239 News & Press Releases found
European Commission, Environment DG News
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Loss of wild pollinators could substantially reduce soybean yields
Pollination by wild insects and honey bees improves soybean yield by 18%, new research has indicated. This equates to an extra 331.6 kg of seeds per hectare, boosting the value of the global crop by €12.74 billion. Encouraging insect ...
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New consumer app scores protein products for sustainability
A smartphone app has been designed to help shoppers choose more environmentally-friendly protein-rich products, namely meat, vegetarian alternatives, eggs and dairy products. The methods and data used to measure these products’ lifecycle ...
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High gold prices drive expansion of mining activity in the Amazon forest of Peru
Gold mining areas in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest expanded from under 10 000 hectares in 1999 to over 50 000 hectares by 2012, and now destroys more forest than agriculture and logging combined, new research has shown. Using high-resolution ...
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Crayfish plague detection: new techniques tested
Crayfish plague, spread by invasive North American crayfish, is currently devastating native European populations. However, while the disease is commonly diagnosed on the basis of diseased animals, free-living infective spores can contaminate water ...
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Bee-friendly agri-environmental schemes need diverse habitats
Diverse agri-environmental schemes which combine flowering crops with semi-natural habitats, such as grasslands and hedgerows, will be best for bees, new research suggests. The researchers examined the foraging behaviour of honey bees, bumblebees ...
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Increasing aridity will disrupt soil nutrient cycles in global drylands
The drying of soils under global warming could disrupt the balance of nutrients in large areas of the Earth’s land surface, according to new research. The study focused on ‘drylands’ – arid areas with low levels of rainfall ...
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Predicting fish species’ decline before it’s too late
An early warning system to predict the overfishing of individual species, far in advance of severe population decline, has been developed by researchers. The ‘eventual threat index’ was applied by the researchers to historical data on ...
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Pesticides may affect all stages of aquatic life
Ecotoxicity tests that are used to understand the impacts of chemical pollutants on aquatic organisms and ecosystems could be improved by including all life stages of the test animals. These are the conclusions of a study by Belgian researchers, who ...
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Abandoned farmland widespread in central and eastern Europe
A new study suggests that abandoned farmland is widespread in Europe and that not all land that has been abandoned is unsuitable for farming. Understanding how abandoned farmland is distributed may be important for making land management decisions ...
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What threat do sunken nuclear submarines pose to fisheries?
Leakage of radioactive material from the wreck of the nuclear submarine K-159 in the Barents Sea could increase levels of radioactivity in local populations of cod by a hundred times, new research suggests. However, this level remains well below ...
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Ammonia emissions detected upwind from an intensive poultry farm
High levels of ammonia were observed at a Natura 2000 site nearly three kilometres upwind from an intensive poultry farm in a recent study. While downwind effects of ammonia emissions are to be expected, this study suggests that ammonia emissions ...
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Managing fishery footprints may benefit the seafloor
Trawling can disturb the seabed, impacting habitats and biodiversity. Results from a new study in the North Sea have shown that changes in the distribution of trawling activity – the result of fishers’ choices among fishing grounds and ...
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Sea turtle bycatch reduced by UV lights on fishing nets
Every year many marine animals including seabirds, sea turtles and sharks are unintentionally caught as bycatch in commercial fishing gear. Recent research has demonstrated that illuminating fishing nets with ultraviolet (UV) lights can reduce sea ...
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Long-term effects of low-dose pesticide exposure in the environment
Non-target aquatic wildlife species may be more vulnerable to pesticides’ effects, with repeated exposure to low doses over the long-term, if they compete with other species for food, according to a recent study. Understanding how this process ...
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Climate change and pollution threaten fishing catches
Warming of coastal areas due to climate change is already having an important impact on fishing catches in the North Atlantic, according to a new study. The study also suggests that rising levels of nitrogen pollution, due to run-off from farming ...
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Litter size of European mink less than half that of invasive American mink
The litter size of the endangered European mink is less than half of that of its main competitor, the invasive American mink, research shows. The higher fertility of the American mink may allow rapid population growth of this species, threatening ...
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The value of seed harboured in Mediterranean temporary ponds
Temporary ponds and their varying water levels provide the conditions for valuable wildlife habitat. A study in Crete, conducted under the LIFE-Nature project1 Actions for the Conservation of Mediterranean Temporary Ponds in Crete, has demonstrated ...
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Abandoned wet grasslands can be rapidly restored
Wet grasslands abandoned less than 40 years ago can be successfully restored within a decade, a recent analysis suggests. By examining the findings of a range of studies, it identified the causes and consequences of abandonment and the key factors ...
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Plastic mulching reduces farmland bird numbers and diversity
Using plastic sheeting to encourage early growth of crops reduces the number and diversity of farmland birds, new research from Poland suggests. The study shows that this effect continues even after plastic has been removed. Plastic ...
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Abandoned wet grasslands can be rapidly restored
Wet grasslands abandoned less than 40 years ago can be successfully restored within a decade, a recent analysis suggests. By examining the findings of a range of studies, it identified the causes and consequences of abandonment and the key factors ...