Climate & Environment

Creating climate solutions requires connections, partnerships and cross-disciplinary approaches. At CU 麻豆影院, we lead across all fields of climate research: adaptation and innovation, policy, natural hazards, human impacts, and climate science.听Stay up to date on our groundbreaking research and technological advancements.

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Extreme heat, dry summers main cause of tree death in Colorado鈥檚 subalpine forests

July 26, 2021

Even in the absence of bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire, trees in Colorado subalpine forests are dying at increasing rates from warmer and drier summer conditions.

Antarctic krill Euphausia superba. (Credit: Uwe Kils / Wikipedia)

Human-driven climate change only half the picture for krill, key species in the Southern Ocean

June 15, 2021

New research about the fate of krill鈥攐ne of the most abundant species on Earth鈥攄uring this century has important implications for not only the Antarctic food web, but for the largest commercial fishery in the Southern Ocean.

Overlooking the town of Bailey, Colorado (Photo by Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado)

Mountain residents underestimate wildfire risk, overestimate preparedness

June 11, 2021

Hannah Brenkert-Smith has studied the role of residents' choices in wildfire risk for two decades, with one goal being to improve mitigation programs. Her most recent work near Bailey, Colorado, concludes residents often overestimate their preparation and underestimate their risk.

2021 Spring Scenic photos on the CU 麻豆影院 campus.

What could such a green spring mean for fire season?

June 2, 2021

So far, 2021 is one of the 10 wettest years on record since 1872 in the Denver area. Chelsea Nagy discusses what a wet spring and resulting plant growth in the Front Range could mean for the rest of the year.

Pet trade may pose threat to bushbaby conservation

May 17, 2021

At night in southern Africa, primates called bushbabies emit "spooky" vocalizations that sound like crying children. What may be even spookier is the possible future these adorable creatures face.

How plankton hold secrets to preventing pandemics

May 17, 2021

Whether it鈥檚 plankton exposed to parasites or people exposed to pathogens, a host鈥檚 initial immune response plays an integral role in determining whether infection occurs and to what degree it spreads within a population, new CU 麻豆影院 research suggests.

10 reasons to be optimistic this Earth Day

April 20, 2021

In celebration of Earth Day鈥檚 51st anniversary, CU 麻豆影院 Today explores 10 research-related discoveries that have the potential to positively change the way we live and soften humanity鈥檚 imprint on our precious planet.

A fly visiting the flowers of alpine false springparsley

Common plants and pollinators act as anchors for ecosystems

April 19, 2021

New research finds that common plants and pollinators鈥攆rom the house fly to the humble yarrow weed鈥攃ould be crucial in helping ecosystems weather current and future environmental change.

The Iber谩 Seedeater, an endangered songbird, acting aggressively toward a fake bird as part of the behavioral experiment conducted by Sheela Turbek. (Photo provided)

Endangered songbird challenging assumptions about evolution

April 13, 2021

By looking at this newly emerged bird, a CU 麻豆影院-led research team found an 鈥榚volutionary shortcut鈥� for speciation.

A stock image the sky with clouds and the sun

Solar geoengineering research: Proceed with caution

April 5, 2021

Given the urgency of the risks posed by climate change, the U.S. should pursue a research program for solar geoengineering鈥攊n coordination with other nations, subject to governance and alongside a robust portfolio of climate mitigation and adaptation policies, according to a new report co-authored by Lisa Dilling.

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