The International Forest List Weekly News Digest - May 04, 2024
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“Human civilization has been changing the Earth's environment for millennia, often to our detriment. Dams, deforestation and urbanization can alter water cycles and wind patterns, occasionally triggering droughts or even creating deserts.” - Jamais Cascio
Future of global forestry to be discussed in New York
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), an inter-agency partnership of 16 member organizations permanently chaired by FAO, will contribute to the deliberations of the upcoming 19th…
https://www.fao.org/new-york/news/news-detail/future-of-global-forestry-to-be-discussed-in-new-york/en
Wood innovation: Forest Products Lab celebrates Earth Day
On April 20, the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory hosted an Earth Day event in Madison, Wisconsin. This event attracted almost 400 people and included tours of multiple areas of the lab as well as booths with information and hands-on activities…
https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/out-and-about/wood-innovation-forest-products-lab-celebrates-earth-day
2023 Billion-Ton Report: An Assessment of U.S. Renewable Carbon Resources
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technology Office's (BETO) 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23) is the 4th in a series of assessments of potential biomass resources available in the United States. BT23 explores these resources in terms of…
https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/2023-billion-ton-report-assessment-us-renewable-carbon-resources
Deforestation in Indonesia spiked last year, but resources analyst sees better overall trend
From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of deforestation data…
https://www.news4jax.com/business/2024/04/29/deforestation-in-indonesia-spiked-last-year-but-resources-analyst-sees-better-overall-trend/
Urgent Call to Save Our Lakes: Promoting a Global Agenda for Sustainable Lake Management in Support of World Lake Day
Freshwater is our most important natural resource; essential for human health, well-being, and socioeconomic development, and for protecting biodiversity and other life supporting ecosystem services upon which humanity depends…
https://www.unep.org/events/unep-event/urgent-call-save-our-lakes-promoting-global-agenda-sustainable-lake-management
The International Mass Timber Conference promotes community through design, manufacturing, and a shared love of craft
The spirit of mass timber is the ethos of Portland; there’s no better place for this conference than the City of Roses. For the eighth year in a row, the world’s largest gathering of mass timber experts and stakeholders assembled for the 2024 International…
https://www.archpaper.com/2024/04/international-mass-timber-conference-promotes-community/
Cameroon: Call for Observance of Forestry Regulations
Based on the Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting article titled "The Population Deplores the Abusive Exploitation of Their Land in Defiance of Agreed Clauses," the speakers on the radio show denounced poor forest management by state authorities and called for…
https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/cameroon-call-observance-forestry-regulations
Fewer wildfires, great biodiversity: what is the secret to the success of Mexico’s forests?
Dexter Melchor Matías works in the Zapotec Indigenous town of Ixtlán de Juárez, about 1,600ft (490 metres) above the wide Oaxaca valley in Mexico, where community forestry has become a way of life. Like him, about 10 million people across the country live in…
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/may/01/fewer-wildfires-great-biodiversity-what-is-the-secret-to-the-success-of-mexicos-forests
Will New Leader End Progress in Saving Indonesia’s Forests?
Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country with the third largest surviving area of tropical forests, has a new strongman president. Environmentalists are concerned. They fear that, after a decade during which the country’s deforestation rates have fallen by…
https://e360.yale.edu/features/prabowo-subianto-indonesia-nickel-mining-rainforest
Wildfires in wet African forests have doubled in recent decades, large-scale analysis finds
A new study presents the first large-scale analysis of fire patterns in West and Central Africa's wet, tropical forests. The number of active fires there typically doubled over 18 years, particularly in the Congo Basin. The increases are primarily due to increasingly hot…
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-wildfires-african-forests-decades-large.html
Three Eswatini chiefdoms overcome rivalry to preserve indigenous forest
In the heart of the Jilobi Forest, a biodiversity hotspot in Eswatini’s eastern region of Lubombo, the three chiefdoms inhabiting the territory had longstanding disputes, and tensions used to run high. But recently, an urge to preserve their shared land has…
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/4/30/three-eswatini-chiefdoms-overcome-rivalry-to-preserve-indigenous-forest
Future forests: Which tree species can survive climate change?
