In a lush revelation from the forest floor, a new study published in Carbon Research (as an Open Access Rapid Communication) shows that mosses, those quiet, green carpet-weavers beneath our feet—are climate champions in their own right. Led by Dr. Zhe Wang from the China-Croatia “Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Shanghai Normal University, alongside Dr. Weikai Bao, also of the Chengdu Institute of Biology, this research flips the script on how we view forest carbon storage. Spoiler: mosses matter—big time.

Uniform and intensive forest management approaches threaten European forest biodiversity. There are many different ways to manage forests, but the effects of different combinations of approaches are not well understood. An international research team led by the universities of Göttingen, Germany, and Jyväskylä, Finland, investigated how the Triad forest management framework can support biodiversity conservation in European beech forests. This framework proposes to balance economic and ecological objectives by dividing forest landscapes into three distinct zones: intensively managed forest for timber production, unmanaged areas for biodiversity conservation, and extensively managed forest for supporting biodiversity while producing timber. The researchers collected data from these three management categories and developed “virtual forest landscapes” for analysis. The results were published in the journal PNAS.

Wolves had long been extinct in parts of Central Europe. Thanks to strict regulations to protect species, in recent decades they have become more widespread again. This brings new challenges: in many areas, protecting farm livestock is essential to prevent animals such as sheep, goats and cattle from being killed by hungry wolves. An international research team at the University of Göttingen, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), Dresden University of Technology in Germany, together with KORA in Switzerland, conducted a survey to find out how farmers feel about measures such as wolf-repelling electric fences or guard dogs, and whether the availability of subsidies influences this. The survey showed that the willingness to protect livestock depends primarily on social pressure. Financial support is associated with a greater willingness to use electric fences against wolves. The study was published in the journal People and Nature.

Accurate positioning is vital for applications ranging from autonomous vehicles to precision agriculture, yet atmospheric disturbances often compromise Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) performance.

Cambridge scientist uncovers cunning way to double the sales of the famous Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll – and in an open letter, shares the technique with key people at Greggs. Cambridge research finds unique nudge approach that significantly outperforms carbon labelling for increasing sustainable food consumption.

A 20-hectare plot at the Paint Rock ForestGEO site in north Alabama (29,282 trees mapped) reveals how landscape features shape tree species distribution and biomass. While overall biomass did not correlate with landform or topographic indices, the biomass of individual species did. The dominant species appeared to partition the site with American beech and yellow-poplar dominating the valleys, and white oak, southern shagbark hickory, and white ash predominantly on slopes and benches Average biomass was 211 Mg/ha., The species distribution demonstrates how topographic niche partitioning maximizes ecosystem carbon storage, as published in Forest Ecosystems.

Both biotic factors (microbial biomass and leaf nutrients) and abiotic factors (climate, soil properties, and elevation) play important roles in shaping how sensitive forest soil respiration (Q₁₀) is to temperature changes. By analyzing 766 soil Q₁₀ values from forests around the world, researchers found that microbial biomass carbon is the strongest single predictor, with plant traits like leaf phosphorus content also having a clear impact. The findings highlight the need to consider both biotic and abiotic influences when managing forests and improving carbon cycle models in a warming climate.