Reference Terms
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Agriculture
Agriculture is the practice of cultivating plants and raising animals for food, fiber, fuel, and other products essential to human life. It includes a wide range of activities such as crop farming, livestock breeding, aquaculture, and horticulture. Agriculture has been a cornerstone of civilization for over 10,000 years, enabling the development of stable communities, economies, and trade.
Modern agriculture uses a combination of traditional techniques and advanced technologies, including irrigation systems, machinery, fertilizers, genetic engineering, and precision farming tools. These innovations have greatly increased productivity and efficiency, allowing fewer farmers to produce more food for growing populations.
Agriculture also plays a significant role in environmental and social systems. It affects land use, water resources, biodiversity, and climate, and it is a major source of employment in many parts of the world. Sustainable agriculture seeks to balance the need for food production with environmental stewardship and long-term viability.
Challenges facing agriculture today include climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and the need for equitable access to food. Ongoing research and policy efforts aim to make agriculture more resilient, efficient, and sustainable for future generations.
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Plants & Animals News
March 28, 2026
Mar. 27, 2026 Species are vanishing faster than ever, and many are disappearing before scientists even know they exist. Now, an international team is racing against time to uncover hidden life beneath the waves by building a massive open-access genomic database ...
Mar. 26, 2026 A sweeping global report finds that migratory freshwater fish are in steep decline, with populations down roughly 81% since 1970. These species depend on long, connected rivers, but dams and human pressures are cutting off their routes. Hundreds of ...
Mar. 26, 2026 By closely monitoring fish throughout their lives, researchers found that simple behaviors in midlife—like movement and sleep—can predict lifespan. Fish that stayed active and slept mostly at night tended to live longer, while those slowing down ...
Mar. 22, 2026 Beavers may be unlikely climate heroes, but new research suggests they could play a powerful role in fighting climate change. By building dams and transforming streams into wetlands, these industrious animals dramatically reshape how carbon moves ...
Mar. 21, 2026 Antibiotics are accumulating in a major Brazilian river, especially during the dry season when pollution becomes more concentrated. Scientists even detected a banned drug inside fish sold for food, raising concerns about human exposure. A common ...
Mar. 19, 2026 Malaria parasites contain tiny spinning crystals that have puzzled scientists for years. New research reveals they’re powered by a rocket-like reaction that breaks down hydrogen peroxide, releasing energy. This motion may help the parasite ...
Mar. 15, 2026 The asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs didn’t keep life down for long. New research shows that microscopic plankton began evolving into new species within just a few thousand years—and possibly in under 2,000 years—after the ...
Mar. 15, 2026 Scientists studying crops irrigated with treated wastewater discovered that trace pharmaceuticals often collect in plant leaves. Tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce absorbed medications such as antidepressants and seizure drugs during the experiment. ...
Mar. 14, 2026 Spiders and insects may not be fan favorites, but they are vital to the health of ecosystems—and scientists barely know how they’re doing. Researchers found that nearly 90% of North America’s insect and arachnid species have no conservation ...
Mar. 13, 2026 A newly identified Australian tree has been dubbed the “zombie” tree because it’s alive but unable to reproduce. Myrtle rust repeatedly kills its young growth, stopping the species from ...
Mar. 12, 2026 Researchers have uncovered a universal pattern showing how temperature affects life on Earth. Across thousands of species—from microbes to reptiles—performance rises gradually with warming until an optimal temperature is reached, after which it ...
Mar. 12, 2026 Researchers have discovered that hedgehogs can hear ultrasound, a surprising ability that could help protect them from cars. Since road traffic kills large numbers of hedgehogs, scientists believe ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
Mar. 27, 2026 A fossil ape discovered in northern Egypt is reshaping the story of human evolution. The species, Masripithecus, lived about 17 to 18 million years ago and may sit very close to the ancestor of all ...
Mar. 27, 2026 Scientists have developed a breakthrough “superfood” for honeybees by engineering yeast to produce the essential nutrients normally found in ...
Mar. 26, 2026 A cow named Veronika has stunned scientists by using tools in a flexible and purposeful way. She chooses different ends of a brush depending on the part of her body and adjusts her movements ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Snow flies have an unexpected way of surviving freezing temperatures. They produce antifreeze proteins to block ice formation and can even generate their own heat. Scientists also found that their ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Deep inside a cave, scientists uncovered fossils from 16 species, including a newfound kākāpō ancestor that may have been able to fly. These remains reveal that New Zealand’s ecosystems were ...
Mar. 25, 2026 In a remarkable deep-sea breakthrough, researchers have discovered 24 new species of amphipods in the Pacific’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone—including a rare, entirely new superfamily. The findings ...
Mar. 25, 2026 Flower nectar often contains small amounts of alcohol, meaning pollinators like hummingbirds are drinking it all day long. Despite consuming human-equivalent amounts, they show no signs of ...
Mar. 24, 2026 Honey bees don’t just perform their famous waggle dance to share directions, they actually adjust how well they dance depending on who’s watching. Researchers found that when fewer bees pay ...
Mar. 24, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a new species of rhinoceros in the Canadian High Arctic, revealing that rhinos once lived far farther north than expected. The fossil, dating back 23 million years, is ...
Mar. 23, 2026 Two new species of black bass have been officially identified after decades of confusion with similar fish. Bartram’s bass and Altamaha bass stand out not just in appearance, but in their DNA, ...