forests
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Environment
Report: Colorado Forests Release More Carbon than Captures Every year
Dead trees stand in the healthy things of the Colorado State Forest in Central Colorado. Field Peterson/Colorado State Forest Service. Credit: Field Peterson/Colorado State Forest Service Colorado forests store a large amount of carbon, but in most cases trees that die from insects and diseases release more carbon than have been absorbed in recent years, according to a report from…
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Earth
Research investigating how climate change has affected coastal forests over the past 10 years
Map of changes between sampling intervals in forested areas in low-elevation and mid-elevation (cross) counties created from FIA. Credit: PLOS Climate (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000444 A new study finds that climate change may have contrasting effects on coastal forests, slowing or enabling growth in areas where sea levels rise and storms occur more frequently. The researchers looked at 10 years of…
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Environment
Satellite observations reveal that changes in rainfall patterns affect crops and forests
Earth’s rainy days are changing, and plant life is responding. This visualization shows global average precipitation based on over 20 years of data from 2000 to 2023. Cooler colors indicate areas with less rainfall. Warmer colors receive more rain. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio A new NASA-led study has found that how the rain falls in a given year is…
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Biology
Mixed forests can reduce the risk of forest damage in warm climates
According to extensive data analyzed by researchers, mixed forests reduce damage to trees. Credit: Jan Bengtsson Forests with few tree species are at much greater risk of damage, and introduced lodgepole pines are particularly vulnerable. This is the result of a new study published in Ecosphere by researchers from Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Uppsala). The…
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Environment
First amber discovered in Antarctica brings new insights into Cretaceous forests
Close-up of approximately 70 µm amber extracted from lignite in the MeBo core deposit. Credit: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / V. Schumacher Until recently, there was a gap in the world map where amber was discovered: Antarctica. But thanks to a team led by Dr. Johann P. Klages of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, and Dr. Henny…
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Earth
Study finds that natural regeneration of tropical forests has immense potential to address environmental challenges
Joshua Slaughter (left) and Matthew Fagan discuss a map of Costa Rica’s forested areas. A global map of potential natural forest regrowth areas, developed in a nature study led by Brooke Williams and Hawthorne Beyer and based on the Global Forest Lands Database developed by Fagan, covers the area of tropical Mexico. This suggests that larger areas may be able…
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Environment
Road networks stretching into the forests of the Congo Basin: satellites and AI help monitor
Road development in the Congo Basin forests over the past five years. Credit: Remote Sensing of Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2024.114380 The Congo Basin rainforests are the second largest tropical forests in the world, store large amounts of carbon and host high levels of biodiversity. Historically these forests have remained largely intact, but more recently road development has posed a significant…
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Science
Researchers use training models to map planted and natural forests from satellite imagery
(a) World, (b) Europe, (c) Asia, (d) North America, (e) Oceania, (f) South America, (g) Africa. Photo credit: Xiao Yuelong, Tongji University. Reforestation may seem like a simple way to combat climate change, but planted forests often encroach on natural forests, wetlands and grasslands, which can reduce biodiversity, disrupt natural habitats and disrupt carbon and water cycles. Forest cover is…
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