Is It Possible To Cut CO2 Emissions From European Agriculture By 40 Percent?

Researchers at NTNU have studied how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and compensate for the loss of biodiversity, without compromising food production. The picture is from Nardò in Italy. 

Photo: Ingebjørg Hestvik

March 9, 2026

By Eurasia Review


It is entirely possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and show greater consideration for nature – without reducing food production. This is one of the findings of a recent study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

“Agricultural activities pose a significant threat to the natural environment,” said Francesco Cherubini, professor and Director of the Industrial Ecology Programme at NTNU.

We all need food, but food production currently accounts for a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture leads to a reduction in biodiversity. In addition, it uses large amounts of water and pollutes rivers, lakes and oceans due to nutrient runoff.

“That is why we need to take action. Agriculture in Europe must become more sustainable. The problem is that the measures being implemented today, such as protecting certain areas or allowing forests to regrow, are competing with food production for areas of land.”
Little potential for intensification

Researchers at NTNU have therefore looked for solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the loss of biodiversity, without compromising food production.


By allowing natural vegetation to regrow in these ‘sub-optimal’ areas, while also optimizing production on better agricultural land, the study shows that emissions from agriculture can be reduced by up to 40 per cent.

“In Europe, we already have a rather intensive type of agriculture. There is little to be gained from further intensification. That leaves us with only one option – to stop cultivating the areas that are least suitable for agriculture and move production to better-suited areas. By allowing trees and natural vegetation to repopulate the cultivated areas that are least suitable for food production, it is actually possible to achieve higher agricultural yields,” explained Cherubini.

The researchers have used European satellite data to map cultivated areas used for food production (cereals and vegetables) across Europe. This includes areas with steep terrain, areas that produce low yields, or where cultivated plots of land are small and scattered. Grassland used for the production of animal feed has not been included.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that Europe has 24 million hectares of this type of agricultural land.

These are areas that are low in productivity and expensive to farm. In addition, they are often in direct conflict with efforts to protect biodiversity. Approximately 14 per cent of agricultural operations in Europe, including Norway, takes place in areas considered to be less favourable.
Improving the carbon balance

Of these areas, about two-thirds are at risk of becoming less fertile due to soil degradation, and half of them are located in areas with important or threatened habitats and species.

By allowing natural vegetation to regrow in these ‘sub-optimal’ areas, while also optimizing production on better agricultural land, the study shows that emissions from agriculture can be reduced by up to 40 per cent. Pressure on biodiversity can be reduced by 20 per cent, while food production is maintained.

“Allowing natural vegetation to return to areas with poor crop yields benefits the carbon balance and increases biodiversity,” added Cherubini.

The production lost by allowing this to happen can be made up for by focusing on more intensive cultivation in the best agricultural areas. At the same time, so-called extensification of agriculture can be introduced in areas where plots of land are small and scattered. Extensification involves using less fertilizer, pesticides and labour, while at the same time introducing more natural growth, such as trees.

“When we add up all the numbers, we see that it is possible to reduce climate emissions, increase biodiversity and at the same time maintain food production levels.

By allowing trees and natural vegetation to repopulate the cultivated areas that are least suitable for food production, it is actually possible to achieve higher agricultural yields. The trees’ roots help retain nutrients in the soil. Erosion is reduced, and the carbon content of the soil is increased,” explained Cherubini.
Requires collaboration

Research shows that crop yields can be increased by between 10 and 20 per cent through this kind of extensive farming. However, this requires changing the methods used and producing varieties of crops that yield the most calories per square metre.

In Europe, this means growing more maize, wheat and barley. However, the researchers also recommend focusing on the most suitable crops locally, meaning those already grown in the area, based on local knowledge and intended for a local market.


“When we add up all the numbers, we see that it is possible to reduce climate emissions, increase biodiversity and at the same time maintain food production. But it requires collaboration among the countries of Europe,” added the researcher.

In the bigger picture, this means reducing production in steep mountain areas in Southern and Eastern Europe while improving and changing the production methods in more suitable areas.

Norway ranks high on the list when it comes to the proportion of land with poor productivity. One-third of Norway’s arable land accounts for only 20 per cent of the country’s crop yields.

However, Professor Gunnar Austrheim at NTNU University Museum refers to Norway as an ‘exceptional case’ in this context.

