In a major scientific advancement, researchers have decoded the genetic foundation of root system architecture (RSA) in alfalfa, a critical determinant of crop productivity and drought resilience. By analyzing six key root traits in 171 alfalfa genotypes, the team identified 60 significant genetic markers and 19 high-confidence candidate genes influencing root development.
A new discovery has unveiled a genetic module, CsTIE1-CsAGL16, that simultaneously regulates lateral branch development and drought tolerance in cucumbers. This dual-function genetic pathway offers a promising new approach to breeding cucumber varieties that are both resilient to water scarcity and tailored to market preferences. By deciphering how these genes coordinate water conservation and branch growth, researchers have opened new doors for improving crop adaptability and productivity in the face of climate change.
Dr. Kent Kovacs, an associate professor of accounting, economics, and finance at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has received a nearly $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies, and Education (RISE) to study how farmers’ risk preferences impact water use during droughts.
New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Xiaonan Tai has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to investigate how landscape positions determine forest fate during extreme heat and drought.
A century of fire suppression, climate change, and drought has worsened wildfires in the Western U.S. While prescribed burns help reduce fuel, a “fire deficit” increases wildfire risks, with significant health and environmental impacts. Deforestation and pests further limit carbon storage. Emulating Indigenous practices, a new study shows that combining physical harvesting of dead wood with thinning reduces wildfire risks, lowers carbon emissions, and boosts carbon storage through products like biochar.
A new study has unveiled a high-resolution, hourly solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) dataset designed to monitor vegetation photosynthesis during droughts. This innovative approach offers unprecedented insights into how plants respond to drought stress, providing a powerful tool for real-time drought monitoring and ecosystem management.
Researchers and land managers have long known that reducing the amount of forest fuel helps reduce wildfire severity. But not all fuel is created equal, and the vertical location of that fuel may matter more than the sheer amount, especially when weather conditions are hot, dry and windy. Recent research from NAU, using data collected from NASA spaceborne lidar, shows that large-scale maps of ladder fuels can help predict areas at greatest risk from wildfires and suggests that a focus on reducing ladder fuels may be the most direct means to reduce wildfire severity.
In a state known for its droughts, where the southern half recently experienced devastating fires, understanding California’s natural water sources is more important than ever. Three University of California, Santa Cruz professors have teamed up to create a multipart scientific and artistic research study, Art+Fog as a collective,
Researchers established thresholds at which the bees succumbed to warming or dehydration and assembled the largest known data set of bee tolerances
A report out today by The Washington Post finds most cities in the United States are not prepared for climate change. ...
Expert pitch on smoke dangers from wildfires
It is imperative that governments meeting here at the UN’s Biodiversity Conference take action ensuring an alignment of the world’s biodiversity and climate agendas.
As a megadrought stresses the water supply throughout the Southwest, revolutionary research out of UNLV is answering this problem with a groundbreaking technology that pulls large amounts of water from the air in low humidity.
Scientists have identified a natural compound, (Z)-3-hexenyl butyrate (HB), that can induce stomatal closure in plants, a defense mechanism to conserve water and protect against pathogens. This discovery could lead to more sustainable agricultural practices by enhancing crop resilience to environmental stresses without the need for synthetic pesticides.
In the 1990s, the San Miguel Island fox nearly went extinct, with numbers dropping to just 15. A recovery program increased their population by 2010, but from 2014 to 2018, it fell to 30% of its peak due to a new acanthocephalan parasite, exacerbated by a prolonged drought. A collaborative research effort employed morphological and molecular methods, alongside necropsy records, to identify the parasite and assess its health impacts on the foxes.
A UNLV research team is developing sustainable water management solutions for rural arid areas in the U.S. and China, focusing on wastewater reuse through solar-powered treatment processes. The project aims to provide low-cost technologies for non-potable — and possibly potable — reuse in rural communities in both countries, addressing water scarcity and quality issues.
Rapid warming has impacted the northern ecosystem so significantly that scientists are concerned the region’s vegetation is losing the ability to recover from climate shocks, suggests a new study.
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