The International Forest List Weekly News Digest - April 20, 2024
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“There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.” - Hippocrates
UW–Madison biochemist wins prestigious forestry prize for discoveries that support sustainable energy and product innovations
The world’s top prize in forestry research has been awarded to University of Wisconsin–Madison biochemistry professor John Ralph for work that has led to new uses for one of the world’s most abundant natural resources…
https://news.wisc.edu/uw-madison-biochemist-wins-prestigious-forestry-prize-for-discoveries-that-support-sustainable-energy-and-product-innovations/
Maximizing carbon sequestration potential in Chinese forests through optimal management
Forest carbon sequestration capacity in China remains uncertain due to underrepresented tree demographic dynamics and overlooked of harvest impacts. In this study, we employ a process-based biogeochemical model to make projections by using national forest…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47143-5
390 million seedlings: Mora reforestation center sets sights on restoring NM forests
State and federal forestry officials marked the two-year anniversary of the biggest wildfire in New Mexico history by outlining an ambitious plan to transform a small forest research facility in the burn scar into a vital source of drought-resistant tree seedlings for burned…
https://sourcenm.com/2024/04/17/390-million-seedlings-mora-reforestation-center-sets-sights-on-restoring-nm-forests/
Something Is Killing Saint Helena’s Cloud Forest
Rebecca Cairns-Wicks looks up at the branches of a black cabbage tree. It’s growing at the edge of a grassy road along a sinuous ridge leading up the misty slopes of the cloud forest on Saint Helena Island. Umbels of small flowers, like bunched-up daisies, drape over the…
https://hakaimagazine.com/news/something-is-killing-saint-helenas-cloud-forest/
Montana facing a forest health crisis
Montana is in a forest health crisis — a crisis that has been declared on both the state and federal levels. This is because of prior years of mismanagement and fire mitigation that have allowed large amounts of overgrowth, which in turn acts as fuel for wildfires. There…
https://www.kpax.com/montana-is-in-a-forest-health-crisis
How Are Deep Soils Responding to Warming?
Soil ecosystems play fundamental roles in sustaining food and fiber production, improving water quality and availability, sequestering carbon, and providing other societal needs. Climate warming affects the ability of soils to provide these ecosystem services, likely…
https://eos.org/science-updates/how-are-deep-soils-responding-to-warming
Inorganic Soil Can Hold More Carbon Than Previously Thought
Soil carbon usually refers only to the organic matter component of soils, known as soil organic carbon (SOC). However, soil carbon also has an inorganic component, known as soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Solid SIC, often calcium carbonate, tends to accumulate…
https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/inorganic-soil-can-hold-more-carbon-than-previously-thought-385728
WVU researcher studying worst western US megadrought in 1,200 years
Drylands in the western United States are currently in the grips of a 23-year “megadrought,” and one West Virginia University researcher is working to gain a better understanding of this extreme climate event. Steve Kannenberg, assistant professor…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041632
Soil Bacteria Link their Life Strategies to Soil Conditions
Soil bacteria help regulate the cycling of carbon and nutrients on Earth. Over time, these bacteria have evolved strategies that determine where they live, what they do, and how they deal with a changing environment. However, microbiologists do not fully…
https://www.energy.gov/science/ber/articles/soil-bacteria-link-their-life-strategies-soil-conditions
Hidden pool of global soil carbon alters climate change models
A recent study has revealed a significant yet often overlooked component of the Earth’s carbon cycle: soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Traditionally, discussions about soil carbon have focused predominantly on soil organic carbon (SOC), which refers to the decomposed…
https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-pool-of-global-soil-carbon-alters-climate-change-models/
Scientists discover how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments
Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall—how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by an ERC project led by microbiologist Dagmar Woebken from the Centre…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-soil-microbes-survive-harsh.html
Understanding climate warming impacts on carbon release from the tundra
The warming climate shifts the dynamics of tundra environments and makes them release trapped carbon, according to a new study published in Nature. These changes could transform tundras from carbon sinks into a carbon source, exacerbating the effects of…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041469