Climate change has already had a profound impact on Europe’s forests, leading to the death of thousands of hectares of trees due to drought and bark beetle infestations. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Vienna and the Technical…
https://www.earth.com/news/future-forests-which-tree-species-can-survive-climate-change/
Resilient Social Forestry in Indonesia: The Impact of KUPS Lestari
The Indonesian village of Malitu is famous for its vast forests of palm trees and palm sugar production. Yet, obtaining a license for the granulated palm sugar product has been no easy task for the Malitu people, who often waited years for approval while a large…
https://asiafoundation.org/2024/05/01/resilient-social-forestry-in-indonesia-the-impact-of-kups-lestari/
Study reveals uniqueness of naturally occurring monodominant forests in the Republic of Congo
A recent study published in the journal Plant Ecology and Evolution gives valuable insights into forest stands of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (G. dewevrei) in the Sangha Trinational region. G. dewevrei, known as "Bemba" or "Limbali" forest by Indigenous peoples and local communities, is a tree species endemic to the Congo Basin that is unusual in forming…
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-reveals-uniqueness-naturally-monodominant-forests.html
Bookmonger: Forest stewardship as everyday practice
”Looking after a forest is a practice, and it’s important to do it well,” writes Seth Zuckerman, one-half of the duo who has authored “A Forest of Your Own.” With Kirk Hanson, a colleague at the nonprofit organization Northwest Natural Resource Group…
https://www.discoverourcoast.com/coast-weekend/arts/bookmonger-forest-stewardship-as-everyday-practice/article_d86d2dd0-00d4-11ef-92d7-a3b50f526588.html
Between Soil and Society: New book traces history and development of U.S. conservation policy
A new book by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in law and policy explores the history and development of the U.S. conservation policy, offering insight into how Congress works, how policy is put together, and the challenge of balancing narrow and…
https://www.newswise.com/articles/between-soil-and-society-new-book-traces-history-and-development-of-u-s-conservation-policy
Louisiana federal refuges, state wildlife areas get $3.9 million to restore wetlands, forests
Nature-based improvements to forests and wetlands in seven national wildlife refuge complexes and five state wildlife management areas in Louisiana will be funded with more than $3.9 million of federal Inflation Reduction Act money, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife…
https://www.nola.com/news/environment/39m-for-forests-wetlands-on-la-refuges-wildlife-areas/article_2844c5f2-040e-11ef-8c7f-2716b663f86e.html
“Forests play a pivotal role in addressing the triple planetary crisis”
Forests cover nearly one-third of all land on Earth. They sustain us in numerous ways and are critical in global efforts to address the triple planetary crisis. Ahead of the UN Forum on Forests and the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4)…
https://www.un.org/en/desa/forests-play-pivotal-role-addressing-triple-planetary-crisis
Contemporary wildfires not more severe than historically in western US dry forests: Study
Wildfires have increased over the last few decades in dry forests, which cover 25.5 million ha (63 million acres) of the western U.S. But are high-severity fires that kill 70% or more of trees already burning at rates that exceed historical (preindustrial) rates?...
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-contemporary-wildfires-severe-historically-western.html
Scientists keep finding giant sinkholes in China that hide ancient forests, unknown wildlife, and long lost DNA
In the heart of China’s karst landscapes, the recent discovery of massive sinkholes that contain ancient forests play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, and seem to be teeming with life. The karst tiankengs are refuges for genetic diversity, particularly for…
https://thedebrief.org/scientists-keep-finding-giant-sinkholes-in-china-that-hide-ancient-forests-unknown-wildlife-and-long-lost-dna/
Spotlight: The Forestry Market
The demands on woodlands and forests are increasing due to the expectations by government and the public that they provide a solution to climate change, improve biodiversity, produce timber for new homes and contribute positively towards wellbeing…
https://www.savills.co.uk/research_articles/229130/358841-0
Can forests be more profitable than beef?
