New uOttawa study found that mowing roadsides less and using targeted herbicide spraying increased pollinator numbers by 45% and species diversity by 23%.

Researchers say these simple, low-cost changes can significantly boost bee and flower fly populations while maintaining road safety.

Study took place across Ottawa, Lanark County and Leeds & Grenville County in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Researchers have shown that declining forest stands are an increasingly common phenomenon across all altitude belts in Switzerland. They concluded that even in the highest ‘subalpine’ belt, trees are no longer protected by the cooler temperatures from the damaging effects of summer droughts, worsened about by global warming. The make-up of ‘protective’ forests, which shield against natural hazards, appears to have changed over the past four decades, as larger trees and more vulnerable trees to drought have died faster. Today’s stands may be hardier, but their tolerance and resilience in the face of droughts could be weakened by recurring droughts. The authors emphasized the need for adaptive forestry strategies in protective forests across Europe.