ScienceDaily: Forest News

Study finds the sweet spot -- and the screw-ups -- that make or break environmental collective actions

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:08:08 EDT

Sustainability programs are a Goldilocks proposition -- some groups are too big, some are too small, and the environment benefits when the size of a group of people working to save it is just right. Scientists have found a sweet spot -- a group size at which the action is most effective. More importantly, the work revealed how behaviors of group members can pull bad policy up or drag good policy down.

Fossil kangaroo teeth reveal mosaic of Pliocene ecosystems in Queensland

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:33:33 EDT

The teeth of a kangaroo and other extinct marsupials reveal that southeastern Queensland 2.5-5-million-years ago was a mosaic of tropical forests, wetlands and grasslands and much less arid than previously thought.

Wood not so green a biofuel? Logging may have greater impact on carbon emissions than previously thought

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:21:21 EDT

Using wood for energy is considered cleaner than fossil fuels, but a new study finds that logging may release large amounts of carbon stored in deep forest soils.

Leakage of carbon from land to rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal regions revealed

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:51:51 EDT

When carbon is emitted by human activities into the atmosphere it is generally thought that about half remains in the atmosphere and the remainder is stored in the oceans and on land. New research suggests that human activity could be increasing the movement of carbon from land to rivers, estuaries and the coastal zone indicating that large quantities of anthropogenic carbon may be hidden in regions not previously considered.

Amazon forest fire risk to increase in 2013

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:39:39 EDT

University and NASA researchers predict that the severity of the 2013 fire season will be considerably higher than in 2011 and 2012 for many Amazon forests in the Southern Hemisphere. The outlook is based on a fire severity model that produced a successful first forecast in 2012.

Climate conditions determine Amazon fire risk

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:35:35 EDT

Using an innovative satellite technique, NASA scientists have determined that a previously unmapped type of wildfire in the Amazon rainforest is responsible for destroying several times more forest than has been lost through deforestation in recent years.

Anatomy determines how lizards attract partners and repel rivals

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:40:40 EDT

Catching the attention of females in a darkened rainforest amid a blur of windblown vegetation is no easy task. But male Anolis lizards on the island of Jamaica have evolved an ideal visual technique. A new study now solves the mystery of why their close relatives on the neighboring island of Puerto Rico do not adopt the same strategy.

Threatened frogs palmed off as forests disappear

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:39:39 EDT

The study describes how forests converted to palm oil plantations are causing threatened forest dwelling frogs to vanish, resulting in an overall loss of habitat that is important for the conservation of threatened frog species in the region.

Effects of interannual climate variability on tropical tree cover: Satellite data reveal how tropical ecosystems may respond to climate extremes

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:44:44 EDT

Tree cover in the tropics will likely change in surprising ways as climate change increases the frequency of extreme rainfall events, according to a new study.

Human activity echoes through Brazilian rainforest

Thu, 30 May 2013 14:19:19 EDT

The disappearance of large, fruit-eating birds from tropical forests in Brazil has caused the region's forest palms to produce smaller, less successful seeds over the past century, researchers say. The findings provide evidence that human activity can trigger fast-paced evolutionary changes in natural populations.

Rainforests take the heat, paleontologists show

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Rainforests thrived during previous global warming events, say paleontologists.

Land-based carbon offsets: False hope? Forest and soil carbon is important, but does not offset fossil fuel emissions

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:50:50 EDT

Leading world climate change experts have thrown cold water on the idea that planting trees can offset carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Land carbon sinks cannot solve the problem of atmospheric carbon emissions but they legitimize the ongoing use of fossil fuels.

Simplified solutions to deforestation ineffective in long run

Wed, 29 May 2013 09:21:21 EDT

Deforestation is the second largest source of CO2 emissions after consumption of fossil fuels. So-called PES programs, where landowners are paid to replant or protect forests, have been promoted as a way to reduce deforestation. However, the effectiveness of the programs has been questioned, and new research points to potential negative long-term effects and a need for broader guidelines and policies.

Rare species perform unique roles, even in diverse ecosystems

Tue, 28 May 2013 18:10:10 EDT

A new study reveals the potential importance of rare species in the functioning of highly diverse ecosystems. Using data from three different ecosystems -- coral reefs, tropical forests and alpine meadows -- a team of researchers has shown that it's primarily the rare species, rather than more common ones, that have distinct traits involved in unique ecological functions. As biodiversity declines, these unique features are particularly vulnerable to extinction because rare species are likely to disappear first.

