Articles tagged with Rainforests
Researchers discovered a generalized topology characteristic of self-organized complex systems in community organisation of plants and animals. This finding has significant implications for biodiversity conservation.
Marcella Kelly uses infrared remotely triggered cameras to photograph jaguars in Belize's Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Her research estimates the presence of at least eight jaguars per 100 square miles, highlighting the species' endangered status due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting.
Researchers have discovered that indigenous inhabitants of the Amazon improved the soil, rather than degrading it. The ability to reproduce this super-fertile soil could enable intensive agriculture in hot regions, making a significant impact on food production.
The Tumucumaque Mountains National Park, covering 9,562,770 acres, protects pristine forests and endangered species like jaguars, giant anteaters, and harpy eagles. The park ensures the conservation of biodiversity in the Brazilian Amazon.
The U.S.-Peru debt-for-nature swap aims to conserve ten tropical rain forest areas covering over 27.5 million acres, home to rare biodiversity and threatened species. The agreement generates funds for local Peruvian conservation groups and provides critical income streams for front-line conservation efforts.
Scientists have discovered two new monkey species, Callicebus bernhardi and Callicebus stephennashi, which are named after Prince Bernhard and Stephen Nash. These discoveries highlight the vast biodiversity of the Amazon rain forest, with over 95 species of primates found in Brazil alone.
A long-term study found that habitat fragmentation has a far-reaching impact on rainforests, increasing local extinction rates and altering species richness. To maintain diversity and dynamics, Amazonian nature reserves will need to be very large to withstand human disturbances.
The excavation of a chimpanzee stone tool site in the Ivory Coast reveals new insights into the behavior of our closest living relatives. The site, discovered using archaeological methods, shows that chimpanzees collected rocks from various sources and brought them to nut-cracking sites, creating large refuse accumulations.
Researchers found that moderately intense disturbances contribute to high tree species diversity in tropical rain forests. The study challenges previous findings, which suggested no effect of disturbance on diversity, and instead supports the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. The presence of heliophilous trees indicates recent canop...
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found significant differences in physical appearance and reproductive maturity among skinks living at forest edges compared to those in isolated populations. The research suggests that natural selection, rather than geographic isolation, plays a key role in ...
Cornell undergraduate students are using ethnobotany techniques to query Indian informants about plants with antibacterial properties, performing chemical extractions and bioassays. The research efforts have implications for discovering new drugs and preserving ancient lands.
A new biodiversity theory suggests that protecting ecotones along rainforest periphery is crucial for preserving biodiversity. Ecotones, the transition zones between rainforests and savannas, may be integral to generating biodiversity in tropical rain forests.
A comprehensive 23-year study of the Kibale rain forest in Uganda reveals that heavy logging severely reduces species diversity and hinders forest recovery. Sustainable logging is only viable if tree falls are spaced far apart, limited to large trees, and harvested with minimal machinery.