappearing since 1500. The results reveal the value of biodiversity in these remote environments and the necessity to conserve these habitats before they lose even more species.

I was surprised by this article, as I didn't know that scientists have identified just a small portion of the species that could exist on Earth. Amazing to think that new species are still being found today. The article also highlighted the fragility of biodiversity in the face of human activities, like deforestation and mining. There may be some species that die out before they are even known to scientists. I believe that conserving biodiversity is a global priority as all the species have a role to play for keeping the ecosystems healthy. Governments can play a role by establishing protected areas, implementing stricter environmental laws and promoting the research of conservation. In conclusion, this article shows that there is still much to learn about Earth's biodiversity and the significance of conserving it for future generations.

# data[].attributes.headline
James Russell #10 - Coral Reef Decline and Its Impact on Marine Biodiversity

# data[].attributes.subject
James Russell #10 - Coral Reef Decline and Its Impact on Marine Biodiversity

# data[].attributes.body
The National Geographic article explains the importance of coral reefs and their role in supporting marine biodiversity. Although coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, they provide habitat for approximately 25% percent of all marine species. The article discusses how reefs support complex food webs and provide shelter, breeding grounds, and feeding areas for countless organisms. However, coral reefs are increasingly threatened by rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, and destructive fishing practices. As sea temperatures increase, coral experience bleaching, which is a process where reefs expel the algae that provide them with nutrients and color. If bleaching events continue for long periods, entire reef ecosystems can collapse. From an ESS perspective, this issue demonstrates the relationship between climate change and biodiversity, showing how changes in abiotic factors can affect species diversity and ecosystem stability.

In my opinion, coral reef degradation is one of the most urgent biodiversity issues because reefs support an enormous number of species despite occupying a relatively small area. The loss of reefs would not only reduce biodiversity but also affect fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection for millions of people worldwide. A realistic solution would involve addressing both local and global causes of reef decline. Governments should establish more marine protected areas and enforce regulations that limit destructive fishing practices and pollution. At the global level, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential because rising ocean temperatures are a major cause of coral bleaching. Scientists are also researching heat-resistant coral species that may help restore damaged reefs. Overall, protecting coral reefs is important because they are biodiversity hotspots whose survival is closely linked to the health of marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn the risks our world's coral reefs are facing and what they mean for our future and the future of the ocean.

Subjects

Biology, Ecology, Health, Earth Science, Oceanography, Experiential Learning

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Producers

National Geographic Society

other

Last Updated

October 19, 2023

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn the risks our world's coral reefs are facing and what they mean for our future and the future of the ocean.

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Silbergleit #10 - Deserts are brimming with life but remain one of the most poorly understood ecosystems

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Silbergleit #10 - Deserts are brimming with life but remain one of the most poorly understood ecosystems

# data[].attributes.body
This article highlights how deserts are much more biodiverse than most people realize. In fact, desserts are actually one of the three richest biomes for terrestrial vertebrates, with 25% of all terrestrial vertebrates being in the desert. Many of the species that live there have developed adaptations over time to help them survive in the harsh conditions that the desert consists of, including high temperatures and little available water. For example, some carnivores in the desert get water from prey and water-rich fruits. On the other hand, herbivores tend to travel long distances in search of water and they respond quickly to rainfall. More specifically, some animals, including the gemsbok, learn to adjust their behavior during droughts. They end up feeding more at night when the plants contain more moisture. Biodiversity is very important for the desert ecosystem. All of the species work together to keep the ecosystem balanced. However, biodiversity in deserts is declining due to climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, harmful agricultural processes (increase salinity in soil), and tourism. Unfortunately, desert ecosystems are among the least studied ecosystems, so that means there is still a lot we are yet to learn about the biodiversity in deserts.

From this article I was able to learn a lot about deserts that I was not aware of before. As someone who has not done much research on deserts in the past, I found this article to be very informative. I didn’t realize that an ecosystem that was so harsh could be used by so many different species. I thought it was very impressive that these creatures were able to adapt so well to the unpredictable, rough environment. I was disappointed that there has been so little research done on the desert compared to other ecosystems, such as forests. Overall, I learned a lot from this article about how biodiverse the desert ecosystem is.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

When most people think of deserts, the word that often comes to mind is sand-and a lot of it. Deserts cover almost a quarter of the earth, yet it's hard to imagine life thriving in such hostile environments, regulated by how much water and food is available.

However, in the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm from "Jurassic Park": Life finds a way.

Although to the naked eye deserts appear barren, there is actually a surprising amount of life to be found. Deserts are one of the top three richest biomes for terrestrial vertebrates, with a quarter of species, totaling almost 7,000, found there. Three percent of these species are only found in desert environments-many of which have developed various adaptations to help them survive in environments where rainfall may be mere millimeters per year.

The evolutionary basis for traits such as tolerance of limited water and high temperatures may even provide knowledge that contributes toward human welfare and agricultural advancements.

"Charismatic megafauna" such as large carnivores and herbivores display various adaptations to survive in this harsh environment. Small carnivores, alongside larger scavenging species such as brown hyaena, are almost entirely water independent, obtaining most of their moisture needs from prey and high water content fruits. Many herbivores have evolved to be able to quickly respond to rainfall, covering vast distances to find water. The gemsbok (also called oryx), Namibia's national animal, is incredibly well adapted to desert life- changing its foraging behavior during periods of drought, alongside grazing more at night when the water content of many grass species increases.

Even at low densities large carnivores play a key role in the functioning of deserts, keeping herbivore populations at a density where sufficient vegetation to support multiple levels in the food chain is still able to persist. Desert-living carnivores are likely to exhibit unique behavior and dietary habits compared to their temperate-region counterparts, while interactions between carnivores in deserts are likely to be more intense due to the lack of resources available.

Despite the importance and uniqueness of deserts, there is a paucity in desert research compared to many other habitats-and they are one of the most poorly understood. A combination of a lack of charismatic wildlife, difficult terrain and accessibility issues, along with unstable political environments, means that desert research has often been neglected by conservationists and ecologists in favor of more productive ecosystems.

Between 2000 and 2011, only 9% of ecological science publications focused on deserts, compared to 67% on forests. This discrepancy is mirrored by less funding toward ecological research in deserts. Deserts also receive less benefits from ecotourism, with many visitors to Africa preferring to visit savanna habitats.

Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter- daily or weekly.

Following a global trend, many desert animal populations are decreasing. In the Sahara, 9 out of 14 large vertebrates that historically occurred there have disappeared from over 90% of their range. Worryingly, there is little information about what drives biodiversity loss in deserts. As appears to be consistent across all biomes, the biggest threat to deserts and the animals within them are humans. Global warming is likely to shift deserts toward being even hotter and drier, limiting water availability further. Habitat loss and fragmentation is often exacerbated in deserts, where many species are specialized to live in this habitat. Larger desert-living animals are also considered more extinction prone -meaning that we could be at risk of losing charismatic species like elephants and lions from deserts for good.

Agricultural practices such as irrigation cause increased soil salinity, and combined with pressures from grazing animals, combine to decimate plant populations. Even at low levels, impact from tourism activities such as off-road driving can cause detrimental effects to sensitive desert habitat-some desert plants grow so slowly that it can take centuries to recover from disturbance.

Although deserts typically contain low density human populations, animals that live within them are still subjected to issues arising from human-wildlife conflict. In north-west Namibia, desert lions frequently come into contact with human settlements, having come across livestock after traveling long distances in search of food. The Desert Lion Conservation Trust work tirelessly alongside local communities, providing education, incentives for abstaining from killing lions, and monitoring lion movements-but this is still not enough. The stars of the National Geographic documentary "Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib," a coalition of five males called "The Five Musketeers," all met their end before reaching their prime at the hands of humans. With a total population of fewer than 150, the loss of just one individual is a huge blow to the continued survival of Namibia's desert lions.

Conservation of desert ecosystems is crucial to facilitate suitable conservation management initiatives, policy implementation, and climate change mitigation strategies.

Six percent of the human population live in deserts, many of whom are defined as the poorest, hungriest, and most marginalized in the world, and these communities are especially vulnerable to changes in desert ecosystem function.

Protecting desert ecosystems therefore will not only benefit biodiversity and bolster animal populations against climate change, but will also protect and benefit some of the worlds most impoverished people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deserts are brimming with life but remain one of the most poorly understood ecosystems

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When most people think of deserts, the word that often comes to mind is sand-and a lot of it. Deserts cover almost a quarter of the earth, yet it's hard to imagine life thriving in such hostile environments, regulated by how much water and food is available.

# data[].attributes.headline
Claire George #10 - Rare Species Found in Scotland's Declining Rainforest

# data[].attributes.subject
Claire George #10 - Rare Species Found in Scotland's Declining Rainforest

# data[].attributes.body
Recently, scientists in Scotland have discovered thousands of species in the West Cowal Peninsula after a recent biodiversity survey. The temperate rainforest had a recorded 1,109 species, including glow worms, slime moulds, and rare lichens. Conducted by the Argyll Countryside Trust (ACT), this was the first survey of the peninsula in over 50 years. This citizen science project attempted to broaden scientist’s understanding of rainforest biodiversity and established a baseline for future conservation efforts. Scottish volunteers from around the area used a mobile app fueled by AI-assisted identification tools to collect more than 3,400 records of species. Researchers hope the new data will help identify rainforest fragments that are in need of protection. Currently, Scotland’s rainforests face the threat of overgrazing from an over-abundant deer population. Invasive rhododendron shrubs are also outcompeting native plant species for land. Because of these factors, young trees are not maturing and need human intervention to keep up with the shrubs and deer. Scotland is working to reverse biodiversity decline and restore critical habitats for their native live.

This article was interesting for me to read because it not only connected to biodiversity but also to biomes that we have been learning about. I recognized the temperature rainforest biome, but I was surprised to hear that it was Scotland. When I think of rainforests, I think of humid and tropical environments, not the cold, wet climate of Scotland. I was also surprised to learn about the type of species that they found in tier survey. Glow worms and slime moulds were two examples that I was not familiar with. I felt that this article helped me expand my knowledge on what we’re currently learning about in class with a real world example. I was also happy to hear that more rare species are making a comeback in Scotland, but it’s upsetting that invasive plant species are outcompeting trees at have been in the Peninsula for centuries. I hope that conservationists in Scotland will take this data and put it towards the removal of invasive shrubs, ensuring that the ecosystems remain balanced within the biome.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rare species found in Scotland’s declining rainforest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A citizen science project is aiming to document species on the Cowal Peninsula for the first time in 50 years.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lucy Jurkiewicz #10 - Dormouse 'dating agency' helps vulnerable species

# data[].attributes.subject
Lucy Jurkiewicz #10 - Dormouse 'dating agency' helps vulnerable species

# data[].attributes.body
The Wildwood Trust in Kent, England has bred 29 young dormice that will soon be released into northern England to help populations dropping by 70% since the year 2000 and disappearing completely from 20 counties across England. In light of preventing their extinction, conservationists have been reintroducing dormice into suitable habitats since 1993. Experts believe that without continued conservation efforts, dormice could disappear from the UK within the next 50 years. Before being released, each dormouse undergoes health checks, is weighed and microchipped, and spends time in special woodland cages to adjust to its new surroundings. The conservationists also carefully track the animals' family histories to ensure a diverse gene pool, helping populations better adapt to environmental changes. Climate change can affect them greatly. Warmer winters can cause them to wake up from hibernation too early, using up valuable energy when food is scarce. At the same time, the loss of ancient woodlands and hedgerows has reduced the safe habitats they depend on. Dormice are often considered a flagship species because protecting them also helps many other woodland plants and animals. From continuous conservation work, more than 1,100 dormice have been released into the wild since 1993, giving the species a better chance of recovery.

The article is encouraging because it shows real, hands-on conservation work actually making a difference, rather than just talking about protecting endangered species. The careful process—breeding dormice, checking their health, and managing genetic diversity—shows that scientists are thinking long-term, not just short-term releases. At the same time, it’s a bit concerning how severe the situation is, especially with population drops and the possibility of extinction within decades. It highlights how quickly human-driven changes like habitat loss and climate change can impact even small, less noticeable animals. Overall, it feels like a reminder that conservation is slow and detailed work, but also that it can be effective when it’s consistent and well-planned.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tiny Kent dormice heading for new secret home in north of England

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Twenty-nine hazel dormice bred in Kent are being released in a secret home in the north of England.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abby Mitchell #10 - Community-Driven Forest Restoration in Vuria, Kenya for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Recovery

# data[].attributes.subject
Abby Mitchell #10 - Community-Driven Forest Restoration in Vuria, Kenya for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Recovery

# data[].attributes.body
This article discusses Vuria Forest in Taita Taveta County, Kenya, which is a biodiversity hot-spot, with indigenous areas in need of restoration. As climate change increases, it grows harder for the community to access resources from the ecosystem to help them supply households and farms. Long dry seasons, rising temperatures, illegal logging, and encroachment plague the community, but the Vuria Community Forest Association (CFA) have made efforts to protect the ecosystem. After a wildfire swept through the forest, causing deaths of endangered species, prolonged drought, and limited vegetation, restoration began.

The community, partnered with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), and funded by the Kenya embassy in Sweden, were able to accomplish planting over 2,500 trees to rebuild habitat, restore ecosystem functions, and strengthen resilience against future climate shocks. The community has also come together to conserve and develop biodiversity, an example being individual tree nurseries being established. Many have also learned to integrate fruit trees, indigenous species, and exotic trees into their farms, helping boost household incomes, food security, and environmental sustainability. The only things the community needs to improve biodiversity even more are sustained investment, stronger partnerships, and continued support for their ecosystem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Community-Driven Forest Restoration in Vuria, Kenya for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Recovery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ernest Maghanga and the Vuria Community Forest Association are leading community-driven climate action in Kenya through forest restoration, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy solutions, and protection of critical water landscapes. Their work highlights the importance of African wildlife conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable landscape restoration ahead of World Environment Day 2026.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/biodiversity/

This article covers a variety of links connected to the overall main causes leading towards biodiversity. This website is connected to Science daily, which is a combination of multiple professional and reliable researchers that's specifically based on science based topics. It specifically covers many issues related to biodiversity and the factors threatening ecosystems. The page covers threats to biodiversity including such issues as global warming, destruction of habitat, contamination, invasive species, and deforestation. According to several studies, biodiversity is continuously falling around the world. For example, there is a reduction in population size in some groups of animals such as fish living in fresh water; forests turn into sources rather than sinks of carbon dioxide; and coral reefs face the risk of destruction. The webpage also considers the measures taken to preserve biodiversity including, for example, the use of genetic techniques aimed at protecting endangered species as well as new techniques in ecosystem monitoring.

I personally believe that the articles found in the  ScienceDaily biodiversity news page altered my perspective towards the issues to biodiversity, making me  even more conscious, specifically of the biodiversity loss around the globe. Prior to doing this research, I saw biodiversity in terms of "diversity in species within an ecosystem." However, from this source, I got a broader idea of what biodiversity is. Apart from diversity in the species of plants or animals found in a particular place, it entails how the ecosystem operates, how stable it is, and how human intervention affects the natural environment in various ways.One aspect that caught my attention was that there are many human factors contributing to biodiversity loss at once. Climate change, deforestation, pollution, and destruction of the habitats of animals are commonly considered in isolation; however, the articles revealed that these environmental problems are interrelated and need to be solved simultaneously.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chace Cameron #10 - 5.5 Million Bees Found in Underground  New York

# data[].attributes.subject
Chace Cameron #10 - 5.5 Million Bees Found in Underground  New York

# data[].attributes.body
Cornell University has created an article about the discovery of over five million bees in a cemetery - below the soil. Scientists estimate the insects have lived there for more than a century. They remained there due to the peacefulness and lack of agricultural change in the area - especially as there aren’t living humans adding new compartments, buildings, etc; hence, giving the bees a chance to naturally thrive. Especially since New York is a largely city-based state, hence not giving organisms, similar to bees availability, to become a larger population. The cemetery is additionally free of pesticides. Hoge, author of the journal, Apidologe, elaborates the importance of bees in various ways. One of them being upon agriculture: Apples need the chemical process of pollination to grow and become properly ripe. Therefore, this discovery among a new population of bees can greatly benefit the state.

I am glad that New York scientists found this large bee aggregation as there has been a bee decline in our nation over the past few years, and this will help biodiversity as a whole. Additionally as the state is home to millions of people; meaning there are many mouths to feed. Hence, bees helping with agricultural production helps the being of New York, along with sustainable features, such as plants. Bees pollinating on plants creates a large amount of producers, meaning more primary organisms, and so on. This also creates the same benefits among a nation-wide sense as these features can help the country environmentally and economically. The discovery creates a great negative feedback upon the cyclical oscillation of their bee population.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A New York cemetery was hiding 5.5 million bees underground

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A casual walk through an Ithaca cemetery led to the discovery of a gigantic hidden bee population — roughly 5.5 million ground-nesting bees packed beneath the soil. Scientists believe it may be one of the largest bee aggregations ever documented and say the insects are crucial pollinators for apple orchards and other crops. The bees have likely lived there for more than 100 years, thriving in the cemetery’s undisturbed sandy soil.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ra’shiya Campbell #10 Blood, poop and carcasses: How feasting bugs are helping map biodiversity

# data[].attributes.subject
Ra’shiya Campbell #10 Blood, poop and carcasses: How feasting bugs are helping map biodiversity

# data[].attributes.body
The article explains how scientists can use DNA found in blood-feeding insects, like mosquitoes or other bugs, to study and map biodiversity. When these insects feed on animals or visit carcasses, they carry tiny traces of DNA from those organisms. Researchers can collect the insects and analyze this environmental DNA (eDNA) to identify what animals are living in an area, even if they are hard to see. This method helps scientists understand ecosystems better, especially in places where animals are rare, hidden, or difficult to track. It can also help detect changes in biodiversity over time and may show if certain species are disappearing. Overall, the story shows a new and creative way of using nature itself to gather information about wildlife without needing to directly capture or disturb animals.

I think this method is very useful because it helps scientists study ecosystems in a less harmful way. It can improve conservation efforts by giving early warning when biodiversity is dropping. From an environmental viewpoint, this is important because many ecosystems are being damaged by human activities like deforestation and climate change. Using DNA from insects is a smart and efficient way to monitor wildlife without disturbing habitats. A possible solution to biodiversity loss is to combine this technology with stronger conservation laws, protected areas, and habitat restoration. If we can quickly detect which species are in danger, we can act faster to protect them. This approach shows how science can help us better understand nature and make better decisions to protect the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blood, poop and carcasses: How feasting bugs are helping map biodiversity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Critters that dine on flesh and waste also consume the animal’s DNA. That genetic material is helping scientists detect and map elusive species and their pathogens.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacquline Gama #10 - Hedges of Biodiversity (hedgerows foster biodiversity) 

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacquline Gama #10 - Hedges of Biodiversity (hedgerows foster biodiversity) 

# data[].attributes.body
This article explores the importance of hedgerows in supporting biodiversity within the English countryside. Hedgerows are rows of shrubs and trees that were originally planted to mark land boundaries and contain livestock. Today, they provide valuable habitats for many species, including bats, bumblebees, hedgehogs, and hazel dormice. The article explains how hedgerows serve as shelter, food sources, breeding grounds, and wildlife corridors that connect fragmented habitats. It also discusses their historical significance, with some hedgerows dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. Although many hedgerows were removed during the twentieth century to increase agricultural production, legislation introduced in 1997 now protects many of these important landscape features.

This article is highly relevant to IB Environmental Systems and Societies because it demonstrates the relationship between biodiversity conservation and human land use. Hedgerows provide important ecosystem services, including habitat provision, carbon sequestration, erosion control, and cultural value.

This article also shows how government policies can help protect ecosystems that have been damaged by human activities. A strength of the article is that it includes expert opinions and specific examples of species that depend on hedgerows. However, this article focuses mainly on England and does not discuss potential challenges or costs associated with hedgerow conservation. Overall, the article effectively illustrates the importance of maintaining biodiversity and using sustainable land management practices to support both ecosystems and human well-being.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Historic English hedgerows foster biodiversity and peace of mind.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #9- "Fish-microbe partnership may influence ocean health by making carbon-trapping minerals"

# data[].attributes.subject
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #9- "Fish-microbe partnership may influence ocean health by making carbon-trapping minerals"

# data[].attributes.body
The article from Phys Org explores how a relationship between fish and gut microbes may influence ocean health and the overall carbon cycle. Researchers studied the Gulf toadfish and discovered that symbiotic bacteria in the fish's intestines may help produce pellets made up of calcium carbonate. These pellets are important as they contribute to the ocean chemistry and act as a carbon sink by trapping carbon in mineral form. Scientists believed this process was controlled only by the fish's physiology, but the study suggests that the gut microbes play a bigger role than expected. Researchers exposed the Gulf toadfish to different levels of salinity. Fish in environments with higher salinity produced greater amounts of the calcium carbonate pellets (ichthyocarbonates), while fish in low salinity environments produced none. Scientists collected samples from the fish intestines and the calcium carbonate pellets to analyze their DNA and RNA. They found large populations of vibrios, which are a type of bacteria associated with the pellets. These bacteria possess genes that may contribute to calcium carbonate formation, suggesting that fish and microbes work together in this biological process. The findings of the research reveal a previously unknown symbiotic relationship that may have quite significant impacts on the cycles of marine nutrients as well as carbon storage. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This article shows how truly interconnected life is, especially in the ocean. It showed me how even the smallest, most microscopic organisms can have such a large influence on global environmental processes. I found it very interesting how scientists are still discovering new relationships between organisms that can affect something as large and significant as the carbon cycle. Overall, this article really made me reflect on how much there is left unknown in marine ecosystems. The article also made me question how environmental changes could affect these microbial relationships. If ocean conditions could change due to climate change, pollution, or shifting salinity levels, could the fish-microbe relationships be disrupted? If this is correct, there might be a possibility for further consequences regarding the disruption of the carbon cycle, affecting carbon storage. This article shows us the importance of studying ecosystems as they often lead to discovering unknown relationships. It makes me wonder how many symbiotic relationships exist in the ocean that could influence our systems without us knowing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

proofread

Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta). Credit: Diana Udel, University of Miami Rosenstiel School

New research reveals a potential link between the gut microbes of a fish and global ocean processes, offering new insight into how marine ecosystems help regulate ocean chemistry and the marine carbon cycle. The study, titled " Symbiotic bacteria may support calcium carbonate precipitation in the Gulf toadfish," is published in the journal PLOS Biology.

Microbial partners in fish calcium cycles

The study, led by former graduate student Anthony Bonacolta in the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, found that symbiotic gut microbes may work in tandem with marine fish to produce a form of calcium carbonate that influences overall ocean health and serves as a key carbon sink. This process, long attributed primarily to fish physiology, may in fact depend on a previously unrecognized microbial partnership.

Bony fish, called teleosts, drink seawater to stay hydrated. Inside their intestines, they process excess calcium and carbonate ions and excrete them as solid pellets of calcium carbonate called ichthyocarbonates.

"This work suggests that the gut microbiome may play a broader role in both fish biology and global marine nutrient cycles," said one of the study's senior authors, Martin Grosell, Maytag Professor of Ichthyology and chair of the Department of Marine Biology and Ecology. "What was previously thought to be a process driven solely by the fish may actually reflect a close symbiosis between the fish and its gut microbial community."

How the lab experiment worked

To conduct the lab experiment, the researchers exposed Gulf toadfish to different salinity levels-brackish (9 ppt), seawater (35 ppt), and hypersaline (60 ppt)-to test how changes in salinity affect ichthyocarbonate formation, which is known to increase as part of the fish's normal osmoregulation process. Fish kept in low salinity did not produce ichthyocarbonates, while those in seawater and more so in high salinity did.

Samples were collected from different sections of the intestine, from the ichthyocarbonates themselves, and from surrounding water. DNA and RNA were extracted to study both the gut microbiome and gene expression in fish and associated microbes. Microbial communities were characterized using genetic sequencing, and gene expression analyses were used to identify potential roles in carbonate formation.

The surprising role of vibrios

They found that vibrios, particularly Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae-were highly abundant in both the gut and associated ichthyocarbonates. These bacteria showed genetic potential for processes linked to ichthyocarbonate production, suggesting they may contribute to mineral formation alongside the fish host.

"Most life on Earth is microbial, driving nutrient cycles and ecosystem function while revealing new dimensions of biological diversity through symbiosis," said Grosell. "The ocean is especially rich in these partnerships, and the toadfish-vibrio symbiosis potentially linked to calcium carbonate production is a striking new example."

Publication details

Anthony M. Bonacolta et al, Symbiotic bacteria may support calcium carbonate precipitation in the Gulf toadfish, PLOS Biology (2026). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003764

Citation: Fish-microbe partnership may influence ocean health by making carbon-trapping minerals (2026, May 29) retrieved 1 June 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-05-fish-microbe-partnership-ocean-health.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fish-microbe partnership may influence ocean health by making carbon-trapping minerals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New research reveals a potential link between the gut microbes of a fish and global ocean processes, offering new insight into how marine ecosystems help regulate ocean chemistry and the marine carbon cycle. The study, titled "Symbiotic bacteria may support calcium carbonate precipitation in the Gulf toadfish," is published in the journal PLOS Biology.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maya Cassidy #9 - Africa's Forests Transformed from Carbon Sinks to Carbon Sources

# data[].attributes.subject
Maya Cassidy #9 - Africa's Forests Transformed from Carbon Sinks to Carbon Sources

# data[].attributes.body
Forests are a main carbon store, absorbing much of the emission from human activities. But, human interference has jeopardized forests ability to absorb more carbon dioxide than they release. In this article by Jonathan Watts, he discusses how African forests, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and parts of west Africa, have turned from carbon sinks to sources. This matter is extremely significant as forests are natural climate stabilizers and this change will completely transform their ecosystems. This transformation from being allies in the fight against climate change to contributors can be attributed to the loss of biomass through human activities. Land in these forests are being cleared for food production, infrastructure projects, and mining, causing loss of vegetation and global heating. Together these effects are degrading the resilience of these ecosystems. The article references studies that discovered between 2010 and 2017 African forests have lost 106bn kg of biomass per year, and since 2010 have flipped and are now releasing more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. This officially makes African forests sources of CO2, adding to the long list of carbon emitting processes.

