Research from the University of Eastern Finland identifies three dimensions of Forest Happiness: a bond with natural-like forests, happiness from activities like berry picking, and forest management. The study found that damage to forests, such as clearcutting and biodiversity loss, negatively impacts perceived happiness.
A community-managed forest in Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve supports a rich variety of medium-to-large mammals and birds comparable to those in protected national parks. However, some vulnerable species avoid areas with high human access, revealing subtle, cryptic disturbances that ripple through the forest.
Research at the University of Jyväskylä found that intensive forest management leads to habitat loss and reduced biodiversity in Finland. Harvesting still occurs in forests with high biodiversity values, highlighting the need for better protection.
The Amazon rainforest experienced its most devastating forest fire season in over two decades, releasing 791 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The study highlights the growing ecological fragility of the region, driven by climate change, deforestation, and land-use mismanagement.
A new study reveals that abandoned illegal cannabis operations leave a lasting chemical legacy on California's public lands, threatening ecosystems and wildlife. Researchers found persistent pesticide and pharmaceutical contaminants at former grow sites in the Six Rivers, Shasta-Trinity, and San Bernardino National Forests.
Researchers found that species diversity is highest in landscapes with 60% unmanaged forests and 40% intensively managed forests. Extensively managed forests contribute little to support species richness, but improving their ecological performance can help maintain forest biodiversity.
Scientists discovered that tree species respond differently to slope, bench, or valley in temperate forests, with some species storing more carbon on slopes than others. The study found that valleys tend to have higher biomass of yellow-poplar and American beech, while slopes support southern shagbark hickory growth.
A study by UAB and UdL found that horses can adapt their diet according to breed, environment, and use, reducing fuel loads and maintaining open landscapes. The research suggests that horses could be a valuable resource for fire prevention strategies in Mediterranean landscapes.
Climate change is expected to bring increased damages and costs for European forestry, with gains in Northern Europe and losses in Central and Southern Europe. The study highlights the need for strategic adjustments to forest management to reduce economic losses and foster more climate-resilient forests.
A new model developed by University of Illinois researchers can accurately predict fluctuations in the relative abundance of tree species in a forest. The model uses genomic data and a one-time tree count to forecast changes in forest diversity, which is crucial for understanding how forests will change in the future.
Analysis found that Indigenous Territories with high forest cover can decrease disease rates, including malaria and pneumonia. Legal protection is key to maintaining this effect.
Researchers found that beetle-attacked forests can heat up by as much as two degrees during summer days, but deciduous trees help to cool down these stands. Mixed stands with more deciduous trees are less vulnerable to beetle outbreaks and can keep the forest cooler afterwards.
A new study found that proactive forest management can significantly reduce the risk of high-severity wildfires by 88% and stabilize carbon stocks. The research analyzed over 200 fuel reduction projects in California's Central Sierra and found that treated forests stored carbon more durably, even after extreme droughts.
The FORbEST project uses Living Labs to co-create new forest management strategies that consider climate change, biodiversity, and social constraints. The project aims to identify and test best practices for optimising biodiversity and carbon storage while supporting rural livelihoods.
The decline of seed-dispersing animals, including birds and mammals, hinders the fight against climate change by altering forest composition and reducing carbon absorption. Researchers warn that major global efforts underestimate the importance of frugivores in conservation and restoration strategies.
Researchers analyzed 96 years of forest census data, revealing homogenization trends and loss of tree species. The study suggests that reduced forest diversity makes the ecosystem less resilient to future disturbances.
Researchers used AI to analyze bird songs and calls of 53 European forest bird species, revealing far more activity types than previously thought. The study showed that some species are active around dawn and twilight, and their song patterns need adjustment for breeding bird surveys.
A study reveals that planted forests store significantly more seeds than their natural counterparts, providing a vital boost to reforestation initiatives. Soil nutrients and forest characteristics play a crucial role in shaping seed bank dynamics, with soil attributes emerging as the dominant drivers of seed storage.
A recent study found that forest fragmentation weakens ecosystem resilience in tropical and temperate forests, while enhancing it in boreal forests. The research used satellite data to quantify the effects of edge density on forest resilience worldwide.
Researchers found that perception of visual diversity was linked to color, vegetation density, lighting, and forest structure, while acoustic diversity was linked to birdsong, volume, and seasonal cues. Participants were more accurate when assessing forest biodiversity through sound alone than through sight alone.