Study explores 100 year increase in forestry diseases

Tue, 28 May 2013 10:58:58 EDT

A new study places ash dieback disease into its historical context.

Bees tell birds to buzz off: How bumblebees steal birds' nests

Tue, 28 May 2013 09:21:21 EDT

A new study reveals how bumblebees steal birds' nests. The study highlights the 'parasitism by theft' of bumblebees that invade birds' nests and claim them as their own. Their warning buzz helps bumblebees to "scare" the bird away from the nest.

Reforestation study shows trade-offs between water, carbon and timber

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:22:22 EDT

More than 13,000 ships per year transit the Panama Canal each year. Each time a ship passes through, more than 55 million gallons of water are used. The advent of large “super” cargo ships has demanded expansion of the canal, leaving the authority to consider how meet increased demand for water. One proposed measure is the reforestation of the watershed.

Drought makes Borneo's trees flower at the same time

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Tropical plants flower at supra-annual irregular intervals. In addition, mass flowering is typical for the tropical forests in Borneo and elsewhere, where hundreds of different plant timber species from the Dipterocarpaceae family flower synchronously. This phenomenon is all the more puzzling because both temperature and day length are relatively constant all year round due to geographical proximity to the equator.

Climate change and wildfire

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:26:26 EDT

Concerns continue to grow about the effects of climate change on fire. Wildfires are expected to increase 50 percent across the United States under a changing climate, over 100 percent in areas of the West by 2050 as projected by some studies. Of equal concern to scientists and policymakers alike are the atmospheric effects of wildfire emissions on climate. A new article synthesizes recent findings on the interactions between fire and climate and outlines future research needs.

Amazon River exhales virtually all carbon taken up by rainforest

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:43:43 EDT

Woody plant matter is almost completely digested by bacteria living in the Amazon River. This tough stuff plays a major part in fueling the river's breath. The finding has implications for global carbon models, and for the ecology of the Amazon and the world's other rivers. Until recently, people believed much of the rainforest's carbon floated down the Amazon River and ended up deep in the ocean.

Reading rock to understand how climate change unfolds

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:32:32 EDT

Geologists reads rock, looking for the natural rules that govern the Earth’s climate in the absence of human activity. New work is challenging many assumptions about the ways drastic climate change unfolds – and what to expect next.

Climate change may have little impact on tropical lizards: Study contradicts predictions of widespread extinction

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:58:58 EDT

Climate change may have little impact on many species of tropical lizards, contradicting a host of recent studies that predict their widespread extinction in a rapidly warming planet.

Helping forests gain ground on climate change

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:50:50 EDT

Researchers in Canada have developed guidelines being used by foresters and the timber industry to get a jump on climate change when planting trees.

No-win situation for agricultural expansion in the Amazon

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:55:55 EDT

The large-scale expansion of agriculture in the Amazon through deforestation will be a no-win scenario, according to a new study. The study shows that deforestation will not only reduce the capacity of the Amazon’s natural carbon sink, but will also inflict climate feedbacks that will decrease the productivity of pasture and soybeans.

Loss of eastern hemlock will affect forest water use

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

The loss of eastern hemlock from forests in the Southern Appalachian region of the United States could permanently change the area's hydrologic cycle, reports a new study.

U.S. urban trees store carbon, provide billions in economic value, finds state-by-state analysis

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:58:58 EDT

America's urban forests store an estimated 708 million tons of carbon, an environmental service with an estimated value of $50 billion, according to a recent study.

As climate changes, boreal forests to shift north and relinquish more carbon than expected

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:59:59 EDT

New research maps how Earth's myriad climates -- and the ecosystems that depend on them -- could move from one area to another as global temperatures rise. The approach foresees big changes for one of the planet's great carbon sponges. Boreal forests will likely shift north at a steady clip this century. Along the way, the vegetation will relinquish more trapped carbon than most current climate models predict.

Primate hibernation more common than previously thought

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:47:47 EDT

Until recently, the only primate known to hibernate as a survival strategy was a creature called the western fat-tailed dwarf lemur, a tropical tree-dweller from the African island of Madagascar. But it turns out this hibernating lemur isn't alone.