This article is extremely concerning as we have learned that forests are very important in regulating the carbon cycle and amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Also, if these harmful practices are not only happening in the African forests, therefore forests all over the world will soon transform just as the African forests have, into carbon sources. This concerns me the most as the clearing of forests and production within them seems to be an unstoppable task so the loss of carbon sinks is inevitable. I also assume that once this happens around the world it will be irreversible, meaning humans have caused yet another tipping point.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Africa’s forests transformed from carbon sink to carbon source, study finds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Alarming shift since 2010 means planet’s three main rainforest regions now contribute to climate breakdown

# data[].attributes.headline
Lily Royce #10- Venice’s growing flamingo population finds refuge in recovering wetlands

# data[].attributes.subject
Lily Royce #10- Venice’s growing flamingo population finds refuge in recovering wetlands

# data[].attributes.body
Despite the fact that many wetland ecosystems have been damaged by human activity some wetlands, like the Venetian Lagoon in Italy, are slowly making a recovery. In Venetian Lagoon nearly 24,000 flamingos have returned because of wetland restoration and better environmental conditions. Wetlands are a vital habitat for many species. Not only are wetlands a habitat but they heavily support biodiversity by proving food, shelter, and breeding grounds. Scientists believe that the growth of the flamingo population in the Venetian Lagoon is due to restoration efforts and overall better management of the lagoon. The return of the flamingos demonstrates that despite the damage done to ecosystems they can still make a recovery. This article overall highlights the positive impacts of restoration in biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Coming from an ecocentric view point it's uplifting to see how humans can make a positive impact on ecosystems that benefit the environment rather than harm it. The damages that humans do to the environment, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and endangering species, are more widely talked about which is why this article was so refreshing and nice to read. The people responsible for the wetlands took a stand and did something important to protect these wetlands. Their decisions not only benefited the flamingos but also helped many other species who also relied on these wetlands. Overall this article is an example of how important environmental education is, these people recognized that it was important to preserve biodiversity in these wetlands and were able to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Venice’s growing flamingo population finds refuge in recovering wetlands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flamingos are flocking to the Venetian Lagoon in record numbers as ecological efforts restore damaged wetlands.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lily Royce #9- "Don't cut them down: Letting dead trees rot can help make new life"

# data[].attributes.subject
Lily Royce #9- "Don't cut them down: Letting dead trees rot can help make new life"

# data[].attributes.body
Although many people view dead trees as a safety hazard or just useless, scientists have found that trees actually play an important role in forest ecosystems. Leaving dead trees in forests after wildfires or logging helps the ecosystems to make a full natural recovery as well as supporting biodiversity. The dead trees become a habitat and provide nutrients for insects, fungi, birds, and plants. As the trees slowly decompose they release nutrients back into the soil that help support new growth and ecological succession. Many dead trees are removed from forests because people think that by removing them the forests will be safer and healthier, when in fact it's the opposite. Scientists argue that removing these dead trees can damage the ecosystems by disrupting nutrient cycling and reducing habitats for many species. Overall this article highlights how natural processes like decomposition are vital for maintaining healthy and balanced ecosystems.

Coming from an ecocentric viewpoint I think it's frustrating that our ecosystems are being disrupted by people who don't understand the role of these dead trees. These people make assumptions that removing these trees helps the forests when in reality it harms them even more because it disrupts biodiversity and slows down the recovery of the ecosystem from the tree loss. Forest ecosystems actually rely on decomposition and nutrient ycling to maintain stability and overall health. I believe it's important that people gain a greater environmental education in order to prevent damage to our environment. It's important that humans allow ecosystems to make a full recovery naturally without tampering with the process by removing the trees. Over all I think this article strongly showed the importance of evornmental awareness, reminding us that the environment can do great things on its own without human interference.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Don't cut them down: Letting dead trees rot can help make new life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From microbes to four-legged critters, dead trees play an essential role in a forest's ecosystem. Experts say it's rare that removal is necessary.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maps Show How 2026  El Niño Could Impact the US- #9 London Bieler-Morris

# data[].attributes.subject
Maps Show How 2026  El Niño Could Impact the US- #9 London Bieler-Morris

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about the predicted El Niño that might occur this upcoming summer. El Niño is a natural climate cycle within the tropical Pacific, more specifically, it's the warm phase. The cycle is overall irregular and can appear within every 2-7 years. It affects wind and rainfall patterns across the tropic pacific. Since the Pacific Ocean is the world's largest ocean, El Niño always has the potential to have worldwide impacts. There is an 82% chance that there will be an El Niño emergence between May and July. The El Niño can affect the US by causing more flooding because of increased rainfall and thunderstorms. Not only does an El Niño cause extreme heat, but it also causes extreme cold.

In my opinion, this is a very important topic because it could affect the United States and the world as a whole this summer and the upcoming year. The article provides maps to show how each state could potentially be affected by different severities of an El Niño. This is important because it keeps the general public aware of the effects of climate events and how they can alter everyday lives and the weather. This provides a chance for the people in states that could be potentially affected to get prepared for the extreme weather events that an El Niño includes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maps show how 2026 El Niño could impact the US

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
“El Niño is likely to emerge soon,” the Climate Prediction Center said in its latest update.

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Silbergleit #9 - The Changing Nitrogen Cycle

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Silbergleit #9 - The Changing Nitrogen Cycle

# data[].attributes.body
This article explained two ways humans are changing the nitrogen cycle, as well as how these changes affect ecosystems and humans. It starts with fertilizer usage. Plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen directly, so they must convert it into a usable form. Because of this, plant growth is really difficult in its natural form. So, people convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen fertilizers to increase plant growth. However, fertilizers are often overused, and that can cause many issues. One example of this is that fertilizer often helps weeds grow rather than the native plants. Another issue that is common is eutrophication, which is when nitrogen washes into waterways, causing an increased amount of nutrients and algae blooms. In addition to this, waters with high nitrogen levels can develop dead zones. Dead zones consist of oxygen levels are too low for the animals to survive. An abundance of nitrogen can also pollute the air. Nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide form during combustion and can become smog, which pollutes the air. Nitrogen oxide is also a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming when too much is released into the atmosphere. Overall, too much nitrogen can cause serious problems for our environment.

This article helped me better understand the effects of nitrogen on the environment. When I was learning about it previously, I was more focused on the positive aspects of nitrogen and how it helped plants grow. However, now I see it in a new light that is not as positive. Like most things, nitrogen has its ups and downs. It can be very helpful to an ecosystem, but too much can cause serious problems. I think this article was very informative and helpful to someone who wants to learn more about the negative aspects of nitrogen within the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Look up into the sky and you look through millions of air molecules, eighty percent of which are nitrogen molecules - two atoms of nitrogen bonded together.

Nitrogen is found all over the planet, not just in the sky. It is in living things, air, water, even animal waste. It travels between living and non-living parts of our planet via a process called the nitrogen cycle, which is one of the Earth's biogeochemical cycles.

As humans change the way we live on the planet, the way that nitrogen moves around the Earth also changes. Nitrogen atoms may seem small enough to be easily overlooked. We look right through the ones in the air, do we not? Yet recent changes in the nitrogen cycle are causing a very noticeable effect on natural environments and human health. Lakes are clogged with aquatic weeds. Dead zones have formed in areas of the oceans where animals can not survive. Air pollutants that contain nitrogen are decreasing air quality and greenhouse gases that contain nitrogen are becoming more common.

Below are two examples of how humans are changing the nitrogen cycle and how the changing nitrogen cycle affects humans and ecosystems.

Fertilizing the Earth with Nitrogen

Plants need nitrogen to grow. Plants are not able to use the nitrogen that is in the atmosphere for this, even though there is tons of it available. It's just not in a form that plants can use. So they get the nitrogen they need from the soil where bacteria have converted it into a usable form. In natural conditions, plant growth is limited in many places by the amount of usable nitrogen that is available in the soil.

To grow more crops, people have been transforming nitrogen from the atmosphere into nitrogen fertilizers and then adding the fertilizers to the plants. This has been very successful over the past century, allowing people to farm on lands that had not been as productive in the past, and to produce enough food for growing populations of people. However, fertilizers are often overused, and that can cause problems.

Nitrogen from fertilizers sinks into soils, often creating conditions that favor the growth of weeds rather than native plants. Nitrogen then washes into waterways, causing a surplus of nutrients, a situation called eutrophication. In freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams eutrophication causes aquatic weeds to grow unchecked. They sometimes fill entire lakes, rivers, or streams. Algae cloud the water green and slimy algal scum coats shallow rocks.

When the nitrogen-rich waters make their way downstream to the ocean, they cause even more problems. Every summer for more than 30 years, high nitrogen levels at the Mississippi River Delta have caused a dead zone where the water empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This dead zone, in which oxygen levels are too low for animals to survive, covered more that 8000 square miles (more than 20,000 km2) of ocean in 2001. It forms when nitrogen in the water causes algae to grow and reproduce very quickly. As the huge amounts of algae die and decompose, oxygen in the water is used up. Animals can not survive without oxygen. They flee to another part of the ocean if they can, or they die.

Although it is one of the larger dead zones in the world today, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is not one of a kind. There are about 150 dead zones in the world's oceans. Almost all of them are located at the mouths of rivers where fertilizers and other nutrient sources like sewage and livestock waste are added to the seawater.

Releasing Nitrogen Pollutants to the Air

Most of the air in our atmosphere is made of nitrogen gas. But there are other gases in our atmosphere that contain nitrogen as well. They make up only a small fraction of the air molecules in our atmosphere, but their numbers are growing and, even in small amounts, they are causing huge changes in our planet.

Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) molecules form during combustion in car engines, power plants, and factories. They can contribute to smog when combined with oxygen molecules and the fumes from paint and gasoline (called Volatile Organic Compounds). They can also contribute to acid rain if mixed with water vapor, turning into nitric acid. Nitrogen dioxide will break apart in sunlight and the free oxygen atoms latch onto oxygen molecules forming dangerous ground-level ozone.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas. It is also known as "laughing gas" because it is known to make people laugh when it is given to medical patients to numb pain. The amount of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has increased since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, as Earth's climate has gotten warmer.

Nitrous oxide forms during combustion, just like nitrogen dioxide, and is also released into the atmosphere from farm animals, sewage, and fertilizers. There are natural ways that nitrous oxide gets into the atmosphere too, including from tiny microbes that alter nitrogen in the soils of tropical forests.

© 2011 NESTA with modifications by UCAR

# data[].attributes.headline
#9 - Jalize Morrobel-Rios - The Alaskan Permafrost is Thawing

# data[].attributes.subject
#9 - Jalize Morrobel-Rios - The Alaskan Permafrost is Thawing

# data[].attributes.body
The article that I read discussed a new study about the process of the Arctic permafrosts. This study was led by geoscientist Michael Rawlins. He studied how warming temperatures are reshaping water systems and releasing long frozen carbon. The study took place in a region of Alaska’s North Slope. Here, Micheal Rawlins found that the runoff in this area is rising sharply. This means that rivers are carrying increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, and what they call the “thaw season” is now extending later into the year. I learned rivers in the Arctic deliver about 11% of the world’s river water into the ocean. This makes the Arctic Ocean especially sensitive to changes occurring in rivers and streams across the region. “Each year, more than 275 million tons of it are converted into carbon dioxide, adding to global warming and creating a feedback loop that can intensify climate change.” Based on the study researchers discovered found that while runoff and thawing are increasing across the region, the largest rise in “carbon export” is occurring in northwest Alaska.

In my opinion this article was interesting for me to learn about especially with the topics and units we have been learning about in the past couple of weeks. I learned things through this article that I had never known or thought of before. For example, I hadn’t known the relationship between warming temperature’s which lead to the thawing of carbon. This is ultimately another reason for global warming due to carbon and how it flows through the carbon cycle. Finally, it is extremely important for us to learn about important topics like this one, so we are fully able to understand how global warming has developed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A massive arctic thaw is unleashing carbon frozen for thousands of years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A sweeping new study reveals that as Arctic permafrost thaws, it is dramatically reshaping rivers and releasing vast amounts of ancient carbon that had been locked away for thousands of years. By analyzing decades of high-resolution data across northern Alaska, scientists found that runoff is increasing, rivers are carrying more dissolved carbon, and the thawing season is stretching further into the fall. This carbon eventually reaches the ocean, where some of it turns into carbon dioxide, intensifying global warming.

# data[].attributes.headline
#9 - Chace Cameron | Mining Into Geothermal Energy

# data[].attributes.subject
#9 - Chace Cameron | Mining Into Geothermal Energy

# data[].attributes.body
In Cumberland, British Columbia, a discovery of abandoned tunnels for mining could be utilized for heat in buildings, along with lower costs of electric systems. The mine water would help protect the ideas of sustainability among the community, especially as this area has struggled with finding environmentally healthy ways to keep the mining industry alive. To further these ideas, the University of Victoria is partnering with the Accelerating Community Energy Transformation to combine the ideas of ways of renewable energy with research. In the project, researchers are identifying how water stuck in the mines can convert to geothermal energy - hence, a heating system for buildings throughout the town.

I enjoyed reading this article, however, I wished the researchers could have explained the process of geothermal mining more thoroughly and correlated to which chemical process it could help, other than primarily geothermal energy. Although, it was interesting to see an over century old chemical system still be able to work today and have relevance towards regulating needs. It’s nice to see that scientists can discover artifacts without destroying their original use/purpose, but rather create a sustainable practice that can influence others to do the same if applicable. Hence, pursuing such a rare way to sustain electricity utilizing the process of physically exchanging heat is interesting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This town found clean energy deep inside old coal mines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cumberland, B.C. is reimagining its coal mining past as a clean energy opportunity. Water trapped in abandoned mine tunnels could be used in a geothermal system to heat and cool buildings efficiently and with minimal emissions. The project could lower energy costs, support new development, and attract businesses. It’s a striking example of turning industrial leftovers into a sustainable community asset.

# data[].attributes.headline
#8 - Ryen Waters - Climate Change is Causing Major Biome Shifts

# data[].attributes.subject
#8 - Ryen Waters - Climate Change is Causing Major Biome Shifts

# data[].attributes.body
The article covers the effects of climate change on the habitats of plant species globally and the significant changes in biomes. Researchers analyzed over 67,000 plant species and found that many will lose much of their potential habitat by 2100 due to climate change and land-use change. The article describes the vulnerability of the Arctic and dry regions to climate change. With warming temperatures, ecosystems are shifting quickly, and species are shifting in response to cooler regions and/or higher elevations. New plant communities that have not been observed before may form in some places. This relates directly to IB ESS Topic 2.4 as the distribution, productivity and biodiversity of biomes is influenced by climate. The article also applies to the Arctic, where warmer temperatures are causing tundra ecosystems to shift to shrublands.

I believe that this environmental question is very significant as plants are the basis of the food webs and ecosystems. The disappearance or spread of plant species may lead to the destabilisation of entire ecosystems. A thing that struck me was the fact that climate change is warming up the planet, and is also permanently altering biomes and biodiversity. I was particularly interested in the changes in the Arctic biome, as it was an example of the rapid changes in ecosystems that occur when temperatures increase. I think that the governments should pay more attention to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems, before it is too late. Countries could spend more on renewable energy, reforestation and conservation initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change. I believe that people have a role to play in decreasing energy waste and supporting environmental policies. This article gave me insight into the fact that climate change impacts all aspects of the environment, including plants, animals, and human societies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Study looked at more than 67,000 vascular plant species

Up to 16% could lose more than 90% of their range by 2100

May 23 (Reuters) - Some of the plants that make familiar landscapes recognizable may not survive by century's end as climate change becomes an increasingly important driver of species loss, according to scientists, reshaping and often shrinking suitable ​habitats that the plants need to survive.

Researchers modelled future ranges for numerous species of vascular plants, a category that accounts for almost all the ‌world's plants - those with water- and nutrient-carrying tissues. They looked at more than 67,000 species, meaning about 18% of the world's known vascular plants.

Sign up here.

They found that 7% to 16% could lose more than 90% of their range, placing them at high risk of extinction. Examples include Catalina ironwood, or island ironwood, a rare endemic California tree, bluish spike-moss from a plant lineage dating back more than 400 million years, ​and roughly one third of Eucalyptus species, one of Australia's most recognizable plant groups.

The researchers came to their estimates after examining millions of records on plant locations ​as well as greenhouse-gas emissions scenarios for 2081-2100.

A plant's habitat is not simply a place on a map, but the full array ⁠of conditions it needs: temperature, rainfall, soils, land use and landscape features such as shade.

"One way to picture this is to imagine plants trying to follow a moving 'climate envelope.' ​As temperatures warm, many species can shift northward or uphill to stay cool enough. But temperature is only part of the story," Junna Wang, a Yale University postdoctoral researcher, and ​Xiaoli Dong, a professor of environmental science and policy at the University of California, Davis, said in joint comments to Reuters.

Wang and Dong helped lead the study published in the journal Science, opens new tab .

In many places, the study indicated, climate change is shrinking these combinations, leaving fewer areas where all the conditions that a species needs still exist together.

For plants, movement, or dispersal, usually happens across generations, via seeds or spores ​carried by wind, water, animals or gravity. Yet when the researchers compared realistic movement with a scenario in which plants could reach any newly suitable habitat, extinction rates were ​very similar.

"If slow movement were the main problem, then allowing unlimited dispersal should dramatically reduce extinction risk. But that is not what we found," Wang and Dong said.

That matters for conservation.

"If dispersal limitation ‌were the ⁠main driver, then strategies like assisted migration - physically helping species move to new areas - could solve much of the problem. But if climate change is reducing the amount of suitable habitat overall, then simply helping species move may not be enough," they added.

The projected impacts vary by region. Cold-adapted plants in the Arctic may lose habitat as extreme cold climates shrink. Dry regions, including parts of the western United States and Mediterranean-climate regions, face risk from stronger drought, lower soil moisture and more frequent wildfires. In southern and eastern coastal Australia, ​coastlines may limit poleward shifts.

At the same ​time, local plant diversity could rise across ⁠about 28% of Earth's land surface as species move into newly suitable areas, including parts of the tropics and subtropics where increased rainfall - rather than temperature alone - could make conditions suitable for additional species, the researchers found.

They described this as a global reshuffling, with ​some species disappearing from parts of their historical range while others move into new areas, but said local gains do not mean ​plants are doing better ⁠overall.

These shifts could also create "novel communities" - combinations of plants that have not historically lived together but would begin encountering one another for the first time. How would these interactions play out? The researchers said they do not know.

Plants underpin most terrestrial ecosystems. They store carbon, stabilize soils, support wildlife and provide food, timber, medicines and other materials. So changes in plant diversity can ⁠have cascading ​effects on nature and people.

"If climate change reduces vegetation cover, ecosystems may absorb less carbon dioxide from the ​atmosphere, which can further intensify warming. That creates a feedback loop in which climate change harms plants, and reduced plant cover/productivity in turn worsens climate change," Wang and Dong said.

"Ultimately, protecting plant diversity is not only about ​conserving nature for its own sake - it is also about maintaining the ecological systems that support human societies," they said.

Reporting by Marta Serafinko in Gdansk, Poland; editing by Will Dunham

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Climate change threatens global plant species as habitats shrink

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some of the plants that make familiar landscapes recognizable may not survive by century's end, according to scientists.

# data[].attributes.headline
#8 - Chace Cameron | Arctic Ocean Passes Tipping Point

# data[].attributes.subject
#8 - Chace Cameron | Arctic Ocean Passes Tipping Point

# data[].attributes.body
Unfortunately, as of this month, the Arctic Ocean has passed a tipping point as sea ice has taken away the ocean’s nitrate; the nutrient for plankton. Hence, disrupting the food web, causing additional climate change. Throughout the past twenty years, researchers have seen changes in organism population, but did not have a clear answer, but by the time the conclusion was revealed, the nitrate levels in water decreased, along with amounts of sea ice. As this occurred, the nitrate turned into nitrogen gas, which began to cover the sea floors of the Ocean. Therefore, this decline in nitrate, creates a less-productive food web as there is not as much energy for the initial organisms, plankton to feed off of. Pushing past this tipping point could result in the consequence of no carbon left among the atmosphere for chemical processes, such as photosynthesis, meaning a lot of food webs would not be able to begin and or recover. However, a way to combat this issue is addressing the issue with additional research in order to begin restoration among loss of biodiversity, and better management of aquatic ecosystems.

I believe that it is extremely unfortunate that the Arctic Ocean's ecosystem has to deal with these negative effects and that the events are detrimental to the extent that they are near pushing past a tipping point. Truly, the initial component to address the issue is research and awareness, as the article stated. The main segment that should be the primary focus is to increase the amount of nitrate among the atmosphere, so that the nitrogen cycle is able to fixate the initial quantity of nitrogen to convert into nitrate. In order for that to occur, human interventions, such as fossil fuel combustion and water pollution need to decrease almost immediately.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Arctic Ocean passed a tipping point and scientists say it may never recover

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Arctic Ocean may have crossed a dangerous tipping point. Scientists say the rapid disappearance of sea ice is triggering a hidden chemical shift that is stripping the ocean of nitrate — a nutrient essential for the tiny plankton that support Arctic life. As nitrate levels plunge, the entire food web could feel the impact, from fish and seabirds to whales and polar ecosystems.

# data[].attributes.headline
James Russell #9- Drought and wildfires transforming the Amazon rainforest

# data[].attributes.subject
James Russell #9- Drought and wildfires transforming the Amazon rainforest

# data[].attributes.body
This World Wildlife Fund article explains how climate change, drought, and increasing wildfire activity are threatening the stability of the Amazon's rainforest biome (Topic 2.4). The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and plays a major role in regulating the global climate by absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. However, rising global temperatures and deforestation have caused longer dry seasons and more frequent fires, which weaken the rainforest's ability to recover naturally. The article also discusses how parts of the Amazon are beginning to shift from dense rainforest into drier savanna-like ecosystems, which could permanently alter regional climates and biodiversity. From an ESS perspective, this issue demonstrates the interaction between climate systems and biomes, as well as the importance of carbon sinks in maintaining atmospheric balance. It also shows how human activities such as logging and land clearing can intensify the effect of climate change within fragile ecosystems.

In my opinion, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest is one of the most dangerous environmental issues because the biome is critical for both biodiversity and climate regulation. If large portions of the rainforest continue to disappear. The impact could extend far beyond South America by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and accelerating global warming. A realistic solution would involve stronger international cooperation to reduce deforestation and protect indigenous land rights, since indigenous communities often manage forests sustatinability. Governments should enforce stricter penalties on illegal logging and invest in sustainable agricultural practices that reduce pressure on rainforest land. Reforestation projects could also help restore damaged areas. Although regrowth takes many years. From an environmental viewpoint, this issue demonstrates how biomes are interconnected with Earth's climate system and why protecting major ecosystems is essential for long-term environmental stability and sustainability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Amazon Rainforest is incredibly vast and diverse. See why WWF prioritizes its protection for the health of the planet and its species.

# data[].attributes.headline
David Smith #9- Amazon rainforest flipped to carbon source 

# data[].attributes.subject
David Smith #9- Amazon rainforest flipped to carbon source 

# data[].attributes.body
This article explains how the Amazon rainforest changed from a carbon sink into a carbon source during the extreme drought of 2023. Typically the Amazon removes massive amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere by photosynthesis and sequesters carbon in the trees and vegetation. In 2023, however, with unusually warm temperatures and very low rainfall, scientists discovered that the rainforest's emissions of carbon exceeded its uptake of carbon. The CO₂ measurements, satellite data, and computer modeling were used to study the carbon cycle of the rainforest. They found that carbon release was due primarily to the reduction of vegetation uptake rather than an increase of fire. Between 10 and 170 million tons of carbon dioxide were released into the air by the rainforest. It was also explained that droughts were linked with warmer ocean temperatures that helped to decrease moisture moving in to South America. The findings of this study indicate that climate extremes have the potential to impact the global carbon cycle and reduce one of the most critical sinks of carbon on Earth.

This article is significant in my opinion as it demonstrates the potential impact of climate change on the natural balance of the carbon cycle. This is directly related to IB ESS Topic 2.3 as carbon dioxide is normally removed from the atmosphere by the Amazon rainforest, stored in biomass. If there is a drought and high temperatures which slow photosynthesis, then less carbon is taken in and more remains in the atmosphere, which leads to a greater greenhouse effect. I believe this is a bad idea because this is a positive feedback cycle of carbon emissions as a result of this warming, which in turn will cause more warming. The Amazon’s ability to act as a carbon sink would be preserved and climate change could be slowed by reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. In general, I think this is an important topic as altering the carbon cycle can have global impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity and climate systems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

proofread

Early morning mist over the rainforest, taken at ATTO station. Credit: Philip Papastefanou

The Amazon rainforest is of crucial importance to the Earth's ecosystem, given its capacity to store substantial amounts of carbon in its vegetation. In 2023, the region experienced unusually high temperatures, reaching 1.5°C above the 1991-2020 average, accompanied by unusual levels of atmospheric dryness from September to November. These conditions were caused by warmer water temperatures in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that resulted in diminished moisture transport from the Atlantic to South America, and led to drought in the second half of 2023. An international research team, led by Santiago Botia at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, studied how these extreme conditions affected the Amazon rainforest's ability to absorb and store carbon.

To analyze the rainforest's carbon cycle, the researchers combined several complementary data streams: various CO₂ measurement techniques at the local Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), remotely-sensed data on vegetation status and activity from satellites, and computer simulations with vegetation models.

"As a result, we calculated that the Amazon became a source of carbon emissions in 2023; it released between 10 and 170 million tons of carbon, rather than absorbing it," says group leader Dr. Botia and first author of the study published in the journal AGU Advances.

Hot and dry conditions are often associated with elevated levels of fire activity, which in turn releases carbon into the atmosphere. However, based on the analysis of fire inventories derived from remote sensing, the occurrence of fires was within normal levels measured over the last two decades (2003-2023). "We therefore attribute the anomalous carbon release in 2023 mostly to a weakened vegetation uptake, rather than increased losses from fires," says Professor Susan Trumbore, head of the ATTO project in Germany.

Sunset at ATTO station. Credit: Philip Papastefanou

It is important to note that the vegetation absorbed more carbon than usual from January to April, which helped to reduce the total carbon loss by the end of the year. However, the researchers reported a shift from sink to source in May and a peak in October due to high temperatures and low humidity, when the rainforest began releasing more carbon. The team's findings suggest that the Amazon's reduced carbon absorption accounted for 30% of the net carbon source across all tropical lands in 2023.

The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) is located near Manaus in a well-preserved location in the central Brazilian Amazon. As one of the few sites in the region providing carbon cycle in situ data, it served as an important benchmark for the large-scale datasets.

"ATTO's multi-faceted observations have made a significant contribution to understanding how rainforests and adjacent regions respond to climate extremes," says Botia, "thus giving us an idea of how the rainforest might respond to continued warming in the future."

Observations and interpretation of data for the years following 2023 are expected with excitement.

Publication details

S. Botía et al, Reduced Vegetation Uptake During the Extreme 2023 Drought Turns the Amazon Into a Weak Carbon Source, AGU Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1029/2025av001658

Citation: Amazon rainforest flipped to carbon source during 2023 extreme drought, study shows (2026, February 16) retrieved 29 May 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-02-amazon-rainforest-flipped-carbon-source.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Amazon rainforest flipped to carbon source during 2023 extreme drought, study shows

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Amazon rainforest is of crucial importance to the Earth's ecosystem, given its capacity to store substantial amounts of carbon in its vegetation. In 2023, the region experienced unusually high temperatures, reaching 1.5°C above the 1991-2020 average, accompanied by unusual levels of atmospheric dryness from September to November.