“In Norway, one-fifth of the agricultural land is not very productive. But we have very little arable land overall, since two-thirds of the agricultural area is used to produce grass. As a result, we are not very significant in the European context.”
Benefits of natural regrowth

He says the study should be seen as a feasibility study and points out that measures have already been initiated in Norway to restore natural environments, such as wetlands, moorlands and forests.

“Restructuring agriculture in this way might be seen as controversial. But it is important to remember that some areas of land have already been taken out of agricultural production. So, it is good to know that this also has value. More trees and wetlands increase carbon storage and also help preserve biodiversity.”

Austrheim emphasizes that for many countries, including Norway, there may be social and cultural reasons to continue farming in low-productivity areas, even though these areas are expensive to manage and often subsidized.

“So, we are not saying that the whole of Norway should be left to grow wild, but the study shows that there is untapped potential,” said Austrheim.

He reminds us of Norway’s commitments under the UN Biodiversity Agreement from 2022, which also involve making agriculture more environmentally friendly. Among other things, the surplus of nutrients in agriculture must be halved.

“We must also halve the use of pesticides and restore 30 per cent of our natural areas. So we also need to do these things, albeit on a smaller scale. This study shows how the reallocation of land makes it possible to achieve important goals for agriculture,” concluded Austrheim.

Avian Flu Strikes California’s Northern Elephant Seals; Area Quarantined – Analysis

March 9, 2026 

 Mongabay
By Christine Heinrichs


Ever since a deadly strain of avian influenza, H5N1, killed some 17,000 southern elephant seal pups on South American coastlines in 2023 and 2024, researchers and public officials have kept an extra-close eye on California’s northern elephant seals. Fears of infection have now become reality: Lab tests just proved the virus has breached this colony.

In mid-February, six young, newly weaned seals on Año Nuevo State Park beaches fell ill. They had obvious respiratory problems and also suffered from neurological symptoms, including weakness, tremors and seizures — all of which pointed to H5N1.

The research team collected samples from sick and dead elephant seals, which were analyzed at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. Initial screening revealed that the samples were positive for avian influenza; it was then confirmed to be the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain.

As of Feb. 24, seven pups had tested positive for the virus, according to the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory. At time of publication, 30 seals had died, 29 of them weaned pups, but the cause has not yet been confirmed for all the victims.

The outbreak marks the first cases of H5N1 in marine mammals in California and the first time it’s been found in northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). This highly contagious virus has been circulating the planet as a panzootic — an animal pandemic — since 2020, infecting and killing some 700 species of birds and mammals.

Because of the constant monitoring of these seals, the virus was detected “very early in the outbreak,” Roxanne Beltran, an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, said during a press conference. Beltran’s lab leads the university’s northern elephant seal research program at Año Nuevo.

Her colleague, Christine Johnson, elaborated. “This is exceptionally rapid detection of an outbreak in free-ranging marine mammals,” she said. Johnson directs the Institute for Pandemic Insights at the University of California, Davis. “We have most likely identified the very first cases here because of coordinated teams that have been on high alert with active surveillance for this disease for some time.”

On Monday, Feb. 23, California State Parks barred the public from the elephant seal viewing area of the Año Nuevo Coast Natural Preserve. Then, with confirmation that H5N1 was responsible, tours have been canceled for the rest of the season.

A deadly virus

Avian flu — which, in another, milder strain is much like the common cold in wild birds — morphed and became pathogenic when chickens and other poultry at industrial-scale producers were exposed to the virus through contact with migrating flocks of wild birds. Since it first appeared in Europe in 2020, this “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza” strain has devastated wildlife worldwide, the largest avian flu outbreak ever. And this panzootic is obviously not over.

H5N1 has raged on, leaping the species barrier to infect animals on six continents, pole to pole. Animals that gather in large groups, like pinnipeds and birds, are particularly vulnerable. Proximity is a big factor in a virus’s ability to spread, as the world learned too well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Animals can be infected by contact with an infected bird or animal or their droppings. Both scavengers and carnivores may catch H5N1 by eating an infected carcass. But in 2024, researchers made a startling discovery about how this quickly mutating virus had changed: They discovered that elephant seals were passing the virus between themselves. This method of transmission makes a virus infinitely more dangerous. Since then, animal-to-animal transmission has been confirmed in the wild, in zoos and on farms.

