#soil

These two stunning forest floor giants are separated by about 80 million years of evolutionary isolation and roughly 1,500 miles of ocean (AKA the Tasman Sea). For scale, this Tasmanian 'dragon' springtail is on an Australian two-dollar coin (20 mm diameter), and the chunkier New Zealand 'giant' springtail is on a NZ one-dollar coin (26.5 mm diameter). The Kiwi species have the record for largest springtail in the world, but I think the Tassie ones aren't far behind! They probably need a different name than springtail though, they're both so gargantuan that they have evolutionarily lost their totally pointless springing organs. #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Macrophotography #Nature #Entomology #Soil

Chemicals from phones and TVs found in Arctic and Antarctic soil https://www.earth.com/climate/chemicals-from-phones-and-tvs-found-in-arctic-and-antarctic-soil/ #Arctic #Antarctic #environment #soil #phones #Smartphones #TV

As a reward for putting up with all my book promotion, please feast your eyes upon this smörgåsbord of Tasmanian 'dragon' springtails! These outrageous creatures are related to the New Zealand giant springtails that I've been utterly obsessed with for the past three years. I'm so pleased that I got the opportunity to visit Hobart at the weekend to go on a dragon hunt! That's not all I saw, however: I'll be adding more photos very soon, including fluffy mites and Tasmanian velvet worms 😮 #Macrophotography #SoilBiodiversity #Entomology #Nature #NaturePhotography #Soil #SoilEcology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet

Global soil erosion outpaces natural recovery, report warns https://phys.org/news/2026-10-global-soil-erosion-outpaces-natural.html #environment #soil #erosion

Alaska’s permafrost soils are warming rapidly, even deep underground https://www.earth.com/environment/alaskas-permafrost-soils-are-warming-rapidly-even-deep-underground/ #Alaska #environment #permafrost #soil

Microplastics in soil pose global threat by acting like ‘Trojan horse’ to deliver toxins https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/16/soil-microplastics-trojan-horse-toxins #environment #soil #plastic #microplastics #PlasticPollution

Fascinating conversation of the brothers Makdisi with Eyal Weizman, director of Forensic Architecture, about his book Ungrounding : The Architecture of Genocide Podcast on libsyn: https://5c38ed5d-ae39-4593-abba-a055102e8adb.libsyn.com/makdisi-street-reviews-w-eyal-weizman Watch on YT: https://youtu.be/EInAD1Utpgw On the book: "Ungrounding leads us between layers of earth and history, soil and infrastructure, elucidating both the long history of Israeli aggression against Gaza and the histories of Palestinian resistance . . . Weizman cuts through obfuscations and horror, and helps us to see something of the truth." -- Isabella Hammad, author of Recognizing the Stranger: On Palestine and Narrative @palestine@lemmy.ml @palestine@fedibird.com @bookstodon@fedigroups.social#SettlerColonialism ##Israel #decolonisation #FreePalestine #Gaza #geography #soil #resistance

A global meta-analysis of #soil #organic #carbon in the #Anthropocene

Large mammals keep tropical forests healthy by acting as pollinators and fertilizing the soil https://www.earth.com/earth-science/large-mammals-are-secretly-fertilizing-tropical-forests/ #environment #forest #soil #wildlife #mammals #pollinators

Dry soil could set the stage for Europe’s next extreme summer https://www.earth.com/earth-science/dry-soil-could-set-the-stage-for-europes-next-extreme-summer/ #Europe #environment #soil #drought #summer

IT’S PUBLICATION DAY!! (UK) How better to spend it than at an earthworm research conference 🪱 I’m so excited to see this labour of love finally out in the world, and I really hope you enjoy it. With any luck, my infectious love for soil biodiversity will pass on to those who browse its pages. A huge thank you to everyone who has already supported the book through preorders! If you’re in the UK and Commonwealth, THE WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET is in a bookshop near you now! Coming very soon to North America and across the EU 🥰 #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #author #Nature #soil #SoilBiodiversity

