Fruit of the pong-pong tree (Cerbera odollam)

Cerbera odollam: “The Suicide Tree” That Harms and Heals

Even before The White Lotus, people feared the poisonous pong-pong tree, Cerbera odollam. But there's another way to look at the plant and its effects.
Harmattan wind in Senegal

West Africa’s Hazardous Winds

Harmattan carries more than dust—it also spreads disease.
Mjøstårnet skyscraper, Norway

Sustainable Building Effort Reaches New Heights with Wooden Skyscrapers

Wood engineered for strength and safety offers architects an alternative to carbon-intensive steel and concrete.
Peziza pseudoviolacea

The Vital Near-Magic of Fire-Eating Fungi

As wildfires grow in size and severity, researchers are learning more about the burn scar pioneers that are foundational to ecosystem recovery.
Plain illuminated partially covered by fog, soft lights

Shedding Light on the Cost of Light Pollution

Artificial light has a huge variety of harmful effects on ecosystems. Scientists are exploring ways to mitigate the damage.
Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)

Bees’ and Orchids’ Pseudo-Romance Broken by Climate Change

Rising temperatures are upsetting the bee-orchid pollinating schedule, threatening to snuff out the flower.
Moving Forest

The Incredible Moving Forest

For as long as plants have existed, there have been moving forests, migrating across the earth’s surface in response to changes in the climate.