# data[].attributes.headline
Claire George #9 - A Stormy Ocean Voyage Yields Insights on the Global Carbon Cycle

# data[].attributes.subject
Claire George #9 - A Stormy Ocean Voyage Yields Insights on the Global Carbon Cycle

# data[].attributes.body
During the Coronavirus pandemic, researchers led by UC Santa Barbara professor David Siegel launched the EXPORTS expedition in the North Atlantic to study the ocean’s biological carbon pumps. The aim of the study was to research how carbon from the ocean’s surface is transported into the deep sea. Sever storms, pandemic restrictions, and difficulty coordinating researchers and ships from multiple countries pushed the study back a few years, with the results finally being published in December of 2025. The mission successfully gathered data about marine snow, which are microscopic organic particles that carrying carbon into the deep ocean. Marine snow forms from phytoplankton, who initially absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Marine snow sinks quickly and stores carbon deep underwater for long period of time, becoming a part of the long carbon cycle. Marine snow is temporarily broken apart into smaller particles during sever storms, slowing carbon transport. After the storm passes, the particles regroup and sink deeper into the ocean. Once in deeper water, zooplankton breaks down marine snow for food, absorbing carbon for themselves.

This article was especially interesting to me because we just finished learning about the carbon cycle. Going back to the Gizmo we did for the carbon cycle, I remember the ocean being a large store for carbon. This article helped further my understanding of why the ocean is such a key part of the carbon cycle. I had never heard of marine snow before and it was fascinating to learn about their relationship with phytoplankton and zooplankton. I was worried learning that marine snow is broken up by storms because of the way our climate is changing. Just this past winter, the amount of storms and snow that they brought kept us out of school for days on end. I can only imagine how hurricane season will be with this winter setting the tone for the year to come. I had no idea that severe weather affected the carbon cycle and it increases my drive to conserve our current climate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A stormy ocean voyage yields insights on the global carbon cycle

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientists overcame storms and bureaucratic setbacks to investigate the ocean’s carbon cycle. The expedition revealed more about how tiny organic particles, known as marine snow, transport carbon.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rashiya Campbell- #9 California Farmers Warn Proposed Nitrogen Limits Could Force Farms Out of Business

# data[].attributes.subject
Rashiya Campbell- #9 California Farmers Warn Proposed Nitrogen Limits Could Force Farms Out of Business

# data[].attributes.body
The article explains that California farmers are worried about new rules that would limit how much nitrogen fertilizer they can use on their crops. Farmers say nitrogen is really important because it helps crops like almonds, pistachios, and other major California foods grow properly. However, too much nitrogen has been getting into groundwater and causing pollution that can make drinking water unsafe and harm the environment. The government wants to reduce this pollution by setting limits on fertilizer use. Farmers argue that these rules might be too strict and could hurt their ability to grow enough crops or even make farming too expensive for some farms to continue. They also say that not all farms are the same, so one rule might not work fairly for everyone.

In my opinion, Protecting the environment is important because polluted water can affect people, animals, and ecosystems for a long time. But farmers also need to make a living and produce food for everyone, so cutting nitrogen too much could cause problems for them too. A better solution could be teaching and helping farmers use fertilizer more efficiently instead of just limiting it. Things like soil testing, better farming technology, and using fertilizers that release nutrients slowly could help reduce pollution without hurting crop production as much. This way, the environment gets protected while farmers can still do their jobs successfully.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
California Farmers Warn Proposed Nitrogen Limits Could Force Farms Out of Business

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
California farmers warn a proposed nitrogen bill could drastically limit fertilizer use, expand reporting requirements and make growing crops like citrus, lettuce and pistachios nearly impossible.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacqueline Gama #9 - Algal toxins emerge as a new concern in Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacqueline Gama #9 - Algal toxins emerge as a new concern in Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea

# data[].attributes.body
The article explores how climate change is transforming the Bering Strait region and creating new environmental risks for Indigenous communities that depend on marine ecosystems for subsistence. A major focus of the article is the spread of harmful algal blooms caused by the algae Alexandrium, which produces dangerous toxins such as saxitoxin and gonyautoxin. Scientists and local students discovered detectable levels of these toxins in tomcod, a traditional food source in Nome, Alaska. The article explains that warming ocean temperatures and declining sea ice are allowing massive algal blooms to survive farther north than ever before. One especially striking idea is the description of Alexandrium cyst beds as a “sleeping giant” beneath the ocean floor, capable of producing some of the largest toxic blooms in the world when temperatures become warm enough. I thought the article was extremely effective because it combined scientific research with the experiences of Indigenous communities, showing how environmental change affects both ecosystems and cultural traditions. The article also highlights how food webs are becoming contaminated in unexpected ways, creating uncertainty about the long-term safety of marine resources. Overall, the article clearly demonstrates the interconnectedness of climate systems, marine biodiversity, and human survival in Arctic regions.

Another important theme in the article is the impact human-driven climate change is having on fragile Arctic ecosystems and traditional ways of life. Rising sea temperatures, melting ice, increased industrial fishing, and expanding ship traffic are all disrupting the balance of the Bering Sea environment. The article explains that clams, walruses, fish, and even marine mammals are now being exposed to toxins that were previously uncommon in the region. I found the discussion about walruses particularly disturbing because toxins may weaken animals slowly over time, making them unable to forage effectively and eventually leading to starvation. The article also emphasizes that Indigenous communities are being forced to adapt quickly to environmental threats that did not exist for previous generations. Many residents became fearful of eating traditional foods and had to rely on expensive store-bought alternatives after the toxic blooms appeared. I believe this is one of the most significant parts of the article because it shows that climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a cultural and social issue. The article is highly informative because it demonstrates how climate change creates cascading effects throughout ecosystems, from microscopic algae to entire human communities. It also encourages readers to understand the importance of scientific monitoring, local knowledge, and environmental protection in preserving both biodiversity and traditional lifestyles for the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Algal toxins emerge as a new concern in Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea | Alaska Beacon

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the Northern Bering Sea undergoes cascading effects of a warming climate, algal risks pose a new challenge.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lucy Jurkiewicz #9 - Blair’s fossil fuel ideas ‘bizarre’ in face of energy and climate crises, experts say

# data[].attributes.subject
Lucy Jurkiewicz #9 - Blair’s fossil fuel ideas ‘bizarre’ in face of energy and climate crises, experts say

# data[].attributes.body
An article published in the Guardian talks about the recent motions to rid the net zero emissions goal of 2050, and exploit all oil and gas resources. Energy experts claim that solar and wind energy are much more reliable than energy from fossil fuels. The UK also just recently broke records for solar energy production during a heat wave, linking majorly to climate change. Scientists have warned that continued dependence on the production of fossil fuels can lead to drastic climate changes like drought, heat waves, and floods which not only affect the well-being of the planet, but also can cost billions of dollars in repairs. The UK government reaffirmed its commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and said it would continue transitioning toward clean energy rather than approving new exploration licenses. The article generally rejects Prime Minister Blair’s proposal, claiming that renewable energy and electrification are the better long-term solutions for economic stability and energy security.

In my opinion, the article makes a strong argument for continuing the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions and renewable energy. I think expanding oil and gas drilling may provide short-term profits for some companies, but it does not solve the long-term problems caused by climate change. The article showed how heatwaves, droughts, and rising energy instability are already affecting people and the economy. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind seem like a smarter investment because they can provide cleaner, more sustainable energy while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Although some people argue that more drilling could help energy security, I agree with the experts in the article who believe that transitioning to clean energy is the better path for both the environment and the economy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blair’s fossil fuel ideas ‘bizarre’ in face of energy and climate crises, experts say

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Energy specialists say abandoning net zero and increasing oil and gas drilling would cause more instability for Britons

# data[].attributes.headline
Gaby Smeraglino #9 Native Plants and Climate Change

# data[].attributes.subject
Gaby Smeraglino #9 Native Plants and Climate Change

# data[].attributes.body
The article “Native Plants and Climate Change” explains how native plants can help the environment as climate change becomes a bigger problem. Native plants are plants that naturally grow in a certain area, so they are already adapted to the local weather, soil, and animals. The article explains that these plants usually need less water, fertilizer, and care compared to nonnative plants. Native plants also help support wildlife like birds, bees, and butterflies because animals depend on them for food and shelter. Another important point in the article is that climate change is affecting plant growth and ecosystems, so using native plants can make environments stronger and more stable. I thought the article was interesting because it showed how something as simple as planting the right plants can help protect ecosystems and reduce environmental damage over time.

In my opinion, the article gives a strong argument for why people should use more native plants in gardens, parks, and communities. I agree that small environmental actions can make a difference when many people work together. Native plants seem like a smart solution because they help wildlife while also saving water and reducing pollution from fertilizers and chemicals. From my environmental viewpoint, protecting ecosystems is important because humans depend on healthy environments for clean air, water, and food. I also think many people do not realize how much climate change can affect plants and animals over time. The article helped me understand that using native plants is not only good for nature but also a practical way to help communities adapt to climate change in the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How is climate change affecting native plants? Some plant species will adapt to climate change and some plant populations will migrate to new areas by seed dispersal. Some species may go locally extinct. Here we explore the possible changes to plant populations as the climate warms.

# data[].attributes.headline
Gaby Smeraglio #10 Smaller farmer’s fields can reduce biodiversity loss and increase wild plants

# data[].attributes.subject
Gaby Smeraglio #10 Smaller farmer’s fields can reduce biodiversity loss and increase wild plants

# data[].attributes.body
The article “Smaller farmers’ fields can reduce biodiversity loss and increase wild plants, birds, beetles and bats” explains how smaller farm fields can help protect nature and improve biodiversity. The researchers found that farms with smaller fields had more wild plants, birds, beetles, and bats compared to farms with large fields. This happens because smaller fields usually create more edges, hedges, and natural spaces where animals and plants can live. The article also explains that modern farming with very large fields can harm ecosystems because it removes habitats that many species need to survive. I thought the article was interesting because it showed that farming and protecting nature can work together instead of against each other. The evidence in the article helped explain how changing the size of farm fields could make a big environmental difference without completely changing farming itself.

In my opinion, the article makes an important point about how humans can farm in ways that are better for the environment. I agree that protecting biodiversity should be a major goal because plants and animals are all connected in ecosystems. If species disappear, it can affect food chains and the health of the environment overall. I also think the article shows that small changes can sometimes have a large positive impact. Instead of only focusing on producing more food as quickly as possible, farmers and governments should also think about long-term environmental effects. From my environmental viewpoint, balancing agriculture with nature is very important for the future. The article helped me understand that even simple farming changes, like using smaller fields, can help wildlife survive while still supporting food production for people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Around the world, biodiversity is dropping precipitously. In North America, about three billion birds have been lost over recent decades and amphibian populations are declining at a rate of about four per cent per year. Globally, insects are vanishing at a rate of about nine per cent per decade.

This is distressing for nature lovers. It is also worrying on a practical level: in agricultural landscapes, wild species perform many important activities such as pollination and control of insect pests.

A highly effective way to reduce biodiversity losses in agricultural regions is to increase the amount of natural and semi-natural habitats such as forests, hedgerows, prairie strips and other non-crop areas. This has led to various government incentives for farmers to leave some areas out of production. But there are limits to how much land farmers can leave for biodiversity, while foregoing opportunities for crop production.

The benefit of small crop fields

Small fields can help. Farmers can maintain or increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes by planting their crops in smaller fields.

For example, instead of planting two large fields, they could plant eight small fields, keeping the same total amount of land in production. Note that this is not about the size of a farm, but about the average size of crop fields.

A very large farm could, in theory, be composed of a very large number of small fields, where a "field" is an area in a particular crop type, such as a corn field or a hay field. Adjacent areas in the same crop type are separate fields if they are divided by even a narrow bit of non-field such as a hedgerow, a fence line, a track or a ditch.

My colleagues and I have found remarkably consistent increases in biodiversity with decreasing average field size, across eight very different agricultural regions in five countries - and for a wide array of wildlife types.

The number of species of plants, pollinators including bees, butterflies and syrphid flies, and pest-eating wildlife such as spiders, carabid beetles, birds, frogs and bats, all increase with decreasing average field size. For example, biodiversity is about 50 per cent higher when the average field size drops to two hectares from eight hectares.

(Shutterstock)

In fact, the benefit to biodiversity of reducing crop field sizes appears to be greater than two other commonly suggested methods for increasing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes - reducing pesticide use and increasing crop diversity, the number of different crop types grown in a landscape.

The best of both worlds

One question is whether the increased biodiversity is due to the additional non-cropped strips of semi-natural land, such as hedgerows, between fields. In other words, is there actually less cropland - and more semi-natural land - in an agricultural landscape with eight small fields than in a landscape with two large ones?

Our research shows that in fact biodiversity is higher in a landscape with smaller crop fields, even for the same total amount of natural and semi-natural habitat, including all the little pieces such as hedgerows.

(Shutterstock)

We don't know yet why biodiversity is higher in landscapes with smaller crop fields. One possibility is that when crop fields are smaller, the natural habitats are closer together.

This would increase the ability of wildlife to easily access natural habitats from crop fields. Crop fields may provide temporary food sources for wildlife, such as when a crop is in flower or when there is a pest outbreak. Natural areas are also needed for breeding and overwintering sites and for escape from farming operations such as plowing.

When wildlife can easily move back and forth between crops and natural spaces, perhaps they have access to the best of both worlds.

The farmer's dilemma

Altogether, our research suggests a " many small " approach to support biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

But can farmers readily reduce the sizes of fields? In many parts of the world, just the opposite has been happening over the past 50 years.

Fields are being consolidated by removing the tracks, fences, stone walls and hedgerows that once separated them. Farmers do this to increase the efficiency of their operations. But in doing so, they reduce the populations of wildlife that help support agriculture.

The net cost or benefit to farmers of reducing field sizes while maintaining the same area in production has not yet been studied. But the benefits to biodiversity are now clear.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Smaller farmer's fields can reduce biodiversity loss and increase wild plants, birds, beetles and bats

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around the world, biodiversity is dropping precipitously. In North America, about three billion birds have been lost over recent decades and amphibian populations are declining at a rate of about four per cent per year. Globally, insects are vanishing at a rate of about nine per cent per decade.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chloe Gelin #9 -The National Grasslands Story

# data[].attributes.subject
Chloe Gelin #9 -The National Grasslands Story

# data[].attributes.body
This article is from the United States Forest Service, illustrates the overall history of the national grasslands  located in United States.  the specific grasslands were mainly originated  during the 1930s specifically after the Dust Bowl, when major droughts and poor farming practices resulted in massive soil erosion throughout the Great Plains. the federal government purchased damaged farmland with the goal of trying to work and restore the ecosystems through Land Management Programs as well as conservation.  now currently today. there are around 20 National grasslands  managed specifically from the United States Forest Service, that are currently covering almost 4 million Acres. this article demonstrates the importance of grasslands on how it protects biodiversity, Soil and Water Resources. National grasslands pass out better habitats for many species including bird, bison, prairie dogs as well as many other endangered animals. they also help out with many different activities such as hiking, hunting, as well as camping. grasslands are also a great source of wildlife observation to gain new knowledge throughout our ecosystems.  Additionally, the article includes that grasslands help prevent erosion and also increase the overall ecosystem's health it helps save parts of Americas natural and cultural history. To conclude the National Grasslands are considered a key influence  towards the benefits towards the ecosystem.

I personally think after reading this article it helped me gain a better understanding of the importance of protecting grasslands and how there are many environmental damages that can leave in the long run with the effects on both nature as well as Society. I also find it interesting on how the national grasslands were created because of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s due to  poor farming practices as well as many other negative  actions towards the ecosystem, which eventually destroyed large areas of land. This article illustrates me on how human  activities can cause a negative influence towards the ecosystem, but how the Improvement on restoration efforts can help repair environmental damage in the future. I also did not know that grasslands were used for many different purposes while still being protected such as going on Hikes camping or  observing wildlife. overall I believe this article spreads Awareness on how much individuals should  appreciate and protect natural areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The National Grasslands Story | US Forest Service

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bison graze at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. (Photo courtesy of Darley Newman).

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Yanqui #10- Biodiversity-Our strongest natural defense against climate change 

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Yanqui #10- Biodiversity-Our strongest natural defense against climate change 

# data[].attributes.body
In the article, in the introduction it talks about how over half of the global GDP is reliant on nature and a billion people rely on forests for their livelihood. Even so, there is around 1 million endangered species in the world and important ecosystems such as the Amazon rain forest are turning into carbon sinks and areas that we just can't recognize. Then it moves on to discuss climate change and how climate change is affecting biodiversity, in this section of the text it discusses how use of land is the biggest driver of biodiversity for food production for the growing population. When land starts to be used for agricultural use them animals and species can lose their habitat, thus facing extinction. Even so climate change is also a significant factor to this decline of biodiversity, it has changed marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Some of the consequences of loss of biodiversity are: increased diseases, loss of local species, and mass death across animals and plants, this is the first clime-driven extinction that Earth has faced. Every degree that the Earth rises the more risk of species extinction will happen, because of the rise in temperature on land, this has caused land animals to move towards the poles. Meanwhile in the ocean, this rise in temperature has cause irreversible loss of coastal and marine ecosystems such as 14% loss of coral reefs. Climate change changes the distribution of plants, animals, human settlement, and thus viruses. This can create new opportunities for animals to now spread diseases and thus spreading to humans. Humans can also be affected by loss of biodiversity such as there will be a loss of food, medicine, and people's livelihood that is provided by nature. Biodiversity is essential when it comes to limit climate change, as greenhouse gasses are produced only half gets re-absorbed into the Earth through land and ocean. Some areas that store twice as much carbon as all the forests are Peatlands which are these wetlands that only take up about 3% of the world's land. We should focus on preserving and restoring these peat lands and making sure that they are wet, by doing this allows the carbon to not oxidize and float into the atmosphere. Also conserving and restoring natural habitats, this includes on land and in water.

Conserving biodiversity and making sure that animals don't go extinct is such a critical issue that we need to resolve. I think this article did an amazing job at emphasizing this issue and communicating to a very broad audience, using easy to understand words for the general public. This issue of conserving our environment should be heavily pushed and there should be more campaigns and ways for the general public to help conserve wildlife and educate the youth. Change starts with taking steps and I feel like implementing environmental awareness and ways to make serious steps to reducing climate change and thus helping biodiversity start with the youth and producing legislation that can take serious steps in helping to minimize this issue. This article does not particularly focus on what steps to do to help this issue which I would have liked but I think it overall did an amazing job at showing awareness.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abigail Mitchell #9 - Breaking the Haber-Bosch barrier: New review highlights plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis as a game-changer for green energy storage

# data[].attributes.subject
Abigail Mitchell #9 - Breaking the Haber-Bosch barrier: New review highlights plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis as a game-changer for green energy storage

# data[].attributes.body
The article is about the Haber Process, and how new methods have been discovered to make the process better for greener energy storage. For decades, the Haber Process has required extreme temperatures and pressures to produce global fertilization methods, releasing over 400 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Researchers from Southeast University found a new method, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis. This uses environmental temperature and pressure through electrons forcing nitrogen and hydrogen molecules to be highly reactive. As this process allows for lower temperatures and pressures, it allows for pairing with intermittent wind and solar power.

Some challenges remain, however, even though it is concluded that DBD plasma technology allows for environmentally friendly methods which could lead to global carbon neutrality. One of these challenges is overcoming thermodynamic limits, as the process limits activation energy of surface binding energy. However, sustainable benefits override these challenges, one benefit being economic and environmental synergy, as green ammonia can be produced without carbon emissions, offering a loop for agriculture and the hydrogen economy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
image:
(a) DBD reactor;

(b) jet discharge reactor;

(c) microwave discharge reactor;

(d) mechanism of plasma nitrogen fixation reaction
view more

Credit: Feng Gong, Yuhang Jing & Rui Xiao.

Ammonia is far more than just the backbone of the global fertilizer industry; it is a high-density, zero-carbon energy carrier capable of storing more hydrogen than liquid hydrogen itself (17.7 wt.%). However, for over a century, the world has relied on the Haber-Bosch (H-B) process-a massive, energy-intensive method that operates under extreme temperatures and pressures, contributing over 420 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually.

In a comprehensive new review published in the journal ENGINEERING Energy, researchers from Southeast University explore a promising alternative: dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis. Unlike the traditional H-B process, this emerging technology operates under mild conditions-ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure-by using energetic electrons to "excite" nitrogen and hydrogen molecules into highly reactive radicals.

"The transition from centralized, fossil-fuel-dependent ammonia production to distributed, renewable-energy-driven systems is becoming increasingly obvious," says researchers, the lead author from Southeast University. "Plasma technology allows us to bypass the massive energy barriers of the nitrogen triple bond (N≡N) without the need for extreme heat, making it perfect for coupling with intermittent wind and solar power."

The review provides a deep dive into the mechanisms and catalyst systems that make this possible. Key highlights include:

Overcoming Thermodynamic Limits: Traditional catalysts are limited by "linear scaling relations," where optimization for one reaction step often hinders another. Plasma-assisted reactions disrupt this relationship by providing vibrational or electronic excitation to N₂ molecules, lowering activation energy independently of the surface binding energy.

Next-Generation Catalyst Systems: The study evaluates various catalyst systems, noting that "metal-carrier" catalysts significantly outperform mono-catalysts. Specifically, mesoporous materials like γ-Al₂O₃ and SBA-15 silica provide a "shielding protection" effect. Their unique pore structures prevent the newly synthesized NH₃ from being decomposed by the plasma discharge, significantly increasing the net yield.

Economic and Environmental Synergy: By integrating plasma reactors with water electrolysis, "green ammonia" can be produced on-site without carbon emissions. The review provides an economic assessment, suggesting that while energy efficiency is still being optimized, the decentralized nature of plasma systems offers a sustainable loop for agriculture and the burgeoning hydrogen economy.

While challenges remain-such as improving the energy yield for large-scale industrial use-the review concludes that DBD plasma technology offers a versatile and environmentally friendly path forward for global carbon neutrality and efficient electricity-to-fuel storage.

Article Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11708-024-0949-1

Cite this article: GONG F, JING Y, XIAO R. Plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis under mild conditions for hydrogen and electricity storage: Mechanisms, pathways, and application prospects. Frontiers in Energy, 2024, 18(4): 418-435.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Breaking the Haber-Bosch barrier: New review highlights plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis as a game-changer for green energy storage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ammonia, with its high hydrogen storage density of 17.7 wt.% (mass fraction), cleanliness, efficiency, and renewability, presents itself as a promising zero-carbon fuel. However, the traditional Haber-Bosch (H-B) process for ammonia synthesis necessitates high temperature and pressure, resulting in over 420 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, and relies on fossil fuel consumption.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abigail Mitchell #8 - A month after the pipe burst, Potomac sewage spills onto the national stage with political finger-pointing

# data[].attributes.subject
Abigail Mitchell #8 - A month after the pipe burst, Potomac sewage spills onto the national stage with political finger-pointing

# data[].attributes.body
Potomac River, located in Maryland, just outside of Washington, has been slowly becoming more polluted with sewage over the weeks due to a broken sewage pipe. This began on January 19, and eventually led to the sewage pipe being restored in mid-March. Over 240 million gallons of sewage was flooded into the river, causing citizens to be aware of it from the unavoidable smell. It is being called one of the largest sewage spills in US history. It threatened the community’s reliance on the river for recreation, but luckily did not pollute drinking water sources since they are above the river. The biggest concern, stated by a mayor in Maryland, was the long-term environmental impacts on the soil, air, and waters.

President Donald Trump and others in office pointed fingers at local Democrat leaders, incorrectly stating that DC’s water supply was being affected, and said the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) would step in to help with cleanup. DC Water did not ask for help from the EPA, but declared it would take weeks to months for the pipe to be permanently fixed. It took almost two months.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A month after the pipe burst, Potomac sewage spills onto the national stage with political finger-pointing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The spill drew more attention this week after Trump posted on social media about it — blaming local Democratic politicians, particularly Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Yanqui #9- Climate change is quietly rewriting the world’s nitrogen cycle, with high stakes for food and the environment

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Yanqui #9- Climate change is quietly rewriting the world’s nitrogen cycle, with high stakes for food and the environment

# data[].attributes.body
This article first brings up nitrogen cycles and how if there is a disturbance to the nitrogen cycle then there will be major consequences such as water quality, biodiversity, food security, and climate policy. It also mentions how Nitrogen is the bases of proteins and DNA, when the balance in the nitrogen cycle has been moved them more consequences such as harvest can fall, rivers have a massive amount of algae blooms, and greenhouse gasses escape into the atmosphere. There was a study that have been going over the course of 30 years where they compiled field experiments and made global model simulations to examine the 3 main key climate forest that affect nitrogen which is rising carbon dioxide, higher temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns. Carbon dioxide can be both an advantage and disadvantage. The advantages to high carbon dioxide can be the following: it boosts plant growth around 10-27 percent, and 21% for major crops such as maize, wheat, rice, and soybean. The disadvantages to high carbon dioxide is that they dilute the nitrogen concentration, by doing this is lowers the protein quality of grains and leaves, in more simple terms it means that just because there is more calories it does not directly correlate that it has better nutrition. Also with the rise of the global temperature, it reduces the yield of crops such as maize which supports the lives of many. Now moving on to rainfall, in dry areas a good amount of increased precipitation can strongly encourage plant growth and nitrogen uptake, in wetter regions droughts can cause a huge impact on the productivity making it unproductive and nitrogen harvest.

Overall, I believe that this article did an amazing job at keeping everything organized and I think that if someone who were not particularly knowledgeable in science but wants to learn they could easily understand from this article. I do have one issue with it, I wish it gave us more information about the study that was conducted or if they gave us a graph or another area to look at the study if it is too long. Someone who is interested or researching this topic would most likely need that information. Also this is coming from a organization and it is peer-reviewed publication so I know that it is something that relates directly to whatever I am looking up so I wish they were just a bit more specific in certain areas.

# data[].attributes.headline
Laura Bzura #10: 2026 Big Year of African Sounds

# data[].attributes.subject
Laura Bzura #10: 2026 Big Year of African Sounds

# data[].attributes.body
The continent of Africa is home to eye-catching landscapes, the chirping of colorful birds, and the chorus of a diversified ecosystem. Despite the continent's extraordinary avian diversity, Africa remains inadequately represented in global bird libraries. The Big Year of African Sounds addresses this issue by mobilizing birders across Africa to record the birds' songs, preserving their voices for science and conservation. The project connects with international research institutions, conservation organizations, and the archive of bird sounds in Africa. Bird vocalizations are crucial data as calls and songs greatly aid in species identification, behavioral research, population monitoring, and conservation planning. Overall, the role of an identification system like this makes the process of accurately framing a region's biodiversity much simpler.