Crunching worms, squeaking voles, drumming ants: how scientists are learning to eavesdrop on the sounds of soil
The sound of an earthworm is a distinctive rasping and scrunching. Ants sound like the soothing patter of rain. A passing, tunnelling vole makes a noise like a squeaky dog’s toy repeatedly being chewed. On a spring day at Rothamsted Research, an agricultural…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/19/scientists-wildlife-sounds-underground-species-soil-aoe
Warming and exogenous organic matter input affected temperature sensitivity and microbial carbon use efficiency of agricultural soil respiration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of the most dramatically affected regions by global warming. For a long time, the region has been exposed by low temperature and soil moisture, which led to the severe inhibition of the soil biological activities and…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041693
Multifractal characteristics of soil particle size distribution of abandoned homestead reclamation under different forest management modes
In this study, fast-growing poplar reclaimed from abandoned homestead in Xixian New District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, was used as the research object to explore the multi-fractal characteristics of soil particle size distribution under different management…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-59466-w
New Class of Antimicrobials Discovered in Soil Bacteria
Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors, especially others of their own species. The discovery of the umbrella toxin particles and related information about…
https://www.labmanager.com/new-class-of-antimicrobials-discovered-in-soil-bacteria-32102
Climate change is wiping out rare bacteria in Antarctic soil
Antarctica’s cold, dry soils are teeming with microbial life, but we know remarkably little about how its microorganisms are affected by climate change. New Australian research has begun to fill in these gaps, focussing on a specific type of microbe – chemotrophs…
https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/climate-change-is-wiping-out-rare-bacteria-in-antarctic-soil/
How Different Trees Alter Soil Nutrients in Rainforests
Understanding the dynamics of phosphorus (P) in tropical rainforests is crucial for grasping how these ecosystems function and thrive. Phosphorus is a key nutrient that, despite its abundance in many ecosystems, is often in short supply in the form of compounds that…
https://naturalsciencenews.com/article/1307
Plantwatch: why does a rainforest vine turn into a part-time carnivore?
It sounds like a science fiction horror movie – a carnivorous plant that grows up to 60 metres high reaching up through the canopies of tropical trees, feasting on bugs using sticky leaf glands that ooze digestive enzymes to absorb its catch of prey…
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/17/plantwatch-why-does-a-rainforest-vine-turn-into-a-part-time-carnivore
Scientists find vast numbers of illegal 'ghost roads' used to crack open pristine rainforest
One of Brazil's top scientists, Eneas Salati, once said, "The best thing you could do for the Amazon rainforest is to blow up all the roads." He wasn't joking. And he had a point. In an article published in Nature, my colleagues and I show that illicit, often out-of-control…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-vast-illegal-ghost-roads.html
Brazil faces Indigenous resistance over plans to drill for oil in Amazon rainforest
State-run energy firm Petrobras has hit growing resistance from Indigenous groups and government agencies to its premier exploration project, which would open the most promising part of Brazil's northern coast to oil drilling. Environmental agency Ibama…
https://www.foxnews.com/world/brazil-faces-indigenous-resistance-plans-drill-oil-amazon-rainforest
Solomon Islands Tribes Sell Carbon Credits, Not Their Trees
In a South Pacific nation ravaged by logging, several tribes joined together to sell “high integrity” carbon credits on international markets. The project not only preserves their highly biodiverse rainforest, but it funnels life-changing income to Indigenous…
https://e360.yale.edu/features/solomon-islands-sirebe-carbon-credits
Berkshire tropical park hopes to have UK's first net zero rainforest
An educational visitor centre is hoping to build the UK's first net zero structure housing a tropical rainforest. The Living Rainforest, in Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire, said it was planning a redesign to become "more climate resilient and adaptive". It has been visited…
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-68827675
More Than 700 Wildlife Species Discovered in Cambodian Mangrove Forest
In one of the most detailed surveys ever undertaken, hundreds of animal species — from birds to primates to web-footed wildcats — have been discovered in a Cambodian mangrove forest. Team leader Stefanie Rog — a conservation biologist and senior…
https://www.ecowatch.com/cambodia-mangrove-forest-species-discovery.html
Streams that supply drinking water in danger following 2023 Supreme Court decision that stripped wetlands protections: Report
