Plants pause their growth during stress, then press play when conditions improve, helping them recover and live on to produce food, according to a new study.

Published today in New Phytologist UBC researchers have pinpointed the genes and pathways responsible for recovery from the environmental stress of cold snaps in winter or overloads of salt when coastal fields flood.

New research from the University of Oxford published today (11 March) shows that cold snaps and heavy rain can stunt growth and reduce survival prospects in UK great tit nestlings. However, breeding earlier within a season appears to buffer against many of these weather-related effects.

As part of the Horizon Europe project Capable, researchers surveyed around 19’000 people from 13 European countries on 15 specific climate proposals in the summer of 2024. The aim was to determine how much support there is for the individual proposals and which factors influence opinions. 

To this end, participants were asked specifically about the reasons behind their decisions. The analysis reveals that costs are the biggest hurdle to the acceptance of climate regulations among the population. 

The innovative methodology of the study can be used in future long-term studies to better understand and track the political decisions of the population. 

The tidal environment of mangrove forests serves as nurseries for many fish species. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have measured carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in 23 of world’s mangrove areas. The study sends out a warning that these ecosystems are increasingly threatened as sea temperatures continue to rise.