The residents of Maracaçumé, an impoverished town on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, are mystified by the company that recently bought the biggest ranch in the region. How can it possibly make money by planting trees, which executives say…
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/can-forests-be-more-profitable-than-beef
Van panchayats: upholding forest rights in Uttarakhand’s hillside communities
A High Court ruling criticised the state government for its failure to identify forest communities under India’s Forest Rights Act, 2006, but overlooked the role of locally elected committees in managing forests…
https://dialogue.earth/en/forests/van-panchayats-upholding-forest-rights-in-uttarakhands-hillside-communities/
Delhi needs forest, not ornamental park: High Court to Delhi Development Authority
The Delhi High Court emphasised on Friday, the necessity of establishing a forest in the national capital, rejecting the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) proposal, which it cited as to create an "ornamental park" instead. Justice Jasmeet Singh, underscoring the…
https://www.indiatvnews.com/delhi/delhi-needs-forest-not-ornamental-park-high-court-to-dda-delhi-development-authority-2024-05-03-929430
Selling the forest, not the trees
When head ranger Ikavy Pitatamae walks into the rainforest that is his inheritance on Choiseul Island, the westernmost of the nearly 1000 islands that make up the South Pacific archipelago of Solomon Islands, he surveys it with the heart of a tribal landowner…
https://insidestory.org.au/selling-the-forest-not-the-trees/
Amazon rainforest can be hostile environment for journalists
Ivan Brehaut was 8 years old when he first visited the Amazon with his father. In the South American rainforest, he found his childhood heroes among the missionaries, who glowed with excitement from their adventures. But when Brehaut returned as a forestry sciences…
https://www.voanews.com/a/amazon-rainforest-can-be-hostile-environment-for-journalists/7597032.html
Japan, Brazil agree to jointly protect Amazon rainforest
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed Friday to strengthen efforts to combat climate change, including enhancing the protection of the Amazon rainforest. During their talks in Brasilia, Kishida and Lula signed…
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/05/9896d2940e0a-update1-japan-brazil-agree-to-jointly-protect-amazon-rainforest.html
Photographer Gwenn Dubourthoumieu on capturing fragility of Congo Basin rainforest
An internationally renowned photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he's been able to use his profession to help support causes he's become passionate about. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu began his professional life working for humanitarian NGOs in Africa…
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20240430-photographer-gwenn-dubourthoumieu-on-capturing-fragility-of-congo-basin-rainforest
Canopy bridges are saving endangered wildlife in the Amazon rainforest. Here's how
Forty percent of primate species are endangered in Brazil, with fragmentation and road accidents among their main threats. In a bid to protect the tree-dwelling mammals, conservationists are building low-cost canopy bridges over parts of Highway BR-174…
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/environment/canopy-bridges-are-saving-endangered-wildlife-in-the-amazon-rainforest
March of the mangroves
David Rahahę-tih Webb’s aquarium was more than just a collection of small gobies, brackish water and the buoyant “prop roots” of mangroves, the coastal trees that dominated south Florida’s shorelines before development. His aquarium was a…
https://www.wuft.org/environment/2024-05-03/march-of-the-mangroves
Satellite maps boost mangrove conservation in China
Mangroves are vital ecosystems along coastlines, providing essential services such as coastal protection, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration. Despite their critical importance, effective management of these areas is often hampered by the…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-satellite-boost-mangrove-china.html
URB to regenerate Dubai's coast with 100 million mangrove trees across 72 kilometers
Dubai Mangroves sets new standards for coastal regeneration. Spearheaded by URB, the same masterminds of the Dubai Reefs Project and The Loop in Dubai, this initiative will integrate ecological preservation with urban development, enhancing the city’s coastline…
https://www.designboom.com/architecture/urb-dubai-coast-100-million-mangroves-72-kilometers-04-30-2024/
Mangroves: we used freely-available satellite images to track climate-resilient forests
Mangroves are one of most important ecosystems on the world’s coasts. They absorb the impact of storms, prevent erosion, provide food and safety for fish and other animals and can store huge amounts of carbon in the mud that builds up below them…
https://theconversation.com/mangroves-we-used-freely-available-satellite-images-to-track-climate-resilient-forests-228071
National Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Inventories under Different Mangrove Forest Types in Gabon
Gabonese's estuary is an important coastal mangrove setting and soil plays a key role in mangrove carbon storage in mangrove forests. However, the spatial variation in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage remain unclear. To address this gap, determining the…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380131504_National_Soil_Organic_Carbon_Stocks_Inventories_under_Different_Mangrove_Forest_Types_in_Gabon
UNSW to embark on landmark mangrove regeneration project in Fiji
A groundbreaking five-year mangrove research and rejuvenation program, Project Halophyte, has been launched in Suva, Fiji, with support from Swire Shipping. Project Halophyte will develop innovative floating mangrove pontoons and undertake…