It makes me happy to hear that Africa is getting the recognition that it deserves for its diverse ecosystems. It is important in ecology that data is accurately framed as if not it may often lead to misconstructions. I believe that fields like this should be accessible to all continents and regions of the world. Without adequately representing continents for their diversity in ecosystems, we are missing out on a large portion of data that can surely be useful in the processes of discovering new species or researching species as a whole. We need more projects like the Big Year of African Sounds project to make the ecological field much more equally represented.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Anton Crone, 11 February - Across Africa's sweeping landscapes, birds are constantly singing, calling and chattering in a glorious chorus of sound. Yet despite the continent's extraordinary avian diversity, Africa remains under-represented in global bird sound libraries. The Big Year of African Sounds sets out to change that by mobilising birders across the continent in a year-long effort to record Africa's birds and preserve their voices for science and conservation.

Championed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the project encompasses BirdLife Partners, international research institutions, conservation organisations and local birding communities. Together they aim to build a comprehensive and accessible archive of African bird sounds.

Bird vocalisations are essential data. Calls and songs play a crucial role in species identification, behavioural research, population monitoring and conservation planning. In many African habitats, birds are far more easily heard than seen, making sound recordings particularly valuable.

Modern identification tools increasingly rely on sound, including automated recognition systems used by popular birding apps. However, many African species are poorly represented or entirely absent from existing sound libraries. This limits the effectiveness of these tools when applied in Africa and highlights the need for more recordings from across the continent. The Big Year of African Sounds addresses this gap by encouraging birders to contribute recordings of as many species as possible, from common garden birds to rarely recorded endemics.

The project's goal is a bold one: to gather recordings of more than 1800 African bird species from as many countries and habitats as possible. Contributions are welcomed from professional ornithologists and casual birders alike. Importantly, recordings do not need to be technically perfect. Clear recordings made on a smartphone can be just as valuable as those captured with specialised equipment, particularly for under-recorded species.

Participants upload their recordings alongside bird sightings using a combination of the Merlin Bird ID and eBird apps, ensuring that each sound is linked to location, date and habitat. This contextual information greatly increases the scientific value of every contribution.

Beyond data collection, the Big Year of African Sounds aims to build a community of African sound recordists. Workshops, online talks and local meet-ups help participants improve their recording skills and learn more about bird vocalisations, while regional and continental leader boards encourage friendly competition.

For many birders, recording birdsong opens up a new dimension. It encourages deeper listening and often reveals species that might otherwise be overlooked. It also provides an accessible way for birders to contribute meaningfully to conservation science without needing to travel far or invest in expensive equipment.

While the Big Year is a time-bound challenge, its impact will endure long after the year ends. The recordings collected will strengthen global sound libraries, improve identification tools and provide a lasting acoustic snapshot of Africa's avian diversity.

Ultimately, the Big Year of African Sounds is an invitation to listen more attentively. To pause, press record and ensure that Africa's birds are not only seen, but heard, understood and remembered.

Resources:
Read more about the Big Year of African Sounds at africansounds.org
Listen to BirdLife South Africa's Avitourism Project Manager John Kinghorn speaking to Cape Talk's John Maytham about the initiative:

Learn how to get involved and start recording Africa's bird sounds below

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2026 Big Year of African Sounds - African BirdLife

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Big Year of African Sounds invites birders to record and share Africa's bird calls, building a vital sound archive for conservation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #8: Lost for 150,000 years: Rainforest discovery upends human history

# data[].attributes.subject
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #8: Lost for 150,000 years: Rainforest discovery upends human history

# data[].attributes.body
This article by ScienceDaily discusses a discovery in an archaeological site in Côte d'Ivoire, which found that humans were living in wet tropical forests about 150,000 years ago, as revealed through stone tools excavated at the sites. This comes as a shock, as tropical rainforests are typically perceived as an unlikely site for human settlement. The findings suggest that human evolution did not happen in the one singular environment we believed, the grasslands. Ancient populations were able to survive in a range of ecosystems. Researchers discovered stone tools at the Bété I site and used modern dating techniques, including Optically Stimulated Luminescence and Electron-Spin Resonance, to determine that humans occupied the area around 150,000 years ago. Analysis of pollen, phytoliths, and plant waxes confirmed that the region was a dense tropical rainforest at the time. This finding significantly predates previous evidence of rainforest civilization/living, which was believed to be around 18,000 years ago in Africa and about 70,000 years ago globally. The study suggests that early Homo sapiens were capable of surviving in a much wider range of environments than previously believed, indicating a high level of adaptability in human evolution.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I found the article very concise yet informative. The article presented strong evidence that reshapes our understanding of early human life. I found it particularly interesting how advancements in scientific technology allowed researchers to revisit an older site and uncover entirely new insights. This highlights the importance of continued scientific innovation and re-examination of past discoveries. The idea that early humans could thrive in dense rainforests challenges the traditional view that they primarily lived in open savannas or coastal areas. This limitation was something I was previously unaware of and happy to see challenged. It also emphasizes how adaptable humans have been throughout history, a trait that likely played a major role in our survival and global spread. Additionally, the article highlights how complex ecosystems and humans have interacted for far longer than previously believed. This raises important questions about how ancient populations may have influenced rainforest environments through activities like hunting or controlled burning. Overall, the findings demonstrate that human evolution is not tied to a single environment but is instead shaped by ecological diversity. I feel like this overall makes the research more relevant, it broadens our understanding of both human history and environmental interaction, and suggests that many more discoveries may still be waiting in understudied regions like tropical rainforests.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lost for 150,000 years: Rainforest discovery upends human history

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For decades, scientists believed ancient humans avoided dense rainforests, treating them as nearly impossible environments for early survival. But a groundbreaking discovery in West Africa is rewriting that story. Researchers uncovered evidence that humans were living deep within rainforest environments in present-day Côte d'Ivoire around 150,000 years ago — far earlier than anyone thought possible.

# data[].attributes.headline
Laura Bzura #9: Rice feeds more than half the world. It’s also the climate equivalent of 239 million cars

# data[].attributes.subject
Laura Bzura #9: Rice feeds more than half the world. It’s also the climate equivalent of 239 million cars

# data[].attributes.body
Rice feeds more than half of the word, flourishing as a staple meal for billions of people. The same soil that allows rice to thrive has created ideal conditions for microbes that contribute to climate change through the release of gases. Environment and agriculture scientists have recently discovered in a study that the greenhouse emissions from rice paddies have nearly doubled since the 1960s; the average emissions of carbon dioxide in the 2010s among the atmosphere round to about 1.1 billion tons (equivalent to 239 million cars). With such research, rice-growing remains the largest source of carbon emissions in the agriculture field (excluding livestock). To reduce emissions, farmers must resort to using climate-friendly options so emissions could at least be lowered by 10%. Despite this, greater reductions are necessary to slow climate change, which requires a further range of options.

The article discusses rice as a crucial yet detrimental crop among agriculture. Prior to reading the article, I would've never known that rice releases so much carbon. It is unfortunate to see such a deeply integrated crop in society presented in a way that is negative to Earth. Unfortunately, the lack of established solutions is a big contributor to the lack of action taken towards the goal of improve climate conditions. Rice is a common food across hundreds of countries and this article made me reflect upon the difficulty in making progress towards lowering climate change when an object, or in this case a crop, is so hard to remove from everyday lives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Hanqin Tian and Jingting Zhang and Pep Canadell and Shufen (Susan) Pan and The Conversation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rice feeds more than half the world. It’s also the climate equivalent of 239 million cars | Fortune

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A new Nature Food study finds rice paddy emissions have nearly doubled since the 1960s, making it agriculture’s largest non-livestock emissions source.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abby Fry #10: The Untold Story of Red Pandas

# data[].attributes.subject
Abby Fry #10: The Untold Story of Red Pandas

# data[].attributes.body
In “The Untold Story of Red Pandas” by Assaf Levy, the article combines admiration for red pandas with a message for conservation. It highlights the animal’s unique traits, such as its reddish fur, climbing ability, and bamboo-based diet, while also exposing that red panda populations have dropped dramatically due to habitat destruction, poaching, and climate change. I found the article engaging because it balances scientific information with emotional appeal, helping me understand why red pandas are more than just cute animals. The discussion of conservation efforts, including wildlife corridors, anti-poaching teams, and international cooperation, gives the article a hopeful tone despite how big the issue is. Overall, the story succeeds in raising awareness by showing how human activity has endangered a species that depends heavily on stable forest ecosystems and biodiversity to survive.

From my environmental viewpoint, I lean toward an eco-centric perspective because I believe ecosystems should be protected not only for human benefit but because species have intrinsic value. The red panda crisis reflects a larger problem that humans often prioritize development over biodiversity. However, I also think a techno-centric approach can help solve these problems. Technology such as satellite monitoring, drones for anti-poaching patrols, and GPS tracking could improve conservation efforts and help scientists better protect habitats. A potential solution would be expanding protected forest zones while investing in reforestation projects that restore bamboo ecosystems. Governments could also partner with local communities by offering economic incentives for protecting forests instead of exploiting them. If conservation combines environmental ethics with modern technology, there is a greater chance that red pandas will survive for future generations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Untold Story of Red Pandas: Threats and Conservation Efforts | Earth.Org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The red panda boasts a myriad of extraordinary traits that place it in a league of its own in the animal kingdom. Traits that fascinate, intrigue, and compel us to embark on a journey into its captivating world.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abby Fry #9: Record Heat, Vanishing Ice: New Report Charts the Accelerating Climate Crisis Across Europe

# data[].attributes.subject
Abby Fry #9: Record Heat, Vanishing Ice: New Report Charts the Accelerating Climate Crisis Across Europe

# data[].attributes.body
The article “Record Heat, Vanishing Ice: New Report Charts the Accelerating Climate Crisis Across Europe” presents an overview of how climate change is already reshaping Europe. Rather than focusing only on predictions, the report emphasizes consequences, including heatwaves, glacier loss, droughts, marine heatwaves, and deadly wildfires. What stood out most was the statistic that 95% of Europe experienced above average temperatures in 2025, showing that these are no longer isolated environmental events but continent-wide patterns. The article combines scientific data with human impacts, such as rising heat-related deaths and threats to food and water systems, making the crisis feel very personal. I also appreciated how it included both environmental and economic concerns, connecting biodiversity loss to human safety.

From my environmental viewpoint, I lean toward a technocentric perspective, meaning I believe technology and innovation will play a major role in solving climate issues, although policy and lifestyle changes are still necessary. This article reinforces the idea that waiting for gradual change is not realistic when the effects are already happening. One potential solution is accelerating renewable energy development and climate adaptation technology across Europe, such as drought resistant agriculture, smarter water conservation systems, and wildfire detection using AI and satellites. Since the article notes that renewable energy already provided nearly half of Europe’s electricity in 2025, expanding this progress seems possible. At the same time, governments should invest more in protecting ecosystems because forests, wetlands, and oceans naturally absorb carbon and reduce environmental damage. I see climate change as a serious but solvable challenge if societies combine scientific innovation with stronger environmental policies before the impacts become irreversible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
95% of Europe Saw Above-Average Temperatures in 2025: Report

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
95% of Europe saw temperatures climb above the historical average in 2025, melting glaciers and triggering a record wildfire season.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sarah Estay #10: Ghost Forests and Saltwater Intrusion

# data[].attributes.subject
Sarah Estay #10: Ghost Forests and Saltwater Intrusion

# data[].attributes.body
The article I read explains how rising sea levels are causing “ghost forests” along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Ghost forests are areas where trees have died but are still standing because saltwater has moved inland and damaged their roots over time. This process is called saltwater intrusion, and it happens when seawater enters freshwater ecosystems and makes the soil too salty for trees and other freshwater plants to survive. The article explains that millions of trees from places like Maine to South Carolina have already died because of this gradual but widespread change. As saltwater continues to spread inland, forests slowly turn into marshes because only salt-tolerant plants can survive in the new conditions. Scientists have found that this is happening especially quickly in places like North Carolina and Maryland. Storms, flooding, and rising sea levels make the problem worse by pushing more saltwater deeper into forest areas more often, speeding up tree death and changing the landscape. Over time, the entire ecosystem shifts from forest to wetland, which affects all the animals and plants that depend on those habitats.

After reading this article, I learned that when habitats change like this, species that cannot adapt quickly enough die out or move away, which lowers species diversity in the area. I learned more about biodiversity because it explained how changes in abiotic factors like salinity can completely change an ecosystem and reduce biodiversity.  It also connects to ecological succession because forests are being replaced by marsh ecosystems due to environmental stress. This affects food chains and the organisms that rely on forest habitats for survival. I think this issue is really serious because it shows how climate change is not just affecting temperature, but also whole ecosystems and landscapes. It was surprising to learn how many trees have already died and how fast this change is happening. I think governments should focus more on protecting coastal areas and reducing emissions that contribute to sea level rise. At the same time, scientists should continue studying ways to slow saltwater intrusion and protect remaining forests. Overall, this article shows how biodiversity loss can happen gradually but still completely transform an ecosystem over time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Ghost Forests of the Atlantic: Why Saltwater Intrusion is Killing Trees at Record Rates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stands of stark, leafless trees rise from marshy ground along the U.S. Atlantic coast. These eerie remnants, known as ghost forests, mark places where once-vibrant woodlands have succumbed to encroaching seawater. Rising seas push saltwater

# data[].attributes.headline
Sarah Estay #9 - Penguins and Climate Change

# data[].attributes.subject
Sarah Estay #9 - Penguins and Climate Change

# data[].attributes.body
The article explains how climate change is affecting Antarctica, especially penguin populations. Rising global temperatures are causing sea ice to melt earlier each year, which is a problem because penguins depend on sea ice for resting, breeding, and hunting. Without enough stable ice, they lose important parts of their habitat. The article also explains that warming oceans are affecting food chains. Penguins eat krill and small fish, but krill depend on sea ice algae as their main food source. When sea ice decreases, krill populations drop, which then reduces the amount of food available for penguins. This creates a chain reaction through the ecosystem. As a result, species like Emperor and Adélie penguins are starting to decline because both their habitat and food supply are being affected at the same time.

This article shows how climate change impacts entire ecosystems, not just one species. It affects energy flow in food webs and reduces biodiversity because animals at higher trophic levels, like penguins, don’t get enough energy through the system. It also connects to feedback loops because melting ice reduces the amount of sunlight reflected back into space, which causes even more warming and more ice loss. I learned that even small temperature changes can have big effects on whole ecosystems over time. The article shows that protecting penguins and other Antarctic species requires global action, especially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, along with conservation efforts like monitoring wildlife and protecting key habitats.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are 17 to 19 species of penguins living primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. Here’s how WWF protects penguins to support healthy marine ecosyst

# data[].attributes.headline
Isla Tucker: #10 The Amazon in crisis: Forest loss threatens the region and the planet

# data[].attributes.subject
Isla Tucker: #10 The Amazon in crisis: Forest loss threatens the region and the planet

# data[].attributes.body
The article discusses the risks to biodiversity caused by deforestation on a massive scale, degradation, forest fires, and climate change in the Amazon rainforest ecosystem. The Amazon region is referred to as one of the richest regions in the world when it comes to biodiversity, having millions of species of organisms living there. The article shows that habitat loss and resulting instability of the ecosystem might ultimately lead to some parts of the Amazon crossing ecological thresholds after which the area would no longer function as a rainforest. The loss of the Amazon rainforest, aside from stressing the ecosystem itself, can also have bad consequences on the indigenous population, as well as the loss of various ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and management of freshwater resources.

The interesting aspect of this article to me is that while one might consider biodiversity loss to be not as pressing a matter as climate change, the two are related. For one, I would have thought that the Amazon was only a large rainforest, but I now recognize how detrimental it can be to the loss of biodiversity, climatic regulation, and ecosystem services. The issue I find the most pressing about what is happening is that the disruption of the ecosystem will eventually reach a point where it will be incredibly difficult to fix. Indeed, this ties into the themes we discuss in IB ESS, specifically resiliency and maintaining an intact ecosystem before any changes occur. Some potential ways of fixing the problem could be strengthening indigenous land rights, strengthening anti-illegal logging laws, and promoting sustainable agriculture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover WWF’s urgent call to protect 80% of the rainforest by 2025.

# data[].attributes.headline
Isla Tucker: #9 Pushed Northward by Climate Change: Range Shifts With a Chance of Co-occurrence Reshuffling in the Forecast for Northern European Odonates 

# data[].attributes.subject
Isla Tucker: #9 Pushed Northward by Climate Change: Range Shifts With a Chance of Co-occurrence Reshuffling in the Forecast for Northern European Odonates 

# data[].attributes.body
This article talks about the chances of species migrating to areas farther north due to changes in climatic conditions as well as the impacts associated with such migration. The use of ecological niche models was adopted to forecast the distribution of 57 species of odonates in Northern Europe up to the year 2080. The study indicates that most of these species would move northwards due to the warming trend, at a rate of between 1.8 and 3.3 km per year. Nevertheless, it is important to note that all species do not respond to changes in similar ways. Warm-adapted species will gain, whereas cold-adapted species will be at risk due to loss of habitats and range contraction. Species interactions will be constant for some species, but will become unpredictable for species that live together in novel locations. Overall, this paper reveals how climate change affects other aspects apart from temperature.

This article was interesting to me because people always talk about climate change in terms of warmer weather or melting ice, but this showed how climate can change whole ecosystems through species movement. I realized that moving north doesn't always fix the problem for species. Things like habitat availability, seasonality, and competition can still limit survival. This is important to IB ESS as ecosystems are dependent on interactions between organisms, and changing the location of one species can affect biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. I also found it interesting that while some species may benefit, others may decline, showing that climate change has uneven environmental consequences. Protecting habitats that are connected and creating wildlife corridors could help species move more successfully, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions would also slow future warming. Conservation efforts need to focus on not just protecting species where they are today but where they will need to move in the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Abstract

Human-influenced climate change has had major impacts on biodiversity (e.g., Walther et al. 2002, Parmesan 2006). The global average temperature has increased by 0.85°C since 1880 and is predicted to increase globally another 0.3 to 0.7°C by 2035 ( IPCC 2014). Furthermore, owing to Arctic amplification, the largest temperature increases are observed at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere ( Serreze and Barry 2011, IPCC 2014). Hence, at these latitudes, large decreases in seasonality are predicted ( Xu et al. 2013) which in turn may affect species distributions ( Root et al. 2003). Ultimately, climate change is predicted to increase species extinction risk ( Urban 2015), but it will also affect phenology ( Cohen et al. 2018), physiology ( Pörtner and Farrell 2008), abundance ( Carey and Alexander 2003, Johnston et al. 2013), and distribution ( Velásquez-Tibatá et al. 2013, Vieira et al. 2018). Given that high latitudes in the northern hemisphere are predicted to be extra sensitive to climate change ( IPCC 2014), knowledge about the effects of climate change on northern organisms is especially important.

To keep pace with climate change, species could adapt to new environmental conditions, or go through shifts in geographic distribution to track optimal conditions ( Parmesan and Yohe 2003). Although the potential of species to tolerate change and to evolve may have been underestimated ( Nadeau and Urban 2019), numerous studies have documented ongoing poleward or altitudinal range shifts ( Hickling et al. 2005, Wilson et al. 2007, Barbet-Massin et al. 2012). For dispersal-limited species, most range shifts are predicted to occur in the form of contractions of species ranges, as high-latitude and montane habitats become reduced compared to mid-latitude and low-elevation regions, or because a range may contract faster at the trailing edge than it can expand at the leading edge ( Lenoir and Svenning 2015). While assessments of vulnerability to climate change have been extensively documented in the birds and mammals ( Pacifici et al. 2015), the most intense responses are expected in ectotherms, such as insects, which are particularly sensitive to ambient temperature change ( Wilson et al. 2007, Sinclair et al. 2016). Insects represent the vast majority of animal species and biomass, and fill many niches within ecosystems ( Prather et al. 2013, Scudder 2017). Given that this group of organisms is already undergoing dramatic population declines ( Wagner 2020), it is of the utmost importance to understand the impact that future climate change may have on the survival of insect species.

Ecological niche models (ENMs) are increasingly used to infer how environmental variables are shaping species distributions ( Elith and Leathwick 2009, Peterson et al. 2011). ENMs are spatially explicit analytical tools that relate species occurrence data with the bioclimatic variables to infer a range of suitable conditions for species and generate habitat suitability maps. Coupled with climate change scenarios, ENMs are often used for projecting future change in species distributions ( Thuiller 2004), making it possible to identify areas of particular interest for conservation ( Markovic et al. 2014), anticipate emerging threats from vector-borne diseases ( Leta et al. 2018), and many other applications. Most ENMs include predictors which are ecologically relevant for the target species, such as temperature or precipitation data, topography, or land cover ( Elith and Leathwick 2009). In addition, the use of ENMs to predict distributional changes comes with implicit assumptions regarding dispersal abilities. Both unlimited- and no-dispersal scenarios can be relevant and often run in parallel ( Collins and McIntyre 2015), though attempts to model cost-weighted dispersal kernels have been performed ( Bush et al. 2014). Another important assumption in these models is that a species' ecological niche does not change through time (niche conservatism). However, the phenotypic plasticity ( Valladares et al. 2014) and the disruption of current or the emergence of future biotic interactions ( Urban et al. 2013, Fitt and Lancaster 2017) are likely to alter ecological niches, which are hard to anticipate. Moreover, range shifts might be limited by additional non-climatic abiotic constraints increased at high latitudes, such as greater seasonality or lower solar insulation ( Spence and Tingley 2020). Nevertheless, the assumption of the Eltonian noise hypothesis suggests that biotic interactions are averaged out at large spatial scales ( Soberón and Nakamura 2009). Thus, ENMs integrating various climatic variables can still useful for predicting future species distributions under different climate change scenarios without explicitly considering the biotic interactions when they are largely unknown ( Jenkins et al. 2020).

Odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) are valuable indicators that can be used to track climate change impacts on entire insect communities. This is partly because of the substantial dispersal abilities of the adult stage. While the adults are terrestrial, their larval stages occur in the freshwater environments. Thus, the niche of odonates might be driven by both aquatic and terrestrial conditions. They are widely distributed and the adult stage is conspicuous, thus, promoting studies and data collection ( Bybee et al. 2016). However, extensive documentation of dispersal is still lacking in odonates but field and molecular studies indicate that some species have reduced dispersal abilities (a few hundred meters covered in an adult lifetime in Coenagrion mercuriale, Watts et al. 2004) while others such as long-distance migrants or arid-zone species, can span hundreds of kilometers ( May 2013, Suhling et al. 2017). In the same population, dispersal distance can vary greatly with most individuals staying near their emergence site with few long-distance dispersers ( Keller and Holderegger 2013). The colonization of new areas might stem from both recurrent small-scale movements and rare long-distance dispersal events. Currently, there is a growing interest in the application of ENMs to odonates ( Patten et al. 2015, Pires et al. 2018, Rodríguez-Tapia et al. 2020). But, multispecies ENMs are still rare for odonates ( Collins and McIntyre 2015) and represent a very low portion of arthropod ENMs published ( Mammola et al. 2021). For instance, Hickling et al. (2005) found an average northward range shift of 74 km between 1960 and 1995 for 37 nonmigratory British odonates with an increase in range size for all but two species. More recently, Termaat et al. (2019) showed that temperature increase has benefited most odonate species regardless of their temperature preference in various European countries, namely, Sweden. However, neither of these two studies used an ENM approach. Moreover, another study, which was conducted in Germany using occupancy models, confirmed the positive effect of temperature preference as well as the key role of species habitat on distribution trends ( Bowler et al. 2021). While ENMs have been constructed for two closely related northern European damselfly species ( Wellenreuther et al. 2012), future projections are still lacking for high-latitude species in this region ( Collins and McIntyre 2015, but see Li and Park 2020). Although regional-scale ENMs usually do not cover the entire distribution of species, they continue being useful in predicting distributional change and guiding future surveys ( El-Gabbas and Dormann 2018), especially in the high latitudes neglected by the past ENM efforts ( Collins and McIntyre 2015). Within odonates, a variety of interspecific interactions can be involved from intraguild predation and competition at both adult and larval stages ( Moore 1964, Wissinger 1992) to territorial and mating interference ( McEachin et al. 2022). Given the wealth of biotic interactions possible within odonates, it is not feasible to consider them a priori as potential factors shaping odonate distributions. Nonetheless, inferring from ENMs probabilities of species interactions and potential changes in these probabilities because of the ongoing climate change can be instrumental in anticipating more fundamental compositional changes. Indeed, ENM approaches may be essential in helping us understand how odonates, and insects in general, will respond to climate change in the northern latitudes.

While the range of boreal species is expected to contract dramatically, northern high-latitude areas are also expected to gain temperate species that will undergo northward range shifts ( Langham et al. 2015). Despite the great dispersal abilities of odonates, their tropical evolutionary history and the associated physiological constraints may limit poleward colonization into areas of high seasonality and low-solar insulation ( Hassall and Thompson 2008). Here, we used opportunistic occurrence data, generated by citizen science, spanning a latitudinal range of 1,575 km throughout Sweden (northern Europe), to model ecological niches for several odonate species, in order to address the following questions: 1) what is the present-day geographic distribution of odonate species richness in Sweden; 2) how will odonate distributions change by 2080, assuming niche conservatism and unlimited dispersal; 3) will niche overlap and co-occurrence patterns among species change over time as a result of climate change possibly leading to new interspecific competition or to the loss of existing interactions; and 4) whether traits, such as temperature preference, habitat, and phylogeny, affect niche overlap and vulnerability to climate change.

Methods

Occurrence Data

Opportunistic geo-referenced observations of 66 odonate species occurring in Sweden were extracted from the Swedish Species Observation System, Artportalen ( https://www.artportalen.se/), which is a freely accessible reporting system used by the citizen scientists from all around the country. Our analysis is thus limited to Sweden. Despite this limitation, this is a comprehensive data set, collected at a fine spatial resolution, and it covers a large geographic area, extending latitudinally over 1,575 km, with many data entries and extensive coverage. We extracted ca. 200,000 odonate records collected over a 30-yr period, from 1991 to 2020. However, we only considered data collected between 2006 and 2020, a period during which 2,500 or more records were reported annually. The retained records also represented a period when reporting was more geographically uniform, with the earlier records being more biased toward the south of the country. Citizen scientists are responsible for the accuracy of their records (date, location, and species identification) that are regularly validated by the experts. Records with low resolution (> 1 km) and outliers with doubtful or inaccurate species identification based on uploaded photos were discarded. Data were not filtered for life history stages or other indications of autochthony (oviposition, larvae, and exuviae). Geographic coordinates initially available in a country-specific coordinate reference system (SWEREF99 TM, EPSG:3006) were converted into WGS84 (EPSG:4326).

