Articles tagged with Ecosystem Services
A new study explores ways to make payments for hydrological services (PHS) programs more effective and financially sustainable in Mexico. Residents are willing to pay for improved water quality, regulated quantity, and biodiversity conservation, highlighting the potential of PHS to enhance ecosystem preservation.
Pollinators contribute significantly to global food production, particularly for small-scale farmers who rely heavily on these services. The author emphasizes the need for increased support and research efforts to maintain biodiversity and improve crop yields.
The study found that coral reefs' capacity to provide essential benefits and services, including food and livelihoods, has declined significantly. The decline in coral reef coverage and biodiversity is attributed to climate change, overfishing, pollution, and more.
A new study suggests that climate change is displacing cold-water communities of algae with warm-adapted ones, threatening to destabilize the delicate marine food web. The research found a clear boundary between these communities at moderate water temperatures, highlighting the vulnerability of polar ecosystems.
Researchers at GEOMAR found that seagrass meadows absorb vibrios, reducing their presence by up to 63% compared to non-vegetated areas. This discovery highlights the importance of protecting and restoring these ecosystems to maintain healthy water quality.
Researchers used isotope mapping to track monarch butterfly migration routes and identify their natal origins. The study, led by a University of Ottawa student, revealed that monarchs from the eastern US likely originated in Texas, providing valuable insights into population decline.
The Safeguard project will assess the status and trends of European wild pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other insects. It will also explore effective ways to halt declines in different scales, from local to global.
A new study from Oregon State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center found that beavers in the Coast Range of western Oregon exhibit relatively strong genetic differentiation, shaped by watershed boundaries and past relocations. The researchers recommend relocating beavers within watershed...
The ReNature project has launched an interactive online toolkit to help address societal challenges using nature-based solutions. The toolkit provides a range of color-coded options, indicating the level of evidence supporting each solution type to address specific challenges.
Research team investigates urbanization's impact on farmland bird communities in Bangalore, India, finding that urbanization homogenizes bird species, eliminating insect-eating birds essential for pest control. The study highlights the importance of preserving biodiversity to maintain ecosystem resilience and food production systems.
Managing 30% of land for conservation could safeguard 70% of terrestrial plant and vertebrate animal species while conserving over 62% of the world's above-ground vulnerable carbon. The study also suggests this approach could safeguard 68% of all clean water resources.
A study analyzing over 120 million social media posts reveals that tourists focus more on nature in marine protected areas than neighboring coastal zones. The research found that these areas provide more cultural ecosystem services than adjacent coastal areas.
Long-term simulations show that smart land management, such as organic farming and protected refuge areas, can help stabilize threatened bumblebee species. Climate change is expected to have the strongest total effect on bumblebees, threatening many species.
Decades of fire suppression have eliminated valuable wildlife habitat, but allowing lightning fires to burn has restored a resilient ecosystem with increased plant and pollinator biodiversity. This approach also limits the severity of wildfires and increases water availability during droughts.
A new study by Point Blue Conservation Science found that protected areas in central coastal California effectively safeguard bird populations from decline. The research analyzed population trends of 14 bird species and found that 9 had better population trends within protected areas compared to average trends outside.
A synthesis of scientific literature provides a unified resource for managing western forests and addressing the impacts of climate change on wildfires. The report recommends approaches such as thinning dense forests, prescribed burning, and revitalizing Indigenous fire stewardship practices to make landscapes more resilient.
Researchers warn of devastating consequences for coral reefs as three key species experience changes in distribution due to the climate crisis. Conservation efforts are urged to focus on regions such as the Abrolhos region and the Gulf of Mexico.
A global study found that urban greenspaces, including parks and gardens, harbor important microbial communities critical for sustaining productive ecosystem services. These microbes also promote effective immunoregulation functions and reduce allergies in humans. However, green spaces can also host fungal parasites and plant pathogens.
Researchers will document species distribution, function of ecosystems and physical environment impact on biodiversity. The project aims to provide detailed biodiversity maps and improve monitoring from space globally.
A recent study has summarized nearly two decades of research on the efficacy of nature-based solutions in reducing disaster risk. The review found ample evidence that ecosystems can reduce the impacts of hazard events, such as wildfires, flooding, and landslides, in a cost-effective manner.
