soil

The less intensely farmers fuss with soil, the better off that soil could be, according to a new study on soil management practices across the Netherlands. In the study, published in the journal Science, a team led by researchers from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) analyzed soil management practices and biota at 53 farm […]

As human-caused climate change continues threatening the way of life for virtually every species on Earth, what if one group of organisms right under (and inside of) our noses could help reverse climate change? That’s what a recent report from the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) and the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) argues. […]

Roughly one-sixth of croplands globally — 14 to 17 percent, or approximately 598 million acres — are contaminated by one or more toxic heavy metals like arsenic, cobalt, cadmium, copper, lead and nickel at levels exceeding human health and agricultural safety thresholds, a new study has found. Heavy metals are elements that come from both […]

In a new study, researchers have found a wide range of pollutants in Western European hedgehogs, including heavy metals, plastic additives and more. The researchers from Lund University in Sweden were exploring the levels of heavy metals found in hedgehogs in southern Sweden, following previous research that revealed heavy metal pollution in hedgehogs in urban […]

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing — the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the world — has reached a new milestone, as workers laid the first layers of soil on the historic California overpass on Monday. The crossing stretches over California’s 101 freeway and is designed to help bobcats, mountain lions, deer and other […]

While scientists have long known that pesticide use could impact pollinators, a new study reveals how fertilizer could negatively impact these important organisms. Not only that, but the research, which was conducted at the site of the longest ecological experiment in global history, revealed that high fertilizer use could also lead to a decline in […]

The rapidly increasing amount of land on Earth that is affected by excess salt will lead to potentially devastating effects on global food production, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report, Global Status of Salt-Affected Soils, found that roughly 3.41 billion acres — 10.7 […]

Following the recent United Nations biodiversity and climate conferences, the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) began Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the goal of tackling drought, desertification and land degradation. The UN has found that, in order to restore the planet’s degraded lands and prevent […]