Feathered fortunes: Bird diversity soars in China's Yangtze River Basin

Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE

 

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Partial least squares structural equation modeling of the relationships between changes in bird diversity and the factors driving those changes in the YRB (A), upstream (B), midstream (C), and downstream (D).

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Credit: Eco-Environment & Health

A pivotal study reveals a significant rise in bird diversity across China’s Yangtze River Basin (YRB) over the past decade, driven by large-scale ecological restoration efforts. While the overall diversity of avian species has increased, challenges persist in downstream regions, where wetland degradation has led to a decline in bird populations. These findings highlight the success of restoration programs but also emphasize the urgent need for more targeted conservation strategies, particularly in vulnerable wetland areas.

The Yangtze River Basin (YRB), a critical ecological zone and a global biodiversity hotspot, faces increasing pressures from habitat degradation, climate change, and human activity. These factors have led to a worrying decline in biodiversity, threatening the region’s ecological balance and the essential services it provides. To address these challenges, understanding the drivers of bird diversity and the effectiveness of existing conservation measures is crucial. This study aims to fill that knowledge gap by examining long-term trends in bird populations within this vital region.

In a study (DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2024.10.001) published in the Eco-Environment & Health journal on November 1, 2024, researchers from Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences which is affiliated to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, in collaboration with Princeton University, present a comprehensive analysis of bird diversity across 536 sites in the YRB from 2011 to 2020. The study employs a newly optimized Living Planet Index (LPIO), a unique tool that combines species abundance, richness, and information entropy to track changes in bird populations over time.

Using the LPIO, the researchers observed a 6.12% increase in bird diversity across the YRB from 2010 to 2020, marking a notable reversal from the global trend of biodiversity loss. This rise was most pronounced in terrestrial bird diversity, with substantial improvements in functional complexity throughout the watershed. However, the downstream region of the basin saw a 2.83% decrease in bird diversity, mainly due to the alarming decline in wetland bird species. The study underscores the role of large-scale ecological restoration programs in reversing biodiversity loss, but it also points to the critical need for more focused conservation efforts, especially in the wetland areas where degradation has been most severe.

“Our study provides compelling evidence that targeted conservation efforts can halt the decline of biodiversity,” says lead author Wei Liu. “The findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring and more effective wetland restoration strategies to ensure the long-term protection of avian biodiversity in the YRB.”

Looking ahead, the study’s outcomes advocate for a renewed focus on wetland conservation, stressing that strategic ecological restoration can yield significant benefits for biodiversity. The findings offer a model for other regions facing similar environmental challenges, illustrating how targeted conservation efforts can enhance biodiversity and protect the ecosystem services vital for human well-being and economic stability. By prioritizing habitat recovery—particularly in wetlands—there is a promising opportunity to restore balance in the YRB and beyond.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.eehl.2024.10.001

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eehl.2024.10.001

Funding information

This work was supported by the Biodiversity Investigation, Observation, and Assessment Program of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.

About Eco-Environment & Health

Eco-Environment & Health (EEH) is an international and multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal designed for publications on the frontiers of the ecology, environment and health as well as their related disciplines. EEH focuses on the concept of "One Health" to promote green and sustainable development, dealing with the interactions among ecology, environment and health, and the underlying mechanisms and interventions. Our mission is to be one of the most important flagship journals in the field of environmental health.

 

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Journal

Eco-Environment & Health

DOI

10.1016/j.eehl.2024.10.001 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Multidimensional patterns of bird diversity and its driving forces in the Yangtze River Basin of China

 

Crop switching for climate change in China

PNAS Nexus

 

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Spatial variations in county-based crop fraction changes, defined as the fraction of crop-sown area over total cropland area.

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Credit: Guan et al.

A study of Chinese agriculture recommends planting areas currently growing maize and rapeseed with alternative crops to reduce environmental costs while maximizing food production as the climate changes. 

Chinese food production has nearly doubled since the 1980s, mainly thanks to intensified nutrient usage and irrigation. Given that China’s demand for food is forecast to increase further, Qi Guan and colleagues modeled the country’s agricultural system under varying climate change scenarios in the 21st century, using a dynamic global vegetation model. The authors created scenarios that maximized crop production while minimizing leached nitrogen and water use under various climate futures. The scenarios also minimized disruptions to supply chains and sought to promote future food security. The optimal crop distributions increased productivity by 14.1%, reduced leached nitrogen by 8.2%, and reduced water use by 24.0% under future climate. Warming and increasing summer rain in northern China will make the area suitable for rice. Moving maize out of arid regions would save a significant amount of water. Drought-tolerant wheat could do well in the Northeast China Plain. Soy could thrive in northern and northwestern China, as well as the Yangtze Plain, and water-loving potatoes could do well in eastern and southern China. According to the authors, crop switching at the national scale is possible in China with coordinated actions, with large potential benefits.
 

