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Scientists use DNA in efforts to help species adapt to climate change
As climate change outpaces the ability of ecosystems to adapt, scientists are turning to conservation genomics to guide restoration.
Newsletter
Credit: Ales Krivec/Unsplash+
Rise of the shrubs: What happened when scientists heated a Rocky Mountain wildlife meadow by 2C?
A long-running experiment in Colorado provides an ‘alarming’ view of how rapidly unchecked global heating could transform fragile ecosystems.
Newsletter
Pollinators and plants are becoming out of sync due to climate change
As global temperatures rise, the timing between pollinators like bees and the plants they help reproduce is becoming mismatched, threatening ecosystems and agriculture worldwide.
In short:
- In Colorado, biologist Elsa Godtfredsen observes that warmer winters cause flowers to bloom before bumblebees emerge, disrupting pollination.
- Timing mismatches between pollinators and plants have been documented globally, risking crop yields and biodiversity.
- Managed honey bees may compensate for some losses, but supply concerns could drive up food costs.
Key quote:
“It’s like we’re walking in the dark, and we know that there are cliffs, and we don’t know where the edge is.”
— Ed Henry, ecologist at the USDA
Why this matters:
Pollinator and plant mismatches could lead to significant declines in food production, impacting global food security. Ecosystem imbalances may increase in vulnerable regions, particularly affecting food-insecure areas.
Related EHN coverage:
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Local groups say new funding will help promote living shorelines in N.S.
Living shorelines are seen as a nature-based way to reduce coastal erosion and flooding caused by climate change. They use natural materials — rocks, plants and sand — to stabilize land along the coast.
The Lego-like way to get CO2 out of the atmosphere
A company says it has found a way to remove CO2 from the air for less than $100 per ton.
Newsletter
Could superpowered plants be the heroes of the climate crisis?
Carbon-guzzling trees and crops, genetically altered to boost photosynthesis and store carbon in the roots, could absorb millions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Could superpowered plants be the heroes of the climate crisis?
Carbon-guzzling trees and crops, genetically altered to boost photosynthesis and store carbon in the roots, could absorb millions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere.
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