Some of the wildlife victims are endangered species, and this virus’s ability to spread to new hosts is astounding. As of December 2025, H5N1 had infected some 598 types of bird and 102 mammal species, according to the United Nations. The numbers have jumped substantially over the past 18 months: As of August 2024, the U.N. tally was 485 bird and 48 mammal species.


H5N1 has stricken or killed animals as diverse as sea otters, house cats, terns, dolphins, foxes, California condors, rats, albatrosses, cougars, polar bears, zoo tigers — and many, many others, including humans. An outbreak in imperiled species could push them to extinction: Wildlife is already fighting to survive against a changing climate, disappearing habitat and other stressors.

On the lookout

Scientists from UC Davis have been testing samples from marine birds and mammals along the coast since 2024. With colleagues from UC Santa Cruz, they’d increased surveillance at elephant seal beaches over the past two months in anticipation of a possible disease outbreak: From mid-December through March, the area becomes a nursery, as mothers arrive and give birth to their pups. The beaches are literally littered with seals, often in very close proximity.

“Given the catastrophic impacts observed in related species, we were concerned about the possibility of the virus infecting northern elephant seals for the first time, so we ramped up monitoring to detect any early signs of abnormalities,” Beltran said.

That wasn’t only because of the massive seal die-off in South America. “We had two prior outbreaks in U.S. marine mammals; not elephant seals, but other types of seals, one in Maine in 2022 and [another] in Washington state in 2023,” Johnson said. “Because of these trends and global trends in H5N1 outbreaks around the world, our teams, both at UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz, increased disease surveillance at Año Nuevo and other locations in anticipation of a possible spillover into seals.”

The team is now working closely with NOAA Fisheries, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network to closely monitor marine mammals along the coast.

The rich eastern Pacific coast is a marine mammal hotspot, with about 350,000 northern elephant seals that haul out on at least 14 rookery beaches along the U.S. West Coast, offshore islands and Mexico.

Elephant seals congregate at various locations along the West Coast. The size of the circle shows the relative number of seals at that site. The seals’ flippers are tagged with different colors according to their birthplace. Image courtesy of Richard Condit, Population Biology of Northern Elephant Seals.

They share that coast with five other pinnipeds: 250,000-300,000 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), about 66,000 northern or Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), some 14,000 northern fur seals, (Callorhinus ursinus), 35,000-44,000 Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus townsendi) and perhaps 31,000 harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi).

With some six decades of study, researchers have amassed astounding data on this elephant seal population. It includes some 380,000 observations of 55,000 individuals.

They’ve tracked individuals, built family trees, and they knew the history of one of the victims, a dead “weaner.” It was the offspring of a mother in the study who was herself born on that beach. The pup entered the researcher’s database when she was 15 days old. She was weaned when her mother left the beach; two mornings later, she was convulsing on the beach. By afternoon, she was dead.

“It’s tough to watch animals we have followed and watched for years get sick,” Beltran said. “We know their family lineages.”

This large body of research will greatly inform assessments of the long-term effects on the population: how many pups survive, whether females are affected and future births.
Rapid transmission

The virus’s ability to mutate rapidly and its record of infecting other species make it a cause of intense concern, and seal populations have suffered catastrophic losses. In 2022-23, H5N1 swept along South America’s Atlantic and Pacific coastlines, slaying more than 30,000 sea lions in addition to the devastation of the southern elephant seal (M. leonina) population on Argentina’s Península Valdés, which was the species’ largest die-off ever.

It’s also infected people. Since 2024, 71 human cases have been diagnosed in the U.S., with two deaths. Most cases involved hands-on contact with infected cows or poultry. Current public health risk is considered low, experts say, with no person-to-person transmission reported.

“The more a virus like this is able to mutate and find its way into a wide range of species, especially farmed species that live in close contact with people like poultry and now cattle, the more the odds go up that a viral strain will more easily make that leap to people,” wildlife veterinarian Steve Osofsky, a professor and wildlife health expert at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, wrote in Statin June 2025.