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Journal

PNAS Nexus

Article Title

Improving future agricultural sustainability by optimizing crop distributions in China

Article Publication Date

7-Jan-2025

Showcasing the initiatives of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography toward building a green future for global desertification control

The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography showcases its sustainability efforts at the COP16 side event "Green Technology, Green Future”

Cactus Communications

 

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The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discussed the various initiatives undertaken and the progress made in combating desertification and transforming the arid lands of Africa into flourishing ecosystems. They released the first ever video of the China-Africa Green Technology Park built in Mauritania.

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Credit: The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) specializes in research and innovation in arid zone ecology and the environment. Recently, XIEG in collaboration with the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Forestry and Grassland Bureau hosted the "Green Technology, Green Future" side event during the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the 30th anniversary of UNCCD. At the conference themed "Our Land, Our Future," this side event showcased China’s various achievements in combating desertification and supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the African Great Green Wall initiative.

Green Scenario: China-Africa Green Technology Park
One of the key highlights of the event was the first ever release of the video on the China-Africa Green Technology Park built in Mauritania which covers 40 mu (approximately 6.58 acres) and consists of a Green Technology Park and a Carbon Forestry Demonstration Zone. This park promotes eco-friendly technologies in African industrial areas, supported by research and advanced technologies. This initiative aims to address livelihood crises such as mitigating desertification and improving economic development in Africa. Scientists from XIEG played a crucial role in the park’s success, with the objective of preventing and controlling desertification. They successfully transferred experiences from green restoration projects in the Taklimakan Desert to the Sahara. To advance the “African Great Green Wall” initiative, XIEG conducted a series of scientific experiments, technical training programs and demonstrations in the Global South, aligned with their developmental goals.

Some of the park's initiatives include solar-powered desert control, smart irrigation, and desert soil improvement, all aimed at combating desertification and promoting sustainable livelihoods. These contributions underscore XIEG’s dedication to advancing the African Great Green Wall initiative and fostering a stronger collaboration between China and Africa.

Voices From the Global South
Mr. Sidna Ould Ahmed Ely, Director of Mauritania's National Great Green Wall Agency, shared the pressing challenges his region faces and expressed a strong willingness for cooperation. He said, “We, the Sahara countries, are facing the challenging issues such as food and water scarcity, and we need solutions, and that is what I am looking for from ‘Green technology, Green Future.’ I really appreciate the partnership with the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for making this vision a reality.”

The event also saw the renewal of the memorandum of understanding with the Pan-African “Great Green Wall Secretariat”. A roundtable dialogue, featuring panelists from international environmental institutes of Uzbekistan, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, and China, emphasized the critical need for global collaboration to address desertification.

Mr. Huang Caiyi, Director of the Desertification Control Department at the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of China highlighted China’s interest in global participation to alleviate desertification. He stated, “China is willing to work together at the global level to control and prevent desertification using various technological advancements.”

A Vision for the Future
With renewed international collaborations and insightful discussions, the event highlighted China's collective commitment in addressing desertification and promoting greener technologies, as well as the global community’s unprecedented vision of international cooperation in tackling this shared challenge for humanity. Dr. Marcelin Sanou, the Chief of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) at the Secretariat of the Pan-African Great Green Wall Initiative, expressed his gratitude and concluded, “The experiences from Mauritania serve as a good example for future cooperation. We must continue this cooperation and implement these projects, as only by working together, we can go further.”

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Method of Research

News article

 

Unveiling hidden climate dynamics: Researchers use mathematics of optimal transport to decode 21st-century climate change

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

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Schematic of Wasserstein distance

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Credit: Zhiang Xie, Dongwei Chen, and Puxi Li

What happens when experts from vastly different disciplines—climate science, mathematics, and meteorology—join forces to tackle the same pressing question? A method called Wasserstein Stability Analysis (WSA) emerges, offering fresh insights into the subtle dynamics of climate change.

