Some species of fig trees store calcium carbonate in their trunks – essentially turning themselves (partially) into stone, new research has found. The team of Kenyan, U.S., Austrian, and Swiss scientists found that the trees could draw carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and store it as calcium carbonate ‘rocks’ in the surrounding soil. 

Rice cultivation is known to be resource-intensive, but a study now reveals how root microbes help rice thrive without synthetic and organic fertilizers. Researchers from Japan analyzed microbial communities in rice roots from fertilized and unfertilized fields and discovered that high-yielding rice grown in nutrient-poor soils was enriched with nitrogen-fixing root microbes that naturally support plant growth. These findings could pave the way for microbial biostimulants, promising sustainable rice farming in the future.

Biodiversity of European villages has been understudied compared to urban areas, forests, grasslands, or agricultural fields. A new study reveals their biodiversity potential and how nearby landscapes influence biodiversity patterns and human well-being. The research was led by an international team from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research with 20 other institutes contributing from Hungary, Romania, Germany, and Italy. Published in Nature Sustainability, the study examines how landscape complexity and proximity to cities affect village biodiversity and socioeconomic conditions.

Scientists have developed lightning-produced ammonia in gas form – a new, more efficient method that brings us closer to sustainable production of ammonia and transition to a hydrogen-based economy.