Cautionary measures

To protect the public and limit virus transmission, the public has been barred from the area for the rest of the season. A California State Parks spokesperson said 4,363 tickets for Año Nuevo tours were canceled. Visitors pay $11 each to hike out 1.5-3 kilometers (1-2 miles) with a guide to view the elephant seals during the mid-December through March mating and pupping season.

Since this pathogen is zoonotic and can spread between wildlife, livestock and humans, surveillance extends beyond animals. With each leap to a new mammal host, it raises concern that the virus could more easily infect people. Since 2021, there have been 131 human infections globally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But thus far, it hasn’t spread between humans.

Over the past 50 years or so, zoonotic diseases have emerged and spread at ever-faster rates, facilitated by human conversion of wild habitats and global travel and trade. This allows humans and animals to swap germs that are quickly transported across the globe and shared with species that have no immunity to them. These emerging diseases rarely have a cure and are often fatal. Examples include HIV and Ebola.

Christian Walzer, executive director of health at the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society, called H5N1 “an existential threat to the world’s biodiversity.”

For now, the hope is that this is a small outbreak. “If it’s a cluster, we will figure it out,” said Dominic Travis, the chief programs officer at The Marine Mammal Center. “If it’s perpetuated, it will be really tricky. We will assess it day by day with NOAA.”

The timing of the outbreak may lean in the seals’ favor. “We are cautiously optimistic, as most of the adult females had already departed the beach for their routine migrations before the outbreak began, and most seals on the colony seem healthy,” Beltran said.

This article includes reporting by Sharon Guynup.

Source: This article was published by Mongabay

Citation: Uhart, M., Vanstreels, R. E., Nelson, M. I., Olivera, V., Campagna, J., Zavattieri, V., … Rimondi, A. (2024). Massive outbreak of influenza A H5N1 in elephant seals at peninsula Valdes, Argentina: Increased evidence for mammal-to-mammal transmission. doi:10.1101/2024.05.31.596774

Mongabay

Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform. Rhett A. Butler founded Mongabay.com in 1999 out of his passion for tropical forests. He called the site Mongabay after an island in Madagascar.

 

Six years of field data show how climate and light shape early growth of abarco, informing reforestation in Colombia

University of Eastern Finland

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An abarco tree.

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Credit: Alexander Pulgarin Diaz

A new study shows how climate and light conditions interaction affect the early growth in abarco, a highly valued tropical timber species, offering critical guidance for reforestation and sustainable forest management in the face of climate change.

Abarco – a native South American tree prized for its timber and ecological importance – shows strong early growth and survival but also sensitivity to air humidity and sunlight intensity, according to researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and AGROSAVIA – Colombia.

Although large-scale abarco plantations remain scarce in Colombia, the species ranks among the country’s most commercially traded timber species. To promote the expansion of native tree plantations, the Government of Colombia added abarco to its 2025 list of species eligible for financial incentives under commercial reforestation programmes.

The team studied young abarco trees over six years in permanent plots in full sun and in partial shade. They measured diameter, height, crown development, qualitative attributes and health indicators, linking these patterns with climate variables such as rainfall, temperature, humidity and sunlight intensity.

Their results showed that abarco seedlings grew steadily under both light conditions, with diameter growth particularly enhanced in full sun. Growth was correlated with several key climate factors, especially relative humidity, and light availability – indicating that well-lit environments may support more robust development. Survival remained high overall, and pest and disease symptoms were low and more frequently observed in shaded conditions during the early years of the study.

“We found that abarco has strong early growth potential,” says lead author Dr Alexander Pulgarín Díaz of the University of Eastern Finland. “Understanding how climate and light influence young trees helps forest managers make better decisions about where and how to plant this species as climates continue to change.” This study also supports evidence-based decisions in forest restoration, commercial reforestation and conservation efforts, particularly for tropical regions where knowledge of native species’ ecology remains limited.

The study is the first long-term analysis of permanent plots to quantify early growth, survival and climate sensitivity of abarco from seedling establishment through six years under contrasting light conditions. By combining repeated annual measurements with climate data, it provides unprecedented evidence for a widely harvested yet understudied tropical timber species.

This work was funded by the Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria-AGROSAVIA, the LUMETO Doctoral Programme and the School of Forest Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland.

