Research
Drought may be killing California’s giant sequoias
California’s giant sequoias are showing signs of stress — some have leaves that are drier and sparser than usual — and UC Berkeley tree biologist Anthony Ambrose thinks the drought is to blame.
Clearing habitat surrounding farm fields fails to reduce pathogens
ESPM Postdoctoral Researcher Daniel Karp is lead author on a new study showing that clearing wild vegetation surrounding crops doesn't reduce field contamination.
Targeting microbes could help fight coffee pest
A microbe in the coffee berry borer's gut allows it to consume massive amounts of caffeine. Research co-authored by professor Eoin Brodie and Postdoc Javier Ceja-Navarro sheds light on the ecology of the destructive bug and could lead to new ways to fight it.
Documenting small-scale gold mining in Indonesia
Dangerous, illegal, and environmentally destructive, smallholder mining in Indonesia nevertheless offers a shot at prosperity for marginalised rural people.
Small salmon, big threat
By monitoring fish populations and environmental conditions, Professor Stephanie Carlson’s lab helps water managers and farmers make better decisions about water diversions, which could protect native fish.
Newfound groups of bacteria are mixing up the tree of life
Scientists have identified more than 35 new groups of bacteria, clarifying a mysterious branch of the tree of life that has been hazy.
Human security at risk as depletion of soil accelerates, scientists warn
Steadily and alarmingly, humans have been depleting Earth's soil resources faster than the nutrients can be replenished.
Citizen science helps predict spread of sudden oak death
Efforts to predict the emergence and spread of sudden oak death, an infectious tree-killing disease, have gotten a big boost from the work of grassroots volunteers.
Wildfires emit more greenhouse gases than assumed in state climate targets
A new study by Professor John Battles and collaborators at the National Park Service quantifies the amount of carbon stored and released through California forests and wildlands.
First Detailed Microscopy Evidence of Bacteria at the Lower Size Limit of Life
The existence of ultra-small bacteria has been debated for two decades, but there hasn’t been a comprehensive electron microscopy and DNA-based description of the microbes until now.
Chile and California: The Wine Is the Land
The similarity between vineyard landscapes in Chile and California is striking: both lie in mediterranean-climate ecosystems made up of twin vegetation types, and both produce some of the world’s best wines.
A 23-year experiment finds surprising global warming impacts already underway
At the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, the scientists have monitored ten 30-square meter plots of meadowland since 1989.
Minimizing the Spread of Disease in Italy’s Famous Olive Trees
The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is quarantined as a harmful organism and has already caused economically significant lethal diseases of grapevine, citrus, plum, peach, almond, oak, oleander, and numerous forest tree species in the Americas.
Warmer, Drier Climate Altering Forests Statewide
Historical California vegetation data that more than once dodged the dumpster have now proved their true value, documenting that a changing forest structure seen in the Sierra Nevada has actually happened statewide over the past 90 years.
Rise in Mass Die-offs Seen Among Birds, Fish and Marine Invertebrates
An analysis of 727 mass die-offs of nearly 2,500 animal species from the past 70 years has found that such events are increasing among birds, fish and marine invertebrates.
Sensing Distant Tornadoes, Birds Flew the Coop. What Tipped Them Off?
A research team led by UC Berkeley ecologist Henry Streby discovered that birds in the mountains of eastern Tennessee fled their breeding grounds one to two days ahead of the arrival of powerful supercell storms.
Can Organic Crops Compete With Industrial Agriculture?
A new study representing a collaboration across several ESPM lab groups has found that organic farming is much more productive than commonly perceived.
Coexist or Perish, Wildfire Analysis Says
A new international research review led by UC Berkeley says the debate over fuel-reduction techniques is only a small part of a much larger fire problem.
Changing Farming Practices to Preserve Evolutionary Diversity
A new study by ESPM postdoctoral researchers Daniel Karp and Leithen M'gonigle, and professor Claire Kremen, highlights just how dramatic the evolutionary diversity of wildlife is affected when forests are transformed into agricultural lands.
Study Suggests Changes in Farming Practices can Save Evolutionary Diversity
A new study by biologists at Stanford University and UC Berkeley highlights the dramatic hit on the evolutionary diversity of wildlife when forests are transformed into agricultural lands.
