More naturally occurring trees and less clustering could benefit urban forests
Excessive clustering of tree species in urban forests and overreliance on introduced species may make urban forests more vulnerable to pests or disease and reduce their ecosystem benefits, a study published today in eLife shows......»»
Multiple processes shape plant ecological uniqueness in Northeast China"s forests
In a study published in Journal of Biogeography, scientists from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have shed light on understanding the driving mechanisms of the uniqueness of plant species composition in different l.....»»
China"s urban jungles: How city parks are winning the battle against concrete
In the face of rapid urbanization, China has embarked on an impressive journey of urban greening, transforming the environmental narrative from degradation to sustainability. The collaboration between the University of Copenhagen and the Chinese Acad.....»»
Urban humans have lost much of their ability to digest plants
Rural populations still have lots of the gut bacteria that break down cellulose. Enlarge (credit: Nathan Devery) Cellulose is the primary component of the cell walls of plants, making it the most common polymer on Earth......»»
Researcher finds high schools fail to understand, support aspirations of Black and Latinx boys
Researcher Roderick L. Carey offers an in-depth case study of three Black and two Latinx boys in 11th grade at a linguistically and ethnically diverse urban school, which he calls Metropolitan Collegiate Public Charter School (Metro). Over the course.....»»
Forest and stream habitats keep energy exchanges in balance, global team finds
Forests and streams are separate but linked ecosystems, existing side by side, with energy and nutrients crossing their porous borders and flowing back and forth between them. For example, leaves fall from trees, enter streams, decay and feed aquatic.....»»
How AI is clearing the waters in urban rivers
Researchers have developed a new machine learning system to improve the accuracy and efficiency of sewer-river system models. This innovative approach, detailed in an article published in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, promises to significa.....»»
Large old trees are vital for Australian birds. Their long branches and hollows can"t be replaced by saplings
When we make roads, houses or farmland, we often find large old trees in the way. Our response is often to lop off offending branches or even cut the tree down......»»
Digital nomads: A benefit or burden for local communities?
Many criticize digital nomads for fueling gentrification and pricing out locals. Social, economic, spatial and cultural segregation between nomads and local communities has already stirred controversy from Canada to the Canary Islands......»»
Women favor climate actions that benefit future generations more than men, research shows
The decisions we make now inevitably shape the prospects for generations to come. So tackling a long-term problem like climate change raises an intergenerational moral dilemma: should we invest in solutions that might not personally benefit ourselves.....»»
Researchers: Sweden has vast "old growth" forests, but they are being chopped down faster than the Amazon
Most of Europe's natural ecosystems have been lost over the centuries. However, a sizeable amount of natural old forest still exists, especially in the north. These "old-growth" forests are exceptionally valuable as they tend to host more species, st.....»»
Wood condition, root constriction and improper pruning can be used as predictors of urban tree failure
In São Paulo, Brazil's largest metropolis, the city center is considered a tree failure hotspot, with the largest proportion of failures in the city occurring in that area......»»
Researchers find urban moths have smaller wings, reduced light response compared to rural moths
A small team of environmental scientists affiliated with several institutions in Belgium and Switzerland has found evidence that city-dwelling moths may be evolving smaller wings, possibly due to light pollution. In their project, reported in the jou.....»»
Giant sequoias are a rapidly growing feature of the UK landscape
Imported giant sequoia trees are well adapted to the UK, growing at rates close to their native ranges and capturing large amounts of carbon during their long lives, finds a new study led by UCL researchers with colleagues at the Royal Botanic Garden.....»»
Rainforest"s next generation of trees threatened 30 years after logging
Rainforest seedlings are more likely to survive in natural forests than in places where logging has happened—even if tree restoration projects have taken place, new research shows. The work appears in Global Change Biology......»»
NASA grapples with budget cuts as it undertakes ambitious programs
"Naturally, we have to make hard choices." Enlarge / NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is putting a positive spin on NASA's budget. (credit: NASA) It's budget-palooza, NASA nerds. For the first time in more than a decade, t.....»»
Removing Washington salmon barriers surges to $1M a day, but results are murky
The coho salmon has already conquered the Ballard Locks fish ladder, swum 17 miles through urban Seattle waterways and powered through a tunnel under nine lanes of Interstate 405......»»
AirPods Pro could gain hearing aid mode in iOS 18
The AirPods Pro could benefit from a new hearing aid mode in iOS 18, a report forecasts, with upgrades to the low and mid-tier models also expected sometime in 2024.AirPods Pro 2Apple's Live Listen has helped the hard of hearing use AirPods to better.....»»
How green corridors are breathing new life into French forests
In the summer of 2008, during a family holiday road trip, we passed by the Aquitaine region in southwestern France. As we drove through a sprawling woodland, a mesmerizing sight unfolded before my eyes: a meticulously ordered army of trees, standing.....»»
Earth"s earliest forest revealed in Somerset fossils
Scientists have discovered remnants of the Earth's oldest fossil forest on the north coast of Devon and Somerset in the U.K. The trees, which are about 390 million years old, are thought to have grown as part of an extensive forest covering the east.....»»
Soil may release more carbon than expected, affecting climate change models
The accuracy of climate models depends on many factors—greenhouse gas emissions from industrial and transportation activity, farm animal "emissions," urban growth and loss of forests, and solar reflections off snow and ground cover. Natural phenome.....»»