Microbes could help oak trees cope with environmental change. Publishing February 11 in the Cell Press journal Cell Host & Microbe, a study observing oaks growing in a natural woodland found that the trees’ above- and below-ground microbiomes were resilient to drought, nutrient scarcity, and exposure to pathogenic beetles and bacteria. The trees showed subtle changes to their root-associated microbiota after prolonged drought, suggesting they can recruit beneficial bacteria under stressful conditions.  

The tide has turned on the conservation success story of the southern right whale.

 

Once considered a global conservation success story, the species is now emerging as a warning signal of how climate change is impacting threatened marine life, according to new research led by scientists from Flinders University and Curtin University with international collaborators in the US and South Africa.

A new study  led by Prof. FENG Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reports that climate warming can increase soil carbon accumulation in boreal Sphagnum peatlands by boosting plant productivity, protecting iron, and inhibiting microbial decomposition. These responses contrast sharply with warming-enhanced soil carbon mineralization—the process by which carbon is released as CO₂—in boreal forests and tundra.

A decade-long study has revealed that rising atmospheric CO₂ and warming work together to reduce the availability of phosphorus in rice-upland crop rotation systems, potentially threatening future food security. The research, which was led by scientists from the Institute of Soil Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, shows that warming plays a dominant role in redirecting phosphorus into less accessible soil pools.

If the power goes out during a heat wave, there’s nowhere more dangerous to be than where people spend most of their time — indoors. A new study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin is the first to assess the indoor heat vulnerability for each single-family home in an entire city. The research used Austin as its testbed, but the approach can be applied to most cities in the U.S.

Rivers are the primary pathways of microplastics and mesoplastics (MMPs) input into the ocean. Most studies have examined MMP concentration in rivers during low-flows, overlooking high-flow or flooding situations, wherein large amounts of plastic can be transported. To address this gap, researchers investigated how MMP concentration changes during floods in four rivers in Japan, offering valuable new insights. The findings show that overlooking high-flow conditions can lead to severe underestimation of annual plastic load.

Across the world, significant tree planting campaigns are underway. However, Professor Subke believes the recent findings show that using forests and deposition of carbon to deep soils may not be as safe a long‑term option as previously hoped.