The latest updates and news about trees and forests from around the world. You’ll find recent scientific discoveries, helpful information, conservation efforts, tree care industry news, and more. Check back regularly to stay up to date with the most recent developments regarding trees and forests.
- Insect trapped in amber reveals the evolutionary battles of ancient Europeon November 14, 2023 at 2:44 pm
An extraordinary insect preserved in amber is opening our ears to a world of communication beyond our hearing. New research on an extinct katydid in the Natural History Museum’s collection reveals that katydids have been using ultrasounds for millions of years to try and avoid predators hearing them.
- Country diary: A marginal place with a touch of magic to it | Ed Douglasby Ed Douglas on November 14, 2023 at 5:30 am
Bretton Clough, Derbyshire: A huge window of blue opens above us, and the slopes catch fire with coppery brackenBretton Clough Farms are ruins now, a heap of stones topped with shrubby trees. They occupy a rise above a stream that after recent rain was crashing through its steep-sided valley. It is raining as we arrive, slopping down the hill on an old cart track, but then a huge window of blue opens from the south-west and the slopes around us catch fire, with coppery bracken and yellowing oak leaves.There were once two farmhouses here, semi-detached, built most likely in the 17th century. They’ve had various names through time, Bretton Twin Farms being self-explanatory. Another was Fairest Clough, sometimes Fairies Clough – just right for a place whose harmonious flow and tangled woodland has magic in it, especially on such a day of sunshine and showers as this. Continue reading…
- Dark Hedges: 6 ‘Game of Thrones’ Trees Will Be Cut Downby Jenny Gross on November 13, 2023 at 10:00 pm
Six of the Dark Hedges beech trees, a tourist destination in Northern Ireland for fans of the HBO fantasy series, will be cut down because they are in poor condition, officials said.
- How Much Can Trees Fight Climate Change? Massively, but Not Alone, Study Finds.by Catrin Einhorn on November 13, 2023 at 9:04 pm
The research, which comes with important caveats, was partly an effort to address the scientific uproar surrounding an earlier paper.
- How Much Can Trees Fight Climate Change? Massively, but Not Alone, Study Finds.by Catrin Einhorn on November 13, 2023 at 9:04 pm
The research, which comes with important caveats, was partly an effort to address the scientific uproar surrounding an earlier paper.
- ‘It was incredible to see’: Kenyans dig deep on first national tree planting dayby Caroline Kimeu in Nairobi on November 13, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Government sets up national holiday in hope of planting 15bn trees by 2032 to tackle climate crisis and deforestationGeoffrey Mosoku and his two daughters have been digging a seedling deep into the ground of the Ngong forest in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.“It can become part of Kenyan culture to do environmental work,” said Mosoku, as he and his daughters tapped the tree into place in the natural forest a few kilometres from the city centre. The trio were one of hundreds of people who showed up at the forest on Monday to plant saplings for Kenya’s first national tree planting holiday despite heavy morning rains. Continue reading…
- Wildfire, drought cause $11.2 billion in damage to private timberland in three Pacific states, study findson November 13, 2023 at 4:18 pm
Wildfires and drought have led to $11.2 billion in damages to privately held timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades, a new Oregon State University study found.
- Diverse forests hold huge carbon potential, as long as we cut emissionson November 13, 2023 at 4:16 pm
New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these results requires community-driven efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity. In brief: Forests have the potential to capture 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in areas where they would naturally exist. This forest potential can only be achieved alongside emissions cuts. Sixty-one percent of the forest potential can be achieved by protecting existing forests and allowing them to regrow to maturity. Thirty-nine percent can be achieved by reconnecting fragmented landscapes through community-driven ecosystem restoration and management. A natural diversity of species is needed to maximize the forest carbon potential.
- Diverse forests hold huge carbon potential, as long as we cut emissionson November 13, 2023 at 4:16 pm
New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these results requires community-driven efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity. In brief: Forests have the potential to capture 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in areas where they would naturally exist. This forest potential can only be achieved alongside emissions cuts. Sixty-one percent of the forest potential can be achieved by protecting existing forests and allowing them to regrow to maturity. Thirty-nine percent can be achieved by reconnecting fragmented landscapes through community-driven ecosystem restoration and management. A natural diversity of species is needed to maximize the forest carbon potential.
