INRAE and CNRS have conducted a study of 150 grasslands in temperate zones to identify ecological thresholds beyond which changes in biodiversity can lead to the overall dysfunction of these ecosystems. The study analysed plant biodiversity, agricultural practices and climate data over 13 years. The results, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, show that above a fertilisation level of 80 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year, grassland species lose their ability to coexist. This causes an acute decline in the diversity and functioning of these grasslands, making them extremely vulnerable to climate hazards. Understanding these thresholds would enable farmers to adjust their practices to balance grassland use with the preservation of the ecosystem services they provide, while also maintaining ecosystem stability amid climate hazards.

A sweeping new review reveals how satellites are helping scientists track a quiet but widespread shift in global agriculture: the abandonment of cropland.

At VivaTech in Paris, research center coordinators showcase the advances made at the University of São Paulo in agriculture, climate, energy, computing, artificial intelligence, and health.

In the face of rising urbanization and food insecurity, a new study published in Engineering explores the potential of urban aquaponics to enhance food security and reduce environmental impacts. The research, led by Qiuling Yuan and Fanxin Meng from Beijing Normal University, provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the sustainability of aquaponics systems in urban areas, selecting Beijing as a case study. The findings suggest that urban aquaponics can significantly improve water efficiency and local food self-sufficiency while reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions through optimized strategies.

A new study in Forest Ecosystems reveals how fire history, vegetation type, and soil features jointly influence carbon storage in boreal forests. Researchers in Norway compared pine and spruce forests across regions with different fire legacies, and they found that pine forests store nearly twice as much organic carbon as spruce forests, with charcoal carbon stocks varying by region due to fire frequency, terrain microtopography, and organic layer depth. The study highlights the importance of localized forest management strategies for sustaining carbon storage in the face of climate change.

Laboratory and field experiments have repeatedly demonstrated that modifications to the process of photosynthesis or to the physical characteristics of plants can make crops more resilient to hotter temperatures. Scientists can now alter the abundance or orientation of leaves, change leaf chemistry to improve heat tolerance and adjust key steps in the process of photosynthesis to overcome bottlenecks, researchers report in a new review in the journal Science.