• Published date: 03 December 2022

As strong winds and torrential rains inundate Australia’s southeastern coast, new research suggests that high-intensity bushfires might not be too far behind, their dual effects extending damage zones and encroaching on previously low-risk residential areas. — Trends in Plant Sciences

PEST PUSH OPTIMISM

Researchers say it’s possible to eradicate pests from Auckland Island, New Zealand’s only subantarctic island where introduced cats, rats and pigs remain. They say the mission would take up to a decade, relying on techniques like baiting, trapping, and aerial hunting with thermal cameras — as well as more unconventional methods like using a radio-collared ‘‘Judas pig’’, which leads hunters to groups of feral pigs. The researchers say the high investment would be worth it, as once the island is pest-free, it would take very little effort to keep it that way. — New Zealand Journal of Ecology

FLIGHTS GROUNDED

Last Generation climate...