Zhiang Xie, from the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at Southern University of Science and Technology in China, teamed up with Dongwei Chen, a mathematician at Clemson University in the United States, and Puxi Li, a meteorologist from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. Together, their interdisciplinary collaboration has redefined how we study climate change by introducing a new perspective on extreme events and probability distribution shifts.

Their study is recently published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.

 “Most of the time, climate studies focus on average temperatures or trends,” explains Zhiang Xie. “But we wanted to go deeper—beyond the averages—and look at how extreme events and other subtle patterns are changing.”

This curiosity led the team to adopt Wasserstein distance, a mathematical tool originally designed to measure the distance between probability distributions. “It’s like using a magnifying glass on the data,” says Dongwei Chen. “We're not just looking at what's typical; we're digging into the rare and the extreme.”

By applying their new WSA method to the 21st-century climate warming slowdown, the researchers uncovered a La Niña-like temperature shift in the equatorial eastern Pacific—something traditional methods had overlooked.

“This was a huge moment for us,” notes Zhiang Xie. “It’s exciting to see how combining mathematics with meteorology can reveal things we didn’t even know we were missing. For example, we also discovered how melting sea ice in the Arctic is loosening its grip on extreme warm events.”

The researchers credit their findings to their diverse backgrounds. “We all brought something unique to the table,” says Chen. “For me, it was about applying mathematical theory to real-world problems. For Zhiang and Puxi, it was about translating those findings into meaningful climate science.”

Li adds, “When you have experts from different disciplines working together, the questions themselves change. It's not just, ‘What is the mean temperature doing?’ but, ‘How are extreme events evolving, and why does it matter?’ That's the kind of innovation you get from collaboration.”

The team's WSA method opens up new possibilities for understanding the dynamics of climate change, particularly extreme weather events and threshold-specific shifts. “This is just the beginning,” says Li. “We’re now looking at how physical processes drive these changes in probability distributions, which could help us address the bigger challenges posed by climate change.”

Interdisciplinary collaborations like this provide new ways of approaching complex challenges, offering valuable insights into how we study and respond to one of humanity's most urgent issues — climate change.

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Journal

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences

DOI

10.1007/s00376-024-3324-6 

Article Title

Discovering Climate Change during the Early 21st Century via Wasserstein Stability Analysis

Unraveling the physics behind severe flash floods in Indonesia's new capital on March 15-16, 2022

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

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(Left) Devastating flash flood in Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara (IKN), on March 16, 2022. (Right) Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) structure during the event, shown using brightness temperature data from the Himawari-8 satellite.

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Credit: Eddy Hermawan

Since the establishment of Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara (IKN), hydroclimate extremes have emerged as a significant environmental concern. One of the most notable events was the devastating flash flood on March 15-16, 2022, which was triggered by 4-6 hours of prolonged heavy rainfall, causing severe damage and substantial economic loss.

An international research team from Indonesia, the UK, the Netherlands, and Australia has identified mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) as the primary cause of this heavy rainfall. The study is published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.

Using high-resolution GSMaP data, the team found that the rainfall peaked during the MCS's mature stage on the evening of March 15, 2022, and diminished as it entered the dissipation stage. The study, led by Prof. Eddy Hermawan from Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, also examined various environmental factors that influenced the MCS event, including the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO, a major atmospheric phenomenon characterized by an eastward-moving pulse of cloud and rainfall near the equator that typically recurs every 30 to 60 days.), equatorial waves, and low-frequency variability.

"Our findings indicate that the MJO and equatorial waves play a crucial role in the early stages of MCS development by enhancing moisture convergence in the lower boundary layer, while local factors become more influential during the mature and later stages of the MCS evolution," said Prof. Hermawan. "These results are supported by the backward trajectory of moisture transport analyses."

The study revealed that the MJO and equatorial waves contributed significantly to lower-level meridional moisture flux convergence during the pre-MCS stage and initiation, with their contributions accounting for up to 80% during the growth phase. While La Niña and the Asian monsoon had negligible impacts on MCS moisture supply, a substantial contribution from the residual term of the water vapor budget during the maturation and decay phases of MCSs was observed.

“This suggests that local forcing, such as small-scale convection, local evaporation, land-surface feedback, and topography, also plays a crucial role in modulating the intensity and duration of the MCS.” Said Ainur Ridho, a scientist from the University of Reading, UK.