Environmental Predictors

To determine habitat suitability, we used a set of 16 ecologically and physiologically relevant climate predictors (ENVIREM, Title and Bemmels 2018) and also one topographic predictor (altitude). The climate predictors relate to various components of odonate life cycle (see Supp Table S1 [online only] for complete list) such as the length of the growing season for larval development, some levels of humidity or continentality that are important components of adult stage preferences and tolerance, and temperature seasonality that can constrain larval development and voltinism. The 16 ENVIREM climate predictors were generated from monthly temperature (maximum, minimum, and average) and precipitation climatologies, as well as solar radiation averaged over recent decades (1979-2013) available in the CHELSA v1.2 data set ( Karger et al. 2017). This period was considered to reflect present-day climatic conditions and provide the finest spatial resolution available, with a rectangular grid of 0.0083 degree (ca. 1 km × 0.3 to 0.5 km depending on the latitude within the study area). The same variables were generated for future periods (2061-2080) under two greenhouse gas concentration trajectories (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, intermediate and worst-case scenarios, respectively). The future climatologies we used for these two scenarios originate from seven different global circulation models (GCMs) from the CMIP5 generation (ACCESS1-0, CCSM4, CMCC-CM, CNRM-CM5, GFDL-ESM2G, HadGEM2-CC, and MPI-ESM-MR). These were chosen because they have been shown to yield satisfactory predictions in Europe ( McSweeney et al. 2015) and low levels of interdependence ( Sanderson et al. 2015). Altitude data were obtained from the EU-DEM v1.1 ( https://land.copernicus.eu/imagery-in-situ/eu-dem/eu-dem-v1.1) and the resolution was upscaled to fit that of the climate variables.

Environmental Niche Models

We used environmental niche models (ENMs) to predict changes in species distribution dependent on the future climate change. For accurate niche-modeling estimates, records should be evenly distributed geographically. However, despite removing data from early collection years, there was still unevenness present in the data, with more records from the south compared with the northern latitudes. In order to reduce spatial autocorrelation due to such uneven reporting efforts across the study area, we spatially thinned the occurrence data set for each species with the R package 'spThin' ( Aiello-Lammens et al. 2015). This made it possible to keep a maximal number of records outside a neighborhood with a radius of 10 km around each data point. Nine of the 66 species with less than 25 records after the thinning step were not included for niche modeling. These species are either recent colonizers ( Aeshna affinis, Anax ephippiger, Crocothemis erythraea, Lestes barbarus, and Lestes viridis), or are elusive restricted-range species ( Nehalennia speciosa, Somatochlora sahlbergi, and Sympecma paedisca), or have probably been accidentally introduced ( Sympetrum pedemontanum). Thus, the input data consisted of presence-only occurrences for 57 species (the number of records for each can be found in Supp Table S2 [online only]), with 17 environmental predictors. In order to assess potential multicollinearity among the environmental predictors, we ran the function removeCollinearity from the 'virtualspecies' R package with the default threshold set at 0.7. Despite the existence of multicollinearity among the 17 environmental predictors (seven groups of intercorrelated predictors), all were included in the ENM to increase model performance (i.e., limit the overestimation of range compared to 'true' range), and decrease the uncertainty associated with the choice of predictors ( Beaumont et al. 2005) and the risk of missing relevant predictors for at least some species. However, we note that including all 17 predictors prevents any reliable analysis of predictor contribution to the model ( Sillero and Barbosa 2021). Prior to performing ENM projections based on the future climatologies, we used the mobility-oriented parity (MOP) metric ( Owens et al. 2013) on a random sample of 10% of all the geographic grid cells in the study area. We used MOP to estimate Euclidean distances in the multivariate environmental space between the present-day and future ranges. This metric helps to identify areas where future values of predictors are outside of their present-day range and thus models make extrapolations.

ENM algorithms were used to compute habitat suitability maps from occurrence data and environmental predictors. For each species, we ran four types of machine learning algorithms from the stacked species distribution model R package ('SSDM', Schmitt et al. 2017): multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARSs), generalized-boosted regression models (GBMs), random forests (RFs), and support vector machines (SVMs). The four algorithms have been shown to be robust to multicollinearity issues ( Dormann et al. 2013) and yielded models with some of the best performances among the algorithms available in the package assessed over a selection of species ( Supp Table S3 [online only]). The transformation from habitat suitability to binary presence/absence was carried out using the threshold that maximized the true skill statistics (TSS; Allouche et al. 2006). TSS corresponds to the sum of sensitivity and specificity minus one (the sensitivity and specificity are the proportions of correctly predicted presences and absences, respectively). Model fit was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plot ( Manel et al. 2001) and kappa statistic ( Allouche et al. 2006). Each of the four algorithms was run twice on present-day variables and the eight models were then assembled (and weighed according AUC) into an ensemble ENM using the ensemble_modelling function from the 'SSDM' package ( Schmitt et al. 2017). Model cross-validation was performed by splitting the occurrence data set into a training set (70% of the records) and an evaluation set (the remaining 30%). The present-day ensemble ENM were projected over the two future climate scenarios on separate GCMs, with the assumption of the unlimited dispersal. All the models and mapped predictions where visually assessed and compared with input occurrences to detect any obvious mismatches between data and models ( [online only]). From the three sets of 57 ensemble ENM for present day and future scenarios, a stacked SDM allowed to generate species richness maps by summing the probabilities of habitat suitability maps. This stacking method has been shown to overestimate species richness ( Calabrese et al. 2014), but remains useful to compare different scenarios.

Species Traits and Range Shift Metrics

In order to assess potential correlations with range shift dynamics, three species traits (phylogeny, habitat, and temperature preference) were considered (see Supp Table S4a [online only]). Phylogeny was limited to suborder-level differences, Anisoptera and Zygoptera (i.e., dragonflies and damselflies). Larval habitat was either lentic (larval stage occurring in standing water), lotic (in flowing water), or generalist, following Hof et al. (2012). Temperature preference categorization was based on a European-scale Species Temperature Index (STI; Termaat et al. 2019), with cold- and warm-dwellers considered to have STI below 5.5°C and above 10°C, respectively. STI is defined as the annual average temperature a species experiences in Europe (excluding Russia). It is worth noting that temperature preference is not necessarily the result of an active choice by individual insects, but rather reflects the optimal range of temperatures to which a species is adapted.

The median latitude for each species' distribution was computed from the present-day ENM and future projections to estimate the expected speed of range shifts (assuming no dispersal limitation). We used median latitude (as in Rotenberry and Balasubramaniam 2020) rather than mean latitude as the median is less influenced by extreme values. For similar reasons, latitudinal amplitude was estimated with the inter-decile distance (the difference between the first and the last decile) to limit the influence of extreme values.

To characterize the nature of range shifts (i.e., identify expansion or contraction), from niche projections we estimated the net range change in square km ( S col − S ext; 'col' = colonization, 'ext' = extinction) between present day and the 2061-2080 period. We divided net range change by the present-day range area ( S pres, in km²) to compute a range change index (following Buisson et al. 2010, see equation 1), exhibiting the magnitude of change accounting for more or less restricted species ranges. A positive value of this index means net range surface gain (range expansion) with a value of 100 meaning that the total range is expected to double. Conversely, negative values indicate the net range surface loss (range contraction) with a value of −50 meaning that the total range is expected to halve and −100 meaning total extinction of suitable conditions within the study area. Values near 0 indicate range stability or perfectly balanced range shift (surface gained ≈ surface lost).

Niche Over®lap Analyses

The probability of species interactions and potential changes in interaction due to range shifts can be captured by the niche overlap and co-occurrence analyses. From the binary maps produced by species ENMs, the suitable area or geographic space can be converted into a niche or environmental space (e-space) by sampling the environmental conditions of suitable versus unsuitable areas. Dealing with the e-space of different species allows for more relevant comparisons as e-space is relatively insensitive to spatial biases, even when distributions are out of equilibrium. We estimated the e-space for each species using the 'humboldt' R package ( Brown and Carnaval 2019). The e-space was then used to determine niche overlap among species, based on both the present-day and future ENMs. We used Schoeners' D as a measure for the niche overlap, which ranges from 0 (no overlap in environmental tolerance) to 1 (identical environmental preference, Warren et al. 2010). To limit overfitting, ENM locations were thinned so that locations were at least 50 km apart. This was performed only on a subset of 10,000 randomly selected ENM locations to decrease computation time. The accessible environment on the basis of which niche overlap calculations were performed was limited to a 100 km buffer area around each location. According to the definition given by Brown and Carnaval (2019), the niche overlap metric was calculated including non-analogous e-space, i.e., the accessible portion of e-space shared by both species in the pairwise comparison. E-space can be represented as a two-dimensional density grid for which the resolution was set to 50 instead of 100 to improve computation time and we kept the default kernel smoothing and kernel density threshold parameters of 1 and 0.001, respectively. E-space densities were also corrected by the abundance of different environments.

A multivariate approach was used to determine to what extent species traits would drive niche overlap patterns. We performed distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA; Legendre and Anderson 1999), using the capscale function from the 'vegan' R package, with three categorical variables (suborder, habitat, and temperature preference) as predictors. The contributions of these traits to niche overlap patterns were estimated using the varpart function in the same package. For each time period, we used a backward selection process, involving removal of non-significant traits (α = 0.05) until all the remaining traits were significant ( Hyseni et al. 2021). Significance was determined using ANOVA, after adjusting for the main effects of the other predictors.

Co-occurrence Analyses

Species interaction probabilities were also assessed using the checkerboard analyses ( Stone and Roberts 1990), performed with the 'ecospat' R package ( Di Cola et al. 2017). We used the C-score, which has been shown to have good statistical power for detecting non-randomness ( Gotelli 2000). The C-score quantifies the extent to which two species segregate (a C-score higher than expected by chance is indicative of a strongly antagonistic interaction such as competition or discrepancies in habitat requirements) or aggregate (a C-score lower than expected by chance is indicative of a positive interaction or similarities in habitat requirements). The magnitude of the significance is estimated with the standardized effect size (SES). In cases where there is no significant difference between observed and expected C-scores (i.e., a random pattern of co-occurrence; |SES| < 2), then no direct possible interaction is inferred. We simulated random co-occurrence patterns (i.e., null distributions of expected C-scores) using environmentally constrained matrices (i.e., habitat suitability from ENMs as site weights). We used habitat suitability scores derived from 10,000 randomly sampled cells of the present-day and future ENMs as the environmental constraints in order to rule out the effect of environmental conditions as much as possible ( Peres-Neto et al. 2001), and used 10,000 permutations to generate matrices for the null models. The relationship between co-occurrence patterns and niche overlap for both the present-day and predicted future species range were explored, following Bar-Massada (2015). All the analyses were performed using R 3.6.2 software ( R Core Team 2019).

Results

Quality of the Models

Of the 57 ensemble ENMs generated, 36 models (63%) had an AUC > 0.8 or Kappa > 0.6 ( Supp Table S2 [online only]), which is an indication of good-predictive ability ( Thuiller et al. 2009). A negative correlation was found between AUC score and the latitudinal amplitude of ENM range ( R ² = 0.70, [online only]), meaning that models for species with narrow distributions (occurring only in a limited fraction of the study area, e.g., only in the south) performed better than models for widespread species (occurring throughout Sweden). Despite this, we retained all the ENMs for subsequent analyses to avoid biased interpretations of patterns if we discarded widespread species by focusing only on ENMs with AUC > 0.8.

The MOP analyses for future projections indicated reasonably low levels of extrapolation (values close to 1) in the northern portion of the study area for all the scenarios and GCMs ( [online only]). Thus, the present-day ENMs are fairly well transferable in such areas. However, the southern portion of Sweden is dominated by strict extrapolation, i.e., some of their climatic conditions exceed the range of the predictor values currently existing in Sweden. This suggests that range shifts occurring in the south should be interpreted with some caution.

To complement the reliability assessment of future projections, we projected the Sweden-trained ENMs over the present-day climate conditions in the central Europe and compared the suitability maps obtained with actual presence in this area ( Supp Table S5 [online only]). Moreover, the range change trends we predicted were also compared to the recent trends from other studies that used occupancy models. For most species, we found correct extrapolation to central Europe and consistent trends with other studies ( Supp Table S5 [online only]). Only Ophiogomphus cecilia showed an obvious discrepancy because of its odd distribution in the northern Sweden compared with occurrences at warmer temperatures in the rest of Europe.

Present-Day and Predicted Species Richness

Based on the stacked SDM output, we detected the highest species richness in the southern portion of the study area (ca. one third of Sweden; Fig. 1A). A low-reporting effort of odonate species in the north-western part of Sweden resulted in an underestimation of suitable habitat for widespread species. Despite this, we observed a strong negative latitudinal gradient in species richness, especially, along the Baltic coast, Mideast, and Northeast ( Fig. 1A) where the reporting effort is greater than the further inland ( [online only]). ENM projections for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 trajectories suggest an increase in species richness in the northern two thirds of the country. This increase is more limited in high-altitude areas in the Northwest ( Fig. 1B, [online only]). The level of inland colonization varied greatly according to the GCM used (see [online only] for some representative examples). The projections showed some species loss in areas of high present-day species richness, but this pattern needs to be interpreted with caution given model extrapolation results ( [online only]). Decreases in species richness predicted for some lowland and coastal areas of southern Sweden might in fact be compensated by the arrival of new species. For instance, four recent colonizers (originally excluded from niche modeling due to an insufficient number of records), plus four other species not yet present in Sweden, which are likely to reach the country within the next few decades. When included in analyses, these eight species compensated for decreases in richness projected for southern Sweden, except for the southernmost coastal areas, where these new arrivals would not compensate for local extinctions ( [online only]).

Winners and Losers

In total, 89% of the species modeled (51 out of 57, Fig. 2A) are expected to expand their range by 2061-2080 under the RCP8.5 scenario (88% under RCP4.5; [online only]). The average growth in suitable area is 133,260 ± 64,243 km² (mean ± SD) and 78,789 ± 45,536 km² according to RCP8.5 and RCP4.5 scenarios, respectively ( Fig. 2B, Supp Fig. S8B [online only]). Suborder and habitat had no effect on the range change index (Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test P = 0.55 for both). In contrast, temperature preference had a significant effect on range change (see blue and orange bars in Fig. 2A; Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum P < 0.001). A pairwise comparison using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicated that only the cold-dwelling species group (STI < 5.5°C) were significantly different from the intermediate ( P < 0.001) and warm-dwelling species ( P < 0.001) groups. The range change in the terms of absolute surface showed a similar pattern with regard to cold- and warm-dwelling species ( Fig. 2B). Only a few species are expected to undergo genuine range shifts involving both contractions in the south and expansions in the north. The majority of these are cold-dwelling species such as Aeshna caerulea and Coenagrion johanssoni but also, interestingly, a few intermediate-temperature species such as Leucorrhinia caudalis and Epitheca bimaculata ( Fig. 2B). These last two species are absent in the north, which suggests that it is not only species with ranges restricted to the north that show this pattern of predicted retreat in the south and expansion in the north. On the basis of the ensemble ENMs and projections, the median latitude of species range in Sweden is expected to increase from 58.9 ± 1.81 to 61.1 ± 2.06 degree north by 2061-2080 under RCP8.5 scenario. It represents a northward shift of 241 ± 132 km between 1996 and 2070 (average years of each period) thus an average median latitude shift of 3.25 ± 1.78 y −1 ( Fig. 2C, Supp Table S4a [online only]). On average, shifts in the first and last latitude decile (assumed to reflect lower and upper range limits) are 1.11 ± 1.04 km y −1 and 5.67 ± 2.54 km y −1, respectively ( Supp Table S4b [online only]). Similarly, under RCP4.5 scenario a northward shift in median latitude of 135 ± 97 km is expected between 1996 and 2070, which represents an average shift of 1.82 ± 1.31 km y −1. Under this scenario, lower and upper range limits are predicted to shift at a speed of 0.67 ± 0.69 km y −1 and 3.71 ± 2.15 km y −1, respectively ( Supp Table S4b [online only]). Of the three species traits, only temperature preference had a significant effect on median latitude shift (the Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test P < 0.001). In contrast, only warm-dwelling and intermediate species groups differed significantly (Wilcoxon rank-sum test P < 0.001), with an average median latitude shift of 2.39 ± 0.79 and 3.66 ± 0.88 km y −1, respectively. Median latitude shift of cold-dwelling species was more dispersed and reached on average 2.98 ± 2.32 km y −1.

E-Space Niche Overlap Analyses

The level of niche overlap greatly varies among species pairs ( Fig. 3). Five species tend to display very low-niche current overlap with other species, e.g., Ophiogomphus cecilia- Coenagrion johanssoni. These five species can be considered as the northern species in Sweden. Other species show high overlap, e.g., Erythromma najas and Somatochlora metallica. After the backward selection process of removal of non-significant traits, temperature preference and habitat were retained as significant in present-day and 2061-2080 RCP4.5 scenarios and only temperature preference in 2061-2080 RCP8.5 scenario ( Table 1). Using db-RDA variance partitioning, we determined that temperature preference explained a larger portion of variance in niche overlap patterns than habitat and suborder for present-day and the two 2061-2080 scenarios considered ( [online only]). In accordance with the assumption of niche conservatism, the observed patterns seem to remain in future projections, but some differences emerged ( Fig. 3). For example, Erythromma najas and Orthetrum coerulescens showed cases of higher overlap in the future than present. These differences may come from portions of non-overlapping e-space niches that may no longer exist in the future within the study area resulting in increased niche overlap or from some extrapolation of the model.

Co-occurrence and Niche Overlap

While the e-space niche overlap analysis aims to determine species similarity in terms of habitat preference only, the co-occurrence analysis focuses on species interaction probability alone, without the habitat suitability component. A total of 94.8% of species pairs had co-occurrence patterns for both present day and the future (2061-2080 RCP8.5 scenario) significantly different from random (|SES| > 2). This high proportion of significant results might stem from the high number of 'sites' (10,000) considered. For present-day co-occurrence patterns, 90.2% of pairs were aggregating and 9.8% were segregating more strongly than expected at random ( Fig. 4). The proportions remained similar for the future scenario (89.2% aggregating and 10.8% segregating).

On average, absolute values of future SES increased compared with the present day (mean ± SD, 17.9 ± 6.1 for present day, 31.1 ± 11.8 for future scenario) with 1,217 species pairs showing a decrease in SES (increased aggregation pattern) and 296 pairs showing an SES increase (decreased aggregation). Most changes occurred without a change in the sign of SES. However, 3% of pairs ( n = 46) showed a change in the sign of SES between the present-day and future scenarios. For most of them ( n = 37), the change was significant from negative to positive values of SES, meaning a change from aggregated to segregated co-occurrence patterns. As species interactions were not considered explicitly in stacked ENMs this change might reflect disjunct species distributions. This is supported by some markedly shifting species such as Coenagrion johanssoni and Leucorrhinia caudalis ( [online only]) involved in 16 and 10 of those segregating pairs, respectively.

For both present day and future, we found a negative correlation between co-occurrence (SES) and niche overlap ( R² = 0.34, Fig. 4) which is in line with the expected relationship between high-segregation pattern (more positive SES) and low-niche overlap. However, niche overlap and C-score SES did not show perfect linear correlation suggesting that some additional information was present in the e-space niche overlap compared with the purely geographic metric of co-occurrence.

Discussion

Using an ENM framework, we inferred that northern European odonate assemblages will experience great compositional changes during the next few decades. Climate change will likely result in northward range shifts, northward range shifts of many species, thus changing species richness patterns and influencing species interactions. Furthermore, our results suggest that cold-dwelling species are more likely to suffer from range shifts as well as changes in species co-occurrence, which could ultimately reshape interaction networks.

Based on our ENM results, the majority of species in the study area is expected to undergo northward range expansion by 2080. Considering all the species, the average median latitude shift is expected to occur at a speed of 1.83 and 3.25 km y −1 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios by 2061-2080. Empirical northward expansion has already been documented for British odonates in a study comparing range expansion from 1960 to 1995 ( Hickling et al. 2005). This study found an average range margin shift of 2.96 km y −1, which is close to what we found for the worst-case future climate change scenario. Interestingly, in Britain, a more recent analysis ( Platts et al. 2019) confirmed range shifts at a similar rate (2 km y −1) for multiple invertebrate groups, with most of the variation within rather than among groups. The similarity in rates of range margin shifts across studies, including our study, suggests that climate change will push many insect taxa northward and also that the unlimited dispersal assumption in projections is reasonable. Odonates, in particular in Scandinavia, already have recent examples of remarkable northward range expansions with Anax imperator or Sympecma fusca that moved about ten-fold or more the average rate ( Flenner and Sahlén 2008). Another recent study, covering the whole latitudinal range of Europe, but without a full coverage of the area, found that the majority of the 99 species studied had increased their range in the 1990-2015 period ( Termaat et al. 2019).

For some cold-dwelling species, i.e., those with an STI < 5.5°C, our models predicted a range contraction since the habitat at their current southern range will become unsuitable. Interestingly, the study by Termaat et al. (2019) did not find that cold-dwelling species, as defined in their study, differed in range change compared with the warm-dwelling species between 1995 and 2015. However, that study defined cold-dwellers as species with STI below the mean STI of the European species (STI < 9.8°C) which corresponds to both our cold-dwelling and intermediate species groups. Our projections are more in line with temperature preference found to be positively correlated with the long-term trends in Germany, where cold-adapted species using standing waters showed the highest decreases ( Bowler et al. 2021). It will be of interest to monitor if range contractions of cold-dwelling species predicted in our study will occur during the upcoming decades while we still are adapting conservation measures to limit local extinction and promote colonization of the most vulnerable species.

We predicted that species richness will increase in the northern areas and may decrease in the south due to local extinctions. Qualitatively, our models retrieved the species richness pattern known in Sweden based on observations with a rather high-species richness in the south-east and a much lower species richness in the northern areas ( Kalkman et al. 2018). Yet, quantitatively our ENMs tend to underestimate the extent of some species ranges, especially in the north-east, thus, resulting in an underestimation of species richness. We are aware of two other studies that have used ENMs to study range shifts at the community level in the European odonates. Markovic et al. (2014) modeled aquatic biodiversity and found that odonate species richness were very little affected by climate changes until 2050 and explained this by their relatively high-aerial dispersal ability compared with strictly aquatic species groups. Li and Park (2020) modeled odonate distribution covering the western and the northern Europe and found an increase in species richness toward the north until 2050, and thereafter, a decline until 2080. The results from these two studies differ somewhat from ours, in that our models predicted clear range expansion and increased species richness toward the north, which was not found or was less evident in these other studies. The difference is probably due to our study being restricted to the northern part of Europe. We note that there was a slight decrease in species richness in some parts of the southern Sweden, which gives further support for the scenario of a south-north difference with regard to climate change. Nevertheless, this decrease is probably overestimated, because recent colonizers and other species that are yet to arrive and were thus not included in ENMs could counteract local losses in species richness. Hence, we conclude that the majority of species will experience range expansion in the north, which will lead to a less pronounced latitudinal gradient in Sweden. This also suggests that the current biogeographical and geological boundary known as Limes Norrlandicus (a boundary between the more oceanic and continental climatic regions), coinciding with the range limits of many species in southern Scandinavia, might be crossed by at least some odonate species during the next few decades. However, although we included a broad variety of ecologically relevant variables in our models, potential effects of high-latitude environments are almost impossible to anticipate in the absence of the experimental work ( Spence and Tingley 2020). Since odonates are insects, we suggest that these change in richness patterns might hold for insects in general, because studies comparing different insect taxa show very similar responses to climate change ( Maes et al. 2010, Domisch et al. 2011). In general, extinction risk of species will increase with future climate change ( Urban 2015). But, at northern latitudes, only cold-dwelling species may be negatively affected, while warm-dwelling species will likely benefit from climate change.

We found interesting disparities in the niche overlap between species pairs. The general pattern we observed was that cold-dwelling species exhibited less niche overlap compared with the warm-dwelling species, a pattern which persisted until 2061-2080 for both climate change scenarios. Furthermore, the C-score analysis resulted in an overall increase in co-occurrence among species by 2061-2080, for both the climate change scenarios ( Fig. 4). Such an increase in niche overlap was also found by van Beest et al. (2021) in a study on vertebrates at high northern latitudes (Greenland). More studies investigating changes in the niche overlap at the northern latitudes are needed to confirm that this pattern is generalizable in the northern latitudes and to understand its biological implications. These changes in the niche overlap were mostly seen in warm-dwelling species and although the majority of changes was toward higher overlap, there were notable exceptions. For instance, Erythromma najas, Somatochlora arctica, and Coenagrion puella showed a rather high present-day niche overlap with other species, followed by much lower niche overlap in the future. Conversely, Brachytron pratense, Sympecma fusca, Sympetrum sanguineum, and Leucorrhinia pectoralis experienced increased niche overlap in the future, compared with the present-day niche overlap with other species. More work is needed to understand why these different groups of species respond differently, how dependent on scale are these results, and whether this is not a result of the assumption of niche conservatism in niche modeling. Indeed, several studies have found high-niche conservatism in insects including odonates ( Peterson et al. 1999, Wellenreuther et al. 2012, McCreadie et al. 2017, but see Hill et al. 2017, Torres et al. 2018). However, temperature-induced changes in interspecific competition have the potential to influence distributional patterns ( Yang and Rudolf 2010, Suhling and Suhling 2013).

Besides intrinsic factors such as STI and competition ( Yang and Rudolf 2010, Suhling and Suhling 2013), extrinsic factors might affect climate-induced range shifts and changes in species richness of odonates in the future. For instance, Li and Park (2020) found that, while STI was the main factor, extrinsic factors such as land cover type and water velocity also had a significant effect in predicting future distributional changes. However, the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on niche overlap is not well studied. We included STI (temperature preference), suborder, and habitat in our analysis on niche overlap and found that only STI affected the niche overlap patterns significantly. The absence or limited effect of habitat as a trait driving niche overlap patterns could be explained by the coarse spatial resolution we used for computing niche overlap, which may have missed fine-scale niche differentiation that can occur within habitats (e.g. Hyseni and Garrick 2019).

The predictive abilities of our models were affected by a number of limitations and uncertainties. The level of thinning we applied to occurrence records served to limit the spatial autocorrelation in areas where the reporting effort was high, but for the species occurring in both the northern and southern Sweden the density of occurrence data included in the model was still higher in the south than in the north. This likely led to an underestimation of the present-day ranges and thus an overestimation of their predicted range expansion. Although AUC is assumed to be independent of prevalence ( Manel et al. 2001), we found the poorest ENM predictions corresponded with the most widely distributed species. Moreover, a higher level of thinning would have degraded the performance of ENM without improving model fit ( Supp Table S6 [online only]). Some studies have managed to correct this bias by including sampling bias predictors in the models, such as distances to the main roads, cities, and protected areas ( El-Gabbas and Dormann 2018). Also, the imperfect overlap between the date of occurrence records (2006-2020) and climatic variables (1979-2013) may lead to some small overestimations of range change given that range changes have certainly already occurred in the meantime. However, the magnitude of climate change experienced within the 1979-2020 period is likely to be minor compared to that between present-day and the 2061-2080 period. This makes our ENMs still relevant for projecting over this timescale. In addition, the use of several GCMs helps in obtaining reasonable projections. At last, our ENM projections involve three main assumptions. First, we assumed species distributions to be only constrained by abiotic conditions, which are assumed to be the dominant constraint at high latitudes ( Sirén and Morelli 2019). Second, we assumed current distributions are not substantially affected by interspecific interactions at this scale (Eltonian noise hypothesis) and dispersal limitations. Third, ENM projections assume the availability of habitats in areas where colonization is predicted, which may be reasonable given that a substantial portion of Sweden-about 10%-consists of wetlands, especially in the northern areas ( Jeglum et al. 2011). An interesting prospect would be to refine niche models using such wetland data.