A Supreme Court decision that stripped protections from America's wetlands will have reverberating impacts on rivers that supply drinking water all over the U.S., according to a new report. The rivers of New Mexico are among the waterways that will be affected…
https://abcnews.go.com/US/streams-supply-drinking-water-danger-2023-supreme-court/story?id=109139758
Fed cash for Yuma East Wetlands preservation applauded by Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe
In the 20 years since rehabilitation efforts began in the Yuma East Wetlands, the riparian habitat has gone from a dangerous illegal dumping site overrun with invasive plants to a place where people can safely access the Colorado River as native plants, birds, bugs…
https://azmirror.com/2024/04/16/fed-cash-for-yuma-east-wetlands-preservation-applauded-by-fort-yuma-quechan-tribe/
Unlocking the secrets of forest heights: the role of GEDI LiDAR technology
A team of researchers has unveiled a novel approach to accurately characterizing tree height composition in forests using the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. This study marks a significant…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041229
Using sentinel-2 satellite images and machine learning algorithms to predict tropical pasture forage mass, crude protein, and fiber content
Grasslands cover approximately 24% of the Earth’s surface and are the main feed source for cattle and other ruminants. Sustainable and efficient grazing systems require regular monitoring of the quantity and nutritive value of pastures. This study demonstrates the…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-59160-x
Mapping plant functional diversity from space: HKU ecologists revolutionize ecosystem monitoring with novel field-satellite integration
An international team of researchers, led by Professor Jin WU from the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has made a promising advancement in mapping plant functional traits from space using time-series satellite data. The study…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041704
Congress Urged to Spend $857 Million to Fully Fund Endangered Species Protection
More than 115 conservation groups urged Congress today to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $329 million to $857 million — nearly a three-fold increase over the fiscal year 2024 budget that would…
https://defenders.org/newsroom/congress-urged-spend-857-million-fully-fund-endangered-species-protection
Rewilding amphibians: Protecting endangered species to restore ecosystems
In a recent paper published in Biological Conservation, iDiv researchers suggest that given amphibians' ability to act as "canaries in the coal mine" for aquatic environments, they should be reintroduced or rewilded. Rewilding would not only help protect these…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-rewilding-amphibians-endangered-species-ecosystems.html
2 more endangered ferrets cloned from animal frozen in the 1980s: "Science takes time"
Two more black-footed ferrets have been cloned from the genes used for the first clone of an endangered species in the U.S., bringing to three the number of slinky predators genetically identical to one of the last such animals found in the wild, the U.S. Fish and…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/endangered-ferrets-cloned-animal-frozen-1980s/
Texas wildlife refuges to more than double in size under new plans
Thousands of acres will be added to two wildlife refuges along the Texas Gulf Coast in an effort to conserve the habitats of endangered species in the regions. Under plans finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Aransas National Wildlife…
https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/texas-wildlife-refuges-expansion-19407863.php
Puerto Rican parrot threatened by more intense, climate-driven hurricanes
There were 56 wild, endangered Puerto Rican parrots living around El Yunque National Forest before Hurricane Maria in 2017. After the storm, there was only one survivor. "I'll admit that a couple of times I just cried," said Tom White, a biologist with the U.S. Fish…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/puerto-rico-parrot-most-endangered-species-climate-change/
Scientists trying to protect wildlife from extinction as climate change raises risk to species around the globe
From clean air and water to healthy soil and medicines, our survival and prosperity rely heavily on the rich diversity of plants and animals that make up our world. A 2019 U.N. report found that around 1 million plant and animal species could be threatened with…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-millions-species-extinct/
Nigeria, Cameroon sign wildlife protection pact
Nigeria and Cameroon on Friday signed a historic partnership designed to protect wildlife, preserve critical habitats and tackle illegal wildlife trade across their borders. Nigeria's environment minister, his Cameroonian counterpart and other dignitaries were present…
https://www.voanews.com/a/nigeria-cameroon-sign-wildlife-protection-pact-/7577406.html
Can Tech Help Save Endangered Species From Extinction?