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Journal

Forestry An International Journal of Forest Research

DOI

10.1093/forestry/cpaf089 

Article Title

Early growth and sensitivity to climate and shade intensity of Cariniana pyriformis in northern South America

 

Villages: An underestimated habitat with potential

University of Würzburg

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When it comes to research on habitats for pollinating insects, villages have so far received relatively little attention. The project “Summende Dörfer” (Buzzing Villages), based at the Chair of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology (Zoology III) at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), aims to change that.

In the Würzburg region and the Rhön, researchers examined a total of 40 villages to investigate which habitats within village environments are particularly insect-friendly and species-rich – and where improvements could be made. The results have now been published in the journal Ecological Applications.

Five habitat types defined

Within village environments, the researchers defined five habitat types: green spaces, fallow land, cemeteries, and both residential and farm gardens – that is, gardens where vegetables are grown alongside ornamental plants.

“What is particularly surprising is the remarkable diversity of wild bees that could be recorded in village habitats. First impressions can be misleading; the areas with the most colourful blooms are not necessarily those with the greatest species diversity,” says project coordinator Dr Fabienne Maihoff.

Although cemeteries had the highest abundance of flowers on average, pollinators often found better living conditions in green spaces and on fallow land.

Not every flower appeals

Cemeteries are strongly influenced by human management. Lawns are frequently mown and plants are often selected primarily for aesthetic reasons – yet not everything that flowers beautifully is insect-friendly.

“Cultivated roses of the genus Rosa with double blossoms, as well as lilac (Syringa) and heather (Erica), may look attractive but are not appealing to bees and hoverflies,” explains Maihoff. In addition, heavily managed areas often lack suitable nesting sites for insects.

Conditions are often different in green spaces – such as small parks or playgrounds – and on fallow land, for example undeveloped building plots. Provided that vegetation is allowed to grow and is not prevented from flowering by frequent mowing, these areas can offer valuable resources. Bare ground and near-natural hedges provide nesting opportunities, while the plants themselves are also attractive to insects.

“Native wildflowers such as species of Knautia (scabious) or Cirsium (thistles) can thrive here. These are particularly valuable for pollinators.”

However, some non-native ornamental plants can also be popular sources of nectar, including species of Cuphea and Sanvitalia. “In such cases, it is important to observe how these plants integrate into the ecosystem overall, for example whether they displace important native species,” Maihoff adds.

In addition to habitats within villages, connectivity with nearby semi-natural areas also plays a key role. These can serve as important source habitats, particularly for solitary wild bees. Conversely, bumblebees in intensified agricultural landscapes often depend on the food resources available in villages.

Tips for gardeners

Cemeteries therefore offer considerable potential as habitats. But people can also contribute to biodiversity in their own gardens. As part of the project, the researchers work closely with residents. Participants receive practical advice on pollinator-friendly planting, for example based on the findings of the current study.

The results show that with appropriate ecological management and pollinator-friendly plants, even small areas can provide habitat for a wide variety of insects. The findings also suggest that differences between habitats indirectly reflect the availability of nesting sites, which are particularly important for maintaining regional pollinator diversity.

Conversely, even a large garden can become a virtual desert if it is not managed appropriately. And not everything that is commonly considered attractive in a garden is ecologically valuable: plants often regarded as weeds, such as thistles, can be far more beneficial to pollinators than many popular ornamental species.

In the current phase of the project, the researchers are also examining how temporal and spatial changes in the management of villages and their surroundings – such as mowing schedules or connecting elements between natural areas – affect species numbers and community composition.

Further information

The project “Wild Bees in Villages” has been running since 2020. The second project phase, titled “Buzzing Villages”, began in 2023 and is scheduled to run until 2027. The project is supported by the Biodiversitätszentrum Rhön and the Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt.

Project website: https://www.dorfbienen.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de/  

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Journal

Ecological Applications

DOI

10.1002/eap.70190 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

More than flowers: Habitat type, floral resources, and landscape context shape pollinator communities in villages

 

The ‘Great Texas Freeze’ killed thousands of purple martins; biologists worry recovery could take decades

Findings by UMass-Amherst led team uncovers critical effects of weather-induced mass mortality events on seemingly healthy populations

University of Massachusetts Amherst

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“The Great Texas Freeze” resulted in the death of thousands of purple martins, a beloved migratory bird that annually arrives from its South American wintering grounds to the Gulf Coast in early February.