Less than 3 weeks to go until the UK release of my debut book THE WORLD BENEATH OUR FEET! And only a month later, it'll hit bookshops across the US and Canada 🥰 There's still time to reserve your own copy of the hardcover (preorders are super important!), so you can enjoy it on the day of release! And if you're coming to one of my UK events, I'll very happily sign your copy. I can't stop looking at my early copies, they're just so pretty. Though I can't claim the credit for the book's exquisite presentation: the production team at Hodder Press have given everything to this - generously using gold foil to further accent the stunning cover art by Holly Ovenden. They even accommodated my last-minute request to use an earthworm illustration by the wonderful Morgane Merien for each chapter's section breaks! Reserve your copy today, and come join me on an awe-inspiring journey into the mysterious world of soil! #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #Science #Nature #NatureBook #booksbooksbooks #Soil #SoilBiodiversity #Author

We independently tested hundreds of homes in eastern Omaha and found toxic levels of lead in soil throughout — including in yards that the EPA remediated years ago. Here’s how we did it. https://www.propublica.org/article/omaha-nebraska-lead-testing-superfund-methodology?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post #Science #Research #Omaha #Nebraska #Environment #Pollution #Soil

In Michoacán, Mexico, drying soil threatens water supplies and avocados, says study https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/in-michoacan-mexico-drying-soil-threatens-water-supplies-and-avocados-says-study/ #Mexico #Michoacán #environment #water #soil #drought #food #avocados

Climate crisis-driven heat ‘sucking soils dry’ as extreme drought hits Europe https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/23/climate-crisis-heat-sucking-soils-dry-extreme-drought-europe-analysis #Europe #environment #soil #weather #temperature #heat #heatwave #drought #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis

The cosmopolitan 'moss' springtail (Neanura muscorum) navigating a miniature forest of fungi on a decaying log. But it isn't alone — all those transparent blobs on its body are in fact curled-up, hitchhiking nematode worms (you can see these better in the second photo)! Much like the baby mite in my last post, these tiny worms are using a larger animal to help them disperse to new environments. It's thought that this 'phoretic' behaviour might be a stepping stone in how parasitism evolved in some nematodes. Read all about the incredible ways soil animals have adapted to the challenges of life, in my upcoming book #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet, which lands just one month from now! #SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Nature #Entomology #Soil

"There is a long-standing concern that land degradation reduces agricultural productivity, particularly in the long run." Empirically, this translates to a drop in agricultural productivity on the scale of hundreds of thousands of tonnes per year. Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-026-01382-5 #Soil #Environment

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🌳🪨 A large-scale field #experiment in #Wales shows that adding crushed volcanic #basalt rock dust to #soil accelerates native woodland growth. The #nature-based method boosted #carbon capture by up to 27% in the first four years, providing an urgent tool for global #climate restoration efforts. 👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/how-does-magic-basalt-dust-help-plants-grow-faster-and-lock-up-more-carbon #biology #calcium #chemistry #climatechange #conservation #ecology #forest #iron #magnesium #minerals #plants #research #rocks #science #silica #solutions #trees #uk #womeninstem #tksst #video

💁🏻‍♀️ ICYMI: 🌳🪨 A large-scale field #experiment in #Wales shows that adding crushed volcanic #basalt rock dust to #soil accelerates native woodland growth. The #nature-based method boosted #carbon capture by up to 27% in the first four years, providing an urgent tool for global #climate restoration efforts. 👉 Learn more: https://seethis.tv/post/how-does-magic-basalt-dust-help-plants-grow-faster-and-lock-up-more-carbon #biology #calcium #chemistry #climatechange #conservation #ecology #forest #iron #magnesium #minerals #plants #research #rocks #science #silica #solutions #trees #uk #womeninstem #tksst #video

After the #extremeHeat in France, the danger of #wildfires is enormous. #Heatwave and #soil #dryness didn't change much for the plants this week - with "cool" 30°C and full sunshine. #Trees try to resist by getting "dried" #leaves. At a certain heat temp., the process starts at the exterieur like burnings. Then the green vanishes to the centre until #photosynthesis is stopped. If the plant can't get soon enough rain to regenerate, it can die. Food crops die before trees. #oak #ClimateDiary