Biogeosciences

The living skin of our planet: Why a world soil health index is our next great global scorecard

Asmae Ourkiya November 28, 2025

Soil water repellency by Antonio Jordán Source: Imaggeo

Next time you’re outdoors, in a park or anywhere where there is no pavement, look down at the patch of earth beneath your feet. To many people, it’s just mud, dirt, or maybe soil, something passive that things grow in. But to a soil scientist, that handful of soil represents a dynamic ecosystem that supports an incredible 95% of all the food we eat, filters every drop of our drinking water, ...[Read More]

Mangroves: Our coastal guardians of soil, biodiversity, and climate

Asmae Ourkiya July 25, 2025

Mangroves, Kilim Geological park Penang, Malaysia Source: Imaggeo

Mangrove forests, rare tidal woodlands at the interface of land and sea, are extraordinary ecosystems that bridge freshwater and marine environments. These forests support rich biodiversity and invaluable nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans, while also providing food, shelter, and cultural resources to millions of coastal communities. Think of mangroves as sea walls: their dense, prop-root ne ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: Meet Annegret Larsen, Biogeomorphologist and Quaternary Scientist passionate about rewilding and a member of EGU’s Biodiversity Task Force.

Chloe Hill May 12, 2025

Annegret Larsen. Photo Credit: Guy Ackermans

Annegret, welcome to GeoTalk! You’re a researcher who focuses on abiotic-biotic environmental interactions. Can you tell us how the implications of your research extend to sustainable management practices? The United Nations, European Union, and national governments require us to restore landscapes to a ‘natural’ state. However, European landscapes have been shaped by human activity for thousands ...[Read More]

Tropical rainforest, the lungs of our planet, might be releasing more than just CO2!

Asmae Ourkiya July 19, 2024

Yasuni National Park is located in the Ecuadorian Amazon. It is considered one of the most biologically diverse spots on Earth. Yet, recent oil extractive activities, inside the reserve, are threatening this magnificent undisturbed rain forest.

When I was thirteen years old, my family and I almost lost our lives due to a carbon monoxide (CO) leak. I never stopped thinking about that incident even though it happened over twenty years ago. Not only because it was a premature realisation of my own mortality, but also because of how sneaky it was: We did not smell it, see it, hear it, or feel it. It was a subtle and slow killer that could ha ...[Read More]