Environment Content

How Redefining One Word Strips the Endangered Species Act’s Ability to Protect Vital Habitat

Katherine E Kerlin — July 22, 2026 - 11:01am

It wouldn’t make much sense to prohibit people from shooting a threatened woodpecker while allowing its forest to be cut down, or to bar killing endangered salmon while allowing a dam to dry out their habitat.

Prescribed Burns Saved Thousands of Giant Sequoias

Katherine E Kerlin — July 22, 2026 - 9:00am

When two major wildfires burned through the Sierra Nevada in 2020 and 2021, they took thousands of giant sequoia trees with them. Without prescribed burns, thousands more would have died, according to a new study from the University of California, Davis.

Machine Learning Accelerates Search for Longer-Lasting Materials for Solar Cells

Katherine E Kerlin — July 21, 2026 - 2:41pm

A UC Davis study shows how combining AI with laboratory experiments could speed the development of more reliable, low-cost solar energy technologies.

A Native California Wildflower Isn’t Keeping Up with Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — July 21, 2026 - 9:00am

The mountain jewelflower inhabits a wide swath of California and Oregon, from summer-scorched foothills to high mountains where snow falls during winter. But it is already suffering from climate change, with plants in the mountains struggling to survive both summers and winters, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

Surfing Webcams Help Demystify Oregon’s Coastal Fog

Katherine E Kerlin — July 20, 2026 - 9:00am

Webcams commonly used by surfers are helping scientists measure Oregon's coastal fog, shows a study from UC Davis and the USDA Forest Service.

Tahoe State of the Lake Report Released

Katherine E Kerlin — July 16, 2026 - 10:43am

The University of California, Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) today released its “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report 2026” which presents data from 2025 in the context of the long-term record.

The report provides an annual update for non-scientists on the Lake Tahoe Basin’s ecological health. It includes data related to temperature, precipitation and snowmelt, nutrients, algae, water clarity and more.

Melting Icebergs Can Weaken a Massive, Far-Off Ocean Current System

Katherine E Kerlin — July 13, 2026 - 9:00am

Melting and breaking icebergs in the far-off, northeastern region of the Pacific Ocean can weaken a massive current system in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a University of California, Davis study published in Nature Communications.

California Wolves Feed Heavily on Cattle, Study Finds

Amy M Quinton — July 08, 2026 - 11:00am

California wolves primarily eat cattle and their presence cause significant stress among livestock, a new study finds.

Can Winter Grains Prevent Fallowing Fields?

Amy M Quinton — July 06, 2026 - 12:31pm

California’s San Joaquin Valley produces an enormous share of the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables. But it takes an unsustainable amount of groundwater to do it. New state rules aimed at reducing groundwater use are expected to force up to 20 percent of the valley’s irrigated fields out of production – a blow to farmers and communities.

Honeybee Queens Push Pesticides to Eggs to Protect Themselves Over Their Offspring

Katherine E Kerlin — July 02, 2026 - 8:00am

A UC Davis study reveals the extent a queen bee will go to survive.