A fun, thought-provoking game designed by a team of scientists and played by Malagasy vanilla farmers reveals the challenges of payment programs that incentivize forest conservation in the region.

There’s a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don’t mix. But agroforestry can provide a multitude of benefits to farmers and landscapes. A new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study provides a foundation for strategic plans that integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations of trees in agricultural landscapes.

InsectNet – which is backed by a dataset of 12 million insect images, including many collected by citizen-scientists – provides identification and predictions for more than 2,500 insect species at more than 96% accuracy.

Impacts of climate change on African mountain communities are more severe than we thought. Farmers report alarming shifts in weather patterns, including rising temperatures, altered rainfall, and more extreme climate events such as droughts and floods. These changes have disrupted agricultural practices, leading to reduced crop yields and food insecurity. The study, based on data from eight African countries, emphasizes the need for tailored solutions that consider local environmental, social, and political contexts, especially in conflict-affected areas. Immediate action and global support are crucial to help the communities in these biodiversity hotspots to adapt and protect their livelihoods.

Globally, women’s workforce participation is about 25% lower than men’s, often due to barriers such as domestic responsibilities and cultural norms. Vocational training can increase employment opportunities, but women may not be able to attend training programs that require them to be away from home. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with an international research team, explored whether hybrid distance learning can improve accessibility to job training for rural women in Nepal.

Many U.S. forests are privately owned, particularly in the Eastern and North Central part of the country. This makes control of invasive plants and pests challenging because efforts must be coordinated across landowners. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how differences in ownership motivation affects willingness to control, and how economic incentives can be implemented most efficiently.