232 News & Press Releases found
European Commission, Environment DG News
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Marine reserves may increase fishery profits
New research suggests that establishing moderate areas of marine reserves along coastlines could benefit fisheries by providing greater profits and more flexible management policies. Previous research on reserve-based management, where protected ...
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EU call for regulation of wood ash fertilisers
Wood ash may not be an ideal fertiliser for the forest after all, according to new research, which found high natural levels of toxic trace elements in wood ash. In addition, the study showed that adding wood ash could affect the forest soils in ...
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Mapping pesticide contamination risk
A new computerised tool helps regulators identify water sources at risk of pesticide contamination. The tool can be used to produce maps indicating water bodies at risk of contamination by taking into account: adjacent land-use, the concentration of ...
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Rising CO2 robs crops of protein
New analysis suggests that rising CO2 levels will affect the protein content of major food crops, and indeed this may already be taking place. Experts suggest this change in the composition of the foods we eat could have consequences for human ...
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Managed forests and renewable wood reduce greenhouse gases
Forests, and the wood-products they produce, can absorb or produce highly variable amounts of CO2, depending on how they are managed. New research provides guidelines for harvesting forests, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Wood is a ...
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Nitrogen fertilizer works way into sea and destroys marine habitats - EC
Substantial increases in the flow of nitrogen into the sea have raised concerns about marine pollution. New research shows that commercial fishing is playing an important, but now declining, role in transferring this nitrogen back onto land. ...
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Rapid action needed to help protect food supplies in vulnerable regions
Agriculture is vulnerable to climate change, and in order to protect food security, food production will have to adapt to rising temperatures and unpredictable changes in rainfall. Agriculture in poorer countries with harsh climate conditions is ...
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Conservation checklist aids best practice in managing landscapes
Sound, science-based approaches are needed to meet the challenge of conserving biodiversity and natural resources. However, despite over two decades of research, there is little agreement on general principles governing best practice in landscape ...
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Perennial grass crops - a carbon neutral biofuel?
Perennial crops, such as grasses, are attracting increasing interest as potential biofuel crops. Perennial crops have significant advantages over many annual crops because they require less energy input during growth than annual crops which not only ...
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EU launches new computer model for policy changes on agriculture
Researchers from 15 European countries have come together to build a computer model that can evaluate the effects of policy changes on agriculture. This new model allows policy makers to investigate the likely effects of policy change on ...
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Modern farming practices: a short term solution to soil erosion
New research shows that the damaging effects of soil erosion can be partly avoided by using modern farming methods, such as the use of fertilisers, but at a cost. An increase in the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, for example, is likely ...
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Commercial forestry – benefits for biodiversity?
Commercial forestry, often slated as monoculture, may have an important role to play in maintaining biodiversity. This beneficial effect occurs in nearby fields grazed by livestock, rather than the forest itself. This surprising finding could be ...