In the southeastern corner of Minnesota, fields of corn and soy stretch seemingly endlessly—a far cry from the area’s native grasslands. Past surveys estimated just 1% of the state’s native prairie remains. Andrea Eger, a regenerative agriculture project manager for The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, is trying to change that. In three counties in the … Read more
Chris Barton is reeling through the creatures documented on the study sites: six species of bats, a long list of birds including rarities like cerulean warbler, a variety of salamanders, mayflies, stoneflies. Barton, a professor of forest hydrology and watershed management at the University of Kentucky, is discussing monitoring of sites in the Central Appalachian … Read more
An international team of scientists, conservationists, and indigenous leaders argues that strategic ecological restoration could save coral atoll islands from the rising seas of climate change. The Gist Published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, the paper, “Re-thinking atoll futures: local resilience to global challenges” argues that, while climate change is a major threat, the … Read more
As calls to restore the Pacific Northwest’s old-growth forests gain momentum, TNC scientists and partners are evaluating the results of 15 years of forest management practices at TNC’s Ellsworth Creek Preserve in Washington State to inform future, large-scale restoration efforts. The Gist The coastal temperate rainforests on the Pacific Northwest Coast of the US are … Read more
A new database of global seabird restoration projects allows scientists to analyze trends and provides a tool for practitioners looking to effectively restore seabirds and coastal ecosystems. The Gist Led by Dena Spatz, a senior conservation scientist at Pacific Rim Conservation, researchers built a database of seabird restoration activities from around the world. The effort, … Read more
Seabirds are ecosystem engineers, contributing valuable nutrients to reef ecosystems offshore of breeding colonies. New research, published in Science Advances, suggests eradicating rats and restoring seabird populations could increase coral reef resilience to climate disturbances. The Gist Researchers tested how restoring seabird-derived nutrients affects coral reef recovery after a marine heatwave. Working in the Indian … Read more
Albedo changes can cause large reductions to the climate benefit of tree planting. New research helps identify areas around the world with the greatest climate-cooling potential. The Gist Planting trees in areas that would naturally support tree cover is a well-known and high-potential climate solution, but its effectiveness varies around the world. Restoring tree cover … Read more
A conservation team walks by hummocks of sphagnum moss, mist hanging in the scattered black spruce. They step onto soft, springy ground that squelches under their rubber boots, and a scientist digs up a fistful of dark earth, the smell of wet vegetation rich in the air. This is a peat bog in Minnesota, near … Read more
Research from French Polynesia and TNC’s Palmyra Atoll Preserve shows that, by feeding on microbial pathogens in marine sediment, the weird and wonderful sea cucumber can enhance reef resilience by suppressing coral diseases. The Gist The sea cucumber, a humble bottom-dwelling marine invertebrate famous for both eating and breathing through its butt, hardly seems to … Read more
Mark Twain once wrote that, in a period of 176 years, the lower Mississippi River was shortened by 242 miles. While the famous author used this in service to his satire, his calculation was true. This is because the Mississippi was channelized and straightened, removing the natural bends and curves of the river. This same … Read more