Environmental Science and Policy

Climate Change Could Shrink Oyster Habitat in California

Ocean Acidification Just One of Several Climate-Related Threats for Shellfish

Ocean acidification is bad news for shellfish, making it harder for them to form their calcium-based shells. But several other factors related to climate change could also make California bays less hospitable to shelled organisms like oysters, which are a key part of the food web.

It Pays to Explore in Times of Uncertainty

To Explore or Exploit? Fishing Vessel Records Show Trade-offs

When making choices, people tend either to go with what they know or try something new. We experience this trade-off every day, whether choosing a route to work or buying breakfast cereal. But does one strategy have an advantage over another? Researchers decided to examine this question by looking at fishing boat captains, who face this choice again and again when deciding where to fish.

Tweets Tell Scientists How Quickly We Normalize Unusual Weather

Study: ‘Remarkable’ Weather Becomes Normal Within a Few Years

What kinds of weather do people find remarkable, when does that change, and what does that say about the public’s perception of climate change? A study led by the University of California, Davis, examined those questions through the lens of more than 2 billion U.S. Twitter posts.  

How Climate Change Is Affecting Small Sierra Nevada Lakes

Spring Snowpack a Bigger Predictor of Lake Warming Than Air Temperature

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, are taking the temperature — and other measurements — of lakes of all sizes and shapes throughout the mountains of California to see how climate change is affecting them and what, perhaps, can be done about it.

USAID and UC Davis to Establish World's First Index Insurance Quality Certification in East Africa

High-quality agricultural index insurance has shown promise in promoting resilience among small-scale farmers who face a constant risk of drought and other weather-related shocks. However, despite decades of investments this tool has yet to achieve its broadest impact in part because of low-quality contracts that don’t reliably pay farmers for losses and that sometimes pay when there are none. 

Lichens Are Losing to Wildfire, Years After Flames Are Gone

As increasingly hot and severe wildfires scorch the West, some lichen communities integral to conifer forests aren’t returning, even years after the flames have been extinguished, according to a study from scientists at the University of California, Davis.

Ecologist Susan Harrison elected to national academy

Susan Harrison, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. As an ecologist, Harrison studies the processes that shape and maintain plant species diversity at the landscape scale.

Helping hands

Student volunteers serve the community in Monterey County

A group of dedicated CA&ES students spent their spring break helping others and learning about community challenges in Monterey County. Sponsored by the CA&ES Dean’s Office, the weeklong trip included serving meals to the homeless, planting trees as part of a native plant restoration project and pulling weeds on an organic farm.

Working together to manage nitrogen oxide emissions from farmland

Researchers seek solutions that benefit agriculture and the environment

Researchers from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) are working with farmers and ranchers, environmentalists, industry, and public agencies to find practical, science-based solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, including managing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from farmland.