Researchers found that a combination of sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, and olfactory) in virtual reality led to improved mood and feelings of connection with nature. The study suggests potential applications for clinics, waiting rooms, and urban spaces to support mental well-being.
Researchers found that urban Túngara frog tadpoles developed faster than their forest counterparts, but ended up being smaller. This suggests a possible adaptation to the urban environment, with tadpole body sizes affecting adult male sizes.
Researchers at Uppsala University predict that concurrent extreme events will become more frequent due to climate change, posing new challenges for preparedness. The study examines six types of events and finds a sharp increase in combinations of heatwaves and forest fires, as well as heatwaves and droughts, in various regions worldwide.
A study by Göttingen University researchers combined satellite data with manual measurements to better understand forest soil moisture. The findings show that soil moisture is strongly influenced by weather and season, not exact location, and highlight the importance of monitoring soil moisture over time for effective forest management.
Leisler's bats are shifting from forest habitats to urban areas and settlements due to forest management practices. The study highlights the importance of preserving old trees and structurally rich forests to support bat populations, with recommendations for sustainable forestry practices and protected green spaces.
Forest-based agroforestry (FAF) can support forest health and biodiversity, enhance carbon sequestration and storage, generate economic benefits for local communities, and aligns with Indigenous land stewardship practices. The study recommends explicit inclusion of FAF in agroforestry policies to maximize climate benefits.
A new report models current wildfire risks across the Southeastern US, projecting changes by the middle of this century under various scenarios. Prescribed fires can reduce wildfire risk through reduced fuels, promoting healthy forest growth.
A new optimization approach for fuel breaks in Alberta, Canada's fire-prone landscapes can effectively reduce potential risks and impacts of forest fires. By accounting for uncertain wildfire behavior, this method helps compartmentalize a fire-prone forest landscape.
Research by the University of Surrey found that specific forest characteristics, such as canopy density and tree species diversity, can affect various health outcomes. Increasing tree species diversity is a safe intervention for forest managers, offering multiple co-benefits beyond human health.
Most native European temperate forest plants prefer high-light conditions, challenging the traditional closed-forest model. This suggests that dense forests only became widespread after humans eliminated large herbivores.
A recent study by USDA Forest Service researchers highlights the critical need for understanding and managing nonnative forest specialist and generalist pests. Specialists caused more tree deaths, while generalists inflicted more nonlethal damage due to their broader impact across multiple species.
A study found a consistent 9–12-year cycle in beetle-related salvage logging across Austria, Czechia, and Slovakia, aligned with solar minima. During low TSI, logging spikes up to 24%, while high TSI drops as low as 3%–5%. This pattern sheds light on climate and solar dynamics converging to affect forest health.
Research published in Global Change Biology found that tiger presence is associated with higher forest vegetation carbon stocks, lower carbon dioxide emissions, and higher carbon dioxide removal. Tiger density also seems to have a guardian effect to protect forests from deforestation and associated carbon emissions.
Despite a net gain of over 10,000 hectares in forest cover from 2000 to 2020, the Yangtze River Delta's forests experienced significant losses due to urbanization and agriculture. The study found that four times more carbon was emitted than taken up, highlighting the need for sustainable forest management.
Researchers found that high tree mortality in upper canopy can promote oak regeneration when maple is removed from understorey. Plantings on thinned forest plots showed fewer signs of drought stress, supporting oak growth.
A professor is conducting a study to increase forest farming in Appalachia, with the goal of creating a sustainable economy for the region. The project aims to develop the workforce and formalize businesses to ensure efficient supply chains.
A study led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research found that tree diversity significantly enhances forest temperature buffering, particularly during heat peaks. Species-rich forests showed a greater cooling effect, up to 4.4°C stronger than single-species forests.
A recent study at the University of Michigan Biological Station found that carbon storage in forests is more nuanced than previously thought. The study, which spanned over two centuries, revealed that forest structure, tree and fungal communities, and soil biogeochemical processes have a greater influence on carbon sequestration than t...
Andalusian forests have increased in mass by 30 years, with growth primarily occurring during 1994-2005, attributed to factors like climate change, adaptation, and forest management. The study highlights the importance of remote sensing for monitoring large areas and detecting changes in vegetation.
Researchers from UGA's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources found that forest management efforts are supporting healthy bat populations. Bats rely on semi-open forest stands with varied stand structure for efficient flying and feeding, and a diverse mix of vegetation supports their survival.