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Credit: PMCA

March 6, 2026

 

The ‘Great Texas Freeze’ Killed Thousands of Purple Martins; Biologists Worry Recovery Could Take Decades

Findings by UMass-Amherst led team uncovers critical effects of weather-induced mass mortality events on seemingly healthy populations

 

AMHERST, Mass. — Thousands of birds, including beloved purple martins, died in “The Great Texas Freeze” of 2021. Thanks to a recent study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution led by biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, we now know not only the extent of the die-off—up to 27% of the birds’ breeding population in Texas and Louisiana—but that recovery may take decades, and that we can expect weather-driven mass mortality events, increasingly common in the era of global climate change, may increasingly wreak havoc on animal populations.

For nine days in February 2021, two back-to-back deep-freezes gripped the Gulf Coast, dropping large loads of snow, sending temperatures plummeting, knocking out the Texas power grid and earning the nickname “The Great Texas Freeze.” It also resulted in the death of thousands of purple martins, a beloved migratory bird that annually arrives from its South American wintering grounds to the Gulf Coast in early February, just as the temperatures dropped.

“I hate the cold,” says Maria Stager, assistant professor of biology at UMass Amherst and the paper’s lead author, “but I love birds, which is probably why I’m especially drawn to studying the physiology and evolution behind how they survive the winter.”

Purple martins are one of the earliest arriving migratory birds to the U.S. Gulf Coast each year, with adults beginning to return in January and early February. But such an early arrival can make them especially susceptible to the historically rare winter storms that can sweep through the area. In the era of climate change, weather patterns are becoming more erratic and storms more violent and unpredictable.

Yet, while it’s obvious that major mortality events, such as The Great Texas Freeze, would have major effects on local species, it has been difficult for biologists to study such events in the past because of their unpredictability.

Enter the citizen scientists.

Stager and her co-authors worked with the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA), which was founded almost 40 years ago and has members across North America; and Louisiana State University’s Museum of Natural History, which has one of the world’s preeminent collections of birds from the southeastern U.S., to create a baseline historical scenario against which deaths associated with the Great Freeze could be compared.

“People in the Gulf States put up houses for the purple martins and look forward to their return every year,” says Stager. “When they saw the returning birds dying, they reached out to the PMCA asking what to do.”

“The purple martin may be one of the most beloved and closely monitored backyard birds,” says Joe Siegrist, president and CEO of the PMCA and one of the paper’s co-authors. “When we recognized this unprecedented research opportunity, we were able to mobilize our army of martin lovers across Texas and Louisiana to increase monitoring of storm mortality and preserve samples for collection. Folks saddened by the loss of their birds were eager to turn this disaster into a contribution for the greater good of the species.”

With this unique trove of civilian-gathered data, the team discovered that the storms killed adult purple martins at up to 52% of the breeding sites monitored by citizen scientists across Texas and Louisiana.

Those martins that survived the cold delayed their reproduction and hatched fewer chicks in spring 2021 than they would have in normal conditions.

Furthermore, the effects continued to be felt long after the storm. During the 2022 migration season, martins arrived at their breeding grounds two weeks later than normal, and they differed genetically from those that had died the year before—in some ways, they were more like individuals from martin populations found further north.

By 2023, the migration pattern was returning to normal, and the population could fully recover in six to seven years…if there are no more deep freezes in the near future. The decrease in nesting success, however, could have ripple effects lasting generations. And purple martins are already declining more rapidly in Texas and Louisiana than anywhere else in their range.

Taken together, the findings indicate that even though large and diverse populations should be resilient to individual mass mortality events, even seemingly healthy populations may become vulnerable to repeated die-offs.

“People always ask me, ‘if you’re interested in climate change, why are you studying the cold?’” says Stager. “But if birds are going to have a future, we need to know more about how they survive newly unpredictable conditions, which can include surprisingly cold temperatures.”

 

Storms killed adult purple martins at up to 52% of the breeding sites monitored by citizen scientists across Texas and Louisiana.

Credit

PMCA

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Journal

Nature Ecology & Evolution

DOI

10.1038/s41559-026-03005-5 

Article Title

Storm-induced mass mortality results in both immediate and long-term consequences for a migratory songbird

Article Publication Date

6-Mar-2026