This study enhances our understanding of the potential causes of extreme rainfall in Nusantara and could aid in improving rainstorm forecasting and risk management in the region. Looking ahead, the team plans to apply deep learning techniques to simulate and predict extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, associated with the development of MCSs in IKN and its surrounding areas.

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Journal

Advances in Atmospheric Sciences

DOI

10.1007/s00376-024-4102-1 

Article Title

Characteristics of Mesoscale Convective Systems and Their Impact on Heavy Rainfall in Indonesia’s New Capital City, Nusantara, in March 2022

 

US Clean energy tax credit safeguards could save taxpayers $1 trillion

IOP Publishing

 

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Clean energy tax credit safeguards could save taxpayers $1 trillion

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Credit: IOP Publishing

A new study published today in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research: Energy shows why new safeguards adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department are necessary to avoid substantial climate impacts and wasted taxpayer resources from a generous hydrogen production tax credit. 

The new study illustrates how, absent safeguards, hydrogen producers could potentially claim the highest level of tax credits ($3 per kilogram) for producing "gray" hydrogen from fossil natural gas, by blending in small amounts of biomethane or waste methane. Allowing this blending could support about 35 million metric tonnes of “gray” hydrogen production per year, at a taxpayer cost of around $1 trillion over 10 years and excess emissions of around three billion tonnes CO2 versus scenarios assuming strict methane control. 

On 3 January 2025, the US Treasury Department finalized regulations that align with several of the recommendations from the new study, a draft of which was submitted to the Treasury Department as a public comment earlier in the rulemaking process. The final regulations prohibit hydrogen producers from blending fossil and alternative methane feedstocks and set important technical safeguards for hydrogen produced from alternative methane feedstocks. 

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania have conducted a detailed analysis of the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit (Section 45V) and the Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit (Section 45Y), both established under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Their work explores how these credits could be designed and the effect of these design choices on clean energy industries.

The analysis demonstrates the impacts of declaring certain feedstocks (methane, solid biomass, and waste) to be greenhouse gas neutral or negative in the context of US clean energy policies and tax credits. Some of these tax credits define what counts as “clean” by explicit reference to life cycle methods, but left the technical design of those methods up to the US Treasury Department. 

As the researchers note, this implementation role required the Treasury Department to make significant policy choices: “Life cycle methods offer decision support frameworks for the implementation of complex environmental policies, but they are not objective quantitative calculators that provide the stable, predictable, and correct values that financial transactions like tax credits require.”

Because the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act required life cycle analysis but did not fully specify its implementation, the US Treasury Department could have adopted a range of outcomes for the hydrogen production tax credit under Section 45V of the tax code. 

The new study analyzes the climate and fiscal risks of choosing life cycle accounting methods that would maximize the use of biomethane and other waste methane feedstocks. It also identifies three key policy choices that could mitigate these risks:

1. Prohibiting blending of feedstocks to maximize tax credits
2. Only allowing activities that actively remove carbon from the atmosphere to be assigned negative carbon intensity scores.
3. Requiring baseline scenarios that assume deep climate action, such as active methane management, from fossil, municipal and agricultural sources.

The final Treasury Department regulations for hydrogen align with the researchers’ first and third recommendations, and set important safeguards to limit potential distortions related to the second. Specifically, the final regulations prohibit blending of feedstocks (recommendation 1) and require hydrogen producers to assume that methane produced from wastewater, landfills, and coal mines would be captured and flared, rather than vented to the atmosphere (recommendation 3). For methane sourced from animal manure, the final rules require hydrogen producers to assume conservative levels of avoided methane emissions, which reduces the potential distortionary impacts of allowing negative carbon intensity scores in this instance (contrary to recommendation 2). 

The new study’s analysis and recommendations also extend to the design of clean electricity tax credits under Section 45Y of the US tax code. As of this writing the US Treasury Department has not finalized those regulations, but it is expected to do so imminently. 

The researchers stress that their findings don't mean life cycle analysis should be abandoned in policy design. Rather, policymakers need to carefully anticipate potential distortions and implement appropriate safeguards.

“Our point in raising concerns about the application of life cycle analysis in complex environmental policy design is not to object to it on a categorical basis, but to show that it is a mistake to assume it is an objective framework.”[DC1] 

The study also highlights the risk of subsidising technologies that are only "clean" based on operational choices that are unlikely to continue after the tax credits expire. The authors suggest considering provisions to reclaim tax credits if subsidised facilities subsequently revert to more polluting practices.[DC2] 

ENDS

About IOP Publishing 
IOP Publishing is a society-owned scientific publisher, delivering impact, recognition and value to the scientific community. Its purpose is to expand the world of physics, offering a portfolio of journals, ebooks, conference proceedings and science news resources globally.   

