Articles tagged with Forest Ecosystems
Scientists from the University of Göttingen and the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute investigated the long-term results of an experiment from 1979. They found that poisonous substances from Euphorbia damarana leaves did not induce fairy circles, contradicting Theron's original hypothesis.
A Yale-led study reveals that early humans were ecosystem engineers, using fire to prevent forest regrowth and create open woodlands. This finding suggests that humans were learning to use fire in novel ways by the Late Pleistocene period.
A new analysis by researchers from around the world offers a deeper understanding of species interactions and their impact on ecosystem diversity. The study found that closely-related tree species interact weakly with each other, while distantly-related pairs can interact with surprising strength.
Researchers found evidence of sound-related genes in corals, which could enable them to use sound to interact with their environment. This discovery has significant implications for understanding coral communication and developing restoration and conservation projects to protect these critical ecosystems.
The current loss of tropical forest fauna impedes achieving SDGs, threatening food security, infectious disease outbreaks, and climate change mitigation. Defaunation also jeopardizes human well-being and cultural significance.
A new study by Simon Fraser University finds that ancient Indigenous-managed forests, or
A study found that land use legacies, such as agriculture and forestry, can have lasting impacts on ecosystems, with only limited effects from restoration efforts. The researchers discovered that soil compaction, a common issue caused by agricultural use, was difficult to mitigate through restoration alone.
New research reveals Andean forests have high potential to store carbon under climate change. The study, which analyzed data from 119 forest-monitoring plots across the Andes Mountains, found that Andean forests are acting as aboveground carbon sinks.
Tropical forest soils capture carbon dioxide into organic matter interacting with soil minerals, leading to reduced CO2 emissions. Excessive nitrogen deposition stimulates soil carbon storage by 7-21% in tropical forests.
Researchers are studying the complex relationships within an ecosystem to understand how nature regenerates itself. The team will focus on key processes like predator-prey relationships and tree-pollinator interactions to measure the complexity in the resurgent ecosystem.
The USDA Forest Service has established a new urban long-term ecological research site in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, focusing on the dynamics of urban nature and social systems. The project aims to improve environmental outcomes for all city residents, addressing disparities in access to urban benefits.
Research reveals that prolonged periods of terrestrial invertebrates in rivers lead to monopolization by larger fish, altering food webs and ecosystem functions. In contrast, pulsed periods enable smaller fish to access benthic invertebrates, resulting in reduced leaf breakdown rates.
Researchers developed a method using satellite imagery to measure the depth of thaw directly above permafrost in boreal ecosystems by analyzing variations in forest color. This approach provides more accurate estimates of permafrost depth, essential for climate modeling and monitoring permafrost thaw rates.
Ecosystem collapse is occurring in 19 case studies across Australia and Antarctica, driven by global climate change and human impacts. A three-step framework to combat irreversible damage is proposed, emphasizing awareness, anticipation, and action to protect key ecosystems.
Repeated fires alter tree communities, reducing biomass and individual trees by up to 72% over 50 years. Regions with extreme climate variations are most sensitive to fire frequency changes.
A new study introduces a Resistance-Resilience-Transformation (RRT) classification to assess transformative actions in climate adaptation projects. The RRT classification shows a shift towards more transformative actions, such as species translocation, in recent years.
Researchers analyzed soil samples from burned and unburned areas in California parks, finding that the oak woodland fungal community was less affected by wildfires than those in evergreen forests. This aligns with the fact that oak woodlands depend on regular fire to thrive.
Researchers analyzed fossils of 70 plant taxa from central Tibet to understand the region's ancient environment. The study found that Tibet's landscape persisted in a similar form for at least 25 million years before giving way to its present-day plateau.
Researchers found that 84% of newly-created and recolonized beaver ponds remained occupied for more than a year. However, when a wolf kills the beaver, no pond remains active. This study suggests wolves can alter wetland creation without changing beaver abundance or behavior.
Research shows that formalized community forest management policies tend to have negative impacts on forest access and resource rights, while still achieving environmental and economic benefits. In many cases, income gains mainly benefited village elites, while the poor and marginalized bore the brunt of forest use restrictions.
A new study found that community forest management policies often result in weakened rights and less access to forests for local populations. Despite positive outcomes in some cases, the overall results show a series of trade-offs between people and the environment. The research highlights the need for governments to ensure that commun...