Despite the great potential of citizen science to collect valuable biological data, the present study also underlines the disparities in reporting effort from easily accessible versus inaccessible areas ( Mair and Ruete 2016). We like to note that enhanced data quality could be reached with a little extra effort to the citizen scientist. For instance, more detailed information with respect to the breeding status in odonate occurrence data (only available for 2% of the records) would allow to refine ENM so that areas suitable for breeding are inferred effectively ( Patten et al. 2015). All this reaffirms the importance of reliable and extensive biodiversity data to help us evaluate range shifts in a changing world ( Mihoub et al. 2017), and especially so at the northern latitudes.

Acknowledgments

We thank the Swedish Species Observation System and all the citizen scientists who submitted their sightings and made this study possible. The computations were enabled by resources in project SNIC 2021/22-171 provided by the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) at UPPMAX, partially funded by the Swedish Research Council through grant agreement no. 2018-05973.

Author Contributions

M.P.: Formal analysis, validation, visualization, writing-original draft, writing-review and editing. F.J: Conceptualization, project administration, supervision, writing-review and editing. C.H.: Conceptualization, methodology, supervision, validation, writing-review and editing.

References Cited

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pushed Northward by Climate Change: Range Shifts With a Chance of Co-occurrence Reshuffling in the Forecast for Northern European Odonates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Abstract. Biodiversity is heavily influenced by ongoing climate change, which often results in species undergoing range shifts, either poleward or uphill.

# data[].attributes.headline
David Smith #8: ‘Ghost of the forest’ returns to Kenya as conservationists reintroduce rare antelope into the wild

# data[].attributes.subject
David Smith #8: ‘Ghost of the forest’ returns to Kenya as conservationists reintroduce rare antelope into the wild

# data[].attributes.body
“Ghost of the Forest Returns to Kenya as Conservationists Reintroduce Rare Antelope into the Wild” talks about the conservationists' attempts to save the Kenya's rare but critically endangered mountain bongo antelope. The mountain bongo is a rare African antelope, which is brown in color with white stripes, enabling it to blend in with the forest. According to the article, bongos are among the most scarce animals in Africa since there are fewer than 100 left. There is a project currently underway at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy that involves breeding bongos and then releasing some into the forests around Mount Kenya. Some bongos have even been brought in from zoos in Europe and the United States in order to increase genetic diversity. Conservationists are very careful about the animals because they believe the animals need to learn how to eat and how to fend for themselves. The article also outlines ways in which the animals became extinct due to “time trend” factors, such as habitat destruction, hunting and disease outbreaks. In conclusion, the article serves as a warning about the threats to endangered species and the need for conservation initiatives to preserve biodiversity.

I was really shocked by this article since I never knew the immense effort and scientific planning that goes into conserving one species from extinction. The article is related to various IB ESS topics (biodiversity, sustainability, conservation, human impact on ecosystems). .The article discusses many solutions like reintroducing and breeding the Antelope, while also providing data to show how these solutions are working. I personally believe it is quite critical how the article describes the efforts in conservation because human habitat destruction, and man hunting were main causes of the species' decline. I believe this project could be a template for conservation programs throughout the world. The conservation of habitats and investment in conservation research should continue in the future as it's vital that biodiversity helps in maintaining stable and viable ecosystems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘Ghost of the forest’ returns to Kenya as conservationists reintroduce rare antelope into the wild

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The mountain bongo is being reintroduced into the wild by conservationists to increase the number of the rare antelope that are indigenous to Kenya’s forests.

# data[].attributes.headline
Thalia Patrick #10: Objective biome classification across global vegetation models reveals consistent biome shifts under future climate change

# data[].attributes.subject
Thalia Patrick #10: Objective biome classification across global vegetation models reveals consistent biome shifts under future climate change

# data[].attributes.body
This article explains a new scientific method for tracking global biodiversity by creating high-resolution maps of Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs). Instead of the traditional method of counting individual species on the ground, which is slow and difficult, researchers used 2026 satellite data to monitor how ecosystems actually function, such as their plant productivity and seasonal changes. By looking at these functional traits, the study provides a detailed "health map" of the planet’s diversity at a 1-kilometer resolution. These maps help scientists identify areas where biodiversity is most at risk and where ecosystems are still thriving. The research highlights that understanding these functional patterns is essential for seeing how climate change and human land use are shifting natural habitats. Ultimately, this high-tech mapping provides a way to monitor the entire planet’s biodiversity in real-time, offering a much more comprehensive view than we've ever had before.

In my opinion, this research is a great example of how we can use advanced tools to protect nature more effectively. I think using satellites to monitor biodiversity is a huge improvement over older methods because it allows us to see the "big picture" of the planet's health instantly. This perspective aligns with a technocentric environmental viewpoint because it suggests that human technology and scientific data are the best ways to manage and solve environmental crises. A potential solution for this issue would be for the United Nations to require all countries to use this satellite data when planning new infrastructure or farms. If governments were forced to look at these functional richness maps before clearing land, they could easily avoid the most sensitive biodiversity hotspots. While it's a bit scary to see how fast some areas are changing, I feel hopeful because we now have the data needed to make better decisions for the environment.

# data[].attributes.headline
Thalia Patrick #9: A year out from LA’s devastating wildfires, Bryant expert explores the current state of ecological recovery

# data[].attributes.subject
Thalia Patrick #9: A year out from LA’s devastating wildfires, Bryant expert explores the current state of ecological recovery

# data[].attributes.body
This article discusses the environmental state of Lahaina one year after the catastrophic wildfires, focusing on the challenges of ecological recovery. It explains that the fire's intensity was largely due to novel ecosystems where abandoned farmland became overgrown with invasive, highly flammable African grasses. A Bryant University expert points out that the recovery process is difficult because the extreme heat from the fire essentially baled the soil, damaging its structure and killing off the microbes needed for plant growth. This creates a situation where invasive weeds are the first to return during secondary succession, potentially setting the stage for future fires. The article concludes that true restoration will require active human intervention, such as soil remediation and long term land management, rather than just letting nature take its course.

In my opinion, this article highlights a major problem with how we manage land and invasive species. It is clear that the disaster wasn't just a natural event but was made much worse by years of neglecting the landscape. A potential solution would be for the local government to fund large scale projects to replace these invasive grasses with native Hawaiian plants that are naturally for fire resistant. This would create a green break that protects the community while restoring local biodiversity. This viewpoint is mostly ecocentric because its suggests that fixing the ecosystems health is the only was to ensure long term human safety. While the damage to the soil makes the situation seems a bit desperate, I think there is hope if the community focuses on restoration instead of just rebuilding houses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A year out from LA’s devastating wildfires, Bryant expert explores the current state of ecological recovery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It’s been one year since the Los Angeles wildfires scorched more than 40,000 acres in Southern California, sending evacuation notices to 200,000…

# data[].attributes.headline
Laura Bzura #8: ‘Without water, there will be no life’: Nevada lithium mines violate Indigenous rights, report says

# data[].attributes.subject
Laura Bzura #8: ‘Without water, there will be no life’: Nevada lithium mines violate Indigenous rights, report says

# data[].attributes.body
In Nevada, U.S, lithium mining operations are violating Indigenous rights and threatening water resources by failing to secure FPIC, a cornerstone principle of Indigenous people's rights. These operations have strongly inflicted the 60-million-acre territory of the Western Shoshone, recognized through the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley by the U.S. government. Many members of various tribes, such as the Te-Moak Tribe have preached of their rights, more broadly human rights. Some have claimed in a lawsuit that the mine's construction (Thacker Pass mine) would destroy the site of a 19th century massacre of the Northern Paitute. The framework of the report on three of the mines states that in each scenario, both the mining companies and the companies who use their minerals benefit from the legal framework that leaves Native Americans.

The diminishment of minority groups in governmental decisions is a prominent issue in today's society. I felt that this article topic discussed the same message while critiquing the conflicts that come with capitalism. Reflecting upon the importance pushed upon big industries, I noticed that discrimination against minority groups is not only placed socially but economically as well. It upsets me that big industries are so unsympathetic to not just individuals but Earth as a whole. The concept of temporary benefit being pushed instead off long-term term benefit (sustainability) is an issue we have yet to resolve. The issue with moving towards sustainable development results primarily from the short-term benefits.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘Without water, there will be no life’: Nevada lithium mines violate Indigenous rights, report says

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thacker Pass, Rhyolite Ridge and Nevada North Lithium are the subject of the report on Native American rights.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacqueline Gama #8 The Carbon Cycle - Carbon Sources and Sinks

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacqueline Gama #8 The Carbon Cycle - Carbon Sources and Sinks

# data[].attributes.body
The article gives a detailed explanation of the carbon cycle and why it is essential for life on Earth. It explains how carbon moves between the atmosphere, plants, animals, oceans, soil, rocks, and fossil fuels. One important idea discussed is that carbon is necessary for living organisms because it forms molecules such as DNA, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The article also explains the role of photosynthesis, where plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it. When plants die and decompose, carbon is released back into the atmosphere, continuing the cycle. I thought the article was very effective because it used clear examples to explain complex scientific processes in a simple way. The discussion of carbon sinks and carbon sources was especially important because it showed how natural systems like forests and oceans help regulate Earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. Overall, the article successfully explains how balanced carbon movement is necessary for maintaining stable atmospheric conditions and supporting life on Earth.

Another major focus of the article is the impact humans are having on the carbon cycle. The article explains that activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and raising large numbers of cattle are increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I think this is the most significant part of the article because it connects the carbon cycle to climate change and environmental problems happening today. The article emphasizes that forests and oceans normally act as carbon sinks, but deforestation is reducing Earth’s ability to absorb excess carbon. This creates an imbalance in the carbon cycle and leads to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. I believe the article is very informative because it not only explains the science behind the carbon cycle but also highlights the consequences of human actions. It encourages readers to think about how human activities affect the environment and why protecting carbon sinks is important for the future of the planet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image

Photograph by Bruce Dale

Carbon is an element that is essential to all life on Earth. Carbon makes up the fats and carbohydrates of our food and is part of the molecules, like DNA and protein, that make up our bodies. Carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, is even a part of the air we breathe. It is also stored in places like the ocean, rocks, fossil fuels, and plants.

The carbon cycle describes the flow of carbon between each of these places. For example, carbon continually flows in and out of the atmosphere and also living things. As plants photosynthesize, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When plants die, the carbon goes into the soil, and microbes can release the carbon back into the atmosphere through decomposition.

Forests are typically carbon sinks, places that absorb more carbon than they release. They continually take carbon out of the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. The ocean is another example of a carbon sink, absorbing a large amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Some processes release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than they absorb. Any process that uses fossil fuels-such as burning coal to make electricity-releases a lot of carbon into the atmosphere. Raising cattle for food also releases a lot of carbon into the atmosphere. These processes that release carbon into the atmosphere are known as carbon sources.

Ideally, the carbon cycle would keep Earth's carbon concentrations in balance, moving the carbon from place to place and keeping atmospheric carbon dioxide levels steady. However, the carbon cycle is changing because of human activity. People are releasing more carbon into the atmosphere by using fossil fuels and maintaining large livestock operations. Deforestation is depleting Earth's supply of carbon sinks. As a result, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is rising.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Director

Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society

Author

National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society

Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society

Margot Willis, National Geographic Society

other

Last Updated

December 14, 2022

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. She or he will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Image Photograph by Bruce Dale Carbon is an element that is essential to all life on Earth. Carbon makes up the fats and carbohydrates of our food and is part of the molecules, like DNA and protein, that make up our bodies. Carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, is even a part of the air we breathe.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ryen Waters #8: Deep-sea robots will search for source of mysterious ‘dark oxygen’

# data[].attributes.subject
Ryen Waters #8: Deep-sea robots will search for source of mysterious ‘dark oxygen’

# data[].attributes.body
Recently, researchers found evidence that oxygen can be generated in the ocean without the help of sunlight, a process they call “dark oxygen.” The article reports that scientists discovered unusually high concentrations of oxygen around polymetallic nodules on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, where there is no sunlight for photosynthesis. The metal-rich nodules are thought to produce tiny electrical currents which split the molecules of seawater into hydrogen and oxygen. The finding is significant because it suggests that oxygen did not need to be generated by photosynthesis on Earth. The article further details the importance of these nodules for deep-sea mining, as they are rich in metals like cobalt and nickel, which are essential for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies. Scientists are now employing deep-sea robots to continue studying the phenomenon and to see if the mining operations could harm sensitive ecosystems that may rely on this oxygen source.

I found this article very interesting as it demonstrates the lack of knowledge humans have about the deep ocean. It's surprising that scientists are finding completely new environmental processes in one of the least explored places on Earth. As far as I am concerned, this discovery is enough to make me think that we should not rush into deep-sea mining without understanding how it works, or else we will be destroying ecosystems forever. Although the extraction of these nodules could contribute to the development of cleaner technology, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, it is still important to prioritize protecting ocean biodiversity. A realistic way to do this would be to impose more restrictions or temporary bans on deep-sea mining by governments and international bodies until further scientific research is done. Businesses need to pay more attention to recycling battery materials rather than continually sourcing new materials from the ocean floor. In general, this issue illustrates the trade-offs between technological development and ecosystem protection in the face of largely uncharted ecosystems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deep-sea robots will search for source of mysterious ‘dark oxygen’

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientists have launched a fresh effort to find out what could be producing oxygen at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

# data[].attributes.headline
London Bieler-Morris #8: Amsterdamn's Ban on Meat and Fossil Fuel Advertising Comes into Effect

# data[].attributes.subject
London Bieler-Morris #8: Amsterdamn's Ban on Meat and Fossil Fuel Advertising Comes into Effect

# data[].attributes.body
In Amsterdam, they have begun to ban advertisements of polluting products; this includes any products that utilize fossil fuels and meat products. These will now be banned from being advertised on billboards, public transportation, and all public places within Amsterdam. The burning of fossil fuels is one of the main sources of trapped greenhouse gases within our atmosphere, and the meat/livestock industry is also a large contributor to the production of greenhouse gases, accounting for around 14-18% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions. The livestock is responsible for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions within the food sector of industry. Andrea Mansuco, the Community & Grants Manager at Creatives for Climate, states that “Promoting fossil fuels directly undermines climate action and locks in the behavior we know must change. By becoming the first capital to legally ban fossil fuel and meat advertising, Amsterdam is drawing a clear line, setting the global standard.”

This article is very interesting because it shows a side of environmental law that I haven’t seen yet. Banning the advertisement products that utilize fossil fuels, such as excessive air travel and cruise ships, seems effective. But the controversial part of this law is banning the advertisement of meat products in public spaces. A majority of the world's population consumes meat as a critical part of their diet because humans need protein, iron, and other vitamins to function healthily. In my opinion, banning the advertisement of meat could have unintended negative effects on public health, even though it is for a good cause.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Amsterdam’s Ban on Meat and Fossil Fuel Advertising Comes Into Effect | Earth.Org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A ban on fossil fuel and meat advertising in public spaces came into effect on Friday in Amsterdam, the first capital city to do so.

# data[].attributes.headline
James Russell Article Review #8: UN Environment Programme (UNPE)

# data[].attributes.subject
James Russell Article Review #8: UN Environment Programme (UNPE)

# data[].attributes.body
The United Nations Environment Programme article discusses the growing global issue of plastic pollution, with a focus on microplastics (plastic particles less than 5mm in size that are now found almost everywhere in the environment). Recent research, summarized in the article, shows that microplastics have been detected in oceans, freshwater systems, soil, food chains, and even in human blood. These particles come from the breakdown of larger plastic waste, synthetic clothing fibers, and industrial products. Because plastics do not fully biodegrade, they instead fragment and persist in ecosystems for hundreds of years. From an ESS perspective, this issue highlights how human consumption patterns create long-term waste problems that accumulate in both biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems. It also connects to the concept of pollution transfer through food chains, where organisms at different trophic levels may ingest plastic, potentially affecting entire ecosystems in unpredictable ways.

In my opinion, microplastic pollution is especially concerning because it is invisible, widespread, and extremely difficult to remove once it enters the environment. Unlike obvious pollution such as oil spills, microplastics silently build up over time, making the problem harder for society to recognize and respond to quickly. A realistic solution has to focus on reducing plastic production at the source rather than relying on cleanup. Governments should implement stricter bans on single-use plastics and also push industries toward biodegradable or reusable alternatives. Improved waste management systems, especially in developing regions, are also essential to prevent plastic leakage into waterways. On an individual level, reducing plastic consumption and supporting sustainable products can contribute to overall demand reduction. However, systemic change is more important than individual action. This issue shows that modern pollution is not always visible but can still have widespread environmental and biological impacts, making prevention the most effective strategy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes. Plastic pollution is a global problem. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. UNEP’s body of work demonstrates that the problem of plastic pollution doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The environmental, social, economic and health risks of plastics need to be assessed alongside other environmental stressors, like climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource use.

# data[].attributes.headline
James Russell Article Review #8: UN Environmental program (UNEP) Plastic Pollution

# data[].attributes.subject
James Russell Article Review #8: UN Environmental program (UNEP) Plastic Pollution

# data[].attributes.body
The United Nations Environment Programme article discusses the growing global issue of plastic pollution, with a focus on microplastics (plastic particles less than 5mm in size that are now found almost everywhere in the environment). Recent research, summarized in the article, shows that microplastics have been detected in oceans, freshwater systems, soil, food chains, and even in human blood. These particles come from the breakdown of larger plastic waste, synthetic clothing fibers, and industrial products. Because plastics do not fully biodegrade, they instead fragment and persist in ecosystems for hundreds of years. From an ESS perspective, this issue highlights how human consumption patterns create long-term waste problems that accumulate in both biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems. It also connects to the concept of pollution transfer through food chains, where organisms at different trophic levels may ingest plastic, potentially affecting entire ecosystems in unpredictable ways.

In my opinion, microplastic pollution is especially concerning because it is invisible, widespread, and extremely difficult to remove once it enters the environment. Unlike obvious pollution such as oil spills, microplastics silently build up over time, making the problem harder for society to recognize and respond to quickly. A realistic solution has to focus on reducing plastic production at the source rather than relying on cleanup. Governments should implement stricter bans on single-use plastics and also push industries toward biodegradable or reusable alternatives. Improved waste management systems, especially in developing regions, are also essential to prevent plastic leakage into waterways. On an individual level, reducing plastic consumption and supporting sustainable products can contribute to overall demand reduction. However, systemic change is more important than individual action. This issue shows that modern pollution is not always visible but can still have widespread environmental and biological impacts, making prevention the most effective strategy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes. Plastic pollution is a global problem. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. UNEP’s body of work demonstrates that the problem of plastic pollution doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The environmental, social, economic and health risks of plastics need to be assessed alongside other environmental stressors, like climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource use.

# data[].attributes.headline
Claire George #8: New Zealand Proposes Bill to Recognize Legal Rights of Pacific Whales 

# data[].attributes.subject
Claire George #8: New Zealand Proposes Bill to Recognize Legal Rights of Pacific Whales 

# data[].attributes.body
This article focuses on New Zealand’s conservation efforts towards whales, specifically their proposition of the Tohorā Oranga Bill. This bill would recognize whales as legal citizens with their own, individual rights instead of treating them as an expendable resource. It was introduced by the Green Party member of parliament Teanau Tuiono and aims to protect the various whale species in the Pacific Ocean, many of which are endangered or facing extinction. The bill grants whales the rights to movement and healthy habitats, protecting their natural behaviors and social structures. Additionally, the piece of legislation requires law-makers to consider the well-being of whales before passing judgement on fishing, shipping, mining, or any kind of coastal development that could put them in danger. Many indigenous pacific islanders and Māori believe that whales are sacred animals and essential to the ocean ecosystem, which sines through in this bill. If passed, the Tohorā Oranga Bill would become the first legally binding law in all of the Pacific to grant whales legal citizenship, highlighting a major conservation advancement.

I was happy to see that the Tohorā Oranga Bill was in the works, but I was also surprised that the rights of these beautiful animals must be deliberately spelled out within the government for people to listen. I was shocked that nothing like this bill existed elsewhere in the Pacific, the largest ocean in the world and the home of the majority of our marine life in Earth. Nevertheless, New Zealand is encouraging its citizens to recognize nature as its own being and separate it from economic value, even if the bill doesn’t pass. I was also interested to learn about the role of indigenous peoples and the Māori in the proposal of this law. It makes me excited to see how indigenous islands still have such a large role in legislation and, despite modern advancements, continue to value their spirituality manifested in whales. The need for this bill is highlighted in the article, showing me that pollution, fishing, and ship strikes are still huge problem for not only whales but the entire marine ecosystem. The Tohorā Oranga Bill gives me hope in that it can set an example for the rest of the world to follow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New Zealand Could Recognize the Legal Rights of Pacific Whales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The proposed legislation advances an ecocentric legal framework aimed at strengthening the protection of whales inhabiting the Pacific Ocean.

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Silbergleit #8 - ‘Encouraging’: Global rainforest loss slows in 2025 after record year

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Silbergleit #8 - ‘Encouraging’: Global rainforest loss slows in 2025 after record year

# data[].attributes.body
The article, “‘Encouraging’: Global rainforest loss slows in 2025 after record year” is mainly about the decline in deforestation in tropical rainforests, but the rise in wildfires. Tropical rainforest deforestation went down 36% from 2024’s record high, decreasing to 4.3 million hectares. While this is a good achievement, it is still 46% higher than a decade ago. In addition to that, we are 70% above the levels needed to reach the 2030 goal of stopping and reversing deforestation. So, while the levels of deforestation are decreasing, they are still at an alarmingly high level. However, this improvement does show that government action can make a big impact. One specific example of this decline is in Brazil. Brazil reached its lowest rate on record, with 41% lower than in 2024. This is due to stronger enforcement of environmental policies. Another example is in Colombia, where the forest loss decreased by 17%. In addition to this, wildfires, which are typically caused by humans, are now starting to be caused more commonly by climate change. Wildfires are becoming increasingly more common, further causing deforestation, which keeps us at these high levels.

I really enjoyed reading this article. I appreciated that it not only mentioned the negative aspects of how we are handling deforestation, but it was mostly centered around the positives. It highlighted how governmental policies are actually making a difference. I found this article to be very empowering and motivating. It shows how much progress has been made, but still points out how much we still have to do. It is pushing us to keep doing what we are doing, if not more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Encouraging': Global rainforest loss slows in 2025 after record year

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The researchers credit the slowdown to policies implemented by Brazil's President Lula da Silva to curb deforestation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #8 - Understanding How Pesticide Exposure Affects Honey Bee Colonies. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #8 - Understanding How Pesticide Exposure Affects Honey Bee Colonies. 

# data[].attributes.body
The article I read discusses the affect of exposure to pesticides on different honey Bee Colonies. Honey bees play a very important role in crop production. For example pollination from the honey bees, contributes to over half of the value of the United States 29 billion dollar agriculture industry. America and Europe have both seen a decline of bee colonies, and the factors for this decline include disease, pests, poor bee nutrition, lack of genetic diversity, bee management practices, and pesticides. Researches found that Honey Bee colonies can be exposed to directs spray and soil application pesticide methods. It is important to protect these bee colonies due to their importance in society. Carmen Kuan says, "Pesticide exposure at the individual level might be lethal, sub-lethal, or altering to the behavior of the bee. At the colony level, this exposure might impact an entire hive, species, or their crop yields." Researcher found that Honey Bee Colonies exposed to direct spray and soil application methods exhibited the least recovery.

In my opinion this article was very interesting to read, especially with the recent unit about pesticides. This article showed me new information and highlighted important aspects on how beneficial bee colonies are. Today we always hear the phrase, "Save the Bee's" but we don't know how they are being negatively affected. In conclusion, it was important for me to learn about honey bees and their impacts and how they are being impacted. If more people are aware of this important topic, change is possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Sensitivity analyses for simulating pesticide impacts on honey bee coloniesExit EPA’s website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding How Pesticide Exposure Affects Honey Bee Colonies | US EPA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
EPA published Sensitivity analyses for simulating pesticide impacts on honey bee colonies, which builds upon a recently-developed model to provide scientists with a clearer understanding of how pesticide exposure affects honey bees.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abby Fry #8 - Sycamore Gap tree saplings to be planted across UK

# data[].attributes.subject
Abby Fry #8 - Sycamore Gap tree saplings to be planted across UK

# data[].attributes.body
The article by The Guardian includes the National Trust's effort to restore hope and ecological efforts after the illegal deforestation of the Sycamore Gap Tree. By gathering 49 saplings, each sapling represents one foot of the 49-foot-tall tree that was there originally. The Trust's goal is to transform the act of destruction into a movement of resiliency. These saplings will grow into "Trees of Hope" and are being planted in locations with significant environmental significance. These sites include Greenham Common and other communities recovering from conflict. The plan aims to blend environmental restoration and cultural importance to preserve the tree's legacy as a natural landmark and a symbol of peace. The story emphasizes community and conservation and the power of nature with its ability to connect people.

From an ecocentric perspective, I find this plan very special and important because it draws attention to the environment and the tree's cultural significance. Restoring sycamore through its saplings and story helps reinforce the idea that nature needs protection and its ecosystems carry significance for cultures. From a technocentric view, I also believe planting the saplings is important, but I also think environmental monitoring technologies and surveillance around natural sites like the sycamore would help protect them. Combining the ecological aspect of respecting nature and its cultural significance with smart technology to protect it can ensure that natural features around the globe will be both honored and protected.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sycamore Gap tree saplings to be planted across UK

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
National Trust begins planting the 49 ‘trees of hope’ so the illegally felled tree can live on in a positive way

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Yanqui #8- EPA to allow more mercury pollution

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Yanqui #8- EPA to allow more mercury pollution

# data[].attributes.body
I read an article by the Environment America Research and Policy Center, it first mentions the Environmental Protection, otherwise known as the EPA, has decided to reverse a 2024 rule that allowed the limitation to release mercury into the environment from coal-burning plants. This means that coal plants will now not be required to monitor their emissions, and this is not only limited to mercury but also other toxic Pollutants. Mercury is released from coal plant and rains and storm carrying this mercury into common waterways and this mercury gets into fish. This causes bio magnification on a grand scale where people also can get contaminated if they eat contaminated fish. This is the most common way that mercury can get into people's bodies. Once mercury enters a fish, the fish has methyl mercury and this poses cognitive and developmental risks for unborn infants and is also damaging to wildlife. The EPA also allowed for other chemicals to be unregulated that have brain damage and reproductive harms and are linked to cancer. The Environment America Research and Policy Center first starts small and convinces governor's to enforce limiting mercury emissions from power plants. So far mercury emissions have dropped by 86% by 2017 but there is still around 4 toxic metals that are still in our air.

