Abandoned mines and quarries are anthropogenically created subsurface and surface excavations that have ceased economic operation, forming a distinct focus of research in environmental geoscience, engineering geology, and restoration ecology. Scientific study addresses physical integrity (e.g., slope stability, subsidence, and collapse), hydrogeological alterations such as modified groundwater flow paths and mine drainage, and geochemical processes including metal mobilization and acid generation in sulfide-bearing systems. They are also investigated as sites for habitat development, tailings and waste-rock management, contaminant fate and transport, and potential reuse, for example in geothermal energy, underground storage, or controlled waste disposal, underpinned by quantitative risk assessment and long-term monitoring frameworks.
By studying life deep inside a former gold mine, a Northwestern University-led team of scientists has uncovered evidence that Earth's hidden biosphere operates less like a random collection of microbes and more like an organized ...
Ecology
Jun 3, 2026
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13
As climate change intensifies, one of the key challenges facing forestry is how to balance efficient timber production with the preservation of forests' climate-regulating functions, biodiversity, and resilience. The growing ...
Plants & Animals
May 18, 2026
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17
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Somehow, it feels like it's getting hotter and drier every day.
Environment
May 12, 2026
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65
Small samples of DNA can reveal hotspots and trade routes in the illegal wildlife trade, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Sean Heighton and Philippe Gaubert of the University of Toulouse ...
Plants & Animals
May 7, 2026
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27
Biological invasions occur when organisms such as animals and plants are introduced by people to regions of the world where they do not naturally occur. In these new locations, these organisms are referred to as "alien species."
Plants & Animals
May 5, 2026
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10
Relatively simple habitat management can influence population genetics, providing conservation managers with the opportunity to support genetic resilience not only through breeding programs or translocations, but also by ...
Ecology
Apr 21, 2026
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5
You might go for a walk in the forest to disconnect from work and calm your nerves after a busy week. The chirping and calls of birds in the canopy above might be exactly what allows you to relax.
Ecology
Apr 21, 2026
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26
Microfiber pollution from large-scale laundry operations is emerging as a significant and largely unseen environmental issue. New research led by the University of Portsmouth is using Cleaner Seas Group's industrial filtration ...
Environment
Apr 18, 2026
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20
The half leaf-fingered geckos (Hemiphyllodactylus) are a diverse group with more than 70 recognized species and a distribution range from southern India and Sri Lanka, through Indochina and Southeast Asia, to the western ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 31, 2026
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10
The bottom sediment of water bodies is an archive of all human activity. It is a reservoir of nutrients but also of harmful substances—and it can also turn into a source of emissions. "Most lakes tend to be remediated due ...
Environment
Mar 25, 2026
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