Sustainability Institute

Deciduous forest, habitat diversity and distance to water - but not forest edges - drive bat activity in a managed forest-farmland mosaic in south-eastern Sweden

Understanding how landscape composition and configuration influence bats near their northern range limit is essential for their conservation in managed northern European forested environments. We investigated this in a forest–farmland mosaic of south-eastern Sweden. Using passive...

Nutritional properties and traditional uses of a native palm species in West Africa

Abstract Palm trees (Arecaceae) are critically important worldwide, particularly in tropical regions where they provide essential resources for food, shelter, medicine, and income. The African oil palm, Elaeis guineensis holds particular significance in West Africa, as a vital nu...

Sex-specific control of locomotor behavior by neuronal Arhgef10 in aged Drosophila

Mutations and polymorphisms in the Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 10 (ARHGEF10) locus are associated with behavioral and locomotor dysfunctions in humans, including psychiatric disorders and polyneuropathies that show age- and sex-specific prevalence. ARHGEF10 encodes a c...

It's not easy being green: embedding environmental sustainability in training material

UKRI is committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040 and RSE/DRI will be key to achieving this. Green software practices will play a crucial role in this transition and so are increasingly discussed in the community - in part thanks to the Green RSE Special Interest Group. For full ado...

Sensory Framework for Studying Tourist practicess in the Heat

This research note introduces a sensory framework that highlights heat as a key embodied and ethical aspect of tourist practicestravel and points to new directions in studying experiences of and practices in the heat. The framework is introduced in response to an era of global he...

The impact of climate and habitat on body shape and size evolution in charontid whip spiders

Abstract Environmental shifts often dictate Arthropod morphological evolution, yet certain lineages maintain remarkably conserved body plans across diverse habitats. Whip spiders (Amblypygi) emerged over 300 Ma and exhibit striking morphological conservatism; nonetheless, what dr...

Contribution to the knowledge of the distribution of bats (Chiroptera) in Algeria

Algeria is the largest country in Africa and for the most part has not yet been surveyed for bat species. To contribute to the knowledge of the distribution of Algerian bat fauna, between 2011 and 2026 we surveyed 70 sites from 19 provinces across the country, mostly roost sites...

Identifying and Correcting Inhomogeneities in the Near‐Surface Specific Humidity Record

Abstract There are notable discrepancies between near‐surface humidity trends in observational products as compared to climate models. Here, we explore the extent to which the discrepancy can be explained by inhomogeneities in the observational record. To do so, we apply a valida...

The adaptation and resilience of urban green spaces in the Mediterranean basin using xerophytic vegetation

Abstract Urban green spaces are crucial for city resilience, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, where climate change poses major challenges to urban sustainability. This region faces increased environmental stress from climate change, marked by rising temperatures and frequen...

Strategic design of methane observation networks to improve emission estimates: A case study in Africa

Abstract. Ground-based and satellite atmospheric observations are essential for reducing uncertainties in methane (CH4) emissions by atmospheric inversion, particularly in data-sparse regions such as Africa. However, adding new observation sites does not yield linear improvements...

Citizen finance for a just energy transition? Analysing UK experience, and exploring potential for smart local energy systems

The UK energy transition is projected to require billions of pounds of investment, not only in renewable supply, but also in demand-side technologies and system management. While this investment is expected to come from large scale commercial finance, both citizen finance and sma...

SurfaceProton ReservoirsConstrain Alkalinity Exportfrom Enhanced Weathering

Abstract The addition of silicate and carbonate materials to soils (enhanced weathering) is a proposed carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy with potential agronomic co-benefits, especially for soil pH management. However, alkalinity from mineral dissolution interacts with the su...

Regime Shifts and Transformations in Social-Ecological Systems: Advancing Critical Frontiers for Safe and Just Futures

Current research challenges in sustainability science require us to consider nonlinear changes—shifts that do not happen gradually but can be sudden and difficult to predict. Central questions are therefore how we can prevent harmful shifts, promote desirable ones, and better ant...

Quantifying temporal changes in the monetary value of forest cultural ecosystem services globally: a meta-analysis

Abstract The world’s forests, and the biodiversity they contain, provide multiple cultural ecosystem services that are essential to people’s well-being. However, interactions between people and forests evolve alongside broader societal and environmental change, raising questions...

Bats of a remote island: integrated genetic and bioacoustics monitoring confirms species occurrence in Flores (Azores, Portugal)

Abstract. Island ecosystems often harbour unique and vulnerable species, yet many remain poorly documented. In the Azores archipelago, two extant bat species are known to occur: the endemic Nyctalus azoreum and the Macaronesian endemic Pipistrellus maderensis. On Flores Island, p...

Trait Plasticity in Herbivore Populations Maintains Geographic Patterns of Herbivory on a Dominant Plant Species Under Warming

ABSTRACT Across species' geographic ranges, local populations may enlist behavioral, physiological, and morphological plasticity together to cope with stress from changing thermal conditions. But if local populations cannot sufficiently adjust their phenotype, then they may fail...

The UK Clean Air Act at 70: An interdisciplinary analysis of historical air quality change

Abstract 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the first UK Clean Air Act, a pivotal moment for air quality in modern British history. Previous narratives on this legislation have largely centred on pollution in London and monodisciplinary perspectives. This article integrates histo...

Modernizing the TRIAD ecological risk assessment framework. Part II: Omic methods for high-resolution biological risk indicators

<ns5:p>The TRIAD framework is a widely used approach to assess site-specific ecological risk by integrating three Lines of Evidence (LoE): chemical, ecotoxicological, and ecological. As environmental contamination grows increasingly complex, the framework requires modernization i...

Esteya spp. reduce Bursaphelenchus xylophilus reproduction in Pinus pinaster seedlings without consistent improvements in disease outcomes

Abstract BACKGROUND Pine wilt disease, caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus , threatens pine forests worldwide, yet sustainable biological control strategies remain limited. We evaluated the effects of pre‐emptive inoculation with Esteya vermicola and E. floridanum on nematode re...

Christian Spirituality, Social Interaction, and U.S. National Parks: Experiencing God in Communal Activities

Semi-structured interviews were used to evaluate the phenomenon of experiencing God by self-identifying Christians through social interactions during leisure or employment at two U.S. National Parks. Collectively, 36 participants were recruited from three sources and include: 1)...