Beavers are spreading northwards into the Arctic and a new study provides detailed evidence of their expansion by dating the changes they have been making to the tundra landscape. The research, which combines tree ring analysis (looking at beaver browsing scars) with satellite imagery of surface water (highlighting dams), has allowed scientists to track and date beaver movements in remote areas of the Canadian Arctic.

A recent study published in National Science Review has revealed the soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stock in China’s topsoil (0–10 cm) may decrease by 314 ± 8 Tg C, accompanied by a loss of 217 ± 9 Tg C from the 2 m soils until 2100, estimaed by a new process-based mode. These findings challenge the traditional view of SIC stability in terrestrial carbon cycles, reveal potential substantial SIC losses in both topsoils and deep soils, and highlight the projection of future climate and global inorganic carbon cycle feedbacks.