Tag: soil health
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12 Practical Ways to Restore African Landscapes for a Sustainable Future
Introduction: Restoring Africa’s landscapes with hope and justice Across Africa, degraded lands threaten biodiversity, livelihoods, and resilience to climate impacts. The song Kiragala, meaning “green” in Luganda, echoes a powerful message: climate justice requires action that restores ecosystems and supports communities. Here are 12 practical, scalable strategies to revitalize African landscapes, balance ecological health with…
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Black Farmers Look to the Future After a Year of Economic Uncertainty
Resilience in the Fields: A Year of Uncertainty The past year has tested farmers across the United States, but the story is especially poignant for Black farmers who have long navigated a landscape of structural challenges. As headlines focus on macroeconomic shifts, many in this community are choosing to translate hardship into forward-looking strategies—investing in…
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Researchers warn as microplastics damage soil health and release greenhouse gases
What the study found A recent study conducted by scientists at the Institute of Urban Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reveals a troubling link between microplastics in soil and degraded soil health. More worryingly, the researchers observed that these microplastics can contribute to the emission of heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. The findings…
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Microplastics in Soil: Alarming Effects on Soil Health and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Understanding the Study and Its Implications Researchers from the Institute of Urban Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have highlighted a troubling link between microplastics in soil and deteriorating soil health, along with the unintended release of heat-trapping gases. While plastics have long been recognized for pollution in water and air, this study shifts…
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Scientists Sound Alarm Over Microplastics in Soil: Hidden Climate and Health Risks Revealed
What the discovery shows Researchers from the Institute of Urban Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences report that microplastics embedded in soil do more than simply persist in the environment. Their study indicates that microplastics contribute to poorer soil health and actively release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, complicating efforts to curb climate change.…
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Fungi: Nature’s Alchemists and the Secret to Healthy Soil
Introduction: Why Mushrooms Matter Fungi often get a bad press, but science is revealing their vital role in ecosystems. Mushrooms are not merely edible treats or oddities of the forest; they are essential engineers of the soil. As Peter Dowdall notes, fungi act as nature’s alchemists, transforming fallen leaves, decaying wood, and other plant material…
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Peter Dowdall: Mushrooms as Nature’s Alchemists and Soil Builders
Introduction: The Quiet Power of Fungi When we think of soil fertility, our minds often jump to compost, mulch, or fertilizers. Yet the unsung heroes beneath our feet are fungi—mysterious, often overlooked, and absolutely essential. As Peter Dowdall explains, fungus has had bad press, but mushrooms are nature’s alchemists. They transform decaying leaves, wood, and…
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Fungus Rising: Why Mushrooms Are Nature’s Alchemists in Our Soil
Introduction: The Quiet Power of Fungi When we think about the engines of fertility in our landscapes, mushrooms often steal the spotlight with their striking caps and sudden appearances. Yet the true workhorse behind thriving soil is the unseen network of fungi beneath our feet. As Peter Dowdall might put it, fungi have had their…
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Phallus impudicus: the Latin name that tells it like it is in the garden
Phallus impudicus: what is this stinkhorn saying about your garden? In gardens across Ireland and beyond, a peculiar white-tumed fungus can appear under archways, among bamboo, or near flowering vines like wisteria and jasmine. The species is Phallus impudicus, the stinkhorn fungus, and its name is a blunt, almost clinical description of what you’re seeing…
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Trans-kingdom fitness trade-off boosts crops under sulphur stress: New plant-microbe strategy
New discovery links microbes, plants in the face of sulphur shortage Scientists from the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have uncovered a surprising strategy by which plants can thrive when sulphur, an essential nutrient, is in short supply. In a study published in Cell Host…