Land use and land cover (LULC) is a core integrative topic in environmental and geographic research that distinguishes between the biophysical state of the Earth’s surface (land cover) and the human purposes or activities applied to that surface (land use). Scientifically, LULC analysis relies heavily on remote sensing, GIS, and classification schemes (e.g., distinguishing forest, cropland, urban, wetlands) to quantify spatial patterns and temporal dynamics. It is central to studying ecosystem processes, carbon and water cycles, biodiversity, and anthropogenic impacts, and underpins models of climate change, land degradation, habitat fragmentation, and sustainable spatial planning.
Wild animal species respond very differently to human development, and as a result, they use ecological corridors in agricultural and urban areas in distinct ways. This emerges from research in Botswana by ecologist Marlee ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 5, 2026
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150
Urban greenery—like trees and other green spaces in what are otherwise concrete jungles—can help cool down cities, clean the air and encourage foot traffic, which might have the added benefit of reducing vehicle traffic. ...
Environment
Mar 5, 2026
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17
Outdoor air pollution is estimated to contribute to more than 100,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, according to the National Weather Service. Accurate air quality forecasts—designed to protect public health, ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 4, 2026
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21
A tool originally designed to monitor the erosion of Scotland's coast has proven its worth on a tropical island the other side of the world. The open-source tool, called VedgeSat, was developed by researchers from the University ...
Environment
Mar 4, 2026
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15
National parks in the United States represent a treasure trove of natural, historical, and recreational landscapes, but their health is at risk. A comprehensive new study on the climate-change vulnerability of national parks, ...
In a world where increasing demands for food security and energy strain existing resources, scientists are looking for new ways to maximize both. One potential option, agrivoltaics, integrates solar photovoltaics with crops. ...
Biotechnology
Mar 2, 2026
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99
For over 50 years, the Landsat program has provided the longest continuous satellite record of Earth's land surface from space. Landsat 9, launched in 2021, is the latest mission in this remarkable legacy—building on decades ...
Planetary Sciences
Feb 27, 2026
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37
Along with forests, grasslands and wetlands are also being converted to cropland and pasture at an increasing rate around the world—often for livestock farming and the export of agricultural products. An international team ...
Environment
Feb 26, 2026
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115
Though previous research has shown that bird populations are declining across North America, a new study is the first to show that the pace of loss has picked up speed since the mid-1980s in three regions: the Midwest, California ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 26, 2026
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53
The desert tortoise, a once-resilient reptile, is a keystone species in the Mojave Desert, where other animals depend for their survival on the burrows it digs. But it is imperiled in California thanks in part to an unusual ...
Ecology
Feb 26, 2026
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