In the Northeast, forests with entirely native flora are not the norm

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Two-thirds of all forest inventory plots in the Northeast and Midwestern United States contain at least one non-native plant species, a new US Forest Service study found. The study across two dozen states from North Dakota to Maine can help land managers pinpoint areas on the landscape where invasive plants might take root.

Sushi for peccaries?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:59:59 EDT

It turns out the white-lipped peccary —- a piglike animal from Central and South America —- will settle for fish when fruits (its main food) are no longer on the menu, according to researchers revealing the first-ever photos of fish-eating peccaries.

Smoke signals: How burning plants tell seeds to rise from the ashes

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:59:59 EDT

In the spring following a forest fire, trees that survived the blaze explode in new growth and plants sprout in abundance from the scorched earth. For centuries, it was a mystery how seeds, some long dormant in the soil, knew to push through the ashes to regenerate the burned forest.

Peculiar life history of Middle American Stenamma ants

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:33:33 EDT

A recent revision of the Middle American clade of the ant genus Stenamma provides the description of 40 species, 33 of which are recognized as new to science. The extensive study provides the first thorough examination of the biology and taxonomy of these ants, focusing mainly on the worker caste and describing their peculiar nesting habits.

Scientists reveals escalating cost of forest conservation

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:23:23 EDT

New research illustrates how changes to farming could dramatically increase future costs of conservation.

Nitrogen has key role in estimating carbon dioxide emissions from land use change

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:07:07 EDT

A new global-scale modeling study that takes into account nitrogen -- a key nutrient for plants -- estimates that carbon emissions from human activities on land were 40 percent higher in the 1990s than in studies that did not account for nitrogen. Plant regrowth -- and therefore carbon assimilation by plants -- is limited by nitrogen availability, causing other studies to overestimate regrowth and underestimate net emissions from the harvest-regrowth cycle.

Global warming: 'Black carbon' flowing from soil to oceans

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:59:59 EDT

A smaller proportion of black carbon created during combustion will remain in soil than have been estimated before. Contrary to previous understanding, burying black carbon in the ground in order to restrain climate change will not create a permanent carbon reserve. Instead, a part of black carbon will dissolve from soil to rivers.

Escalating cost of forest conservation

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:51:51 EDT

In the face of unprecedented deforestation and biodiversity loss, policy makers are increasingly using financial incentives to encourage conservation.

Chimpanzees use botanical skills to discover fruit

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Fruit-eating animals are known to use their spatial memory to relocate fruit, yet, it is unclear how they manage to find fruit in the first place. Researchers have now investigated which strategies chimpanzees in the Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, use in order to find fruit in the rain forest. The result: Chimpanzees know that trees of certain species produce fruit simultaneously and use this botanical knowledge during their daily search for fruit.

Limiting greenhouse gas emissions from land use in Europe

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:27:27 EDT

New research estimates future land use emissions for the European Union, showing that Europe could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use by more than 60 percent by 2050.

Researchers help unlock pine beetle's Pandora's box

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:58:58 EDT

A paper detailing the newly created sequencing of the mountain pine beetle's genome will be gold in the hands of scientists trying to stem the beetle's invasion into eastern forests.

Trade emerging as a key driver of Brazilian deforestation

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:52:52 EDT

A new study found that trade and global consumption of Brazilian beef and soybeans is increasingly driving Brazilian deforestation. Consequently, current international efforts to protect rainforests (e.g., REDD) may be undermined by the increased trade and consumption.

Soils in newly forested areas store substantial carbon that could help offset climate change

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:07:07 EDT

Surface appearances can be so misleading: In most forests, the amount of carbon held in soils is substantially greater than the amount contained in the trees themselves, according to new research.

Decimation of critically endangered forest elephant detailed

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:53:53 EDT

African forest elephants are being poached out of existence. A new study shows that a staggering 62 percent of all forest elephants have been killed across their range in central Africa, for their ivory over the past decade.

Insect pests more plentiful in hotter parts of city than in cooler areas

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:05:05 EDT

Higher temperatures in cities can be a key driver of insect pest outbreaks on trees in urban areas, according to new research.

