A team of researchers from UC Davis has developed a tool that can predict which forests are likely to survive or die after a drought. By analyzing changes in precipitation, soil moisture, and temperature, the tool links these factors to tree growth and carbon reserves.
Scientists have analyzed satellite data to better understand the pre-monsoon season's microphysical features, including larger rain droplets and more heavy ice precipitation on land. Their findings could improve weather prediction and mitigate damage from adverse climate events.
A decade-long study in Tanzania's Eastern Arc Mountains reveals that biodiversity conservation benefits vary widely among groups, with local rural communities bearing substantial costs. International funding could help smallholder farmers boost yields on their existing land to incentivize long-term forest protection.
A new study from Lund University found that secondary forests in Sweden were more affected by the 2018 drought than primary forests. The research team analyzed satellite images and vegetation indexes to compare the impact of drought on both forest types.
Scientists found that contemporary fires in dry conifer forests are burning hotter and killing more trees than in previous centuries, due to a lack of low-severity fires. Regular management and prescribed fires can help mitigate this trend and restore resilience to these ecosystems.
A NASA space laser has provided a detailed structure of the world's rainforests for the first time ever. The study reveals that most tropical forests have a simpler, more exposed canopy than previously thought, with a peak in leaves at 15 meters instead of the top.
Researchers found that most US forests have the potential to adapt to hotter, dryer conditions, but are not changing quickly enough. The study suggests that biodiversity can buffer the impact of climate change on forests.
Climate change is shifting snowfall to rainfall on mountains across the Northern Hemisphere, increasing the risk of floods, landslides, and soil erosion. The study found that for every 1 degree Celsius increase in global temperature, high elevations can expect an average of 15% more rain.
A specially designed garden, rain garden, can capture toxic tire chemicals associated with tires entering waterways by more than 90%. Researchers tested a Vancouver rain garden and found that it captured about 75% of the chemical, preventing it from entering salmon-bearing streams.
Scientists have found that 10 years of underwater seaweed forest restoration has helped a damaged ecosystem regrow to richness and strength comparable to undisturbed forests. The restored locality showed greater structural complexity, species with longer lifespans, and increased biodiversity, indicating long-term recovery.
Existing global forests could store an additional 44.1 petagrams of carbon if left unmanaged, but this would only offset 4 years of CO2 emissions under current rates. The study's findings highlight the limited carbon sequestration potential of unmanaged global forests.
Scientists analyzing fossil pollen and geochemical data reveal that Mediterranean forests are susceptible to transformation into steppes under natural conditions. Rising atmospheric CO2 levels may lead to a significant decrease in precipitation, triggering such a shift in the near future if protection measures are not taken.
Research shows that arthropods in high-diversity forests contribute to improved productivity by suppressing herbivores, leading to increased tree species richness and multitrophic diversity. The study highlights the importance of conserving plant diversity to maintain arthropod diversity.
A University of Alberta study finds that maintaining tree diversity in Canada's forests can significantly increase carbon capture and improve soil fertility. This conservation strategy can help mitigate climate change by storing more carbon and nitrogen in the soil over decadal time scales.
A new study found that increased tree diversity enhances soil carbon storage by 30-32% and nitrogen storage by 42-50% over a decadal timescale. Tree diversity leads to greater accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in forest soils, validating previous biodiversity-manipulation experiments.
Scientists warn that tropical forests' capacity to act as a carbon sink is declining due to persistent drought. The study found that soil nutrients play a significant role in carbon storage and release, contradicting previous models. Researchers are urging action to address emissions and increase carbon sequestration initiatives.
Researchers propose URDRN to effectively recover image details and extract accurate rain information. The model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in both subjective and objective evaluation metrics for synthetic and real rain images.
A new study predicts US forests may lose significant carbon storage due to climate change, compromising their role as a climate solution. The researchers used multi-perspective modeling approaches to forecast changes in aboveground carbon storage in different regions.
A new study by University of Utah researchers finds that US forests may lose carbon through fire, stress, and insect damage, compromising their role as a climate solution. The study suggests urgent need to update carbon offset protocols with best available science on climate risks.
Researchers found that simultaneous learning of two tasks enhances a deep-learning model's performance on retrieving precipitation information from satellite data. The new framework uses multi-task learning to improve current estimates of precipitation, outperforming existing approaches.