A new species of killifish, Nothobranchius sylvaticus, has been described from an ancient forest in Kenya, which is also the first known endemic killifish to persist in a forest. The species faces a high conservation risk due to its severely restricted habitat.
Researchers at Cornell Lab of Ornithology use acoustic monitoring to track forest bird species and inform forest management decisions. The study creates detailed maps showing where different birds are likely to live, helping managers make better-informed decisions about thinning forests or conducting controlled burns.
A new study introduces a powerful tool for analyzing satellite imagery of boreal forests, offering insights into their health and dynamics. The 'needleleaf index' provides critical information on forest cover fluctuations, particularly the impact of recent wildfires, highlighting the vulnerability of these ecosystems to climate change.
Researchers have employed artificial intelligence and data analysis to improve forest protection, enabling real-time monitoring and predictive analysis. The innovative forest regeneration model forecasts how forests will grow and change over time, identifying best-suited tree species for different environments.
Researchers found that prescribed fire and forest thinning can greatly improve the stand's resistance to catastrophic fire, reducing fuel loads and mortality. The study also suggests that conserving old-growth forests requires active management to replicate essential ecological roles of fire.
New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Xiaonan Tai receives a $1.16 million NSF CAREER Award to study how groundwater influences forest survival during climate stress, integrating ecology and hydrology perspectives.
A new study from University of Eastern Finland explores the factors contributing to tree mortality in an urban recreational forest in Helsinki. The researchers found that pine trees growing in dry areas are at a high risk of mortality, while spruce trees face a greater threat from climate-driven insect infestations.
Researchers found that forest thinning followed by a prescribed burn can greatly improve the stand's resistance to catastrophic fire. This approach is crucial for conserving old-growth forests in seasonally dry regions, as it replicates the essential ecological roles of fire.
A new study estimates China's natural forests will continue to capture carbon, but at a slowing rate. The research reveals significant regional differences in carbon storage potential, with younger forests showing the largest increase.
Researchers propose a new biological hypothesis that combines tree dispersal modes and mycorrhizal types to explain the latitudinal variation in forest biodiversity. Advanced spatial analysis techniques reveal a negative aggregation–abundance relationship, stronger in temperate forests, which is linked to animal seed dispersal and myco...
Researchers describe the complex genome of the highly valued white oak (Quercus alba), providing insights into fundamental questions about plant evolution and tree breeding. The study sheds light on the evolutionary history of oaks, including the extent of genetic diversity and population differentiation.
A new field study on CHS suggests that this approach could revolutionize forest stand volume estimation, providing consistent results across varying environmental conditions. The method eliminates potential biases from traditional methods and offers efficiency advantages in terms of measurement time.
A new study finds that non-intervention deadwood stands support the most diverse beetle communities, while salvage logging reduces diversity. Mixed management approaches combining deadwood with diverse vegetation can enhance landscape heterogeneity and connectivity.
The book critically examines the region's borderlands, remoteness, and geopolitics, highlighting the entanglement of conservation, knowledge production, and power relations. The authors shed light on the Maya Forest as a discourse promoting new developmental agendas, including the Maya Train project.
A recent report by Colorado State University reveals that the state's forests are emitting more carbon than they absorb, primarily due to insect and disease impacts. The study estimated that Colorado's forests stored 1,558 teragrams of carbon between 2010 and 2019.
A new study investigates how soil organic carbon is distributed across different latitudes and soil depths in tropical, subtropical, and temperate forests. Forests are critical carbon sinks, and understanding how carbon is stored in soil is essential for climate action.
The study highlights the importance of semi-dry forests in Nui Chua NP, which have the highest diversity and occupancy of the silver-backed chevrotain. Conservation efforts should prioritize these transitional habitats to protect this flagship species.
The Policy Engagement Forum brought together experts to discuss the Climate and Biodiversity-Smart approach to forest management. The conversation focused on policies conducive to CBS methodologies, addressing challenges such as climate-related risks, biodiversity decline, and administrative hurdles.
Researchers at Uppsala University found that Semliki Forest virus penetrates the central nervous system by entering the cerebrospinal fluid and binding to VLDLR before penetrating deeper into the brain. This finding could be used to develop the virus as an agent for treating brain cancer.
A comprehensive assessment of logging and conversion to oil palm plantations reveals that these activities have significantly different and cumulative environmental impacts. Logging mostly affects forest structure, while converting logged forests to plantations has greater impacts on biodiversity.