Mountain pine beetle genome decoded

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:36:36 EDT

The genome of the mountain pine beetle -- the insect that has devastated British Columbia's lodgepole pine forests -- has now been decoded.

Lemur lookalikes are two new species, DNA says

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

Scientists have identified two new species of mouse lemur, the saucer-eyed, teacup-sized primates native to the African island of Madagascar.

Decreased water flow may be trade-off for more productive forest

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:06:06 EDT

As the need for carbon sequestration, biofuels, and other forest products increases, study suggests that there might be unintended consequences to enhancing ecosystems using fertilization.

Global nitrogen availability consistent for past 500 years linked to carbon levels

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:51:51 EDT

Despite humans increasing nitrogen production through industrialization, nitrogen availability in many ecosystems has remained steady for the past 500 years, a new study finds.

Long-term water quality trends in near-pristine streams

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:54:54 EDT

For the first time, a study has compared water quality trends in forested streams across the U.S. that are largely undisturbed by land use or land cover changes.

Hunting for meat impacts on rainforest, fruit tree seed dispersal

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Hunting for meat in the African rainforests has halved the number of primates. However, the hunting also has other negative consequences. The decline in the number of primates causes a reduction in the dispersal of seed by the primates, and this leads to a reduction in the numbers of important fruit trees and changes to the rainforest.

Suggestions for a middle ground between unlogged forest and intensively managed lands

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:28:28 EDT

In the world's forested regions, two management systems -- retention forestry and agroforestry -- are being used to alleviate conflicts between preserving biodiversity and addressing human needs in production landscapes. A new article draws a parallel between the ecological effects of the two systems.

Logging debris gives newly planted Douglas-fir forests a leg-up

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:25:25 EDT

The downed limbs and other woody debris that are inevitable byproducts of timber harvest could be among the most important components of post-harvest landscapes, according to a new study.

Are tropical forests resilient to global warming?

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:38:38 EDT

Tropical forests are less likely to lose biomass – plants and plant material - in response to greenhouse gas emissions over the twenty-first century than may previously have been thought, suggests a new study.

A new cryptic spider species from Africa

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:47:47 EST

A revision of the cryptic, ground-dwelling spider genus Copa for the continental Afrotropical Region adds a new species to the genus, but altogether reduces the number of species in the region from four to two. A close look at the biology of the two described regional representatives display astonishing extremes in their vagility and ecological flexibility.

Bats not bothered by forest fires, study finds

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:11:11 EST

A survey of bat activity in burned and unburned areas after a major wildfire in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains found no evidence of detrimental effects on bats one year after the fire. The findings suggest that bats are resilient to high-severity fire, and some species may even benefit from the effects of fire on the landscape.

Monopoly of the male orangutan: Comparative field observations on Sumatra and Borneo

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:06:06 EST

The sexual development, mating habits and social hierarchy of the orangutans are more heavily dependent on their environment than had previously been assumed: where the rain forest supplies more food, the influence of the dominant male increases. In order to escape his attention, many other males remain "small."

Extinction looms for forest elephants: 60 percent of Africa's forest elephants killed for their ivory over past decade

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:12:12 EST

Across their range in central Africa, a staggering 62 percent of all forest elephants have been killed for their ivory over the past decade, new research shows.

Where the wild things go … when there's nowhere else

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:57:57 EST

The presence of endangered cats and primates in swamp forests might be seriously overlooked. Recent research concludes that swamp forests beg further exploration as places where endangered species have preserved their numbers -- and where humans could potentially preserve them into the future.

Exurban residences impact bird communities up to 200 meters away, study finds

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 EST

According to a new study impacts to bird communities from a single rural, “exurban” residence can extend up to 200 meters into the surrounding forest. The study also determined that sensitive bird species such as the hermit thrush and scarlet tanager prefer unbroken forests with no houses. Others, like the blue jay and black-capped chickadee, seem to like having, and often thrive with, human neighbors.

Science synthesis to help guide land management of U.S. forests

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:20:20 EST

Scientists have recently released a synthesis of relevant science that will help inform forest managers as they revise plans for the national forests in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades of California.

Little did we know about beetle diversity: Astonishing 138 new species in a single genus

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:40:40 EST

Researchers have described in a single article 138 new species in a genus of tropical beetles. This six-fold increase in known diversity indicates the extent to which remarkable biodiversity can remain undetected.