Scientific World

Climate change

When people and wild animals share a habitat in the African savannah, decisions have to be taken on how an area of land is to be used in the future. Sustainable management strategies adapted to the region can help to…

Rice production

Climate change, combined with rising carbon dioxide levels, may significantly impact arsenic levels in paddy rice, potentially raising lifetime health risks for consumers, according to a new study. Long-term exposure to…

Nutrition

A German research team led by the University of Göttingen has developed a new way of assessing poverty that incorporates the affordability of healthy diets in addition to other basic needs.

Biodiversity

Humans are having a highly detrimental impact on biodiversity world-wide. Not only is the number of species declining, but the composition of species communities is also changing. These are the findings of a study by a…

Climate change

An international study shows that biodiversity changes more quickly where there have been faster changes in temperature. The researchers also found that species in ecosystems with less-varied habitats were more sensitive…

Livestock

Grazing by large mammalian herbivores influences ecosystem structure and functions through its impacts on vegetation and soil, as well as by the impact it has on insects and spiders. As livestock progressively replace…

Rice production

Rice is the basis of life for many people. An international team seek to make the plant, which originates from Asia, more resilient towards heat and drought.

Agriculture

What is the future of our soils – and hence also water availability – going to look like given the impacts of forthcoming climate change? An international study shows how drought, warming and raised CO₂ concentration in…

Forestry

The escalating impacts of human activities and climate change, particularly increased nutrient leaching and deposition, could significantly alter the productivity, structure and function of tropical vegetation. To better…

Food security

A balanced diet is important for reducing hunger and malnutrition. Researchers thus advocate that small farmers in low- and middle-income countries should try to produce as many different foods as possible for their own…