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a new dataset to diagnose broadband availability, revealing significant gaps in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The tool aims to help policymakers allocate resources efficiently to improve local conditions.
New research reveals Andean forests have high potential to store carbon under climate change. The study, which analyzed data from 119 forest-monitoring plots across the Andes Mountains, found that Andean forests are acting as aboveground carbon sinks.
Researchers used deep-time approach to compare communities defined by species vs ecological roles, finding that ecosystems are more resistant to change than species compositions. They also found that preserving ecosystem functioning can help stabilize ecosystems in the face of disturbances.
A study found that 79% of households are willing to pay extra for cropping diversification, valuing agroecosystem services and socio-cultural benefits. The total non-market value of cropping diversification can be up to 47-95% compared to annual market revenues.
A new two-year project aims to develop an agent-based modelling framework explicitly focusing on cyber security and privacy aspects of the MaaS ecosystem. The research will model important aspects of a real-world MaaS ecosystem, including cross-sector and cross-organisational interactions.
Acoustica Bio, a Cambridge-based company, has won the top prize in the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center's $200K Challenge for its innovative reformulation of intravenous medications. The startup will receive $50,000 in seed funding to advance its invention.
A study analyzing socioeconomic and environmental indicators for the São Paulo Macrometropolitan Area found environmental inequity and dependency. The analysis detected asymmetries that impair mutual exchange between cities, with some providing essential services like water, food, and power generation while others receive them.
As consumers become richer, they spend more on services like health and education, while spending less on agriculture and manufactured goods. The study reveals that income and preferences play a larger role than productivity in shaping the sectoral composition of the economy.
Researchers found that listening to natural sounds in national parks reduces pain and stress while improving mood and cognitive performance. The sounds of water were most effective at enhancing positive emotions and health outcomes.
A new study reveals that marine heatwaves are devastating the function of coraligen habitats in the Mediterranean, leading to a loss of structural complexity and essential ecosystem services. The impact is particularly severe for gorgonian corals, which provide shelter for over 1600 species.
A global study found that diverse communities of pollinators provide more stable pollination services to nearby crops over time. This suggests that land management techniques that support pollinator diversity, such as wildflower areas and crop rotations, can help maintain long-term benefits to food production.
The USDA Forest Service has established a new urban long-term ecological research site in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, focusing on the dynamics of urban nature and social systems. The project aims to improve environmental outcomes for all city residents, addressing disparities in access to urban benefits.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that even if ecosystem services themselves aren't directly threatened, they can become vulnerable to secondary extinctions when surrounding species go extinct. This highlights the need to protect key species that support these services to mitigate indirect threats.
A new study highlights the importance of preserving intraspecific variation within species, which supports essential ecological functions and benefits nature provides for people. The loss of this variation can have serious ecological consequences, including boom-bust population cycles and reduced medicinal properties in plants.
A global study estimates that nature processes over 2 million cubic meters of human waste annually, equivalent to 41.7 million tons, in 48 cities containing about 82 million people. This natural process contributes significantly to sanitation services, worth approximately $4.4 billion per year.
A recent study found that biodiversity is vital at regional scales, not just local ones, to maintain stable ecosystems. This research can inform conservation planning and make human communities more sustainable by promoting biodiversity.
A University of Oregon postdoc has developed a new approach to reconstruct past ecosystem services by combining pollen records with key plant traits. The method provides confidence in the ability to understand how plants performed different benefits useful for humans over the past 21,000 years.
Soil organisms perform crucial services like nutrient transformation and water purification. A new monitoring network aims to improve understanding and protection of soil biodiversity.
A new statistical approach called Ecosystem Accounting allows governments and banks to calculate the worth of natural dividends, including fish stocks and carbon sinks. This shift aims to create a more inclusive wealth measurement that accounts for health, skills, and community value.
Researchers report a 50-year review of nature's contributions to human societies, revealing an imbalance between agricultural growth and declining regulatory ecosystem services. The study highlights the need for adaptations and substitutes, but notes they come at a cost.
