Ecosystems have a variety of benefits to humans, including food, water and other resources, as well as recreational space. It is therefore important that these systems remain functional and stable—especially in view of climate change and environmental pollution. Ecologists at the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) have now examined the factors that influence this stability in a unique and comprehensive experiment. […]

The U.S. city of Louisville, Kentucky isn't known as a hotbed of environmental action and innovation, but that could change as it has recently become home to a first-of-its-kind collaboration between environmentalists, city leaders and public health professionals. The Green Heart Project, funded in part by the United States National Institutes of Health, will plant trees in neighborhoods throughout the city and monitor how they affect residents' health. It's a boundary-pushing medical […]

A study of 3,588 square kilometers of privately owned land in central Kenya offers evidence that humans and their livestock can, in the right circumstances, share territory with zebras, giraffes, elephants and other wild mammals—to the benefit of all. […]

The Copernicus Sentinel-2B satellite takes us over South Sudan. Having gained independence from Sudan in July 2011, South Sudan is the youngest country in the world. It has an estimated population of 13 million people, more than 80% of whom live in rural areas. Most of the population relies on farming, fishing or herding to meet their food and income needs. […]

Leek orchids don't have many friends. Maybe it's because they lack the drop-dead gorgeous looks of many of their fellow family members. Or perhaps it's because they're always the first to leave the party: as soon as sheep or weeds encroach on their territory, they're out of there. Whatever the reason, you don't see leek orchids around very often. […]