https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/05/unsw-to-embark-on-landmark-mangrove-regeneration-project-in-fiji
470-Acre Coastal Wetland Restored in Louisiana with $14 Million in NOAA Funding
In honor of American Wetlands Month
NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation and its partners restored 473 acres of marsh and 11,171 linear feet of ridge habitat in Bayou De Cade, Louisiana. NOAA provided $14 million for the project through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act Program. This effort is part of NOAA’s long-term commitment to combat land loss in this…
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/470-acre-coastal-wetland-restored-louisiana-14-million-noaa-funding
With Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands in Decline, Biden Administration Sets New Conservation Goals
Across the U.S., rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other freshwater resources that are invaluable to the country’s ecological and economic health face dire threats. In response, the Biden administration last week announced The America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge…
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2024/04/29/with-rivers-lakes-and-wetlands-in-decline-biden-administration-sets-new-conservation-goals
Trio of scientists to unlock mystery, power of microbiome
A cluster hire of three microbiome scientists could help establish Texas A&M University as a leader in the rapidly advancing field that links microscopic biological community dynamics with soil, plant, animal and human health. Across agricultural, health and…
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2024/05/01/trio-of-scientists-to-unlock-mystery-power-of-microbiome/
Oil palm plantations are driving massive downstream impact to watershed
The global demand for palm oil—the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, in everything from instant noodles to lipstick—is driving worldwide tropical deforestation. While many studies have shown the loss of biodiversity when rainforests are converted…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1043392
An improved semantic segmentation algorithm for high-resolution remote sensing images based on DeepLabv3+
High-precision and high-efficiency Semantic segmentation of high-resolution remote sensing images is a challenge. Existing models typically require a significant amount of training data to achieve good classification results and have numerous training…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60375-1
Quantifying Forest Cover Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Charcoal Production Basin of Lubumbashi (DR Congo) through Remote Sensing and Landscape Analysis
In the context of the Lubumbashi Coal Production Basin (LCPB), the socio-economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated pressures on populations dependent on forest resources for their subsistence. This study employs a…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380184924_Quantifying_Forest_Cover_Loss_during_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_in_the_Charcoal_Production_Basin_of_Lubumbashi_DR_Congo_through_Remote_Sensing_and_Landscape_Analysis
New insights into tree canopy light absorption and its climate implications
The clumping index (CI) is critical for accurately modeling light absorption in plant canopies, affecting predictions of photosynthesis and climate dynamics. Traditional methods of estimating CI, however, typically ignore its variability with observation…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-insights-tree-canopy-absorption-climate.html
Illinois researchers develop an AI model to reduce uncertainty in evapotranspiration prediction
When scientists look at the Earth’s available water for ecosystem services, they don’t just look at precipitation. They must also account for water moving from the ground to the atmosphere, a process known as evapotranspiration (ET). ET includes evaporation from…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1043112
A global dataset of terrestrial evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics from 1982 to 2020
Quantifying terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) and soil moisture dynamics accurately is crucial for understanding the global water cycle and surface energy balance. We present a novel, long-term dataset of global ET and soil moisture derived from the newly developed…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03271-7
High resolution Tibetan Plateau regional reanalysis 1961-present
With the rapid global warming in recent decades, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has suffered severe impacts, such as glacier retreat, glacial lake expansion, and permafrost degradation, which threaten the lives and properties of the local and downstream…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03282-4
Britain’s climate action plan unlawful, high court rules
The UK government’s climate action plan is unlawful, the high court has ruled, as there is not enough evidence that there are sufficient policies in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/03/britain-climate-action-plan-unlawful-high-court
Business and management graduates can become climate change and sustainability champions
There is no doubt about it: the world is in the grips of a climate crisis. The headlines are full of reports about extreme weather events and the negative effects of the fossil fuel industry. This reality means that anyone entering the worlds of business or management…
https://theconversation.com/business-and-management-graduates-can-become-climate-change-and-sustainability-champions-lessons-from-uganda-and-tanzania-on-how-universities-can-support-this-226987