This article did a good job at informing the reader in a clear to understand way what is happening and what they have done as a organization to try and help the environment. I liked that they explained the dangers of mercury in the air and talked about biomagnification on top of that. The article was concise and a short reading, I believe that this was intentional because there is many people who get really bored when reading so they wanted to make sure that it was engage enough to help and inform the reader with the shortest amount words. I do think that if they explained the dangers to the Environment a bit more and why the PEA overturned their decisions from 2024 then it would have been a better article but for how short it was it was a good reading.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/monarch-butterflies-are-now-an-endangered-species

The article I read talks about the decline of Monarch butterfly populations over the years and their current status as endangered in some parts of the world. Monarch butterflies travel long distances across North America, but they face challenges from climate change, habitat loss and pesticides. The article explains that milkweed plants are important to monarch butterflies, which lay their eggs on them, but many of these plants are disappearing due to farming, construction and development. Scientists are worried because monarch populations have declined drastically over the last few decades, particularly in western North America. The article also says extreme weather, droughts and pollution are affecting their migration and survival. The decline of monarchs could also have implications for plants and ecosystems that depend on them as pollinators. Now scientists and conservation agencies are trying to protect the butterfly’s habitat and get people to plant more milkweed to help the population.

I feel it's a really sad issue because monarchs are such a big part of nature and a lot of people saw them when they were young. I didn’t know about the effects of habitat loss and pesticides on one species. I think people should plant more milkweed and flowers that are friendly to pollinators instead of removing them. Governments should also look into limiting harmful pesticides and protect habitats where monarch butterflies migrate. I do believe that there is still hope if more and more people start to care about pollinators and ecosystem protection. Even small actions from communities and individuals could go a long way toward helping monarch butterflies survive into the future.

# data[].attributes.headline
Gaby Smeraglino #8 The Future of the ocean

# data[].attributes.subject
Gaby Smeraglino #8 The Future of the ocean

# data[].attributes.body
The article from the "Science Magazine" talks about how scientists are trying to better understand environmental problems and how human actions are affecting Earth. The article explains that climate change, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity are becoming more serious over time. It also shows how scientific research can help people create better solutions for protecting ecosystems and reducing damage to the planet. I thought the article was interesting because it connected science with real-world environmental issues that affect everyone. The article made it clear that humans play a huge role in changing the environment, especially through burning fossil fuels and using too many natural resources. It also showed that solving these problems will require teamwork between scientists, governments, and regular people. Overall, the article helped me understand how important environmental science is for the future of the Earth.

In my opinion, the article was very important because it shows why people need to care more about the environment before problems become worse. I believe humans should focus more on protecting nature and using cleaner energy sources because climate change is already affecting weather, animals, and ecosystems around the world. Reading the article made me think about how small actions, like recycling, saving energy, and reducing waste, can still help the environment over time. I also think schools should teach students more about environmental issues so younger generations can make smarter choices in the future. Sometimes people ignore environmental problems because they think one person cannot make a difference, but I believe that many small actions together can create big change. The article strengthened my viewpoint that protecting the environment should be one of the world’s top priorities today.

# data[].attributes.body
This article illustrates an explanation of the major kinds of habitat loss and what the main influences and causes are towards the losses of these habitats. The main kinds of habitat loss consist of destruction which is when a bulldozer is pushing down trees, filling in wetlands and mowing fields, ultimately completely removing or destroying the habitat. Secondly is Fragmentation which is when habitats are broken into smaller and isolated sections. Finally degradation which is when habitats are completely polluted or become healthy damaged. Overall developing a negative impact  on the habitat. These are the primary threat towards the survival of our wildlife in the United States. This article also highlights the impact of human activities, such as agriculture, oil and gas extraction, commercial development or even water diversion. The use of these impacts can possibly result in the habitats not capable of providing food, water or even the foundational place for organisms to raise their young. This is very impactful in a negative way due to their need for survival. Throughout the years there are less places for our wildlife to call home.

I believe that this article is impactful for many individuals. I think that many people should become more aware of how our actions towards wildlife are heavily impacted. This use of our actions can either create a positive or negative reaction towards our wildlife, however throughout the years the use of human activity has been a negative influence towards the habitat of our wildlife. I believe that our society should become more aware of how their actions can impact other organisms around us specifically towards wildlife and their personal habitats. I think when more people become more aware of the impact, more people would become more cautious of what they do and the way they act towards our environment. Once we all change our actions I believe we can reduce the statistics of habitat loss. I think this would result in helping our animals and the population of many different animals can be led towards a positive direction. Such as creating an increase within their population or even ultimately feeling more safe. Overall I think the need for change in human activity is a collective group effort that can possibly lead to a beneficial impact in the force towards the issue of habitat loss.

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-Loss

# data[].attributes.headline
Maya Cassidy #8 - Bringing Bobcats Back from the Brink

# data[].attributes.subject
Maya Cassidy #8 - Bringing Bobcats Back from the Brink

# data[].attributes.body
On Kiawah Island, South Carolina, bobcats are a popular species, frequently spotted by the community. But, in 2019 the survival rate of these cats dropped from a prosperous 98% to 39% when bobcats started showing up dead. The deaths were concerning as they showed no external injuries, leading to scientific research. Scientists discovered all the dead animals had high levels of anticoagulant rodenticides in their blood and liver, leading to death by internal bleeding. The bobcats had ingested this rodenticide through their consumption of rodent prey. The increased use of it was caused by the surge in tourism and the pest control that came with it. The cases of the bobcats had been so severe due to bioaccumulation in the rats, as the poisons take up to a week to fully kick in. The study showed that over 70% of bobcats had been exposed to four or more chemicals, emphasizing the widespread use of rodenticides. Rightfully, the concerned community stepped in, adapting the Bobcat Guardian program, which pledged individuals and businesses to eliminate use of anticoagulant rodenticides. South Carolina as a whole banned its use. This community action saved the extinction the bobcats would face in the near future.

I felt this article was very informative on the specific effects humans have on the environment and other organisms. It highlights the prioritization of urbanization over the health of the native wildlife. In many states rodenticides are unregulated and widely used, inferring that other species are being affected the same as the bobcats. This frustrates me as it is not discussed enough even though pest control is used everywhere. But, with this awareness I also felt hopeful, as the community held itself accountable and fixed the issue. South Carolina’s ban of anticoagulant rodenticides and the island’s instated regulations show that it is possible to have less of an effect on the environment. Also, the repopulation of the bobcats shows that some effects are reversible, creating motivation for other environmental issues or species endangerment. In all, this article showed the effects of humans on wildlife, both negative and positive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When bobcats started mysteriously dying off the coast of South Carolina, scientists scrambled for answers

# data[].attributes.headline
Thalia Patrick #8 - Scientists turn plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight

# data[].attributes.subject
Thalia Patrick #8 - Scientists turn plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight

# data[].attributes.body
This article reports on a breakthrough in "solar-driven photo reforming," a process developed by scientist at Adelaide University to address the dual crises of plastic pollution and the need for clean energy. Currently, over 460 million tons of plastic are produces annually, with a vast majority ending up in landfills or oceans, where they persist for centuries. Simultaneously, the global community is struggling to transition away from fossil fuels to meet climate goals. The researchers have developed light-sensitive photo catalysts that use natural sunlight to break down discarded plastics into clean hydrogen fuel and other high value industrial chemicals. This technology essentially treats plastic waste as a carbon and hydrogen rich resource rather than a pollutant. By converting non-recyclable trash into fuel for a low-carbon economy, this method offers a potential solution for managing non-biodegradable waste while providing a sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources.

I find this article incredibly hopeful because it moves beyond the typical reduce, reuse, recycle narrative, which often fails due to the high cost of mechanical recycling. From my environmental viewpoint, which leans towards Technocentrism, I believe that human ingenuity and technological innovation are out best tools for solving the environmental crisis. Instead of just seeing plastic a bad material that we must ban, this technology treats it as a valuable store of energy that we just haven't learned to properly use yet. It is a great example of a potential solution that doesn't require a total change in human behavior, which is often the hardest thing to achieve/reinforce. However, I am also a bit skeptical about the "source" aspect; if we make plastic valuable as a fuel source, it might accidentally encourage companies to keep producing it rather than switching to biodegradable materials. Overall, I think this a win win for the environment, provided the process itself doesn't require toxic chemicals that could lead to secondary pollution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scientists turn plastic waste into clean hydrogen fuel using sunlight

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientists are using sunlight to turn plastic waste into clean fuels like hydrogen, offering a breakthrough solution to both pollution and energy challenges. While still in development, the approach could transform trash into a valuable resource for a low-carbon future.

# data[].attributes.headline
Isla Tucker #8 - De-Extinction
[ DISRUPTIVE CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION

# data[].attributes.subject
Isla Tucker #8 - De-Extinction
[ DISRUPTIVE CONSERVATION & PRESERVATION

# data[].attributes.body
The article I chose discusses the ways in which scientists develop the technologies of de-extinction to return extinct species to life with the help of new discoveries in the field of biotechnology. Scientists work not only on cloning the extinct species, but they also modify their DNA with the use of different devices such as CRISPR. For instance, scientists are trying to revive the woolly mammoth with the use of modifications of elephant DNA. While this might be considered a promising field, scientists suggest that de-extincted animals will not have many similarities with the extinct species due to modifications, and doubts concerning the success of this technology are being said.

In my opinion, de-extinction is a topic that gives me both hope and fear. De-extinction is a great way of showing the advancements that we have made through science today, but I feel that de-extinction should be carried out with caution to nature. However, while de-extinction can assist ecosystems, it may end up taking away the focus from other problems, such as conserving endangered species in existence today. Many funds are given to de-extinction, which could otherwise be given to the prevention of extinction. Nonetheless, the introduction of species in highly modified environments results in unpredicted outcomes. So, a balance needs to be achieved where de-extinction efforts are carried out carefully and in situations where the benefits to the ecosystem are guaranteed. In addition, governments and scientists need to implement regulations and policies that guide the release of extinct species back to their natural habitats.

https://colossal.com/de-extinction/

# data[].attributes.headline
Lily Royce #8- ‘We don’t hear the frogs, we don’t see the birds’: government repeatedly delayed water to NSW wetlands, documents reveal

# data[].attributes.subject
Lily Royce #8- ‘We don’t hear the frogs, we don’t see the birds’: government repeatedly delayed water to NSW wetlands, documents reveal

# data[].attributes.body
Despite the fact that wetlands are extremely important for biodiversity and provide a vital habitat for many species; the New South Whales government is delaying water flow to critical wetlands. This delay causes the wetlands to dry out which harms breeding cycles and damages local ecosystems. Local species of frogs and bridge rely on these wetlands to survive and reproduce. People residing in this area report that they no longer even hear frogs or see birds. Wetlands are dependent on constant water flow and without that it causes serious damage to the area and entire food chains can collapse. Overall this article highlights how a few human decision, like stopping water flow, can disrupt the balance of nature and the environment.

Coming from an ecocentric view point it's frustrating to see that people in power are choosing to make decisions that harm our environment. It's up to the leaders of the world to make choices that will protect and preserve nature. The Government of New Whales had the ability to stop the wetlands from drying out. Yet they chose to make a decision that would not only affect the wetlands but have damaging impacts on the species that rely on the wetlands. It's certainly upsetting to see that the government has chosen to prioritize other interests over the well being of our environment. Overall this article shows us that its up to us to make decisions that protect our ecosystems, support sustainability, and have environmental awareness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‘We don’t hear the frogs, we don’t see the birds’: government repeatedly delayed water to NSW wetlands, documents reveal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Exclusive: A grazier has released emails that reveal the state’s environment and water department prioritised harvesting of winter cereal crops over wetlands

# data[].attributes.headline
Max Wolkwitz #7 - Health and Environmental Effects of Mining

# data[].attributes.subject
Max Wolkwitz #7 - Health and Environmental Effects of Mining

# data[].attributes.body
The article by the University of Utah discusses the long term effects of mining in the  West which have a negative effect on human health and the environment. It is clear from the article that the mining activities of the past were highly dangerous. Since there were no regulations at the time,this led to constant accidents and mining disasters. The miners were always at risk of explosions and exposure to very harmful substances. The surrounding neighborhoods were also affected by the negative impacts of pollution and resource contamination. This highlights that the effects of mining were not limited to the miners alone. The article also touches on the effects of mining from an environmental standpoint which include but is not limited to deforestation, water pollution, and the existence of mining sites that still push harmful chemicals into the environment. On the other hand the article argues that the regulations and policies currently in place are steered towards reducing the negative impacts of mining, but the effects are still prominent.

The article shows that past mining was mainly driven by the goal of making profit, while the health of the miners and surrounding neighborhoods were often ignored. Although mining helped the area grow economically, it came at a large cost, especially for miners who faced hazardous conditions like explosions and long term exposure to dangerous substances without the right protection. Some organizations still prioritize profit over people’s well being. The fact that the effects of mining are still eminent today shows that it is a larger issue, not something with a simple solution. Overall, the article suggests that mining needs to be handled more responsibly to balance economic benefits with moral and ethical problems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Health and Environmental Effects · Mining the West: Primary Elements · J. Willard Marriott Library Exhibits

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mining is a taxing and stressful occupation, usually undertaken in cramped quarters, exposed to multiple toxins, over long periods of time, and irregular shifts. These factors contribute to substantial negative health effects – both physically and mentally. Since mining is a predominantly male-dominated field (approximately 85% of mine workers are male) health effects of mining has been primarily studied in males resulting in significant knowledge gaps. Mining has substantial negative impacts on the environment. In addition to direct and visible effects, such as deforestation and destruction of ecosystems, downstream effects of toxins being released into the air, waterways, and food chain are important considerations. Furthermore, while many of these effects are persistent and predictable, mining disasters are sudden and have cost the lives of thousands of individuals and communities. However, our voracious appetite for energy and technology has made mining a necessary activity. While many steps are being taken to improve safety and reduce negative impacts of mining, much work still needs to be done.

# data[].attributes.headline
Alyssa Burns #7 - Impacts to Humans and the Environment with Plastic Pollution

# data[].attributes.subject
Alyssa Burns #7 - Impacts to Humans and the Environment with Plastic Pollution

# data[].attributes.body
This article from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is about the impacts of plastic pollution and how plastic pollution will affect the health of the environment and humans. The article is trying to explain to us that there’s plastic in a lot of ecosystems and stays in ecosystems for a long period of time. The amount of plastic found in the ecosystems has been up to 100 to 1000 years worth of plastic depending on the conditions of the environment. The impacts plastic has on the environment are that it harms wildlife as over 1,500 species have been affected by plastic pollution, it contributes to climate change approximately 3.4% of emissions, and plastics are also tied to fossil fuels. Some human health impacts plastic pollution has are that sometimes microplastics have been found in humans, and chemicals in plastics can lead to other health issues like neurological and immune disorders. Some values this article has are that this article is an official government source about plastic pollution so all the information is credible, it has a lot of integration of exploring other topics like connecting plastic pollution to human health and not just wildlife, and does a good job on highlighting emissions as a problem with plastic pollution and how it is an environmental issue in the world. One of the only limitations this article has is that this was a shorter article which may leave out additional details to more about plastic pollution and how it hurts the environment and the article doesn’t really list any solutions to fix this problem and only talks about the impact of how plastic pollution is hurting the environment.

Overall, this article about plastic pollution is a great article because it states details about the impacts and statistics of species health and human health for the ones dealing with plastic pollution and it is a very good and credible source since it is written by people from an official government source. It supports the argument that plastic pollution is a public health and climate issue which can get people to help more and advocate to fix the problem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Plastic pollution has become ubiquitous in natural and built environments, raising concerns about potential harm to humans and nature alike. Once in the environment, research shows that plastic pollution is persistent and may take between 100 to 1,000 years or more to decompose, depending on environmental conditions.

Once in the environment, plastic pollution can fragment into smaller pieces of plastic. Microplastics are plastic particles ranging in size from five millimeters to one nanometer; nanoplastics are plastic particles smaller than one micrometer. Both are found in every ecosystem on the planet from the Antarctic tundra to tropical coral reefs.
On this page:
Environmental Impacts

Plastic pollution poses a threat to the marine environment. It puts marine species at higher risk of ingesting plastic, suffocating, or becoming entangled in plastic pollution. Research indicates that more than 1,500 species in marine and terrestrial environments are known to ingest plastics.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that in 2019, plastic products were responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycles, with 90% of these emissions coming from the production and conversion of fossil fuels into new plastic products. OECD also reports that, unless human behavior changes, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the life cycle of plastic products are expected to double by 2060. The World Economic Forum projects that without intervention, the global plastics industry will account for 20% of total oil consumption and up to 15% of global carbon emissions by 2050.

Human Health Impacts

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, microplastics have also been found in human livers, kidneys, and placentas. Additionally, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (pdf)(291 KB) finds that carcinogenic chemicals found in plastic products can leach into tap water, which may cause developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders. Some animal studies have raised similar concerns about endocrine-disrupting effects. More research is needed to better understand the potential human health impact of microplastics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This webpage describes about how plastics waste affect human health and aquatic life.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ryen Waters #7 - Alarming Levels of Microplastics in Human Brains

# data[].attributes.subject
Ryen Waters #7 - Alarming Levels of Microplastics in Human Brains

# data[].attributes.body
According to a recent scientific study, microplastics are building up in the human brain at a higher rate than in other body organs. Microplastics are small fragments of plastic that are formed as a result of the disintegration of bigger plastic items like bags, bottles, and packaging. Scientists found that brain tissue had much more microplastics than other organs such as liver and kidney, and that the levels have risen in more recent samples than in older ones. The particles may get into the body via food, water, and air, which demonstrates the extent to which plastic pollution has spread. There were also studies that showed that people with dementia had even greater levels of microplastics, though researchers have not proved a direct cause. On the whole, the study demonstrates an increasing environmental and health issue, since plastic pollution is currently not only impacting ecosystems but also the human body.

I believe that this problem is very severe as it demonstrates the direct effect of environmental pollution on human health. The issue is even more urgent and personal because now plastic is present in the brain. The fact that plastic is everywhere in our daily life is one of the greatest challenges as it is hard to avoid it entirely. This does not however imply that nothing can be done. Governments must develop tougher regulations to restrict single-use plastics and force businesses to come up with biodegradable options. Moreover, the industries must be made accountable in terms of minimizing plastic waste and enhancing recycling mechanisms. At the personal level, individuals can contribute by consuming reusable products and not using plastic wrappings that are not necessary. In general, the resolution of this problem will involve both the state and individual efforts to minimize plastic pollution and save the environment and human health.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rashiya Campbell - Revived US Deep-Sea Mining Ambitions Meet Fierce Pacific Opposition #8

# data[].attributes.subject
Rashiya Campbell - Revived US Deep-Sea Mining Ambitions Meet Fierce Pacific Opposition #8

# data[].attributes.body
The article “To Plunder the Abyss: Revived US Deep-Sea Mining Ambitions Meet Fierce Pacific Opposition” explains how the United States is pushing to expand deep-sea mining to access valuable minerals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese, which are important for technology and energy systems. This effort is partly driven by national security concerns and the desire to compete with other countries for these resources. However, the article emphasizes strong opposition from Pacific communities, especially in American, who rely on the ocean for their economy and cultural identity. Scientists warn that deep-sea mining could cause serious environmental damage, including releasing stored carbon, destroying fragile ecosystems, and harming fisheries. Evidence from past mining tests shows that damage to the ocean floor can last for decades, raising concerns about long-term impacts.  the article presents a conflict between economic and political goals and the need to protect marine environments and local communities.

In my opinion deep-sea mining seems like a dangerous step because we still know very little about deep ocean ecosystems. The article shows that once damage is done, it may take decades or longer for the environment to recover, which makes this type of mining very risky. I think protecting the ocean should come before economic gain, especially since oceans play a huge role in storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. If deep-sea mining releases carbon or destroys habitats, it could make climate change worse instead of helping it. While minerals are important for renewable energy, I believe we should focus more on recycling materials and finding safer alternatives instead of harming untouched ecosystems. The concerns from Pacific Island communities are also important, because they depend on the ocean for survival. Overall, I believe a pause or strict regulation on deep-sea mining is necessary until we fully understand its environmental impact.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The earth has reached its first catastrophic tipping point linked to greenhouse gas emissions, with warm water coral reefs now facing a long-term decline and risking the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, according to a new report.

The report from scientists and conservationists warns the world is also "on the brink" of reaching other tipping points, including the dieback of the Amazon, the collapse of major ocean currents and the loss of ice sheets.

But some experts have questioned the report's claims about the fate of coral reefs, with one saying while they are in decline there is evidence they could remain viable at higher temperatures than suggested.

Tracing the worst coral bleaching event in recorded history - video

Tipping points are recognised by scientists as moments when a major ecosystem reaches a point where severe degradation is inevitable.

The world's coral reefs are home to about a quarter of all marine species but are considered one of the most vulnerable systems to global heating.

"Unless we return to global mean surface temperatures of 1.2C (and eventually to at least 1C) as fast as possible, we will not retain warm-water reefs on our planet at any meaningful scale," the report says.

Reefs at tipping point

Coral reefs have been in the midst of a global bleaching event since January 2023 - the fourth and worst on record - with more than 80% of reefs in more than 80 countries affected by extreme ocean temperatures. Scientists say the event has pushed reefs into "uncharted territory".

The Global Tipping Points report, led by the University of Exeter and financed by the fund of the Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos, includes contributions from 160 scientists from 87 institutions in 23 countries.

It estimates that coral reefs hit a tipping point when global temperatures reach between 1C and 1.5C above where they were in the latter half of the 19th century, with a central estimate of 1.2C. Global heating is now at about 1.4C.

Without rapid and unlikely cuts to greenhouse gases, the upper threshold of 1.5C would be hit in the next 10 years, the report says.

"We can no longer talk about tipping points as a future risk," said Prof Tim Lenton at the University of Exeter's Global Systems Institute. "The first tipping of widespread dieback of warm water coral reefs is already under way."

He said this was already impacting hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs. The report points to reefs in the Caribbean, where marine heatwaves, low diversity and disease outbreaks have pushed reefs "towards collapse".

Experts agree that coral reefs need 'aggressive' action on climate change and improved local management. Photograph: Glenn Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images

However, Prof Peter Mumby, a leading coral reef scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia, said he accepted reefs were in decline but there was emerging evidence corals could adapt with some reefs remaining viable even at 2C of global heating.

He said coral reefs needed "aggressive" action on climate change and improved local management, but he was concerned some would interpret the report as saying coral reef habitats were heading for collapse, which was a position he did not support.

He said he was worried society would "give up on coral reefs" if people think they can no longer be saved.

Dr Mike Barrett, the chief scientific adviser at WWF-UK and co-author of the report, said it "demonstrates that conservation of reefs is now more critical than ever. The game has changed and the response has to be really urgent."

He said there were some coral reefs that were known as refugia - places where climate impacts were not as pronounced - and protecting these places was paramount.

"We have to make sure we have the seeds of recovery for a future world where we have managed to stabilise the climate," he said.

Dr Tracy Ainsworth, the vice-president of the International Coral Reef Society, said in many places reef ecosystems were changing and were either no longer dominated by corals, or were losing diversity.

"The future of coral reefs is one of transformation, ecosystem restructure and new challenges," she said. "Our challenge now is to understand how all of these different ecosystems are reorganising and how we can ensure they continue to support diverse marine life and communities."

In a statement, the Australian Institute of Marine Science said interpretation of global figures "should be taken with care" for two reasons - they masked significant regional variability and global temperatures had not stabilised "indicating there remains a narrow window of opportunity to act".

Earth entering a 'danger zone'

Lenton said parts of the west Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet were "looking perilously close" to their tipping point, as they were losing ice at an accelerating rate. Loss of ice that is still attached to the land causes sea levels to rise.

"We are going to overshoot 1.5C of global warming probably around 2030 on current projections," Lenton said.

"This puts the world in a greater danger zone of escalating risk of further damaging tipping points."

The Amazon - under pressure from the climate crisis and deforestation - was closer than previously thought to reaching a tipping point, he said.

The report does offer some hope, saying there are likely "positive tipping points" in society - such as with electric vehicle adoption - that could also have runaway effects to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"The race is on to bring forward these positive tipping points to avoid what we are now sure will be the unmanageable consequences of further tipping points in the Earth system," Lenton said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Planet's first catastrophic climate tipping point reached, report says, with coral reefs facing 'widespread dieback'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unless global heating is reduced to 1.2C 'as fast as possible', warm water coral reefs will not remain 'at any meaningful scale', a report by 160 scientists from 23 countries warns

# data[].attributes.headline
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #7 - Generative AI's Environmental Impact

# data[].attributes.subject
Jalize Morrobel-Rios #7 - Generative AI's Environmental Impact

# data[].attributes.body
My article discusses the impact of generative ai on the environment. According to the article consequences of generative AI include increased energy demand and water consumption. The amount of electricity that is being used leads to increased carbon dioxide emissions and pressures on the electric grid. Also, water is needed to cool the hardware used for training, deploying, and fine tuning generative ai models. Lastly data centers are a big part which maintain and keep generative ai running. A data center is a temperature controlled building that houses computing infrastructure, such as servers, data storage drives, and network equipment. The article says, “Scientists have estimated that the power requirements of data centers in North America increased from 2,688 megawatts at the end of 2022 to 5,341 megawatts at the end of 2023, partly driven by the demands of generative AI.” By 2026 the electricity consumption of data is expected to be at 1,050 terawatt- hours.

This article was very interesting to me because I was able to learn about the impacts of Ai that I had didn’t know about. For example If someone goes to use generative AI they might not be aware or understand the harm they are causing to the environment. So from this article I learned how important it is to raise awareness about this topic, as it is important for everyone to understand as AI becomes more relevant. A quote from the article says, “The demand for new data centers cannot be met in a sustainable way.” This can help people understand that at this point in time the use of generative AI in the world is not sustainable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MIT News explores the environmental and sustainability implications of generative AI technologies and applications.