Protecting endangered species is crucial for preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance. Each species plays a unique role in its ecosystem, contributing to various ecological processes, such as pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling…
https://techround.co.uk/tech/tech-save-endangered-species/
Good news from the natural world: Five key species that are growing in number
As the world faces climate change and the loss of natural habitats, many wild animals are threatened with extinction. A United Nations report calculated that up to one million of the world’s estimated eight million animal and plant species were threatened with extinction…
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2024/04/15/good-news-from-the-natural-world-five-key-species-that-are-seeing-their-numbers-grow/
Climate Change Challenges And Solutions In Forestry & Agriculture
Climate change is already impacting agriculture and forestry production in the U.S. However, these sectors also hold the key to adaptation and mitigation. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is at the forefront of addressing these challenges and…
https://fas.org/publication/climate-change-forestry-agriculture/
Forests a national asset and a major contributor to financial wealth, says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has asserted in a judgment that forests in India are a national asset and a major contributor to the nation’s financial wealth. “It is the spirit of the forest that moves the earth,” a Bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh observed in a judgment…
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forests-a-national-asset-and-a-major-contributor-to-financial-wealth-sc-judgment/article68083798.ece
Toronto looks to expand tree canopy with planting on private land
As the city of Toronto works to build more housing, it faces another challenge too: less space for trees, which the city is trying to plant in large numbers to improve air quality, reduce storm water runoff and cool city streets as summers heat up…
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-urban-forests-housing-challenge-1.7178210
How responsible forestry can be part of a plastic pollution solution
While life without plastic might be hard to imagine, there is a renewable, recyclable and sustainable alternative to single-use plastics and many other fossil fuel derivatives: wood from responsibly managed plantations and forests, says Forestry South Africa (FSA)…
https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/publicity/155934/how-responsible-forestry-can-be-part-of-a-plastic-pollution-solution
2.5 Million Seedlings Dispatched For State Forest Replanting
ACCORDING to the Forestry Corporation of NSW, almost 2.5-million hardwood and softwood seedlings are being dispatched from the organisation’s Grafton Nursery to be replanted in state forests across Northern New South Wales. The Grafton Nursery grows…
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/2-5-million-seedlings-dispatched-for-state-forest-replanting
Urban methane emission monitoring across North America using TROPOMI data: an analytical inversion approach
Monitoring methane emissions is crucial in mitigating climate change as it has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years and a significant radiative forcing impact. To measure the impact of methane-controlling policies and techniques, a deep…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-58995-8
Western Australia’s eucalypt forests fade to brown as century-old giant jarrahs die in heat and drought
A couple of weeks ago, Joe Fontaine stood in the middle of one of Western Australia’s eucalypt forests on another hot and dry day that was stripped of the usually raucous backing-track of bird calls. “I could hear this scratching-crunching noise coming from…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/20/western-australias-eucalypt-forests-fade-to-brown-as-century-old-giant-jarrahs-die-in-heat-and-drought
The big dry: forests and shrublands are dying in parched Western Australia
Perth has just had its driest six months on record, while Western Australia sweltered through its hottest summer on record. Those records are remarkable in their own right. But these records are having real consequences. Unlike us, trees and shrubs can’t escape…
https://theconversation.com/the-big-dry-forests-and-shrublands-are-dying-in-parched-western-australia-227053
Rare Elephants’ Survival Roulette on Kenya-Tanzania Border
The 35-year-old super-tusker, who was just entering his reproductive years, belonged to a unique population of elephants who traverse from Kenya’s Amboseli National Park to northern Tanzania. Super-tusker elephants —who have at least one tusk weighing over…
https://www.occrp.org/en/37-ccblog/ccblog/18669-rare-elephants-survival-roulette-on-kenya-tanzania-border
Indonesia's biodiesel industry contributing to deforestation
Indonesia is aiming to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, with 30 percent of the country's energy slated to come from biodiesel by 2030. But the plan has caused alarm among environmental groups. Palm oil, a key component of biodiesel, is the primary…
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20240417-indonesia-s-biodiesel-industry-contributing-to-deforestation
Climate change is coming for our incomes, study warns. Which countries will lose out the most?
In Europe, southern countries like Spain and Italy will bear the brunt of declining incomes, while Arctic-adjacent nations could benefit. The climate crisis will reduce global income by about a fifth in the next 25 years compared to a fictional world that's not warming. That’s…
https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/04/18/climate-change-is-coming-for-our-incomes-study-warns-which-countries-will-lose-out-the-mos
Alberta municipalities, farmers agree to cut water use as drought persists
Municipalities and irrigation districts in the western Canadian province of Alberta have agreed to use less water this summer to combat a severe ongoing drought, the provincial government said on Friday. Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said water license…
