Included in the May 8, 2025, biweekly update 

This week’s articles by MSU faculty, specialists and students making a difference feature the food-energy-water nexus, climate change and freshwater fish distributions, greenhouse gas emissions, and PFAS.

Impacts of agrisolar co-location on the food–energy–water nexus and economic security

The corresponding author on this article is Jacob T. Stid, stidjaco@msu.edu. 

Stid et al. (2025) examine what happens when farmers in California’s Central Valley convert their agricultural fields into solar panel installations—a process called “agrisolar co-location.” Instead of using the land to grow crops, the land is now fully dedicated to solar energy production. 

The researchers found that while this shift does mean a loss in food production (especially grains, hay, and some orchard crops), it comes with big upsides: farmers earn more money, use less water, and gain more financial security. Small commercial setups allow farmers to save money on electricity and sell power back to the grid, while larger utility-scale projects offer farmers steady lease payments from energy companies. 

Over the 25-year lifespan of these solar installations, the arrays could generate enough power for nearly half a million homes while saving enough water to supply millions of people. Although there are concerns about losing valuable farmland for crops like almonds and grapes that are hard to replace elsewhere, the researchers argue that the impact is relatively small compared to national food production, and the significant economic benefits for farmers. 

With climate change making traditional farming tougher and water scarcer, turning fields into solar farms is starting to look like a smart survival strategy for many farmers who are rethinking what “agriculture” looks like.

Stid, J. T., Shukla, S., Kendall, A. D., Anctil, A., Hyndman, D. W., Rapp, J., & Anex, R. P. (2025). “Impacts of agrisolar co-location on the food–energy–water nexus and economic security.” Nature Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01546-4

Evaluating species richness, turnover, and range shifts under climate change for fluvial fishes in Northeastern and Midwestern USA

The corresponding author on this article is Hao Yu, yuhao91@msu.edu. 

Yu et al. (2025) investigate how climate change may alter freshwater fish distributions across the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. Using boosted regression tree models and projections from eight climate models, the researchers assessed how habitat suitability for 55 native fluvial fish species could change by mid-to-late 21st century (2050-2100). 

The researchers found that cold-water and cool-water species, like brook trout and white sucker, are expected to lose significant habitat, while some warm-water species may expand their ranges. Not all warm-water species benefit, however; certain small-bodied species sensitive to temperature and flow changes could also experience habitat losses. Changes in species richness and turnover are expected to be highly variable across the region, with major declines projected for parts of New Jersey, Illinois, and Iowa, likely driven by increased drought severity.

The researchers identified temperature variation, mean air temperature, and stream size as the most critical predictors of future fish distributions. While the models performed well, Yu et al. note that their projections may underestimate future challenges by not accounting for land use change, non-native species impacts, or stream fragmentation caused by dams. 

Overall, the findings suggest significant reorganization of fish communities in response to climate change, highlighting the need for proactive management strategies focused on water conservation, habitat connectivity, and resilience planning for vulnerable species.

Yu, H., Infante, D. M., Cooper, A. R., & Ross, J. A. (2025). “Evaluating species richness, turnover, and range shifts under climate change for fluvial fishes in Northeastern and Midwestern USA.” Ecological Processes, 14, 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-025-00612-1

Optimizing Lancang-Mekong hydropower portfolio effectively reduces greenhouse gas emissions

The corresponding author on this article is Xiaobo Yun, yunxb@cma.gov.cn. 

Yun et al. (2025) evaluate how greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower development in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin (LMRB) could be substantially reduced through better portfolio planning. Currently, 141 operational and planned reservoirs produce an average carbon intensity of 510 kg CO₂-eq/MWh, far above the sustainable hydropower benchmark of 80 kg CO₂-eq/MWh. Emissions are particularly high in lowland reservoirs, where large surface areas and shallow depths promote the release of methane and carbon dioxide.

The researchers modeled optimization strategies and found that by cancelling seven planned reservoirs and decommissioning or upgrading nine high-emission existing reservoirs, the basin’s average carbon intensity could drop to 96 kg CO₂-eq/MWh with only a 3.1% loss in total hydropower generation. More aggressive strategies could cut emissions further but require sacrificing more power output. 

The findings highlight that hydropower is not automatically a clean energy source and that location, design, and operational choices determine emissions. Basin-wide planning is key to decarbonizing hydropower in the LMRB and meeting international climate targets.

Yun, X., Tang, Q., Wang, J., Sun, S., Bao, H., Pokhrel, Y., Luo, L., & Chen, D. (2025). “Optimizing Lancang-Mekong hydropower portfolio effectively reduces greenhouse gas emissions.” Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 114, 107952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2025.107952
 
Prenatal Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposures and DNA Methylation among Newborns in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program

The corresponding author on this article is Jaclyn M. Goodrich, gaydojac@umich.edu.

Schrott et al. (2025) explore how prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—synthetic chemicals common in food packaging, carpets, and firefighting foams—may affect DNA methylation patterns in newborns, potentially influencing child development and health outcomes. 

The researchers analyzed over 1,000 mother-child pairs from six U.S. cohorts in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, measuring maternal blood concentrations of five PFAS compounds (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA) during pregnancy and DNA methylation in neonatal blood samples. They found that higher prenatal exposures to PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA were associated with subtle but statistically significant changes in DNA methylation at specific genomic sites. Methylation changes were identified in genes involved in metabolism, immune regulation, and cellular stress response.

Schrott et al. also performed a replication analysis in an independent cohort (the Michigan Mother-Infant Pairs study), confirming several methylation changes, though some differed in direction. 

While the health impacts of these shifts are still uncertain, the findings suggest that prenatal PFAS exposure has lasting epigenetic marks detectable at birth. These marks could potentially contribute to future risks for conditions such as metabolic disorders, immune dysfunction, and obesity, although longitudinal studies are needed. 

Schrott, R., Ladd-Acosta, C., Padmanabhan, V., Barr, D. B., Breton, C. V., Cardenas, A., Carignan, C. C., Dabelea, D., Dunlop, A. L., Fallin, D. M., Hivert, M.-F., Howerton, E. M., Knight, A. K., Oken, E., Peterson, A. K., Petriello, M. C., Ruden, D., Schmidt, R. J., Smith, A. K., Starling, A. P., Yang, I. V., Zhu, Y., & Goodrich, J. M. (2025). “Prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposures and DNA methylation among newborns in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.” Environmental Epigenetics. https://doi.org/10.1093/eep/dvaf010