Tropical forests recover after deforestation
Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming rate through deforestation, but they also have the potential to regrow naturally on abandoned lands. This has been shown by an international study led by scientists from Wageningen University. How a fo.....»»
Researchers clarify cryptic differentiation within enigmatic hemiparasitic love vine Cassytha filiformis
The widespread hemiparasitic Lauraceae genus Cassytha currently contains 19 described species, one variety and four forms. This genus is controversial and has not been satisfactorily resolved. Cassytha filiformis is cosmopolitan in tropical and subtr.....»»
How do trees survive dry and hot summers? Leaf lifespan and growth recovery are key
Climate change has an effect on forests and trees. They suffer from heat waves and periods of drought. But although we see tree mortality increase as a result, much is still unknown about the underlying mechanisms......»»
Tropical forests can"t recover naturally without fruit eating birds, carbon recovery study shows
New research from the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich illustrates a critical barrier to natural regeneration of tropical forests. Their models—from ground-based data gathered in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil—show that when wild tropical birds move fre.....»»
Despite what you might hear, weather prediction is getting better, not worse
Australia's weather bureau copped harsh criticism after El Niño failed to deliver a much-vaunted dry summer in eastern Australia. Parts of northern Queensland in the path of Tropical Cyclone Jasper had a record wet December and areas of central Vict.....»»
New study finds potential targets at chromosome ends for degenerative disease prevention
We depend on our cells being able to divide and multiply, whether it's to replace sunburnt skin or replenish our blood supply and recover from injury. Chromosomes, which carry all of our genetic instructions, must be copied in a complete way during c.....»»
Report links H&M, Zara to environmental destruction in Brazil
Fast fashion giants H&M and Zara have used cotton from farms linked to massive deforestation, land-grabbing, corruption and violence in Brazil, a report by the environmental group Earthsight said Thursday......»»
Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems
Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific, according to new research from University of British Columbia botanists......»»
Ghost roads speed destruction of Asia-Pacific tropical forests, finds study
Researchers mapping tropical forests have found many more roads than declared by official sources, which is raising fears of a huge increase in environmental degradation as the pace of road building increases......»»
New report "braids" Indigenous and Western knowledge for forest adaptation strategies against climate change
There are 154 national forests in the United States, covering nearly 300,000 square miles of forests, woodlands, shrublands, wetlands, meadows, and prairies. These lands are increasingly recognized as vital for supporting a broad diversity of plant a.....»»
Deforestation harms biodiversity of the Amazon"s perfume-loving orchid bees
A survey of orchid bees in the Brazilian Amazon state of Rondônia, carried out in the 1990s, is shedding new light on the impact of deforestation on the scent-collecting pollinators, which some view as bellwethers of biodiversity in the neotropics......»»
Certified timber harvesting of tropical forests proves beneficial for gorillas and elephants
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified timber harvesting areas in Gabon and Congo boast a greater abundance of larger mammals, such as leopards, gorillas, and elephants, than non-FSC forests......»»
Ocean forests: How "floating" mangroves could provide a broad range of ecological and social benefits
The 2022 report "The State of the World's Mangroves" estimates that since 1996, 5,245 square kilometers of mangroves have been lost due to human activities such as agriculture, logging, tourism development, coastal aquaculture and climate change, and.....»»
Tropical cyclones may be an unlikely ally in the battle against ocean hypoxia
Tropical cyclones, also known as hurricanes and typhoons, are meteorological phenomena that occur over tropical and subtropical oceans experiencing low atmospheric pressure, where water vapor from the warm oceans condenses to produce spiraling cloud.....»»
Catching vibes: Novel approach captures arthropod-driven vibrations
It was summer in northern Mississippi, rich in relative humidity and deciduous forests and wolf spiders. Noori Cho, then a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, was dedicating two months to sharing a cabin with mice while on a res.....»»
Machine learning provides a new picture of the great gray owl
The great gray owl has long been thought of as a sentinel of the Alaska wilderness, keeping watch over snow-laden forests as far north as the Brooks Range, well away from human populations......»»
Planting trees in wrong places heats the planet: Study
Planting trees in the wrong places can actually contribute to global warming, scientists said on Tuesday, but a new map identifies the best locations to regrow forests and cool the planet......»»
Canopy soil of old-growth forest fosters unique invertebrate diversity that is vulnerable to human disturbance
Yakushima Island, a world heritage site in Japan, is renowned for its rich biodiversity. The huge Japanese cedar (Yaku-sugi) forests, which are over a thousand years old, are a symbolic ecosystem of the island. Although the canopy of these colossal t.....»»
Study suggests starvation decimated gray whales off the Pacific Coast: Can the giants ever recover?
When large numbers of gray whales began washing up along North America's Pacific Coast nearly six years ago, marine scientists could only speculate on the reason: Was it disease? Ocean pollution? Increasing ship collisions?.....»»
Attaching seaweed spores to used scallop shells could restore UK"s coastal kelp forests
Kelp spores are being seeded and grown on small rocks and scallop shells—a seafood waste product—in efforts to regenerate the UK's coastal kelp forests......»»
Europe"s forgotten forests could be 21st century "biodiversity hot spots"
An overlooked and long-neglected type of forest has vast capacity to rebound, enhancing species diversity and resilience to climate change, according to an international team of forest scientists......»»