This simple log structure may be the oldest example of early humans building with wood
Researchers have uncovered a simple structure from the Stone Age that may be the oldest evidence yet of early humans building with wood. The construction is basic: a pair of overlapping logs, fitted together with a notch. It’s nearly half a million years old and…
https://apnews.com/article/early-humans-oldest-structure-zambia-wood-de6350a2c9704477a2df4e0a5ba8d311
Copernicus: Switzerland says it can’t afford to take part in EU climate change monitoring programme
Switzerland has said it won’t be taking part in the EU’s climate change monitoring programme for the time being. Despite a parliamentary vote in favour of joining and agreements with the EU, the federal government has decided not to take part in…
https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/05/02/copernicus-switzerland-says-it-cant-afford-to-take-part-in-eu-climate-change-monitoring-pr
Future of global forestry to be discussed in New York
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), an inter-agency partnership of 16 member organizations permanently chaired by FAO, will contribute to the deliberations of the upcoming 19th…
https://www.fao.org/new-york/news/news-detail/future-of-global-forestry-to-be-discussed-in-new-york/en
Wood innovation: Forest Products Lab celebrates Earth Day
On April 20, the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory hosted an Earth Day event in Madison, Wisconsin. This event attracted almost 400 people and included tours of multiple areas of the lab as well as booths with information and hands-on activities…
https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/out-and-about/wood-innovation-forest-products-lab-celebrates-earth-day
2023 Billion-Ton Report: An Assessment of U.S. Renewable Carbon Resources
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technology Office's (BETO) 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23) is the 4th in a series of assessments of potential biomass resources available in the United States. BT23 explores these resources in terms of…
https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/2023-billion-ton-report-assessment-us-renewable-carbon-resources
Deforestation in Indonesia spiked last year, but resources analyst sees better overall trend
From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swaths of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27% uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of deforestation data…
https://www.news4jax.com/business/2024/04/29/deforestation-in-indonesia-spiked-last-year-but-resources-analyst-sees-better-overall-trend/
Urgent Call to Save Our Lakes: Promoting a Global Agenda for Sustainable Lake Management in Support of World Lake Day
Freshwater is our most important natural resource; essential for human health, well-being, and socioeconomic development, and for protecting biodiversity and other life supporting ecosystem services upon which humanity depends…
https://www.unep.org/events/unep-event/urgent-call-save-our-lakes-promoting-global-agenda-sustainable-lake-management
The International Mass Timber Conference promotes community through design, manufacturing, and a shared love of craft
The spirit of mass timber is the ethos of Portland; there’s no better place for this conference than the City of Roses. For the eighth year in a row, the world’s largest gathering of mass timber experts and stakeholders assembled for the 2024 International…
https://www.archpaper.com/2024/04/international-mass-timber-conference-promotes-community/
Cameroon: Call for Observance of Forestry Regulations
Based on the Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting article titled "The Population Deplores the Abusive Exploitation of Their Land in Defiance of Agreed Clauses," the speakers on the radio show denounced poor forest management by state authorities and called for…
https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/cameroon-call-observance-forestry-regulations
Fewer wildfires, great biodiversity: what is the secret to the success of Mexico’s forests?
Dexter Melchor Matías works in the Zapotec Indigenous town of Ixtlán de Juárez, about 1,600ft (490 metres) above the wide Oaxaca valley in Mexico, where community forestry has become a way of life. Like him, about 10 million people across the country live in…
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/may/01/fewer-wildfires-great-biodiversity-what-is-the-secret-to-the-success-of-mexicos-forests
Will New Leader End Progress in Saving Indonesia’s Forests?
Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country with the third largest surviving area of tropical forests, has a new strongman president. Environmentalists are concerned. They fear that, after a decade during which the country’s deforestation rates have fallen by…
https://e360.yale.edu/features/prabowo-subianto-indonesia-nickel-mining-rainforest
Wildfires in wet African forests have doubled in recent decades, large-scale analysis finds
A new study presents the first large-scale analysis of fire patterns in West and Central Africa's wet, tropical forests. The number of active fires there typically doubled over 18 years, particularly in the Congo Basin. The increases are primarily due to increasingly hot…
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-wildfires-african-forests-decades-large.html
Three Eswatini chiefdoms overcome rivalry to preserve indigenous forest
In the heart of the Jilobi Forest, a biodiversity hotspot in Eswatini’s eastern region of Lubombo, the three chiefdoms inhabiting the territory had longstanding disputes, and tensions used to run high. But recently, an urge to preserve their shared land has…
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/4/30/three-eswatini-chiefdoms-overcome-rivalry-to-preserve-indigenous-forest
Future forests: Which tree species can survive climate change?
