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Is the climate changing over time? You may have heard different opinions about climate change. In the past few years, most scientists have agreed on at least one thing about climate change. They have agreed that measured and recorded changes in Earth’s climate over the past 100 or more years point to a warming of Earth’s surface greater than they would have expected from normal cycles. In this edition of Natural Inquirer, you will learn about the effect that climate change may have on animals, p

Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides through natural processes. For example, plants provide clean air, natural fire helps cycle nutrients, and bats act as insect control. Ecosystem services are valued by people, even if people do not always think about where these services. Scientists have studied ecosystems for a long time. The concept of ecosystem services, however, is relatively new. The identification of ecosystem services enables scientists to show people that ecosystems

In this Natural Inquirer Freshwater edition, you will learn many new things about Earth’s freshwater. As you read each article, think about your daily water use. You use clean freshwater for drinking, bathing, and cooking. Did you know that up to 60 percent of your body weight is water? Water not only keeps you healthy, it keeps the planet healthy!

Scientists can use models to simulate and predict the effects of an action. In this research in the Great Lakes region, read about efforts to model changes to land use within watersheds to help identify and prioritize watersheds with low water quality which need restoration.

The research you will read about in this Natural Inquirer was conducted by scientists working at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, or IPIF. Located in Hilo, HI, scientists at IPIF study a range of environmental topics in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands.

Carbon is naturally stored in the environment. In fact, carbon is in every living thing. Some habitats are better at storing carbon and that impacts the entire carbon cycle. In this article, scientists explore how carbon is stored in mountainous areas.

The Natural Inquirer Scientist & Engineer Card Series highlights 250+ USDA Forest Service scientists and engineers. Share these with students, and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers!

Welcome to the Natural IQ- a sister publication of Natural Inquirer. Natural IQ is a regional publication. This edition focuses on climate change research in the Southern United States.

This monograph examines research done in the Coweeta Experimental Forest. In 1934, research began in this forest that looked at how forests affect the streams that flow through them. In this study, scientists wanted to find out how the flow of water might change in areas near mountain streams if eastern hemlock trees are killed by the hemlock woolly adelgid.