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/alberta-municipalities-farmers-agree-cut-water-use-drought-persists-2024-04-19/
These are the neighbourhoods in most urgent need of trees
Trees protect health and lower bills, and planting them in tree-poor communities of colour can have especially powerful benefits. Every weekend, a group of volunteers plant up to 50 trees in Soundview Park in New York City. Its 205 acres (83 ha) line the last mile of the…
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240415-why-cities-should-plant-trees-with-racial-equity-in-mind
For climate migrants in Bangladesh, town offers new life
The 29-year-old Monira Khatun was devastated after her husband abandoned her suddenly. She returned to her father only to face another blow: He died soon after, leaving her to shoulder three other family members’ care. Without any work, she was worried…
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-climate-science-business-environment-f12044741514a62ca3f4fd692bf006d0
How to end hunger in sub-Saharan Africa: fight inequality, gender imbalances and climate change
A greater part of Africa’s population can’t afford a healthy diet than any other regional population. Food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa is caused by climate change, high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure and…
https://theconversation.com/how-to-end-hunger-in-sub-saharan-africa-fight-inequality-gender-imbalances-and-climate-change-226660
UW–Madison biochemist wins prestigious forestry prize for discoveries that support sustainable energy and product innovations
The world’s top prize in forestry research has been awarded to University of Wisconsin–Madison biochemistry professor John Ralph for work that has led to new uses for one of the world’s most abundant natural resources…
https://news.wisc.edu/uw-madison-biochemist-wins-prestigious-forestry-prize-for-discoveries-that-support-sustainable-energy-and-product-innovations/
Maximizing carbon sequestration potential in Chinese forests through optimal management
Forest carbon sequestration capacity in China remains uncertain due to underrepresented tree demographic dynamics and overlooked of harvest impacts. In this study, we employ a process-based biogeochemical model to make projections by using national forest…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-47143-5
390 million seedlings: Mora reforestation center sets sights on restoring NM forests
State and federal forestry officials marked the two-year anniversary of the biggest wildfire in New Mexico history by outlining an ambitious plan to transform a small forest research facility in the burn scar into a vital source of drought-resistant tree seedlings for burned…
https://sourcenm.com/2024/04/17/390-million-seedlings-mora-reforestation-center-sets-sights-on-restoring-nm-forests/
Something Is Killing Saint Helena’s Cloud Forest
Rebecca Cairns-Wicks looks up at the branches of a black cabbage tree. It’s growing at the edge of a grassy road along a sinuous ridge leading up the misty slopes of the cloud forest on Saint Helena Island. Umbels of small flowers, like bunched-up daisies, drape over the…
https://hakaimagazine.com/news/something-is-killing-saint-helenas-cloud-forest/
Montana facing a forest health crisis
Montana is in a forest health crisis — a crisis that has been declared on both the state and federal levels. This is because of prior years of mismanagement and fire mitigation that have allowed large amounts of overgrowth, which in turn acts as fuel for wildfires. There…
https://www.kpax.com/montana-is-in-a-forest-health-crisis
How Are Deep Soils Responding to Warming?
Soil ecosystems play fundamental roles in sustaining food and fiber production, improving water quality and availability, sequestering carbon, and providing other societal needs. Climate warming affects the ability of soils to provide these ecosystem services, likely…
https://eos.org/science-updates/how-are-deep-soils-responding-to-warming
Inorganic Soil Can Hold More Carbon Than Previously Thought
Soil carbon usually refers only to the organic matter component of soils, known as soil organic carbon (SOC). However, soil carbon also has an inorganic component, known as soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Solid SIC, often calcium carbonate, tends to accumulate…
https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/inorganic-soil-can-hold-more-carbon-than-previously-thought-385728
WVU researcher studying worst western US megadrought in 1,200 years
Drylands in the western United States are currently in the grips of a 23-year “megadrought,” and one West Virginia University researcher is working to gain a better understanding of this extreme climate event. Steve Kannenberg, assistant professor…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041632
Soil Bacteria Link their Life Strategies to Soil Conditions
Soil bacteria help regulate the cycling of carbon and nutrients on Earth. Over time, these bacteria have evolved strategies that determine where they live, what they do, and how they deal with a changing environment. However, microbiologists do not fully…
https://www.energy.gov/science/ber/articles/soil-bacteria-link-their-life-strategies-soil-conditions
Hidden pool of global soil carbon alters climate change models
A recent study has revealed a significant yet often overlooked component of the Earth’s carbon cycle: soil inorganic carbon (SIC). Traditionally, discussions about soil carbon have focused predominantly on soil organic carbon (SOC), which refers to the decomposed…
https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-pool-of-global-soil-carbon-alters-climate-change-models/
Scientists discover how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments
Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall—how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by an ERC project led by microbiologist Dagmar Woebken from the Centre…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-soil-microbes-survive-harsh.html
Understanding climate warming impacts on carbon release from the tundra
