In a new study published in Conservation Letters, scientists built the most comprehensive models ever of the ranges of 2,858 important fungal species and compared them with the world’s protected landscapes. The findings highlight a mismatch: Conservation has been built around the life we see, without regard to the hidden organisms below our feet that help aboveground life thrive. These range maps offer a roadmap to begin charting a new course.

A large-scale study with data from Brazilian Cerrado streams found that about half of the field sampling effort preserved the ability of most habitat and biological indices to distinguish stream disturbance levels, while greatly reducing time and costs. Macroinvertebrate indices remained robust under reduced sampling, and only fish richness was more sensitive to lower effort. The findings suggest that faster, more cost-effective stream assessments could support biomonitoring programs in tropical regions with limited funding.

Seismic anisotropy near stagnant slabs in the mantle transition zone and uppermost lower mantle suggests an additional slab-related source. High-pressure deformation experiments on hydrous minerals δ-AlOOH and δ-H at 20.5–24.5 GPa and 800–1000 °C show that they develop strong crystallographic preferred orientations. The resulting fabrics produce negative radial seismic anisotropy (V_SV > V_SH) under horizontal flow, distinct from many major mantle minerals, and may contribute to anisotropy near flattened slab tops.

Researchers developed an automated cold plasma and bubble system for dual modality function of treating food-industry wastewater and transforming into nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer for hydroponic farming. This automated electrified flow system runs on a low energy, reduced wastewater organic load while simultaneously improving plant growth, offering a scalable and promising route toward sustainable agriculture and water reuse.

Within the Canadian Shield, hydrogen gas is steadily building up naturally among some of the oldest rocks on Earth. Geochemists at the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa have for the first time measured its presence, mapped its concentration and tracked its long-term accumulation, shedding new light on this source of natural, or white, hydrogen. The findings demonstrate that natural H₂ accumulates in substantive volumes, that it can be trapped and preserved on long time scales, and that high concentrations and discharge rates can be sustained over periods of years, making it possible to assess the economic viability of this emerging energy source and point to a new approach to hydrogen exploration — one that could accelerate greenhouse gas reductions and expand hydrogen’s role in the clean energy transition.

Researchers have discovered new rodent-like species that inhabited the ancient Arctic 73 million years ago. Their fossil teeth offer surprising clues on where they came from and how they outlived the dinosaurs.