IOPP is a member of Purpose-Led Publishing, a coalition of society publishers who pledge to put purpose above profit.  

As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institute of Physics, a not-for-profit society, IOP Publishing supports the Institute’s work to inspire people to develop their knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of physics. Visit ioppublishing.org to learn more. 

 

About your institution 

Emily Gurbert (egrubert@nd.edu) is Associate Professor of Sustainable Energy Policy at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. The Keough School is committed to serving human dignity through research and scholarship, teaching and learning, and policies and practices designed to advance the development of the whole person and of each person in their specific socio-cultural context.

Wilson Ricks (wricks@princeton.edu) is a postdoctoral researcher with the ZERO Lab at Princeton University. The ZERO Lab improves and applies optimization-based macro-energy systems models to evaluate low-carbon energy technologies, guide investment and research in innovative decarbonization solutions, and generate insights to improve energy and climate policy and planning.

Danny Cullenward (dcullenward@ghgpolicy.org) is a Senior Fellow with the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. The mission of the Kleinman Center is to create the conditions for policy innovation that support a just and efficient transition to sustainable energy through research, education, and expert convening. 

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Journal

Environmental Research Energy

DOI

10.1088/2753-3751/ad9f65 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Greenhouse gas offsets distort the effect of clean energy tax credits in the United States

Article Publication Date

7-Jan-2025

 

Guildford’s first “living school gate” and green infrastructure deliver major health and environmental benefits

University of Surrey

 

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The ivy green screen around the school

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Credit: University of Surrey

A pioneering study at Guildford town centre’s Sandfield Primary School highlights the benefits to schoolchildren’s health delivered by protective green infrastructure, demonstrating a nearly one-third reduction in harmful particle pollution levels – together with the added benefit of a 5-decibel reduction in disruptive and distracting traffic noise.  

The RECLAIM Network Plus-funded CoGreen project, led by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), involved a collaborative effort between the school, parents and residents’ groups, and researchers from Guildford Living Lab and Zero Carbon Guildford. Each party oversaw the installation of the UK’s first ‘living school gate’ consisting of 140 plants, along with a separate green screen made of ivy designed to filter high pollution levels from the busy crossroads of the A246 York Road with the A320 Stoke Road, on which the school is sited. 

Professor Prashant Kumar, founding Director of the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) and RECLAIM project Principal Investigator for this work, said:  

“Air pollution poses a significant threat to children’s health, particularly with so many UK schools situated near busy roads. Our findings showcase the transformative potential of nature-based infrastructure in addressing this growing concern, providing protection for not only pupils and staff but also local biodiversity. 

“Co-creation lies at the heart of this project’s success. The school’s leaders, parents, University of Surrey researchers and local stakeholders collaborated closely to conceive and deliver this project. Healthier, greener school environments for future generations can be delivered across the UK and around the globe where co-creation, active participation and community engagement are harnessed to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions.” 

While Green Infrastructure (GI) is already recognised for its ability to reduce harmful air pollution exposure, the study shines new light on the associated multifaceted benefits of implementing sustainable eco-solutions around schools, offering valuable insights that could drive wider adoption across the country.  

Results from the living gate and surrounding green screen showed particle pollution levels dropped by nearly one-third compared to scenarios without GI. Additionally, the living gate reduced traffic-related noise from the main road by 5 decibels. The findings also revealed that wind direction plays a key role in the infrastructure’s efficiency, with pollution cut by 44% when blowing away from the living gate and 42% when it flowed parallel to the green screen. 

The school’s headteacher and co-author of the study, Kate Collins, said:  

“This has been a long-standing ambition of Sandfield Primary, and we’re thrilled it has finally come to fruition – marking a significant milestone in protecting our environment and the health and wellbeing of everyone who learns and works at our school. This achievement was made possible through a strong partnership with the University of Surrey’s world-leading air pollution research lab, the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), alongside the dedicated involvement of Sandfield parents and local charity Zero Carbon Guildford.” 

