Is Earth in a New Time Period: The Plasticene? – Frontiers for Young Minds

Geological Time Spiral (courtesy of United States Geological Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia).

Earth has a special calendar called the geologic time scale…We are currently in the Holocene Epoch, but some scientists believe we have entered a new time called the Anthropocene or the “Age of Humans” because of our impact on the planet. One of the biggest changes humans have made is inventing and using plastic..Because plastic is now found everywhere, some scientists, like us, think we have entered a new stage in Earth’s history called the Plasticene…

Mangroves: “Superhero” Ecosystems – Frontiers for Young Minds

Positive interactions in mangrove ecosystems: (1) Multi-species plantations can sequester more carbon in sediments and can increase root yields. (2) Microbial communities receive food from mangrove root (3) Mixed stands of mangroves can provide association defense against herbivory. (4) Mangrove roots allow for oyster recruitment and reduce sedimentation stress (5) Mangroves provide carbon to sponges and sponges provide nitrogen to mangroves (6) Mangrove roots provide habitat for sponges and tunicates (7) mangrove pneumatophores trap algae and oysters, which support diverse mollusk communities. (8) Mangrove plantations sequester carbon in sediments (9) Other plant species can increase recruitment of mangroves (10) Higher densities of mangroves allow for more resilience to sea level rise. (11) Nearby coral reefs protect mangroves ((by Julianna J. Renzi, Qiang He and Brian R. Silliman, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia).

Because mangroves live along the land-ocean boundary, they are unique plants that provide several benefits to nature and humans. For example, mangroves provide refuge and food for organisms, hurricane protection, and water filtration; mangroves also promote the release of oxygen into the atmosphere and the uptake and trapping of carbon dioxide, which helps to fight against climate change. To understand mangrove ecosystems, it is important to consider the role of the microorganisms that live there…

How Can Nature Protect People Against Sea-Level Rise? – Frontiers for Young Minds

Flooding (by Creazilla Open-Source License).

Now that Earth’s climate is changing, sea-level rise and storms are becoming more intense and frequent, which increases the risk of flooding. Therefore, we need to develop bigger flood-defense structures to stay safe from flooding. However, this is very expensive. Is there an alternative? It may sound surprising, but nature can help us out…