Biodiversity of European villages has been understudied compared to urban areas, forests, grasslands, or agricultural fields. A new study reveals their biodiversity potential and how nearby landscapes influence biodiversity patterns and human well-being. The research was led by an international team from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research with 20 other institutes contributing from Hungary, Romania, Germany, and Italy. Published in Nature Sustainability, the study examines how landscape complexity and proximity to cities affect village biodiversity and socioeconomic conditions.

Scientists have developed lightning-produced ammonia in gas form – a new, more efficient method that brings us closer to sustainable production of ammonia and transition to a hydrogen-based economy. 

Can animals share the same space peacefully high above the ground in the treetops? A research team at the University of Göttingen has found that forests combining both deciduous and conifer trees make it easier for red squirrels and dormice to coexist. Using cameras placed high in the canopy, scientists discovered that red squirrels tend to prefer coniferous forests, while dormice are more commonly found in beech forests. However, in mixed forests that include both tree types, both species were observed living side by side. This suggests that mixed forests could play an important role in supporting biodiversity. The findings were published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research.

A first in 3D food printing, Ali Ubeyitogullari, an assistant professor of food engineering with the food science and biological and agricultural engineering departments at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, and postdoctoral fellow Sorour Barekat developed sorghum protein into a 3D food printing gel noted for its hydrophobicity to aid in product cohesion. Known for its drought tolerance, grain sorghum also has multiple health benefits.

Fuelled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023, according to a UN-backed report launched today.  The report provides a comprehensive account of how droughts compound poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.