Climate change has already had a profound impact on Europe’s forests, leading to the death of thousands of hectares of trees due to drought and bark beetle infestations. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Vienna and the Technical…
https://www.earth.com/news/future-forests-which-tree-species-can-survive-climate-change/
Resilient Social Forestry in Indonesia: The Impact of KUPS Lestari
The Indonesian village of Malitu is famous for its vast forests of palm trees and palm sugar production. Yet, obtaining a license for the granulated palm sugar product has been no easy task for the Malitu people, who often waited years for approval while a large…
https://asiafoundation.org/2024/05/01/resilient-social-forestry-in-indonesia-the-impact-of-kups-lestari/
Study reveals uniqueness of naturally occurring monodominant forests in the Republic of Congo
A recent study published in the journal Plant Ecology and Evolution gives valuable insights into forest stands of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (G. dewevrei) in the Sangha Trinational region. G. dewevrei, known as "Bemba" or "Limbali" forest by Indigenous peoples and local communities, is a tree species endemic to the Congo Basin that is unusual in forming…
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-reveals-uniqueness-naturally-monodominant-forests.html
Bookmonger: Forest stewardship as everyday practice
”Looking after a forest is a practice, and it’s important to do it well,” writes Seth Zuckerman, one-half of the duo who has authored “A Forest of Your Own.” With Kirk Hanson, a colleague at the nonprofit organization Northwest Natural Resource Group…
https://www.discoverourcoast.com/coast-weekend/arts/bookmonger-forest-stewardship-as-everyday-practice/article_d86d2dd0-00d4-11ef-92d7-a3b50f526588.html
Between Soil and Society: New book traces history and development of U.S. conservation policy
A new book by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in law and policy explores the history and development of the U.S. conservation policy, offering insight into how Congress works, how policy is put together, and the challenge of balancing narrow and…
https://www.newswise.com/articles/between-soil-and-society-new-book-traces-history-and-development-of-u-s-conservation-policy
Louisiana federal refuges, state wildlife areas get $3.9 million to restore wetlands, forests
Nature-based improvements to forests and wetlands in seven national wildlife refuge complexes and five state wildlife management areas in Louisiana will be funded with more than $3.9 million of federal Inflation Reduction Act money, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife…
https://www.nola.com/news/environment/39m-for-forests-wetlands-on-la-refuges-wildlife-areas/article_2844c5f2-040e-11ef-8c7f-2716b663f86e.html
“Forests play a pivotal role in addressing the triple planetary crisis”
Forests cover nearly one-third of all land on Earth. They sustain us in numerous ways and are critical in global efforts to address the triple planetary crisis. Ahead of the UN Forum on Forests and the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4)…
https://www.un.org/en/desa/forests-play-pivotal-role-addressing-triple-planetary-crisis
Contemporary wildfires not more severe than historically in western US dry forests: Study
Wildfires have increased over the last few decades in dry forests, which cover 25.5 million ha (63 million acres) of the western U.S. But are high-severity fires that kill 70% or more of trees already burning at rates that exceed historical (preindustrial) rates?...
https://phys.org/news/2024-05-contemporary-wildfires-severe-historically-western.html
Scientists keep finding giant sinkholes in China that hide ancient forests, unknown wildlife, and long lost DNA
In the heart of China’s karst landscapes, the recent discovery of massive sinkholes that contain ancient forests play a vital role in biodiversity conservation, and seem to be teeming with life. The karst tiankengs are refuges for genetic diversity, particularly for…
https://thedebrief.org/scientists-keep-finding-giant-sinkholes-in-china-that-hide-ancient-forests-unknown-wildlife-and-long-lost-dna/
Spotlight: The Forestry Market
The demands on woodlands and forests are increasing due to the expectations by government and the public that they provide a solution to climate change, improve biodiversity, produce timber for new homes and contribute positively towards wellbeing…
https://www.savills.co.uk/research_articles/229130/358841-0
Can forests be more profitable than beef?
