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Environment

New study indicates C4 crops less sensitive to ozone pollution than C3 crops

Ozone (O3) in the troposphere negatively impacts crop growth and development, causing significant decreases in crop yield worldwide. This airborne pollutant does not come directly from smokestacks or vehicles, but instead is formed when other pollutants, mainly nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, react in the presence of sunlight. In an increasingly polluted atmosphere, understanding what plants are tolerant of O3 is critical to improving crop productivity and resilience.

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Soy expansion in Brazil linked to increase in childhood leukemia deaths

Over the past decades, Brazil has become the world’s leading soybean producer, as well as the leading consumer of pesticides. Despite concerns about potential public health consequences, little is known about the effects of pesticide exposure in the general population.

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ACES expert: Bats take spotlight during Bat Week

Bats come out of the shadows during Bat Week (Oct. 24-31, 2023), an international awareness campaign that aims to educate the public about bat conservation in the week leading up to Halloween.

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Illinois researchers prove new method to measure ozone stress in soybeans

As the world focuses on not only solving the climate crisis but also sustaining the world’s food supply, researchers need tools to evaluate how atmospheric pollutants affect crops. Over the past decade, the agriculture community has turned to solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) measurements to detect stresses on plants.

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ACES expert: Nature exposure can ease ADHD symptoms

URBANA, Ill. — As organizations bring attention to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in October for ADHD awareness month, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert says time in nature can ease symptoms of the common child- and adulthood condition. 

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Illinois-led team puts cows and microbes to work to reduce greenhouse gases

URBANA, Ill. — As we hurtle toward crucial tipping points on a warming planet, an international team of scientists is recruiting a surprising ally to make a powerful dent in greenhouse gas emissions: the cow.

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Researchers propose a unified, scalable framework to measure agricultural greenhouse gas emissions

Illinois natural resources and environmental sciences professor Kaiyu Guan says that there are many farming practices that can go a long way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the scientific community has struggled to find a consistent method for measuring how well these practices work. His new study presents a comprehensive approach to help the stakeholders within the agricultural industry “speak the same language” when discussing greenhouse gas emissions. 

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Do artificial roosts help bats? Illinois experts say more research needed

URBANA, Ill. — Artificial roosts for bats come in many forms — bat boxes, condos, bark mimics, clay roosts, and cinder block structures, to name a few — but a new conservation practice and policy article from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign<

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How local communities depend on the ivory palm tree in coastal Ecuador

URBANA, Ill. – The ivory palm tree, also known as tagua, is endemic to the Chocó-Darien region on the Pacific coast of South America. The local population relies on this unique tree for many uses and the tagua fruit, nuts, and leaves provide materials for a range of products.

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