The warming climate shifts the dynamics of tundra environments and makes them release trapped carbon, according to a new study published in Nature. These changes could transform tundras from carbon sinks into a carbon source, exacerbating the effects of…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041469
Crunching worms, squeaking voles, drumming ants: how scientists are learning to eavesdrop on the sounds of soil
The sound of an earthworm is a distinctive rasping and scrunching. Ants sound like the soothing patter of rain. A passing, tunnelling vole makes a noise like a squeaky dog’s toy repeatedly being chewed. On a spring day at Rothamsted Research, an agricultural…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/19/scientists-wildlife-sounds-underground-species-soil-aoe
Warming and exogenous organic matter input affected temperature sensitivity and microbial carbon use efficiency of agricultural soil respiration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of the most dramatically affected regions by global warming. For a long time, the region has been exposed by low temperature and soil moisture, which led to the severe inhibition of the soil biological activities and…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041693
Multifractal characteristics of soil particle size distribution of abandoned homestead reclamation under different forest management modes
In this study, fast-growing poplar reclaimed from abandoned homestead in Xixian New District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province, was used as the research object to explore the multi-fractal characteristics of soil particle size distribution under different management…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-59466-w
New Class of Antimicrobials Discovered in Soil Bacteria
Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors, especially others of their own species. The discovery of the umbrella toxin particles and related information about…
https://www.labmanager.com/new-class-of-antimicrobials-discovered-in-soil-bacteria-32102
Climate change is wiping out rare bacteria in Antarctic soil
Antarctica’s cold, dry soils are teeming with microbial life, but we know remarkably little about how its microorganisms are affected by climate change. New Australian research has begun to fill in these gaps, focussing on a specific type of microbe – chemotrophs…
https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/climate-change-is-wiping-out-rare-bacteria-in-antarctic-soil/
How Different Trees Alter Soil Nutrients in Rainforests
Understanding the dynamics of phosphorus (P) in tropical rainforests is crucial for grasping how these ecosystems function and thrive. Phosphorus is a key nutrient that, despite its abundance in many ecosystems, is often in short supply in the form of compounds that…
https://naturalsciencenews.com/article/1307
Plantwatch: why does a rainforest vine turn into a part-time carnivore?
It sounds like a science fiction horror movie – a carnivorous plant that grows up to 60 metres high reaching up through the canopies of tropical trees, feasting on bugs using sticky leaf glands that ooze digestive enzymes to absorb its catch of prey…
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/17/plantwatch-why-does-a-rainforest-vine-turn-into-a-part-time-carnivore
Scientists find vast numbers of illegal 'ghost roads' used to crack open pristine rainforest
One of Brazil's top scientists, Eneas Salati, once said, "The best thing you could do for the Amazon rainforest is to blow up all the roads." He wasn't joking. And he had a point. In an article published in Nature, my colleagues and I show that illicit, often out-of-control…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-vast-illegal-ghost-roads.html
Brazil faces Indigenous resistance over plans to drill for oil in Amazon rainforest
State-run energy firm Petrobras has hit growing resistance from Indigenous groups and government agencies to its premier exploration project, which would open the most promising part of Brazil's northern coast to oil drilling. Environmental agency Ibama…
https://www.foxnews.com/world/brazil-faces-indigenous-resistance-plans-drill-oil-amazon-rainforest
Solomon Islands Tribes Sell Carbon Credits, Not Their Trees
In a South Pacific nation ravaged by logging, several tribes joined together to sell “high integrity” carbon credits on international markets. The project not only preserves their highly biodiverse rainforest, but it funnels life-changing income to Indigenous…
https://e360.yale.edu/features/solomon-islands-sirebe-carbon-credits
Berkshire tropical park hopes to have UK's first net zero rainforest
An educational visitor centre is hoping to build the UK's first net zero structure housing a tropical rainforest. The Living Rainforest, in Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire, said it was planning a redesign to become "more climate resilient and adaptive". It has been visited…
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-68827675
More Than 700 Wildlife Species Discovered in Cambodian Mangrove Forest
In one of the most detailed surveys ever undertaken, hundreds of animal species — from birds to primates to web-footed wildcats — have been discovered in a Cambodian mangrove forest. Team leader Stefanie Rog — a conservation biologist and senior…
https://www.ecowatch.com/cambodia-mangrove-forest-species-discovery.html
Streams that supply drinking water in danger following 2023 Supreme Court decision that stripped wetlands protections: Report
A Supreme Court decision that stripped protections from America's wetlands will have reverberating impacts on rivers that supply drinking water all over the U.S., according to a new report. The rivers of New Mexico are among the waterways that will be affected…
https://abcnews.go.com/US/streams-supply-drinking-water-danger-2023-supreme-court/story?id=109139758
Fed cash for Yuma East Wetlands preservation applauded by Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe
In the 20 years since rehabilitation efforts began in the Yuma East Wetlands, the riparian habitat has gone from a dangerous illegal dumping site overrun with invasive plants to a place where people can safely access the Colorado River as native plants, birds, bugs…
