Tree Rings Bear Witness to Illegal Gold Mining Operations in the Amazon, New Study Finds
Mercury concentrations in fig trees could provide useful information about mining activity in the rainforest over time
A New Satellite Will Map the Carbon Content of Rainforests From Space, and It’s Set to Launch This Month
The European Space Agency’s new probe, Biomass, will spend five years orbiting the planet and gathering radar imagery of forests across multiple continents
How a Forgotten Bean Could Save Coffee From Extinction
One leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new species that could keep our mugs full
Being Struck by Lightning Is No Big Deal for This Tropical Tree—the Zap Even Gives It a Boost
The almendro tree may have evolved to attract lightning, which helps clear more space for it to grow, according to new research
Ancient, Parasitic Wasp Used Its Rear End Like a Venus Flytrap to Catch Insects and Lay Its Eggs on Them, Study Suggests
Scientists say they’ve never seen anything like this “truly unique” species, which was found encased in amber
Microplastics Are Making Photosynthesis Harder for Plants—and That Could Slash Crop Yields, Study Suggests
On average, these little particles could reduce photosynthesis in plants and algae by up to 12 percent, according to the paper
Nearly Half of the Colorful and Charismatic Heliconia Tropical Plant Species Are Threatened With Extinction, New Study Reveals
Using data from over 10,000 herbarium specimens, Smithsonian scientists uncover the urgent conservation needs of the plants, which are critical to tropical ecosystems
See the World’s Smallest Park, a Teeny-Tiny Enclave in Japan That’s About the Size of Four Sheets of Paper
The record-breaking park features some grass, a seat and a decorative stepping stone. It’s even smaller than Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon, which had held the title since 1971
Humans May Have Lived in Tropical Rainforests Much Earlier Than Scientists Previously Thought, Study Finds
New research suggests that humans inhabited the rainforests of West Africa roughly 150,000 years ago, providing new insights into our ancestors’ ability to adapt to challenging environments
About One Billion People Are Deficient in Selenium. Genetic Engineering Could Change That
Hoping to stave off a global health crisis, scientists are breeding a new generation of crops that suck the mineral, which helps the thyroid and immune system, from soil
What Happens to a Tree That Dies in a Forest?
Rotting logs turn out to be vital to forest biodiversity and recycling organic matter
Can Electro-Agriculture Revolutionize the Way We Grow Food?
A new technology is pushing the boundaries of farming by using electricity to grow crops without photosynthesis
Meet the ‘Wooly Devil,’ the First New Plant Genus Discovered in a National Park Since 1976
A volunteer spotted the tiny, fuzzy plant with maroon florets while exploring the remote northern corner of Big Bend National Park in Texas
Driver Vandalizes Threatened Plants in Death Valley National Park
National Park Service officials haven’t identified the person or people who illegally drove more than two miles across Eureka Dunes, home to the federally protected Eureka dunegrass
See 15 Winning Images From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Competition
The annual contest offers a glimpse into the hidden world of tiny scenes, from insects to fish to fungi
Rare and Stinky ‘Corpse Flower’ Blooms Draw Thousands of Visitors to Gardens in New York and Sydney
People lined up to see—and smell—the blossoms of two pungent plant species, which only bloom for a short time every few years
Giant, Mysterious Spires Ruled the Earth Long Before Trees Did. What Exactly Are These Odd-Looking Fossils?
For more than 150 years, scientists have debated whether Prototaxites—which stood roughly 24 feet tall and 3 feet wide—were an early lichen or fungus, like a “giant mushroom”
Melting Ice Reveals Remains of 5,900-Year-Old Trees in Wyoming, Uncovering a Long-Lost Forest
Researchers discovered more than 30 dead whitebark pine trees that were entombed in ice for millennia, representing a bygone ecosystem that could teach us about climate change
Seven Scientific Discoveries From 2024 That Could Lead to New Inventions
From indestructible tardigrades to body-merging comb jellies, animals can teach humans so much about medicine, robotics, aging and survival
This Once-Rare Lizard Bounced Back From the Brink of Extinction After ‘Painstaking’ Restoration Efforts in the Caribbean
In 2018, fewer than 100 Sombrero ground lizards remained on Sombrero Island—but now, more than 1,600 of the critically endangered reptiles are scampering around the limestone landscape
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