Discover stories in Science Briefs
Biodiverse Forests Capture Carbon Better Than Plantations
New science shows that diverse natural forests with a mix of tree species provide more stable and reliable carbon capture than monoculture plantations in the long run.
The Main Cause of Global Water Scarcity? It’s Us.
New research shows that by 2050, more than 70 percent of watersheds around the world will experience water scarcity driven primarily by human activity, not climate change.
Got Floods? Protecting Floodplains Could Be a Cheap Way to Reduce Damages
In many places in the U.S., $1 invested in floodplain protection today can return at least $5 in savings from avoided flood damages in the future.
Biodiversity Conservation in the Age of Climate Change
An international team of researchers argues that the twin goals of climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation must become the combined foundation of marine management and ocean conservation efforts.
Soil Carbon: Complexity, Context + A Way Forward
Researchers highlight agreements and uncertainties around soil carbon and argue that “action can happen despite unanswered scientific questions.”
Emerging Science Explores Ways to Help Make Green Energy Tech Greener
TNC NatureNet Science Fellow Robert Higgins describes an environmentally friendly way to extract the rare-earth minerals that are critical to green energy technologies, from wind turbines to hydrogen-powered cars.
What Makes Conservation Solutions Go Viral?
Conservationists often talk about “going to scale”—solutions that go big and go fast. But most conservation initiatives requiring decades to start proliferating on their own.
Nature Improves Crop Production
New study shows that promoting nature around farm fields is essential to ensuring and maintaining abundant and stable food production.
Incorporating Conservation Into Public Health Frameworks
New research incorporates conservation considerations into occupational health and safety frameworks.
Fields on Fire: Can Agricultural Alternatives Mean Cleaner Air in India?
Agriculture burning contributes significantly to air pollution in India, a country with some of the least healthy air in the […]
Planning for the Future in a Warming Ocean
As climate change makes natural systems more unpredictable, the past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future
New Map Shows Hotspots of Species Under Threat
A new analysis identifies global hotspots where the most species are threatened by human impacts.