https://azmirror.com/2024/04/16/fed-cash-for-yuma-east-wetlands-preservation-applauded-by-fort-yuma-quechan-tribe/
Unlocking the secrets of forest heights: the role of GEDI LiDAR technology
A team of researchers has unveiled a novel approach to accurately characterizing tree height composition in forests using the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology. This study marks a significant…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041229
Using sentinel-2 satellite images and machine learning algorithms to predict tropical pasture forage mass, crude protein, and fiber content
Grasslands cover approximately 24% of the Earth’s surface and are the main feed source for cattle and other ruminants. Sustainable and efficient grazing systems require regular monitoring of the quantity and nutritive value of pastures. This study demonstrates the…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-59160-x
Mapping plant functional diversity from space: HKU ecologists revolutionize ecosystem monitoring with novel field-satellite integration
An international team of researchers, led by Professor Jin WU from the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has made a promising advancement in mapping plant functional traits from space using time-series satellite data. The study…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041704
Congress Urged to Spend $857 Million to Fully Fund Endangered Species Protection
More than 115 conservation groups urged Congress today to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $329 million to $857 million — nearly a three-fold increase over the fiscal year 2024 budget that would…
https://defenders.org/newsroom/congress-urged-spend-857-million-fully-fund-endangered-species-protection
Rewilding amphibians: Protecting endangered species to restore ecosystems
In a recent paper published in Biological Conservation, iDiv researchers suggest that given amphibians' ability to act as "canaries in the coal mine" for aquatic environments, they should be reintroduced or rewilded. Rewilding would not only help protect these…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-rewilding-amphibians-endangered-species-ecosystems.html
2 more endangered ferrets cloned from animal frozen in the 1980s: "Science takes time"
Two more black-footed ferrets have been cloned from the genes used for the first clone of an endangered species in the U.S., bringing to three the number of slinky predators genetically identical to one of the last such animals found in the wild, the U.S. Fish and…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/endangered-ferrets-cloned-animal-frozen-1980s/
Texas wildlife refuges to more than double in size under new plans
Thousands of acres will be added to two wildlife refuges along the Texas Gulf Coast in an effort to conserve the habitats of endangered species in the regions. Under plans finalized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Aransas National Wildlife…
https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/texas-wildlife-refuges-expansion-19407863.php
Puerto Rican parrot threatened by more intense, climate-driven hurricanes
There were 56 wild, endangered Puerto Rican parrots living around El Yunque National Forest before Hurricane Maria in 2017. After the storm, there was only one survivor. "I'll admit that a couple of times I just cried," said Tom White, a biologist with the U.S. Fish…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/puerto-rico-parrot-most-endangered-species-climate-change/
Scientists trying to protect wildlife from extinction as climate change raises risk to species around the globe
From clean air and water to healthy soil and medicines, our survival and prosperity rely heavily on the rich diversity of plants and animals that make up our world. A 2019 U.N. report found that around 1 million plant and animal species could be threatened with…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-millions-species-extinct/
Nigeria, Cameroon sign wildlife protection pact
Nigeria and Cameroon on Friday signed a historic partnership designed to protect wildlife, preserve critical habitats and tackle illegal wildlife trade across their borders. Nigeria's environment minister, his Cameroonian counterpart and other dignitaries were present…
https://www.voanews.com/a/nigeria-cameroon-sign-wildlife-protection-pact-/7577406.html
Can Tech Help Save Endangered Species From Extinction?
Protecting endangered species is crucial for preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance. Each species plays a unique role in its ecosystem, contributing to various ecological processes, such as pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling…
https://techround.co.uk/tech/tech-save-endangered-species/
Good news from the natural world: Five key species that are growing in number
As the world faces climate change and the loss of natural habitats, many wild animals are threatened with extinction. A United Nations report calculated that up to one million of the world’s estimated eight million animal and plant species were threatened with extinction…
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2024/04/15/good-news-from-the-natural-world-five-key-species-that-are-seeing-their-numbers-grow/
Climate Change Challenges And Solutions In Forestry & Agriculture
Climate change is already impacting agriculture and forestry production in the U.S. However, these sectors also hold the key to adaptation and mitigation. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is at the forefront of addressing these challenges and…
https://fas.org/publication/climate-change-forestry-agriculture/
Forests a national asset and a major contributor to financial wealth, says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has asserted in a judgment that forests in India are a national asset and a major contributor to the nation’s financial wealth. “It is the spirit of the forest that moves the earth,” a Bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh observed in a judgment…
