Month: January 2026

    Forests across the United States have absorbed carbon at an unusually high rate over the past two decades, turning them into one of the country’s most significant natural allies in slowing climate change. A new scientific analysis shows that this surge is the result of a complex interaction between climate trends and human decisions about how forests are managed and conserved. Researchers from Ohio State University analysed national forest inventory data to separate carbon gains driven by natural factors from those influenced by land use and forest management. The findings suggest that U.S. forests are currently holding more carbon than at any point in recent history, but scientists caution that this trend may not continue indefinitely. Climate Conditions and Fore...

In the global conversation on pollinators, bees dominate attention. They are celebrated, studied, and protected. But behind this familiar narrative exists a quieter workforce that sustains ecosystems with remarkable efficiency hoverflies. Often mistaken for bees or wasps, hoverflies are the world’s second-largest group of non-bee pollinators. Despite their importance, they remain largely invisible in public discourse, conservation planning, and policy frameworks, even as pollinator populations decline worldwide. Insects form the backbone of global food systems, pollinating more than 70 per cent of cultivated crops and nearly 90 per cent of flowering plants. While bees receive most of the credit, flies particularly hoverflies support at least 551 plant species across 71 families. Thei...