According to a recent study at Purdue University, honeybees are exposed to large quantities of pesticides from non-crop plants. The majority of plants pollinated by honeybees are uncultivated, largely in the clover and alfalfa family. In this study, the highest concentration of pesticides found in bee pollen came from the class of pyrethroids, which are toxic… read more

As part of the 2016 World Science Festival, EICES Director Shahid Naeem will be speaking on a panel this Friday, aptly named “Stewards of the Earth: Hope for Our Planet.” Hosted by the American Museum of Natural History and moderated by ABC’s Bill Blakemore, this discussion will bring together several influential ecologists and thinkers to tackle the issue of… read more

In a blog post last month on the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Blog, Dr. Katie Barry examined research on the economic valuation of ecosystem services. Ecosystem services, such as pollination, soil retention, and pest control, are defined as the functions of ecosystems from which humans benefit. Today, various ecosystem services are being negatively affected by climate change and… read more

Today the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) released a joint report which examines government-issued dietary guidelines around the world and how they incorporate environmental sustainability. Through interviews and a web-based review, researchers found that only four countries (Brazil, Germany, Qatar, and Sweden) have included sustainability in their food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs)…. read more

A new study by researchers at Colorado State University shows that ammonia emissions from agricultural processes disturb the earth’s delicate nitrogen cycle. Excess nitrogen leads to decreased biodiversity and soil acidification, among other negative ecological effects. In past years, the focus on nitrogen build-up has centered on nitrogen oxides from fossil fuel emissions. Until now, little attention has been… read more