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forests-a-national-asset-and-a-major-contributor-to-financial-wealth-sc-judgment/article68083798.ece
Toronto looks to expand tree canopy with planting on private land
As the city of Toronto works to build more housing, it faces another challenge too: less space for trees, which the city is trying to plant in large numbers to improve air quality, reduce storm water runoff and cool city streets as summers heat up…
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-urban-forests-housing-challenge-1.7178210
How responsible forestry can be part of a plastic pollution solution
While life without plastic might be hard to imagine, there is a renewable, recyclable and sustainable alternative to single-use plastics and many other fossil fuel derivatives: wood from responsibly managed plantations and forests, says Forestry South Africa (FSA)…
https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/publicity/155934/how-responsible-forestry-can-be-part-of-a-plastic-pollution-solution
2.5 Million Seedlings Dispatched For State Forest Replanting
ACCORDING to the Forestry Corporation of NSW, almost 2.5-million hardwood and softwood seedlings are being dispatched from the organisation’s Grafton Nursery to be replanted in state forests across Northern New South Wales. The Grafton Nursery grows…
https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/2-5-million-seedlings-dispatched-for-state-forest-replanting
Urban methane emission monitoring across North America using TROPOMI data: an analytical inversion approach
Monitoring methane emissions is crucial in mitigating climate change as it has a relatively short atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years and a significant radiative forcing impact. To measure the impact of methane-controlling policies and techniques, a deep…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-58995-8
Western Australia’s eucalypt forests fade to brown as century-old giant jarrahs die in heat and drought
A couple of weeks ago, Joe Fontaine stood in the middle of one of Western Australia’s eucalypt forests on another hot and dry day that was stripped of the usually raucous backing-track of bird calls. “I could hear this scratching-crunching noise coming from…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/20/western-australias-eucalypt-forests-fade-to-brown-as-century-old-giant-jarrahs-die-in-heat-and-drought
The big dry: forests and shrublands are dying in parched Western Australia
Perth has just had its driest six months on record, while Western Australia sweltered through its hottest summer on record. Those records are remarkable in their own right. But these records are having real consequences. Unlike us, trees and shrubs can’t escape…
https://theconversation.com/the-big-dry-forests-and-shrublands-are-dying-in-parched-western-australia-227053
Rare Elephants’ Survival Roulette on Kenya-Tanzania Border
The 35-year-old super-tusker, who was just entering his reproductive years, belonged to a unique population of elephants who traverse from Kenya’s Amboseli National Park to northern Tanzania. Super-tusker elephants —who have at least one tusk weighing over…
https://www.occrp.org/en/37-ccblog/ccblog/18669-rare-elephants-survival-roulette-on-kenya-tanzania-border
Indonesia's biodiesel industry contributing to deforestation
Indonesia is aiming to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, with 30 percent of the country's energy slated to come from biodiesel by 2030. But the plan has caused alarm among environmental groups. Palm oil, a key component of biodiesel, is the primary…
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/focus/20240417-indonesia-s-biodiesel-industry-contributing-to-deforestation
Climate change is coming for our incomes, study warns. Which countries will lose out the most?
In Europe, southern countries like Spain and Italy will bear the brunt of declining incomes, while Arctic-adjacent nations could benefit. The climate crisis will reduce global income by about a fifth in the next 25 years compared to a fictional world that's not warming. That’s…
https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/04/18/climate-change-is-coming-for-our-incomes-study-warns-which-countries-will-lose-out-the-mos
Alberta municipalities, farmers agree to cut water use as drought persists
Municipalities and irrigation districts in the western Canadian province of Alberta have agreed to use less water this summer to combat a severe ongoing drought, the provincial government said on Friday. Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said water license…
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/alberta-municipalities-farmers-agree-cut-water-use-drought-persists-2024-04-19/
These are the neighbourhoods in most urgent need of trees
Trees protect health and lower bills, and planting them in tree-poor communities of colour can have especially powerful benefits. Every weekend, a group of volunteers plant up to 50 trees in Soundview Park in New York City. Its 205 acres (83 ha) line the last mile of the…
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240415-why-cities-should-plant-trees-with-racial-equity-in-mind
For climate migrants in Bangladesh, town offers new life
The 29-year-old Monira Khatun was devastated after her husband abandoned her suddenly. She returned to her father only to face another blow: He died soon after, leaving her to shoulder three other family members’ care. Without any work, she was worried…
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-climate-science-business-environment-f12044741514a62ca3f4fd692bf006d0
How to end hunger in sub-Saharan Africa: fight inequality, gender imbalances and climate change
A greater part of Africa’s population can’t afford a healthy diet than any other regional population. Food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa is caused by climate change, high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure and…
https://theconversation.com/how-to-end-hunger-in-sub-saharan-africa-fight-inequality-gender-imbalances-and-climate-change-226660
Compiled by Nelson Wong
IFL Owner
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