- Let forests grow old to store huge volume of carbon – studyby Patrick Greenfield on November 13, 2023 at 4:00 pm
Report says cutting emissions should still be key priority as it cautions against mass monoculture tree-plantingForest conservation and restoration could make a major contribution to tackling the climate crisis as long as greenhouse gas emissions are slashed, according to a study.By allowing existing trees to grow old in healthy ecosystems and restoring degraded areas, scientists say 226 gigatonnes of carbon could be sequestered, equivalent to nearly 50 years of US emissions for 2022. But they caution that mass monoculture tree-planting and offsetting will not help forests realise their potential.Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on X, formerly known as Twitter, for all the latest news and features Continue reading…
- ‘Leave the gold in the ground’: Ecuador’s forest guardians mobilise against illegal mining in Amazonby Dan Collyns in Sinangoe, Ecuador on November 13, 2023 at 11:00 am
The Indigenous A’i Cofán people invoke their ancestors and carry spears but also use drones, GPS mapping and the courts as they fight to protect their land from a rapacious gold rushWith short amulet-covered spears made of blackened chonta palm, GIS mapping phones, walkie-talkies and wearing black and green uniforms, the A’i Cofán seem to merge into the jungle as they march silently down a path through their land.Calling themselves the Indigenous guard, the 27-strong group patrols a territory of 243 sq miles (630 sq km), stretching from more than 2,500 metres above sea level in the Andean foothills down into the Amazon rainforest. Continue reading…
- “Choice, not chance”: aligning action for a just agroecological futureby Monica Evans on November 13, 2023 at 9:00 am
Food system transformation was in focus at the Agroecology Theme Day on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly
- Tras la sabiduría ancestral del desierto más árido del mundoby Irjaliina Paavonpera on November 12, 2023 at 10:01 am
Agotada por la vida en Nueva York, una fotógrafa viajó al norte de Chile para estudiar la sabiduría ancestral de los lickanantay, el pueblo indígena de la zona. Esto es lo que vio.
- Country diary: It is a privilege to find peace in nature this autumn | Francis Hayesby Francis Hayes on November 11, 2023 at 5:30 am
Dunblane, Stirling: We must never take for granted that we can visit wild, splendid places like this wooded gorge, in all its November bestFew soles trample this upper glen and the dwindling track as it skirts the Wharry Burn’s gorge. Those that do are rewarded with a ravine of surprising drama. At the head of the chasm, where fallen trees and gravel bars accumulate, the burn is placid. But here, at the lip of the first cascade, the water squeezes between two sandstone boulders, accelerating into a racing white flume, hissing with second thoughts.I leap the gap between the boulders, to where the only trails belong to the deer; to where the only prints are cloven. They trace secretive routes, brushing through bracken fronds and around the silent trunks of the broadleaved woodland – beech, elm, ash and birch. Continue reading…
- Low-intensity fires reduce wildfire risk by 60%on November 10, 2023 at 7:13 pm
High-intensity, often catastrophic, wildfires have become increasingly frequent across the Western U.S. Researchers quantified the value of managed low-intensity burning to dramatically reduce the risk of such fires for years at a time.
- Time to expand public access to woodland | Letterby Guardian Staff on November 10, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Such a move would greatly increase access opportunities throughout England’s countryside, writes Marion ShoardThe argument for a universal right of access is compelling (Letters, 5 November), but if Keir Starmer is reluctant to go that far, he could opt instead to build on the Blair government’s Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 by granting a right to access to woodland.Such a move would greatly increase access opportunities throughout England’s countryside, except in extensive arable areas. It would be cheaper to implement than the original 2000 act, as the complex botanical work and mapping required for terrain such as chalk downland would not be necessary. Nor would there be any need for signposting to identify such access land: woods are already shown on Ordnance Survey maps and we can all identify one. Continue reading…
- Divergent mechanisms of reduced growth performance in Betula ermanii saplings from high-altitude and low-latitude rangeon November 10, 2023 at 5:59 pm
Plant species are distributed in their preferred climatic zones, and plants growing at the edge of their natural distribution range often exhibit poor growth when relocated to a different environment. This phenomenon has been attributed to two factors: 1) the environment at the edge of the distribution is extreme for the species, causing them to lose their adaptive ability in a different environment, and 2) the small size and isolation of the population make them susceptible to inbreeding and genetic drift. However, the specific mechanisms by which these two factors cause reduced growth have not been well understood.
- How underground fungi shape forestson November 10, 2023 at 2:15 pm
A large study involving 43 research plots in the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) Network—including a swath of trees at Tyson Research Center, the environmental field station of Washington University in St. Louis—has helped clarify the power of underground fungi to shape forests.
- ‘We are powerless’: Indian villagers live in fear of torture in fight against bauxite mineby Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Aakash Hassan in Rayagada on November 10, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Adivasis in Banteji say they also face arrests, violence and harassment by police and company officialsFor months, they have been living in fear. The people of Banteji, a small tribal village amid the rolling green mountains deep in India’s Odisha state, have lived here for generations. Yet now most only return home for essentials and spend the night sleeping in the jungle. The police raids and violence, they say, could come again at any time.Like so many of India’s tribal communities, known as Adivasis, the people here in the district of Rayagada live in extreme poverty, with little access to education and healthcare. The jungle and hills that surround them also sustain them, as they have done for hundreds of years, providing food, livelihoods, medicines, materials to build their homes and places to graze their animals. These mountains are also their gods. Continue reading…
- On trees and robots: How AI can serve climate solutionsby Éliane Ubalijoro on November 10, 2023 at 9:00 am
Towards a digital commons for evidence-based action
- Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Falls to a Five-Year Lowby Manuela Andreoni on November 10, 2023 at 12:24 am
Tree loss was down 20 percent from the previous year, the environment minister announced.