Research collaboration reveals maple trees as crucial to ecosystem structure and function due to their commonality, with many species at high risk of extinction worldwide.
Researchers analyzed data from 300 German grasslands and forests to investigate the relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services. The study found that low-intensity farming and forestry can preserve biodiversity while providing material benefits.
A new report identifies priority areas for ecosystem restoration, which could rescue land-based species and soak up vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Protecting these areas and restoring natural ecosystems can deliver significant biodiversity and climate benefits at a relatively low cost.
A new study by Stanford University's Natural Capital Project emphasizes the importance of considering diverse human needs when conserving ecosystems. The researchers argue that a one-size-fits-all approach can exacerbate existing social and racial inequalities, and instead recommend inclusive policies that prioritize equity.
A study in Borneo found that degraded tropical forests have a high conservation value for 28 tropical mammal species. Mammals tend to avoid heavily degraded areas with open canopies and reduced vegetation density, highlighting the importance of maintaining good quality forest habitat.
New research identifies three laws to explain species diversity and abundance in ecosystems. Environmental change and variability are key drivers of fluctuations in species populations.
A proposed mining policy in Brazil's Amazon rainforest could lead to significant economic losses due to impacts on rubber, timber, and greenhouse gas mitigation ecosystem services. The policy threatens to destroy valuable ecosystems that provide an estimated $7 billion AUD annually, making it financially unsustainable.
Extensive measurement data reveals severe impact of heat and drought on lower-altitude ecosystems, while higher-altitude ecosystems benefited from warmer temperatures. Productivity fell by an average of 20% in mixed forest and meadows at lower altitudes.
A new study suggests that drastically shifting agricultural production from animals to plant-sourced foods could remove more than a decade of global carbon dioxide emissions. The research found that this change could free up space for ecosystems to regrow, effectively doubling Earth's rapidly shrinking carbon budget.
Researchers will investigate how changes in microbial diversity affect ecosystem function and health. The study aims to understand the role of functional redundancy in maintaining healthy ecosystems, with a focus on environmental complexity and its impact on soil health.
Researchers discovered fossil trees on Peru's Central Andean Plateau, revealing a more humid ecosystem than predicted by climate models. The findings support the hypothesis that tectonic uplift occurred in rapid pulses, shaping the region's climate and vegetation.
A new study emphasizes the importance of involving local communities in global forest restoration efforts, which could provide benefits to millions of people living on lands suitable for forest restoration. The research highlights opportunities for tropical countries to remove atmospheric carbon, promote biodiversity conservation, and ...
A new study using fossil pollen samples suggests that North America's plant biomes are experiencing low landscape resilience, similar to the end of the Pleistocene megafauna extinctions. The researchers found that forests persisted longer than grasslands and recovered more slowly if the ecosystem contains high plant biodiversity.
A new study using data from 123 studies worldwide found that smaller habitats lead to more species extinctions when compared to larger habitats. The researchers developed a way to develop more realistic biodiversity forecasting models by accounting for ecosystem decay.
A recent study published in AGU Advances reveals that warming peatlands can lead to a rapid release of stored carbon into the atmosphere. The researchers found that even modest temperature increases can trigger significant microbial processes, resulting in faster-than-historical carbon loss rates.
A rock core from Petrified Forest National Park has provided a continuous timeline of Earth's history from 225 million to 209 million years ago, shedding light on the Triassic dark ages. The analysis suggests two possible scenarios for the changes in the fossil record: gradual evolution or a powerful asteroid impact.
New international research reveals that forest cover loss amplifies both gains and losses in global biodiversity. The study, spanning 150 years and over 6,000 locations, finds that forests support around 80% of all land species, with some species declining rapidly after forest loss.
A new study reveals that global forest loss is amplifying both gains and losses in species diversity, leading to changes in ecosystems. The research found that some tropical areas experience significant declines in animal species due to forest loss.
Researchers found that beaver-induced floods create a network of interconnected habitats in southern Finland, increasing environmental heterogeneity. The study suggests beavers can help restore wetland ecosystems and conserve biodiversity.
