Island bats are valuable allies for farmers
The 17th April is international bat appreciation day and a new study has highlighted how these secretive mammals can be valuable allies for farmers,...
Defra appoints ecological consultancy as ‘responsible body’ to work with landowners
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has appointed a new ‘responsible body’. Ecological consultancy RSK Biocensus – and specifically its biodiversity...
Pristine peatland offers glimpse into pre-industrial atmosphere
Pre-industrial aerosol formation processes appear to be revealed by a study conducted in a pristine Finnish peatland. The investigation aimed to understand atmospheric particle...
Technology will boost real-time monitoring of remote peatlands
Researchers will develop new ways to monitor carbon emissions from vast swathes of peatland after winning almost half a million pounds to develop new...
How much dam water is needed for fish and energy?
Research into water flow and fish passage through dams in the US suggests new options for meeting energy and environmental needs, writes Alexandra Freibott...
Conservation charity launches Scottish Oil Beetle Hunt for 2024
UK conservation charity Buglife’s citizen science project, the Scottish Oil Beetle Hunt, is issuing a call for help. "As part of the partnership programme,...
First demonstration that forests trap airborne microplastics
A research group in Japan has demonstrated that airborne microplastics adsorb to the epicuticular wax on the surface of forest canopy leaves, and that...
Carbon credits would enable restoration of UK saltmarshes, says CEH study
While the marshes may have meant danger for Pip in Great Expectations, these wetland habitats are important wildlife havens and mitigate climate change.
However, since...
Reviving England’s rivers: recommendations include Incentivising farmers and comprehensive monitoring
At the close of 2023, Defra asked the British Ecological Society to bring together nearly 40 experts, to collate expert opinion on freshwater policy...
Blenheim Estate project aims to boost reforestation effectiveness
Innovative farming methods will be used to help address the affects of climate change, in a new project announced on 21 March by Blenheim...
Parliamentary recognition of the importance and decline of invertebrates
The importance of invertebrates to the environment and food security has received a significant mark of recognition from the House of Commons Science, Innovation...
EcoFABs could lead to better bioenergy crops, say researchers
A greater understanding of how plants and microbes work together to store vast amounts of atmospheric carbon in the soil will help in the...
Mutable mandate? Sizing up the new BNG requirements
New requirements for construction projects to achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity or habitats came into force on 12 February. The scheme is...
Is the Amazon forest approaching a tipping point?
Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it towards partial or total collapse.
Research...
Survey reveals 185 hectares of newly discovered seagrass beds across the UK
Over the summer of 2023, volunteers recorded 185 hectares of unmapped seagrass meadows in shallow UK coastal waters, in a new annual survey which...
Underwater robot to reduce costs and environmental impact for ships
A marine sector startup is developing an underwater robot that the group says can substantially reduce fuel costs, maintenance needs and environmental impact for...
Molecular sensor enables water bear hardiness by triggering dormancy
Free radicals sensor triggers tardigrades to enter dehydrated tun state to withstand extreme stress
Tardigrades – hardy, microscopic animals commonly known as “water bears” –...
Seagrass planting robot to reinstate vanishing ocean meadows and tackle climate change
A team of young engineers is launching a £100,000 project to build a robot that will plant seagrass to help fight climate change, thanks...
Emergency authorisation of bee-killing pesticide is a “deathblow” says charity group
(Text: The Wildlife Trusts)
On 18th January 2024, the UK Government’s Farming Minister, Mark Spencer, approved ‘emergency’ authorisation for the use of the highly damaging...
What happens to biodegradable plastics if they enter the sea? New study
Plymouth Marine Laboratory writes
Our new study investigates what happens when biodegradable plastics enter the ocean, and whether these increasingly popular alternatives to conventional plastics...
