EurekAlert! Chinese Academy of Sciences - News Releases from CAS Institutes

News from CAS Institutes

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Jun-2026 08:15 ET (12-Jun-2026 12:15 GMT/UTC)

Leaf traits drive herbivory across forests: Silicon and heat tolerance matter

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Leaf functional traits are stronger predictors of herbivory than climatic factors or insect richness across Chinese forests, according to a study led by researchers from the South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Contrary to the classic resource availability hypothesis, the team found that some carbon-based defense traits may actually backfire.

Journal: Plant Diversity
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, Guangdong Science and Technology Plan Project, Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Volcanic activity shaped centennial-scale variability of Holocene monsoon rainfall

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study investigated the influence of volcanic activity on centennial-scale variability of Northern Hemisphere land monsoon rainfall during the Holocene. Using a transient Holocene climate simulation (iTraCE) that incorporates volcanic forcing, greenhouse gas concentrations, orbital parameters, freshwater forcing, and ice-sheet changes, the team explored the long-term role of volcanic activity in shaping monsoon evolution.

Journal: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

Study reveals north–south differences in water isotopes across North America during the last deglaciation

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Study reveals north–south differences in water isotopes across North America during the last deglaciation

Journal: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

Attribution constraints reveal stronger future intensification of the upper‑level Hadley circulation

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

By applying an “attribution constraint” method based on optimal fingerprinting to correct systematic biases in CMIP6 climate models, the study significantly improved the projection reliability on the the upper‑level Hadley circulation.

Journal: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

Future jet stream changes could ease drying across Asian drylands

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) reveals that large-scale atmospheric circulation changes may partly offset drying caused by global warming across Asian drylands.

Journal: Science Advances

Invasive pythons & hurricanes drive opposite population shifts in endemic Florida rodents

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A 7-year study reveals the endangered Key Largo woodrat has plummeted post-Hurricane Irma and python invasion, while the co-occurring cotton mouse unexpectedly increased—offering critical insights for island biodiversity conservation.

Journal: Biological Diversity
Funder: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Beyond fences: Africa’s biodiversity depends on working landscapes, not just protected areas

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study argues that protected areas alone cannot safeguard Africa’s biodiversity, urging a shift to inclusive, community-centered conservation across human-managed landscapes.

Journal: Biological Diversity

Wildfire dark brown carbon has strong global warming effects, study finds

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research reveals that a previously underestimated aerosol—dark brown carbon—is widespread in wildfire plumes and may warm the climate as much as black carbon.

Journal: Nature Geoscience

Soil vapor transport improves soil moisture simulations in drylands

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This study introduced a simplified soil vapor transport scheme into the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5). Under extremely dry surface conditions, upward liquid water movement becomes very weak or nearly ceases. As a result, near-surface soil layers may dry too slowly in models, leading to unrealistic wet biases.

Journal: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

Continued improvement in China’s air quality in 2025 despite challenges of high-impact events

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This paper analyzes the mean fine particulate (PM_2.5)and ozone (O₃)levels in 2025, and high-impact air-pollutant events and compound events in China.

Journal: Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters

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