Satellite measurements detected declining photosynthetic activity in Western U.S. forests two years before bark-beetle mortality appeared in aerial detection surveys, according to new University of Utah-led research. The first-of-its-kind study suggests that satellite-observed chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), a measure of plant photosynthesis, could provide an early warning of forest stress. As drought, wildfire and insect outbreaks occur with increasing frequency across the American West, the technology could also help scientists understand how these disturbances affect forests’ ability to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere.

A study investigated how ingesting expanded polystyrene (EPS) affects wharf roaches, a common shoreline scavenger. EPS-fed animals showed no significant reduction in lifespan, but their guts displayed altered expression of genes involved in chemical defense, DNA repair, and digestion. Gut microbial communities were largely unchanged, although several rare taxa were detected only in EPS-fed specimens. The findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of how microplastic pollution affects marine ecosystems.

Erosion rates on parts of the Kaikōura Peninsula in New Zealand more than doubled after the 2016, 7.8 magnitude earthquake, showing major quakes can “rapidly alter” the way the world's coastlines evolve, an Otago researcher says.

Decades of warming have relaxed cold-temperature constraints on mountain plant distribution resulting in increased species numbers on mountain tops. An international research team led by scientists from Vienna now shows that these changes also create a rising number of losers. The disappearance of plants from summits can take decades but is accelerating over the past 20 years. Rising biodiversity is hence only part of the story and neglects an important aspect of recent summit vegetation dynamics.