The U.S. Department of Defense has established a new Acquisition Innovation and Research Center (AIRC) at Stevens Institute of Technology to enhance the defense acquisition system. Led by Dinesh Verma, the center aims to promote academic analysis and innovative policy alternatives to improve defense acquisition outcomes.
A new study found that in-kind payments successfully encouraged farmers to cultivate and conserve rare crops and varieties. The innovative payment scheme, known as Payment for Agrobiodiversity Conservation Services (PACS), has been well-received by farmers and policymakers in four Latin American countries.
Increasing diversity in crop production improves biodiversity and ecosystem services, while maintaining crop yields. Diversification practices like crop rotation, intercropping, and reduced tillage can enhance pollination, pest regulation, and soil fertility.
Researchers analyzed data from 300 German grasslands and forests to investigate the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services. The study found that low-intensity farming and forestry can preserve biodiversity while providing material benefits.
The Partnership to Advance Throughput Computing (PATh) aims to advance distributed high-throughput computing technologies and extend adoption among researchers and educators. Researchers from top institutions will collaborate on the project, focusing on automation and leveraging massive networks of computers.
A study by Université de Genève analyzed 911 tree species in Geneva's urban spaces and found that most native and non-native species provide similar ecosystem services. Despite some drawbacks, the research concludes that introduced species can have a beneficial role in certain contexts.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Queensland found that nearly 80% of threatened species globally are not adequately protected, falling short of the 17% target for land and 10% target for oceans set by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
University of Queensland research reveals that conservation planning is often inadequate, neglecting critical ecosystem services that benefit humans, such as freshwater and pollination services. The study proposes a formal process for governments and policymakers to develop more effective plans.
A new study suggests that concentrating tree planting efforts on understocked forest land, particularly in western states and the Northeast, can substantially increase carbon sequestration capacity. This targeted approach could enhance ecosystem services and offset a significant portion of the country's carbon dioxide emissions.
The extinction of mites, crucial to ecosystems worldwide, is occurring at an alarming rate, threatening environmental health and species survival. Human activities such as habitat destruction and climate change exacerbate the issue.
Researchers analyzed past warming events to understand how species and ecosystems will cope with future climate change, identifying potential causes of extinction and ways to improve early-warning systems. The study informs effective conservation practice and policy for managing biodiversity under ongoing and future climate change.
Researchers developed a low-cost, visible-light activated coating for water filtration membranes that breaks down foulants and renders the membrane clean. The coating increases photocatalytic efficiency under sunlight by 24-fold compared to regular titanium dioxide.
Researchers at Penn State have discovered that cover crop roots play a crucial role in increasing soil organic carbon levels and promoting biodiversity. The study found that diverse mixtures of cover crops resulted in increased root biomass and improved soil carbon inputs.
A new study warns of the potential harm of deep-seabed mining on seabed ecosystems, highlighting a need for better understanding of their sensitivity and biodiversity. The researchers emphasize that many deep-sea ecosystems will be highly sensitive to seafloor mining and are likely to be impacted over larger scales than predicted.
Seabirds produce guano that serves as a fertilizer and contributes significantly to coastal and marine ecosystems. The researchers estimated the value of guano production at around $473 million per year, with nutrients deposited by seabirds worth an additional $1 billion annually.
A new study highlights the need for further assessment of ecological impacts from deep-sea mining, which could harm vast midwater ecosystems and affect fisheries, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. The International Seabed Authority must consider midwater research efforts to minimize environmental harm.
High accuracy surface modeling (HASM) integrates extrinsic and intrinsic properties, producing accurate results in various applications. The fundamental theorem for earth surface system modeling (FTESM) combines surface theory, system theory, and optimal control theory.
Chronic exposure to thiamethoxam has negative impacts on black garden ants, compromising colony survivorship. The study highlights the importance of sustainable agricultural practices to prevent damage to natural ecosystems.
Researchers studying Western bumblebee decline identify multiple factors contributing to the species' decline. The study provides critical information on the species' range, gaps in knowledge, and conservation strategies.
Experts demand a prominent target of 20 species extinctions per year to lower biodiversity loss rates and protect ecosystem services. The proposed target is comparable to the 2-degree climate target, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.