The residents of Maracaçumé, an impoverished town on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, are mystified by the company that recently bought the biggest ranch in the region. How can it possibly make money by planting trees, which executives say…
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/can-forests-be-more-profitable-than-beef
Van panchayats: upholding forest rights in Uttarakhand’s hillside communities
A High Court ruling criticised the state government for its failure to identify forest communities under India’s Forest Rights Act, 2006, but overlooked the role of locally elected committees in managing forests…
https://dialogue.earth/en/forests/van-panchayats-upholding-forest-rights-in-uttarakhands-hillside-communities/
Delhi needs forest, not ornamental park: High Court to Delhi Development Authority
The Delhi High Court emphasised on Friday, the necessity of establishing a forest in the national capital, rejecting the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) proposal, which it cited as to create an "ornamental park" instead. Justice Jasmeet Singh, underscoring the…
https://www.indiatvnews.com/delhi/delhi-needs-forest-not-ornamental-park-high-court-to-dda-delhi-development-authority-2024-05-03-929430
Selling the forest, not the trees
When head ranger Ikavy Pitatamae walks into the rainforest that is his inheritance on Choiseul Island, the westernmost of the nearly 1000 islands that make up the South Pacific archipelago of Solomon Islands, he surveys it with the heart of a tribal landowner…
https://insidestory.org.au/selling-the-forest-not-the-trees/
Amazon rainforest can be hostile environment for journalists
Ivan Brehaut was 8 years old when he first visited the Amazon with his father. In the South American rainforest, he found his childhood heroes among the missionaries, who glowed with excitement from their adventures. But when Brehaut returned as a forestry sciences…
https://www.voanews.com/a/amazon-rainforest-can-be-hostile-environment-for-journalists/7597032.html
Japan, Brazil agree to jointly protect Amazon rainforest
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed Friday to strengthen efforts to combat climate change, including enhancing the protection of the Amazon rainforest. During their talks in Brasilia, Kishida and Lula signed…
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/05/9896d2940e0a-update1-japan-brazil-agree-to-jointly-protect-amazon-rainforest.html
Photographer Gwenn Dubourthoumieu on capturing fragility of Congo Basin rainforest
An internationally renowned photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he's been able to use his profession to help support causes he's become passionate about. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu began his professional life working for humanitarian NGOs in Africa…
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20240430-photographer-gwenn-dubourthoumieu-on-capturing-fragility-of-congo-basin-rainforest
Canopy bridges are saving endangered wildlife in the Amazon rainforest. Here's how
Forty percent of primate species are endangered in Brazil, with fragmentation and road accidents among their main threats. In a bid to protect the tree-dwelling mammals, conservationists are building low-cost canopy bridges over parts of Highway BR-174…
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/environment/canopy-bridges-are-saving-endangered-wildlife-in-the-amazon-rainforest
March of the mangroves
David Rahahę-tih Webb’s aquarium was more than just a collection of small gobies, brackish water and the buoyant “prop roots” of mangroves, the coastal trees that dominated south Florida’s shorelines before development. His aquarium was a…
https://www.wuft.org/environment/2024-05-03/march-of-the-mangroves
Satellite maps boost mangrove conservation in China
Mangroves are vital ecosystems along coastlines, providing essential services such as coastal protection, biodiversity enhancement, and carbon sequestration. Despite their critical importance, effective management of these areas is often hampered by the…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-satellite-boost-mangrove-china.html
URB to regenerate Dubai's coast with 100 million mangrove trees across 72 kilometers
Dubai Mangroves sets new standards for coastal regeneration. Spearheaded by URB, the same masterminds of the Dubai Reefs Project and The Loop in Dubai, this initiative will integrate ecological preservation with urban development, enhancing the city’s coastline…
https://www.designboom.com/architecture/urb-dubai-coast-100-million-mangroves-72-kilometers-04-30-2024/
Mangroves: we used freely-available satellite images to track climate-resilient forests
Mangroves are one of most important ecosystems on the world’s coasts. They absorb the impact of storms, prevent erosion, provide food and safety for fish and other animals and can store huge amounts of carbon in the mud that builds up below them…
https://theconversation.com/mangroves-we-used-freely-available-satellite-images-to-track-climate-resilient-forests-228071
National Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Inventories under Different Mangrove Forest Types in Gabon
Gabonese's estuary is an important coastal mangrove setting and soil plays a key role in mangrove carbon storage in mangrove forests. However, the spatial variation in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage remain unclear. To address this gap, determining the…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380131504_National_Soil_Organic_Carbon_Stocks_Inventories_under_Different_Mangrove_Forest_Types_in_Gabon
UNSW to embark on landmark mangrove regeneration project in Fiji
A groundbreaking five-year mangrove research and rejuvenation program, Project Halophyte, has been launched in Suva, Fiji, with support from Swire Shipping. Project Halophyte will develop innovative floating mangrove pontoons and undertake…
https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/05/unsw-to-embark-on-landmark-mangrove-regeneration-project-in-fiji
470-Acre Coastal Wetland Restored in Louisiana with $14 Million in NOAA Funding
In honor of American Wetlands Month
NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation and its partners restored 473 acres of marsh and 11,171 linear feet of ridge habitat in Bayou De Cade, Louisiana. NOAA provided $14 million for the project through the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act Program. This effort is part of NOAA’s long-term commitment to combat land loss in this…
