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Desert tortoise walking on dry cracked earth with sparse vegetation and acacia trees in the background.

How Giant Tortoises Reversed Desertification in the Sahel

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

The restoration of degraded land along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert has taken on a remarkable new ecological...

Two hikers stand on a rocky cliff overlooking a forest with autumn trees forming a large smiley face pattern.

Oregon Trees Create a Smiling Face on the Mountain

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

A remarkable forestry intervention in Oregon alters the mountain landscape with every seasonal change. This imaginative project uses different tree...

Person examining tree rings on a log outdoors in a rocky, mountainous landscape at sunset.

Finnish Tundra Juniper Revealed as the World's Oldest Shrub

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

A weathered, unremarkable knot of twisted wood, wedged among rocks on the Finnish tundra, has proved to be far more...

Scientist in white coat analysing soil microbes in a crop field with soil testing equipment.

Soil pH Determines How Wheat and Microbes Compete for Nitrogen

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

For more than 100 years, nitrogen has been a major concern for farmers. It is among the essential nutrients required...

Diver in yellow wetsuit tending to underwater kelp plants with a small boat floating above.

Kelp Forests Return to Peru’s Coastline

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Young kelp forests have re-emerged along part of Peru’s coastline after scientists replanted giant seaweed in areas where it had...

A peaceful forest clearing by a stream flowing to a sandy beach with a lone figure in the distance.

Ancient DNA Reveals Early Forests in Doggerland

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

More than 16,000 years ago, forests were already taking root on the landmass that once linked Britain with mainland Europe...

Scientist in a lab coat examining a leaf with a hole in a greenhouse filled with potted plants and research tools.

NLP7 helps plants conserve water during drought

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Scientists have found that disabling one plant protein allows leaves to close their pores more quickly in drought, reducing the...

Person in cold weather gear holding a petri dish with colourful microplastic beads on rocky terrain.

Plastic Pollution Reaches Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica rank among Earth’s most isolated and unspoilt environments, yet plastic-free soil can no longer...

A group of cows standing on a grassy cliff beside the sea with a skull, book, and test tubes in front.

How Abandoned Cows on Amsterdam Island Became a Rare Natural Experiment

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

The abandoned cows on Amsterdam Island, in the southern Indian Ocean, became a rare natural experiment. In 1871, a small...

Person analysing soil in a field using colour charts and digital tablet with landscape mountains in the background.

Soil Colour Can Predict Organic Matter in Morocco Farmland

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Farmers have long judged their soil by looking at it. Darker ground commonly indicates more fertile land, whereas light, dusty...

Child in raincoat holding a small bird near an open bird identification book in a wooded area with birdhouses.

Oxford Great Tits Show How Extreme Weather Affects Chicks

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

A fresh analysis of Oxford’s well-known great tit population has found that extreme weather does not affect chicks equally. Its...

Astronaut in greenhouse on Mars examining plants growing in red soil beneath a glass dome.

Texas A&M Study Shows Recycled Human Waste Could Support Farming on Mars and Moon

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Future missions to the Moon and Mars will require more than rockets and life-support equipment: they will also require food....

Man working at a desk with plant, documents, and tablet showing a heat map, with a wildfire burning outside the window.

Forest carbon credits fall short as climate risks grow

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

For decades, forests have been central to optimism about tackling climate change. Governments conserve them, businesses fund tree planting, and...

Orange helicopter lifting a large log over a river with two workers in safety gear observing from the riverbank.

Helicopters Restore River Habitat for Salmon

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Helicopters are being used to lower entire tree trunks into US rivers, reversing decades of channel clearing that damaged fish...

Scientist in white coat collecting soil samples in mountainous field with snow-capped peaks in background.

Nitrous oxide emissions from dry mountain soils may reshape climate feedbacks

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Nitrous oxide seldom attracts attention, yet it is among the atmosphere’s most potent greenhouse gases, retaining almost 300 times as...

Young woman holding honeycomb with bees, sitting at wooden table with gavel, document, and basket of flowers outdoors.

Peru Grants Legal Rights to Amazon Stingless Bees

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Stingless bees in Peru’s Amazon have been granted legal rights, making them the first insects in the world to receive...

Farmer in hat standing with staff on cracked soil near cows, wind turbines, and digital tablet on grass.

Climate change could shrink grazing lands by 2100

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Across much of the globe, livestock farming relies on climates that remain within a limited comfort range. A new worldwide...

Close-up of a gloved hand holding a charcoal fossil fossil near a fern plant on burnt ground with fire and smoke in the backg

Ferns Fuelled Vast Fires After Europe’s Mass Extinction 201 Million Years Ago

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

A new study has concluded that the ferns which spread across Europe after the mass extinction 201 million years ago...

Scientist in a white lab coat testing water from a river while holding a map in a forested mountain area.

Roadless Rule protects drinking water for 25 million Americans

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

For almost 25 years, the Roadless Rule has kept parts of America’s national forests largely untouched by logging and road...

Researcher in a white coat measuring tree trunk with tape in a dry forest while holding a tablet showing maps.

How El Niño Threatens Tropical Forests and Global Balance

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

Rising global temperatures are affecting the survival of green areas. Severe droughts undermine vegetation’s ability to filter the air, turning...

Person stretching melted cheese over two slices of bread on a cutting board in a modern kitchen.

Rice Protein Could Transform Plant-Based Cheese

Gareth Whitfield • October 15, 2026

For many people, cheese is the final “hard thing” to stop eating. It is missed by vegans and by those...