In Cuba, Cleaner Rivers Follow Greener Farming
When the Soviet Union disintegrated in the early 1990s, food production on the island of Cuba was reduced—as the supply of Russian fertilizers, pesticides, tractors, and oil dried up. Under the stress of an imminent food crisis, the island quickly rebuilt a new form of diversified farming—including many urban organic gardens—that depended less on imported synthetic chemicals. Over the last two...
Global Warming: More Insects, Hungrier For Crops
Crop losses for critical food grains will increase substantially with global warming, as rising temperatures boost the metabolism and population growth of insect pests, new research says.
For carbon storage, biodiversity can help – or hurt
Biodiversity plays a significant role in forest carbon storage, but surprisingly less than previously thought, new research in Ecology Letters suggests.