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/470-acre-coastal-wetland-restored-louisiana-14-million-noaa-funding
With Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands in Decline, Biden Administration Sets New Conservation Goals
Across the U.S., rivers, lakes, wetlands, and other freshwater resources that are invaluable to the country’s ecological and economic health face dire threats. In response, the Biden administration last week announced The America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge…
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2024/04/29/with-rivers-lakes-and-wetlands-in-decline-biden-administration-sets-new-conservation-goals
Trio of scientists to unlock mystery, power of microbiome
A cluster hire of three microbiome scientists could help establish Texas A&M University as a leader in the rapidly advancing field that links microscopic biological community dynamics with soil, plant, animal and human health. Across agricultural, health and…
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2024/05/01/trio-of-scientists-to-unlock-mystery-power-of-microbiome/
Oil palm plantations are driving massive downstream impact to watershed
The global demand for palm oil—the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, in everything from instant noodles to lipstick—is driving worldwide tropical deforestation. While many studies have shown the loss of biodiversity when rainforests are converted…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1043392
An improved semantic segmentation algorithm for high-resolution remote sensing images based on DeepLabv3+
High-precision and high-efficiency Semantic segmentation of high-resolution remote sensing images is a challenge. Existing models typically require a significant amount of training data to achieve good classification results and have numerous training…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-60375-1
Quantifying Forest Cover Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Charcoal Production Basin of Lubumbashi (DR Congo) through Remote Sensing and Landscape Analysis
In the context of the Lubumbashi Coal Production Basin (LCPB), the socio-economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated pressures on populations dependent on forest resources for their subsistence. This study employs a…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380184924_Quantifying_Forest_Cover_Loss_during_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_in_the_Charcoal_Production_Basin_of_Lubumbashi_DR_Congo_through_Remote_Sensing_and_Landscape_Analysis
New insights into tree canopy light absorption and its climate implications
The clumping index (CI) is critical for accurately modeling light absorption in plant canopies, affecting predictions of photosynthesis and climate dynamics. Traditional methods of estimating CI, however, typically ignore its variability with observation…
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-insights-tree-canopy-absorption-climate.html
Illinois researchers develop an AI model to reduce uncertainty in evapotranspiration prediction
When scientists look at the Earth’s available water for ecosystem services, they don’t just look at precipitation. They must also account for water moving from the ground to the atmosphere, a process known as evapotranspiration (ET). ET includes evaporation from…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1043112
A global dataset of terrestrial evapotranspiration and soil moisture dynamics from 1982 to 2020
Quantifying terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) and soil moisture dynamics accurately is crucial for understanding the global water cycle and surface energy balance. We present a novel, long-term dataset of global ET and soil moisture derived from the newly developed…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03271-7
High resolution Tibetan Plateau regional reanalysis 1961-present
With the rapid global warming in recent decades, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has suffered severe impacts, such as glacier retreat, glacial lake expansion, and permafrost degradation, which threaten the lives and properties of the local and downstream…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03282-4
Britain’s climate action plan unlawful, high court rules
The UK government’s climate action plan is unlawful, the high court has ruled, as there is not enough evidence that there are sufficient policies in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/03/britain-climate-action-plan-unlawful-high-court
Business and management graduates can become climate change and sustainability champions
There is no doubt about it: the world is in the grips of a climate crisis. The headlines are full of reports about extreme weather events and the negative effects of the fossil fuel industry. This reality means that anyone entering the worlds of business or management…
https://theconversation.com/business-and-management-graduates-can-become-climate-change-and-sustainability-champions-lessons-from-uganda-and-tanzania-on-how-universities-can-support-this-226987
This simple log structure may be the oldest example of early humans building with wood
Researchers have uncovered a simple structure from the Stone Age that may be the oldest evidence yet of early humans building with wood. The construction is basic: a pair of overlapping logs, fitted together with a notch. It’s nearly half a million years old and…
https://apnews.com/article/early-humans-oldest-structure-zambia-wood-de6350a2c9704477a2df4e0a5ba8d311
Copernicus: Switzerland says it can’t afford to take part in EU climate change monitoring programme
Switzerland has said it won’t be taking part in the EU’s climate change monitoring programme for the time being. Despite a parliamentary vote in favour of joining and agreements with the EU, the federal government has decided not to take part in…
https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/05/02/copernicus-switzerland-says-it-cant-afford-to-take-part-in-eu-climate-change-monitoring-pr
Compiled by Nelson Wong
IFL Owner
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