A study found that ponderosa pine forests in California's Sierra Nevada will not recover to pre-drought densities, reducing atmospheric carbon storage. The forests' ability to store carbon is threatened by western pine beetle infestations driven by climate change.
A comprehensive study of 1,805 German forest insect species reveals a dramatic decline in populations over the past decade. The majority of evaluated species have decreased in number, with larger and more abundant species declining particularly.
Researchers found that exceptional weather conditions over several years are turning European forests brown. Characteristic weather patterns, such as prolonged dry periods and high temperatures, precede these events, with a legacy effect contributing to future low-forest greenness.
Researchers report that more than 85% of world's bird, mammal, and amphibian species live in mountains, but these forests are vanishing at a faster pace. Globally, we've lost 78.1 million hectares of mountain forest since 2000, mainly in tropical biodiversity hotspots.
A global study found that while recovering tropical forests can remove significant amounts of carbon, the rate of regrowth is outpacing natural recovery. The study highlights the importance of sustainably managing forest areas that can recover from human disturbances.
A new study by the University of Copenhagen found that private forests in Denmark have a significant impact on property values. Forest owners attribute great value to their trees and landscapes, leading to increased quality of life and financial gains.
A new study found that sea stars, such as the sunflower sea star, play a crucial role in protecting kelp forests by preying on kelp-eating urchins. The research suggests that these sea stars can consume urchins at rates sufficient to maintain and perhaps reset the health of kelp forests.
A recent study at Baskett Forest found that forests reach an ecosystem wilting point between 2-4 weeks of extreme drought, requiring soaking rainfall to rejuvenate. This concept explains how whole forests respond to drought and is essential for understanding their dynamics under climate change.
Researchers developed a machine learning model using high-resolution satellite imagery to estimate aboveground carbon stocks in the Amazon. The study found that accounting for uncertainties in forest degradation classification led to lower estimates of mean carbon density, suggesting earlier estimates may have been over-optimistic.
Scientists from Poland's Institute of Physical Chemistry have discovered a way to control the population of the pine-tree lappet moth, which threatens coniferous forests. A new pheromone blend based on biocomponents of the sex pheromone has been developed to monitor and potentially control the moth's abundance.
Purdue University has been awarded a $10 million grant from the USDA to improve forest management in the Eastern US. The project, called PERSEUS, aims to provide digital tools and precision management to enhance forest health and promote sustainable forestry practices.
The article highlights that forests are not just threatened by agricultural expansion, but also by the consumption of non-agricultural products and international trade. Intact forests play a crucial role in regulating climate and biodiversity, and their loss can have significant indirect impacts on carbon emissions and biodiversity loss.
A study found that wind turbines in forests cause common noctules, a threatened bat species, to collide with blades and lose foraging space. The researchers recommend building turbines at least 500 meters away from roosts and compensating for lost habitats elsewhere.
A new study finds that tropical forests recovering from logging are a source of carbon due to soil and rotting wood releasing more carbon than new growth can absorb. The study highlights the need for sustainable logging practices to minimize collateral damage.
Researchers from Finland investigated the impact of wind turbines on bat presence and activity in boreal forests. Bats were found to be repelled by wind turbines, with Northern bats avoiding distances of up to 800 meters and Myotis species avoiding areas over one kilometer away.
Scientists have discovered that early forests contained much lower CO2 levels than previously thought, challenging long-held theories about the climate's history. The research, published in Nature Communications, found that these ancient forests had a minimal impact on atmospheric CO2 levels over time.
A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford found that logged rainforests have amplified and diverse ecosystem energetics, supporting similar or greater densities of bird and mammal species. The study challenges the labelling of logged forests as 'degraded' when they are ecologically vibrant.
A new study reveals that bat diversity is highest in old deciduous forest stands on river banks in Eastern Ukraine. The research found that mature forests older than 90 years improve breeding activity and abundance of bats, with species richness increasing up to 22% of all forests in the region.
A new study provides fine-scale maps to guide action towards protecting Oregon's forests, which are among the highest carbon density in the world. The research aims to increase carbon storage while protecting wildlife and clean water.
A new study by the University of East Anglia highlights the risks of relying on nature-based solutions, such as forests and soils, to achieve net-zero emissions. The research warns that these solutions may not be enough to offset the remaining difficult-to-decarbonize emissions if progress on reducing fossil fuel use stalls.