A survey that followed the GI installation at the school revealed optimism among parents, with more than 75% providing positive responses regarding the reduction in air and noise pollution. Kate Alger, local resident and freelance artist-educator, said: 

“As a former Sanfield parent and long-time local resident, I’ve been very worried about air pollution for years. I’m pleased to have been part of this collaborative project and to see the vision we had brought to life. I sincerely hope this will help other schools and communities work together to create greener, cleaner and safer environments.” 

UKRI’s RECLAIM Network Plus – which focuses on turning the UK’s ‘forgotten cities’ from vulnerable spaces to healthy places – funded the project, paving the way for the wider-scale application of innovative strategies involving local communities, stakeholders, and policymakers in implementing GI projects to ensure their sustainability and effectiveness. 

Reference 

Abhijith, KV., Rawat, N., Emygdio, A.P.M., Le Den, C., Collins, K., Cartwright, P., Alger, K., McCallen, B., Kumar, P.*, 2024. Demonstrating multi-benefits of green infrastructure to Schools through collaborative approach. Science of the Total Environment, 177959. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724081166

[ENDS]  

Notes to editors

• Professor Prashant Kumar is available for interview, please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange.    

• The full paper is available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724081166

• Video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SQ__FnAYlY

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Journal

Science of The Total Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177959 

Article Title

Demonstrating multi-benefits of green infrastructure to schools through collaborative approach

 

New genetic biocontrol breakthrough offers hope against disease-carrying mosquitoes and agricultural pests

"Toxic Male Technique" genetically engineers male insects to produce insect-specific venom proteins in their semen

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Macquarie University

 

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How it works

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Credit: ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology

A revolutionary new biological pest control method that targets the lifespan of female insects could significantly reduce the threat of insect pests such as disease-carrying mosquitoes by offering faster and more effective results than current methods.

Described today in Nature Communications, the technique developed by researchers in Applied BioSciences and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology at Macquarie University is a new approach called the Toxic Male Technique (TMT).

It works by genetically engineering male insects to produce insect-specific venom proteins in their semen. When these males mate with females, the proteins are transferred, significantly reducing female lifespan and their ability to spread disease.

Insect pests pose a growing threat to global health and agriculture, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of infections, and costing billions in healthcare and crop damage annually.

In mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, only the females bite and transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya disease and yellow fever.

Pesticides face declining effectiveness due to resistance and have caused harm to non-target species and ecosystems. Genetic biocontrol has emerged as a promising alternative.

Current techniques like the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) or insects carrying lethal genes (RIDL) work by releasing massive numbers of sterilised or genetically modified males to mate with the wild females.

While these mated females produce no offspring or only male offspring, they continue to blood feed and spread disease until they die naturally - meaning populations of biting females only decrease when the next generation emerges.

By immediately reducing the biting female population, TMT offers significant advantages over competing genetic biocontrol methods.

“As we’ve learned from COVID-19, reducing the spread of these diseases as quickly as possible is important to prevent epidemics,” says lead author Sam Beach.

“By targeting the female mosquitoes themselves rather than their offspring, TMT is the first biocontrol technology that could work as quickly as pesticides without also harming beneficial species.”

Laboratory tests using fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) demonstrated that females mated with TMT males had lifespans shortened by 37–64 per cent compared to those mated with unmodified males.

Computer models predict that applying TMT to Aedes aegypti, a highly aggressive mosquito species primarily responsible for transmitting Dengue and Zika, could reduce blood-feeding rates—a key factor in disease transmission—by 40 to 60 per cent compared to established methods.

 

Rigorous safety testing

Safety and environmental safety are central to the TMT approach. Venoms naturally contain a mixture of many proteins, and those used in TMT are very carefully selected.
Their targets are only present within invertebrates, so they aren’t toxic in any way to mammals, and they are not likely to cause harm when consumed by beneficial insects since their oral toxicity is very low.

The current study was performed in Associate Professor Maciej Maselko’s lab and provides the proof of concept for this breakthrough approach for suppressing the populations of pest species.

‘We still need to implement it in mosquitoes and conduct rigorous safety testing to ensure there are no risks to humans or other non-target species,” says Associate Professor Maselko.

“This innovative solution could transform how we manage pests, offering hope for healthier communities and a more sustainable future,” says Beach.

Competing  interests: M.M. and S.J.B. have submitted a patent application (AU2023903662A0) to the Australian patent office pertaining to the enablement of the Toxic Male Technique.

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Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-024-54863-1 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Recombinant venom proteins in insect seminal fluid reduce female lifespan

Article Publication Date

7-Jan-2025