The first issue of Restoration Ecology - Arid Lands (RE-AL) shares diverse voices from around the world focused on restoration in arid environments. Key findings include innovative technologies and best practices for practitioners in these ecosystems, addressing climate change and social importance.
Researchers are exploring areas of landscape less prone to disturbances like fire and drought, known as disturbance refugia, to understand why change doesn't occur as quickly in some landscapes. These refugia may hold the key for conserving forest landscapes and biodiversity in a changing climate.
A new measure, Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP), is proposed to value nature's contributions to economic activity and human well-being. GEP summarizes the economic value of nature's services, highlighting the need to balance domestic and ecosystem needs for a sustainable future.
The ES Matrix approach has been applied to assess ecosystem services in various studies, allowing for a higher number of ES assessment than other methods. However, the approach often lacks transparency and variability analyses, recommending improved applications and method elucidation.
A 425-million-year-old millipede fossil discovered in Scotland is the oldest known bug, challenging previous estimates of insect evolution. The find suggests that bugs evolved rapidly, going from simple lake communities to complex forest ecosystems within 40 million years.
A community-based research study has been launched to better understand the pandemic and regional infection patterns. The study will employ online data-gathering and at-home rapid diagnostic kits to help the medical community develop strategies for containment and possibly eliminate COVID-19 in defined communities.
Research found that nitrogen-rich soil is linked to the decline of less common plant species in European forests, leading to a loss of biodiversity. In contrast, nitrogen-loving species like nettle and blackberry are on the rise.
A study of Middle Triassic lacustrine sediments found that both lake and peat-forming forest ecosystems took up to 10 million years to recover after the EPME. The restoration of complex lacustrine ecosystems coincided with the termination of the coal gap, a period of no coals deposited worldwide.
Researchers suggest a more detailed approach to assessing forest health, focusing on protected areas with finer scale data. This method can help identify non-intact forests and track changes in forest cover over time.
A study by Oregon State University scientists found that increasing bison numbers in the park's Lamar Valley are exerting 10 times the environmental pressure of elk, disrupting species distribution and limiting woody plant communities. The findings suggest that the park's ecosystem engineers may be out of balance.
Shifts towards drought-tolerant traits in forests were associated with increased tree mortality, while photosynthetic and hydraulic trait diversity varied by region. Forest type also influenced the response to tree mortality.
The Amazon rainforest could disappear within a lifetime if a tipping point is reached, according to new research. Ecosystems dominated by single species are more stable and take longer to shift, while the loss of key species like elephants can trigger rapid changes.
Research reveals large ecosystems like Amazon forests can collapse in 49 years and Caribbean coral reefs in just 15 years. This accelerated rate of transformation is attributed to the modular structure of larger ecosystems, which initially provides resilience but ultimately accelerates unraveling when a threshold is passed.
A study on the BEF-China experiment found that directed species loss in high-diversity ecosystems leads to significant reductions in forest productivity. The researchers simulated both random and directed species extinction scenarios and analyzed the data, revealing that diversity alone does not protect against losses.
A thick buildup of organic matter on the forest floor can complicate efforts to use prescribed fire as a forest management tool. Controlled burns require specific prescriptions to minimize duff smoldering and prevent mortality of large, older pines and potential ecological consequences below ground.
A study examined water chemistry, macroinvertebrate community health, and microbial community structure in 25 streams with varying levels of oil and gas development intensity. The researchers found no significant associations between OG development intensity and chemical tracers or measures of ecosystem health.
A study by TUM found that higher biodiversity increases economic value, but only up to a certain point. Adding more species beyond this threshold doesn't produce significant benefits. Instead, a medium level of biodiversity is often most beneficial for ecosystem functionality and risk diversification.
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute found a correlation between the stability of giant kelp and understory seaweed and seafloor invertebrates, leading to higher biodiversity. The study suggests that robust kelp increases species diversity, promoting ecosystem stability.
The research uses detailed ecosystem population data to build models that aid environmental managers in selecting interventions, determining their impact on species populations. The models can be right more than 70% of the time, providing a better outcome than gut feeling or decisions that can't capture ecosystem complexity.
A study led by Michigan State University researchers found that a collective model created by over 200 anglers and fishing club members accurately predicted pike populations, habitat, and fishing pressure. The results show that involving diverse interest groups improves the accuracy of the solution.