# data[].attributes.headline
David Smith #7 - Endangered whale spotting in Atlantic Ocean prompts boating restrictions along East Coast

# data[].attributes.subject
David Smith #7 - Endangered whale spotting in Atlantic Ocean prompts boating restrictions along East Coast

# data[].attributes.body
According to the article, there have been sightings of a pair of North Atlantic right whales, which are on the list of endangered species. Due to their scarcity, authorities advised those sailing in the Ocean City, Maryland, waters to slow down to avoid accidents. According to NOAA, their greatest enemies are being hit by vessels and becoming entangled in fishing nets. What is even more surprising is that 86% of right whales have experienced being entangled in a fishing net at least once in their lives. To prevent the killing of more whales, NOAA has established speed limits in some areas. These areas include waters where vessels are more than 65 feet in length. These vessels must travel at a speed of 10 knots or slower. There are also slow zones established after the sighting of whales. These regulations have been established to reduce accidents since they are difficult to spot due to their color and lack of a dorsal fin.

This text surprised me since I never fully comprehended just how endangered this species is. I also never knew that 86% of this species had experienced being entangled in a fishing net at least once in their lives. I believe this is a good initiative by NOAA to ensure their protection. However, I also believe that more measures could be established to ensure their full protection. For example, more technology could be developed to ensure that whales are spotted in good time. I also believe that fishermen could come up with more advanced equipment that will ensure that their nets do not get in the way of whales. I also believe that more people could be educated on the importance of ensuring their protection. I believe that every species in the sea is important in maintaining a healthy sea ecosystem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Endangered whale spotting in Atlantic Ocean prompts boating restrictions along East Coast

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Right whales can also be difficult to spot from boats due to their dark-colored skin and lack of a dorsal fin.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abby Mitchell #7 - A shocking amount of plastic is floating in city air

# data[].attributes.subject
Abby Mitchell #7 - A shocking amount of plastic is floating in city air

# data[].attributes.body
My article discusses how large amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics were found out to be floating in urban city air. Tiny plastics like this were also found in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. These plastics can be easily transported with dustfall, rain, and snow. Studies show that earlier estimates of plastic in the atmosphere were severely underestimating the real amount. Road dust resuspension and wet deposition also change whether microplastics or nanoplastics are being transported more.

Scientists still do not know the exact measurements of how much plastic really is in the air, and where it comes from, making it hard to find a solution. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a microanalytical technique to find measures of plastic in the atmosphere, and how it moves. The study shows detections of record-small nanoplastics. Research gives us new information on micro and nanoplastics’ potential effects on climate, ecosystem, and human health. This could eventually lead to a solution involving water filtration and air filtration systems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A shocking amount of plastic is floating in city air

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Plastic pollution is not just in oceans and soil. Scientists have now found enormous amounts of microscopic plastic floating through urban air, far exceeding earlier estimates. Road dust and rainfall play a major role in moving these particles through the atmosphere. The findings suggest the air may be one of the most important pathways for plastic pollution.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #7- "The Rise of Green Tech is Feeding Another Environmental Crisis "

# data[].attributes.subject
Sue Pertuz-Guevara #7- "The Rise of Green Tech is Feeding Another Environmental Crisis "

# data[].attributes.body
The article by BBC News discusses the environmental and social consequences of lithium mining in Chile's Salar de Atacama. Lithium is a key material used in batteries for electric cars, laptops, and renewable energy storage, so global demand has risen dramatically as countries attempt to transition away from fossil fuels. Chile, which is the world's second-largest lithium producer after Australia, plans to increase production significantly through new partnerships between mining companies and the government. However, lithium extraction requires pumping large amounts of mineral-rich brine from beneath the salt flats and allowing it to evaporate, a process that consumes massive amounts of water in a region already facing drought. Residents and scientists report that wetlands have dried up, lagoons are shrinking, and wildlife has declined due to changes in the ecosystem. While companies such as SQM say they are developing new technologies to reduce water use and work more closely with communities, many indigenous residents remain skeptical and fear long-term damage to their environment and traditional ways of life. The article ultimately frames the situation as part of a larger global dilemma, which is the push for renewable energy and electric vehicles, as it may help fight climate change, but also create new environmental and social challenges in regions where critical minerals are mined.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The article by the BBC was both informative and concerning because it showed the complicated trade-offs involved in the transition to renewable energy. It was interesting to learn that lithium, which is often associated with "clean" technologies like electric vehicles, can still have significant environmental consequences depending on how it is extracted. The discussion of shrinking wetlands and declining flamingo populations shows how changes to water systems can truly disrupt entire ecosystems. At the same time, the article raised important questions about environmental justice. Many of the people who are affected by lithium mining in the Atacama Desert are indigenous communities who contribute very little to global carbon emissions, yet they are experiencing the environmental costs of solutions designed mainly for wealthier countries. This made me think about how addressing climate change is more than just a scientific issue but also a social and ethical one. While lithium is clearly important for reducing fossil fuel use, the article suggests that governments and companies should involve local communities and develop less harmful extraction methods. Overall, the article highlighted that solving climate change requires balancing environmental protection with technological progress and, most importantly, the rights of the people who are affected the most.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world’s race to decarbonise has led to the rise of electric cars - and with it, soaring demand for lithium, which is required for the batteries

# data[].attributes.headline
James Russell #7 Article Review- "U.N. Body Fights for Relevance as It Struggles to Devise a Deep Sea Mining Code"

# data[].attributes.subject
James Russell #7 Article Review- "U.N. Body Fights for Relevance as It Struggles to Devise a Deep Sea Mining Code"

# data[].attributes.body
This article by The Wall Street Journal discusses the global growing debate of deep-sea mining and the challenges with regulating the emerging industry. Demand for critical minerals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese is increasing rapidly because they are essential for technologies such as electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy systems. And as a result, companies and governments are exploring new ways to mine these resources from the ocean floor. However, the organization that is responsible for regulating mining in the international waters, the International Seabed Authority, has struggled to establish a clear set of environmental rules. The lack of regulation has created uncertainty as some countries and corporations move towards exploration and potential mining projects. Scientists are warning that the deep-sea ecosystems are extremely fragile and poorly understood, meaning that mining activities could cause long-term environmental damage before researchers can even fully understand these environments. The article highlights the conflict between the following: economic development, technological progress, and environmental protection.

In my opinion, deep-sea mining represents one of the most complex environmental issues today because it involves balancing the need for minerals used in clean energy technology with the protection of fragile ecosystems. Although these minerals are important for reducing dependence on fossil fuels, mining in the deep ocean could damage habitats that may take many centuries to recover. Because the deep ocean is one of the least explored ecosystems on Earth, beginning large-scale mining without enough scientific knowledge seems too risky. A better solution would be implementing a temporary halt on deep-sea mining until more research is conducted on its environmental impacts. Governments could also invest more in recycling technologies to recover metals from used electronics and batteries instead of impulsively extracting new resources from the ocean floor. By improving recycling systems and creating stronger international regulations, it may be possible to meet global mineral demand while reducing environmental damage at the same time.

# data[].attributes.headline
Maya Cassidy #7 - Why the Decreased Vocalization of Whales is a Warning

# data[].attributes.subject
Maya Cassidy #7 - Why the Decreased Vocalization of Whales is a Warning

# data[].attributes.body
This article by Earth.org explains how the absence of whale songs in the oceans represent the negative effects of climate change. Throughout the past few years whales have decreased their noise making to silence in some areas, specifically along the pacific coast. This is because a marine heatwave has spread south from the Bering Sea, causing some waters to become more than 15C above their average temperatures. The heating of waters has disrupted currents and caused prey to scatter, including blue and fin whale’s essential food source, krill. The massive decrease in krill populations meant that most of the whales energy had to go toward searching for food, with none left for making their distinct whale songs. The study found that blue whale vocalizations dropped by nearly 40% during the heatwave. The loss of vocalization and food source is so devastating for these species as their mating songs and overall reproduction decreased, affecting the population size. These extreme marine heatwaves are becoming more popular, affecting a wider range of species, and have the potential to alter ecosystems, affecting carbon storage, fisheries, and biodiversity. This large-scale destruction can be predicted solely by the loss of whale vocalizations and quieter oceans.

This article is very interesting as it shows how the smallest detail can give insight to a larger problem, in this case whale songs and ocean warming. The cycle can be represented by a positive feedback loop, containing global warming, marine heatwaves, decrease in krill population, decrease in whale population. This is concerning to me as whales act as an indicator species for their surrounding ocean environment. So, if whale populations and their mannerisms are being affected, we can expect the species around them to experience changes as well. This absence of food also means the whales are under a lot of stress, which is causing the decreased vocalization, which is completely unnecessary and inconsiderate towards them. Overall, this leads me to believe that action is essential and must be done quickly, as these heatwaves are becoming more and more frequent.

# data[].attributes.headline
Samantha Yanqui #7-Environmental Imapcts in Ecuador 

# data[].attributes.subject
Samantha Yanqui #7-Environmental Imapcts in Ecuador 

# data[].attributes.body
Ecuador is known for its rich biodiversity, the bountiful land can provide clean water, health foods, and an abundance of medicines and curative plants. For these reasons, it is seen as a big win for massive corporations who want to take it, they want to exploit the land's oil, minerals, water, fish, wood, animals, and agriculture and palm oil. After 50 years of being in Ecuador's Amazon, it is evident that there is a fight for the oil in the country, about 30,000 people in the area are affected by oil spills and waste discharges. The new practices that corporations have taken to prove to people what they are doing is okay, is all "green-coated". There is about 3440 oil wells of small pipelines that connect to one another. There has been officially more then 1119 oil spills reported in a decade from 2005 to 2015. 81% of these oil spills happen in the Amazon region of Ecuador, and amount of oil is barrels has been reported to be 350,00. This is about more then 4,000 gallons per day and about 2/3 of these spills have never been cleaned up. Going back a little bit, from 1972-1993 there has been more then 20 billion gallons of of crude oil and toxic waste that were left on the land and into the waterways of the Ecuadorian Amazon. In other words, this is 140 times more the amount spilled by BP in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, more then 68% of the land is covered by oil blocks. This is the size of Ireland. Adding in another environmental issue, deforestation. The Amazon has a lot of carbon when deforested, this can lead to massive emission of greenhouse gases. So deforestation annually can add carbon pollution equivalent to 34 million cars. Moving onto the affects of oil extraction onto the people. oil extractions leaves behind heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbosn otherwise known as PaHs, these are threatening to life, and adding on deforestation also releases mercury. New Borns and toddlers who live closer to oil operations have a 3.5 high chance of developing leukemia then those who are living away. Even at low concentration, mercury is a neurtoxin that can harm human nervous system. The oil industry in Ecuador aids in mercury pollution through oil spills and througha accelerating defrorestion. More statics of oil industry affecting people can be how women use use of drink river water have a 2.5 times more likely to develop leukemia then those who live far away. For men, when they helped out in the oil-spillages and up in Peruvian Amazon were twice as likely to have mercury in their urine then other residents in the Andean Amazon. Deforestation basically releases mercury from the rain forests soil, so after deforestation mercury levels in the soil have decreased up till 60%. Once mercury is in the water this can also go into the fish and this not only affects thew whole food chain but the people who eat the dish.

After reading this article, I thought it was very interesting how they connect environmental issues with one another and how it affects human population. I liked that the article had a Spanish section in the end which is the primary language of Ecuador along with the Indigenous language, Quechua. It does a good job at giving statistics and adding in multiple pictures throughout so it is easier to read and digest. I was really confused on what I should read because I wanted something that wasn't too long or something that wasn't too short, this article makes the information to be easily digestible while adding in important information that can help us, the readers comprehend in better. I also like how the article explicitly tells us how all of these environmental issues are interconnected and the value of preserving the Amazon because this could be a huge step into stepping away from the carrying capacity. I think what is happening with the oil and deforestation is truly heart breaking, being from their it makes me sad that my home country is experiencing all of these environmental hardships. Ecuador is known for its biodiversity and beautiful landscape, knowing that huge corporations have taken over the beautiful lands in heartbreaking and we are currently seeing the affects of it. Majority of the people who are being affected are Indigenous people of the Amazon. This is an issue that yes, is impacting the Ecuadorian people but I believe to the whole world. Yes the current direct impact is the people but it is also aiding in Climate Change and Global pollution. Overall all of these issues are horrible and I think major change should be made but as of now I am unsure that will happen because of the other issues that Ecuador is currently plagued with such as government corruption and rise of violence. I think this article is great at informing us over the environmental issues.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacqueline Gama #7 - Restoring natural fire patterns through Re-wilding

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacqueline Gama #7 - Restoring natural fire patterns through Re-wilding

# data[].attributes.body
Re-wilding could help restore fire regimes in ecosystems. Especially as climate change and human activity are shifting fire patterns. Fire is a crucial natural disturbance that supports biodiversity, helps plants and animals thrive, and maintains healthy ecosystems. However, large-scale fires are becoming more frequent and intense, like the recent ones in Scotland, Spain, and Greece. In this context, the article introduces rewilding as a fresh approach to restoring fire patterns. Unlike traditional methods that focus on suppressing fires or restoring specific species, rewilding aims to strengthen natural processes by bringing back species and actions that help ecosystems function more sustainably. This could include reintroducing herbivores, adjusting human activity, or restoring ecological processes that influence fire-related factors like fuel availability, ignition sources, and moisture levels.

The article also highlights examples where rewilding has had positive effects on fire dynamics. For example, in the Rocky Mountains, beavers' damming activities reduced fire intensity and improved biodiversity and water quality. Similarly, in Yosemite National Park, reducing fire suppression led to less severe fires, greater biodiversity, and healthier forest structures. However, the article acknowledges that with climate change causing more extreme weather patterns, the frequency and severity of wildfires could eventually outpace the benefits of rewilding. Despite this, the article suggests that rewilding remains a cost-effective and promising strategy to restore ecosystems, conserve biodiversity, and adapt to the growing challenges of climate change.

In my opinion, while re-wilding has a lot of potential to restore fire patterns, it should be combined with other strategies to more effectively address the wider challenges posed by climate change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Restoring natural fire patterns through rewilding — WildE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fire is an important natural disturbance that is necessary for the health of many ecosystems. Fire is essential for many plants and animals’ persistence, it can promote dispersal, create new food and habitat resources, and can enable the renewal of forests. Yet, large scale ecosystem degradation

# data[].attributes.headline
Lily Royce #7- Carbon Recycling Through Technology That Creates Plastic from CO2

# data[].attributes.subject
Lily Royce #7- Carbon Recycling Through Technology That Creates Plastic from CO2

# data[].attributes.body
Plastic is the oceans number one pollutant, 430 million tons of it is produced each year. But Japan has just created a ground breaking solution to this major issue. A Japanese chemical manufacturer has recently created a technology that creates biodegradable plastic by feeding CO2 to bacteria which will solve the huge issue of plastic pollution. The company is now taking steps towards mass production of this dissolving plastic. Not only will this new plastic help to reduce plastic pollution but the process of making regular plastic plays a contributing factor in global warming. Additionally when plastics breakdown they release micro plastics into the water which this new biodegradable plastic would not do. This revolutionary technology is solving so many issues at once.

Coming from an ecocentric view point this new technology gives me a lot of hope for the future. It is amazing to see the changes that scientists are making in effort to avoid further polluting our oceans contribute to global warming. This development not only addresses current issues but it shows that the world is really shifting towards sustainability. Instead of just accepting plastics as one time use yet extremely environmentally harmful product people are really starting to think about the impacts and consequences of these single use plastics. This technology reminds me of the environmental responsibility that we have to protect our environment and conserve it for future generations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Carbon Recycling Through Technology That Creates Plastic from CO2 | The Government of Japan - JapanGov -

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Japanese chemical manufacturer has developed technology that creates biodegradable plastic by feeding CO2 to bacteria.

# data[].attributes.headline
Laura Bzura #7: Rwanda’s Anti-Poaching Efforts to Protect Gorillas Drive Conservation Success

# data[].attributes.subject
Laura Bzura #7: Rwanda’s Anti-Poaching Efforts to Protect Gorillas Drive Conservation Success

# data[].attributes.body
Rwanda's efforts in decreasing poaching to protect gorillas have transformed the country deeply in regards to where it places among other leaders in wildlife conservation. Particularly, the mountain gorillas of the Volcanoes National Park are now thriving under sufficient protection measures which implement both promises of technocentrism and ecocentrism; safety is ensured with the utilization of advanced technology alongside community engagement. The park's program uses GPS monitoring to track the gorillas to identify poaching hotspots, making it much easier to respond to such threats rapidly. Ultimately, this has resulted in a safer habitat for the gorillas and additionally a better experience for visitors of the park. It has allowed for a steady growth rate and the attraction of tourists from all around the world in protecting this endangered species. Revenue of the park made from tourism is shared with neighboring communities. This allows for funds to be brought to schools, health centers, and water infrastructure projects. Instead of perceiving wildlife as competitors for resources, individuals are able to perceive the sustainable benefits in protecting a species like such. The concept of revenue-sharing creates an example of economic projects alleging with community interests and conservation goals. The community surrounding the park have actively participated in conservation efforts, helping monitor the wildlife and filing suspicions of poaching activity.

It delights me to hear that we have made progress in saving endangered species as I've been so used to only hearing bad news recently. This article inspired me with the idea of collaboration of a country and the use of technology in a positive way, rather than negatively, such as AI-generated content which limits our productivity in achieving sustainability. Hearing about how the community around the park joined in to help and volunteer with saving this species felt so admirable. I would hope that this could follow here in Norwalk or Connecticut overall, where many of us join together to nurture an effort supporting our environment and allowing it to thrive substantially. Additionally, I was impressed with the utilization of funds directly made from tourism being used to fund the infrastructures of neighboring communities. In countries where often money is used greedily and is placed primary in the hands of those who are already wealthy (e.g. billionaires), seeing profit that was helped to made by the community coming back to the community introduced a new perspective among me.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rwanda’s Anti-Poaching Efforts to Protect Gorillas Drive Conservation Success | Happy Eco News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rwanda’s anti-poaching efforts to protect gorillas use GPS tracking, community partnerships, and cross-border collaboration to safeguard mountain gorillas while boosting tourism revenue and regional economic development.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chace Cameron - #7 | Scientists engineer bacteria to eat cancer tumors form the inside out 

# data[].attributes.subject
Chace Cameron - #7 | Scientists engineer bacteria to eat cancer tumors form the inside out 

# data[].attributes.body
There's been a recent discovery in a new artificial way to decrease the chances of cancer by manipulating bacteria with synthetic DNA through its chemically-based oxygen signals. Dr. Marc Aucoin from the University of Waterloo has found that at the center of this bacteria, the Clostridium sprongenes can only survive in areas that obtain no oxygen. This is great for spreading across segments of the tumor. However, there’s a slight problem of the bacteria reaching the parts of the tumor that are already exposed to oxygen. This makes the bacteria die before getting rid of the cancer. To reduce the chances of this, scientists installed the gene from a similar bacteria that can obtain more oxygen - letting the organisms survive longer. The researchers obtained the additional problem of turning this oxygen allowance ability on as if it is utilized too early in the process, the bacteria can grow in the bloodstream; becoming a hazard. To help this, they created a signal for when the tumor obtains enough bacteria, and switches into an oxygen-resistant gene. This way, the bacteria’s ability isn’t wasted.

This article was very intriguing to me as cancer has been a widespread disease that has affected millions of lives. Hence, seeing a way to prevent the chances in a more artificial manner seems very interesting as I was not aware such a thing was nearly possible. I additionally enjoy how the piece is written in a realistic manner: stating the upsides of the amazing discoveries with its downsides. The greater segment of this recognition is the fact Clostridium sprongene reduces the chances of cancer from 74-83%. However, a huge disadvantage is the “food spoilage,” odor the organism obtains, along with the root of uncontrolled growth. The great thing about these things is that scientists are researching new ways to reduce these negative effects, in order for the synthetic DNA of Clostridium sprongene to be largely problem free nad accessible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scientists engineer bacteria to eat cancer tumors from the inside out

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Researchers are engineering bacteria to invade tumors and consume them from the inside. Because tumor cores lack oxygen, they’re the perfect breeding ground for these microbes. The team added a genetic tweak that helps the bacteria survive longer near oxygen-exposed edges — but only once enough of them are present to trigger the change. It’s a carefully programmed biological attack that could one day offer a new way to destroy cancer.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chloe Gelin #7-The influence of environment on adolescents’ physical exercise behavior based on family community and school micro-systems

# data[].attributes.subject
Chloe Gelin #7-The influence of environment on adolescents’ physical exercise behavior based on family community and school micro-systems

# data[].attributes.body
This article is about how the environment has an impact on an adolescent's physical health and behavior based on their family community and school community. It highlights how the environment is created to persuade and promote the development of young adults to become more physically active. There are so many things to do outside in the environment rather than being inside at home all day. Some studies illustrate the multiple aspects of what and how to improve adolescent physical behavior towards the environment  such as the relation between a parent and their child, education expectation as well as community engagement. The school environment positively plays a role in physical exercise behavior for teenagers. This article includes the plan of “Healthy China 2030” which is a system implemented to analyze and control the maintenance of the protection of public health. This plan will be used to protect health across all stages of life. It also talks about the human adaptation in the environment, and how it should be able to match between humans and their own personal surroundings.This uplifts individual behavior efficiency. Highlighting on the environment around sports addresses physical health as well. Having that physical activity while you’re youngs is a beneficial stand point on the way your physical health will be shown

I believe that this article is extremely informational about the health of your body and how the environment plays a role in how your physical health is shown. I believe that this article is a good resource  for everyone to analyze because of how much health information and ideas on improving your physical health if you need to. But I do believe with this generation and how constantly technology is improving, I’m not as surprised that physical health is becoming an issue in society. I think that we should use less technology day by day and only use it when it's truly beneficial. But if there is a time to go outside and do something I believe everyone should take the opportunity to do so. I also like how it included sports and a treatment. There are so many sports clubs or teams to join in our school as well as outside our community, so I believe that there isn't an excuse to not have something fun to do outside in our environment. Especially if it will improve your personal health. But I also  believe with  the plan of 2030, it could possibly reduce issues of physical health in adolescence. Overall I think physical health is one of the top priorities we should have and if there are some issues regarding physical health it’s best to control it now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The influence of environment on adolescents’ physical exercise behavior based on family community and school micro-systems - PubMed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Environment is the driving force to promote the development of adolescent physical exercise behavior. This study uses the ecosystem theory as the breakthrough point, based on Chinese education tracking survey data (CEPS), using hierarchical linear model (HLM), mainly test the youth environment micro …

# data[].attributes.headline
London Bieler-Morris #7- Amazon Rainforest Chopped Down to Build Highway for Conference on Climate Change The Brazilian government previously shelved plans for the highway due to environmental concerns

# data[].attributes.subject
London Bieler-Morris #7- Amazon Rainforest Chopped Down to Build Highway for Conference on Climate Change The Brazilian government previously shelved plans for the highway due to environmental concerns

# data[].attributes.body
Through the Amazon rainforest, the Brazilian government is currently cutting down protected areas to make a four-lane highway to accommodate travel for the COP30 climate summit. Originally, the highway plan was shelved, but with almost 50,000 people expected to attend the climate summit, it was brought back to reduce congestion. In order to prepare for the highway, 8 miles of forest have been cleared, which has displaced wildlife and communities. State officials are trying to label the highway as environmentally friendly, but conservationists warn of the negative impacts it will have on the Amazon rainforest. As a result of this highway, many farmers and harvesters have lost their livelihoods with no form of compensation from the Brazilian government.

In my opinion, this article is really insightful from the lens of greenwashing. This highway is contradictory to its purpose. It's supposed to be an “environmentally friendly” highway, so world leaders are able to attend the COP30 climate conference, but it's plowing through protected lands of the Amazon rainforest. The areas of deforestation are displacing wildlife and communities. People are losing their jobs with no compensation. The natural wildlife is becoming increasingly stressed, as the Amazon rainforest has dealt with deforestation for many years. I wonder if world leaders will still want to participate in this conference since it's causing so much damage to the natural environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Amazon Rainforest Chopped Down to Build Highway for Conference on Climate Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Brazilian government has cleared protected Amazon rainforest to build a highway for the COP30 climate summit.

# data[].attributes.headline
Gaby Smeraglino #7 North American is losing birds fast

# data[].attributes.subject
Gaby Smeraglino #7 North American is losing birds fast

# data[].attributes.body
Bird populations in North America are decreasing very quickly, and scientists are worried about what this means for the environment. According to the article, many types of birds have been losing large numbers over the past few decades. Experts say that two main causes are modern farming and climate change. Today, farms are much bigger and often replace natural habitats like grasslands and forests. This makes it harder for birds to find places to live, build nests, and find food. Farmers also use pesticides that kill insects, which are an important food source for many birds. Climate change is another problem because warmer temperatures can change where birds live and migrate. These changes make it harder for some birds to survive in their usual environments.

I believe that, this problem shows how human activities can harm nature. Birds are very important because they help control insects and spread seeds that help plants grow. If bird populations keep going down, it could hurt the balance of ecosystems. I think people should care more about protecting wildlife and the environment. Farmers could try using fewer harmful chemicals and protect some natural areas for animals. People should also work to slow down climate change by making better choices for the planet. If we take action now, we can help protect birds and keep nature healthy for the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North America is losing birds fast. Experts blame agriculture, warming

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A new study finds North American bird populations keep dropping, and that decline is accelerating for many species.

# data[].attributes.headline
Abby Fry #7 - ​Fast fashion goes to die in the world's largest fog desert. The scale is breathtaking.

# data[].attributes.subject
Abby Fry #7 - ​Fast fashion goes to die in the world's largest fog desert. The scale is breathtaking.

# data[].attributes.body
In this article John Bartlett argues that fast fashion has created a massive environmental crisis in Chile’s Atacama Desert, where enormous quantities of discarded clothing from around the world are dumped each year. He explains how globalization, overproduction, and short clothing life cycles have turned the desert into an international landfill for textile waste. Bartlett supports his claims through statistics, interviews with local workers and scavengers, and on-site reporting that shows the scale of the problem. By describing mountains of non-biodegradable synthetic clothing and the toxic fires caused by burning piles of garments, the article reveals to the public the environmental and social consequences of disposable fashion. This source is effective because it speaks beyond assumption and presents a real-world case study that connects consumer behavior in more privileged nations to environmental damage in ecosystems that are vulnerable.

From an environmental perspective, this article is very alarming as it shows how fast fashion shifts responsibility for waste away from corporations and consumers and onto environments like the Atacama Desert. Treating the desert as a dumping ground shows how unsustainable modern clothing consumption has become. I believe the most important solution is enforcing laws that that require clothing companies to take accountability for their discarded products. If brands were required to recycle or properly manage textile waste, they would likely reduce overproduction and design clothing that is longer lasting. Consumers also play a role by buying fewer clothes, thrifting, and supporting sustainable brands instead of participating in fashion trends that die off in a months time. While recycling projects in Chile are a step in the right direction, they are not enough to solve this global problem created by mass consumption. Real environmental change must come from both government policy and changes in our behavior as consumers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chile's Atacama Desert has become a fast fashion dumping ground

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some of the developed world's favorite brands lie in discarded heaps in Chile's Atacama desert. How they got there tells the story of modern fast fashion.