A recent study analyzing nearly 22,000 trees across five continents highlights the importance of old-growth trees in withstanding future droughts under climate change. Older hardwood trees exhibit a 21% growth reduction during drought, compared to a 28% reduction experienced by younger hardwood trees.
Researchers analyzed over 20,000 trees on five continents and found that old-growth trees are more resistant to drought, while younger trees in the upper canopy show greater resilience. This study highlights the importance of preserving old-growth forests for carbon storage and ecosystem functioning.
New research shows a strong link between atmospheric dryness and forest fire risk, with warmer temperatures increasing the drying power of fuels. The study found that over 30 million records of fire activity in the last 20 years reveal a predictable relationship between vapour pressure deficit and fire activity.
Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences developed a new modeling approach to understand how extinct species like the Steller's sea cow impact ecosystems. The study found that including the
A new report reveals that animals are key to forest recovery by carrying a wide variety of seeds into deforested areas. Animals disperse over 80% of tree species in the tropics, and their presence near old-growth forests can improve restoration efforts.
Almost one quarter of Sweden's last unprotected old-growth forest was logged between 2003 and 2019. Rare ecosystems with rich biodiversity are being lost at a rate of 1.4% per year, posing significant threats to biodiversity and planetary stability.
Research finds that lianas more frequently infest smaller trees in Southeast Asian forests, hindering their growth. This study transforms understanding of tropical forests and their role in the global carbon cycle. Lianas' impact on climate change is significant due to their ability to reduce carbon uptake and storage.
A long-term study in Southeast Asian seasonally dry tropical forests found that El Niño-induced drought increased seedling mortality. Despite being more drought-tolerant than rainforests, SDTFs experienced higher mortality rates under severe and prolonged drought conditions.
A study by Lund University found that cities negatively impact bird diversity in natural woodlands, with on average a quarter fewer species in urban forests compared to rural ones. This suggests that urban development can lead to biotic homogenization of woodland bird communities.
A study reveals critical weaknesses in current tree-planting strategies in US cities, suggesting ways to build more resilient and diverse ecosystems. Urban forests provide numerous health benefits, but few have assessed city tree biodiversity.
Research reveals that tree species diversity enhances drought resistance in nearly half of the world's forests, with a greater impact on dry and drought-prone regions. The study suggests that restoring tree species diversity could increase drought resistance by up to 3.2% in global plantation forests.
A new study suggests that canopy leaves in forests cannot cool themselves below the surrounding air temperature, leading to reduced forest carbon cycling and increased mortality risk. The research challenges a prevailing theory on leaf thermoregulation, highlighting the impact of climate warming on forests.
Research by Oregon State University finds that old-growth forests with diverse tree sizes and species can provide refuge for birds threatened by warming climate. Cooler microclimates and higher forest diversity tend to reduce negative effects on bird populations.
A Japanese research group discovered that the leaf area index of mixed-forests influences seasonal changes in the formation of a nocturnal cold-air pool at a small mountain basin. The study found that weakening of the nighttime temperature inversion occurred during leaf expansion, while strengthening occurred after leaf fall.
Researchers found that oxygen makes diamond formation more likely, allowing for a wider range of conditions and planets. This discovery could lead to new methods of fabricating nanodiamonds with various applications.
Forests face risks from climate change in three dimensions: carbon storage, biodiversity, and forest loss from disturbances. The study found higher risks in southern boreal forests and drier regions of the Amazon and African tropics.
Scientists studied lightning's impact on Panama Canal forests, finding that some tree species, like palms, are more likely to die after a strike. Others, with denser wood and larger water vessels, are more resistant and may even store more carbon.
Kelp forests, which sequester large amounts of atmospheric carbon, may struggle to trap it due to accelerating decomposition rates in warmer waters. A study found that sea temperature has a strong influence on decomposition rates, with kelp fragments degrading more slowly in cooler waters.
A study by OIST Graduate University's Marine Biophysics Unit found that mangroves in the Ryukyu Islands have limited connectivity, making it crucial to protect isolated forests. The research used genetics and oceanography to track propagule dispersal, revealing rare genetic exchanges between islands.
A new study found that even modest (1.6 C) climate warming causes reduced growth and increased mortality in northern conifer species, while broadleaved hardwoods may experience enhanced growth. The boreal forest's composition is likely to shift, potentially leading to a more impoverished version of the current ecosystem.