- Grass and Shrub Fires Destroy More Homes Than Forest Fires Across U.S.by Nadja Popovich on November 9, 2023 at 9:37 pm
Grassland and shrubland fires burn more land and destroy more homes across the United States than forest fires, a new study found.
- Lightning identified as the leading cause of wildfires in boreal forests, threatening carbon storageon November 9, 2023 at 5:14 pm
Most wildfires in boreal forests, such as those in Canada, are caused by lightning strikes, according to a study aimed at attributing fire ignition sources globally.
- Country diary: A space where a great sycamore should be | Susie Whiteby Susie White on November 9, 2023 at 5:30 am
Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland: This was once a tree-filled landscape, now we just have remnants – wood sage, honeysuckle, and a stump in the Sycamore GapThe day may be dreich, but the beech trees at Steel Rigg car park are a frenzy of colour: pumpkin-orange, burnt umber, rust. I set off east along Hadrian’s Wall, well wrapped up against wind and rain. Ahead, the massive outcropping of the Whin Sill, its columnar rocks as grey as the heavy clouds above. It’s a familiar sight. I came here years ago to work as a site planner on a Roman dig and have lived in Northumberland ever since.The path twists up the steep stone steps of Peel Crag. The wind whips hair across my face as I pause to study the plants. There’s wood sage, honeysuckle, ivy, bilberry and wood sorrel – remnants of a once tree-filled landscape. By a gate at the top, a group of shaggy black cattle are grazing the uptilted southern slope. Waxcaps gleam in the tufty grass – glossy, bright red buttons and wavy, buttery forms. Continue reading…
- Why is the Amazon rainforest drying up? – podcastby Presented by Ian Sample with Jonathan Watts, produced by Tom Glasser, sound design by Tony Onuchukwu, the executive producer is Ellie Bury on November 9, 2023 at 5:00 am
Ian Sample talks to Guardian global environment editor Jon Watts about the withering drought currently devastating the Amazon rainforest. Jon explains the complex mix of factors that are driving the drought, and considers whether it might be a catalyst for more concerted climate action in Brazil and beyondClips: Freesounds archive Continue reading…
- Forests with multiple tree species are 70% more effective as carbon sinks than monoculture forests, study findson November 9, 2023 at 5:00 am
To slow the effects of climate change, conserve biodiversity, and meet the sustainable development goals, replanting trees is vital. Restored forests store carbon within the forest’s soil, shrubs, and trees. Mixed forests are especially effective at carbon storage, as different species with complementary traits can increase overall carbon storage.
- Southern Alaska’s national forests key to meeting climate, conservation goalson November 8, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Analyses of U.S. national forests shows that increased protections for two Alaskan forests is a key to meeting climate and biodiversity goals.
- Experts predict ‘catastrophic ecosystem collapse’ of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not takenon November 8, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Experts predict ‘catastrophic ecosystem collapse’ of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not taken. Other threats to UK forests include competition with society for water, viral diseases, and extreme weather affecting forest management.
- Experts predict ‘catastrophic ecosystem collapse’ of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not takenon November 8, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Experts predict ‘catastrophic ecosystem collapse’ of UK forests within the next 50 years if action not taken. Other threats to UK forests include competition with society for water, viral diseases, and extreme weather affecting forest management.
- Smoke Map: Here’s Where Wildfires Are Burning Across the Southern U.S.by Lola Fadulu on November 8, 2023 at 1:51 pm
Firefighters have been fighting to contain fires in Virginia, North Carolina and other states.
- UK forests face catastrophic ecosystem collapse within 50 years, study saysby Phoebe Weston on November 8, 2023 at 6:30 am
‘Alarming’ new research warns of risk to British woodlands from disease, extreme weather and wildfires, unless ‘call to action’ is heeded nowUK forests are heading for “catastrophic ecosystem collapse” within the next 50 years due to multiple threats including disease, extreme weather and wildfires, researchers have warned, with trees dying on a large scale.The study, published in the journal Forestry, was put together by a panel of 42 researchers, with 1,200 experts consulted. Lead author, Dr Eleanor Tew, head of forest planning at Forestry England and visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge, described the finding as “sobering and alarming”. Continue reading…
- Leave It to Beavers? Not if You’re a Wolf.by Cara Giaimo on November 8, 2023 at 12:01 am
This is what happens when an apex predator collides with an ecosystem engineer.
- Leave It to Beavers? Not if You’re a Wolf.by Cara Giaimo on November 8, 2023 at 12:01 am
This is what happens when an apex predator collides with an ecosystem engineer.
- Watford Gap was the start of wedded bliss | Brief lettersby Guardian Staff on November 7, 2023 at 5:54 pm
Making memories on the M1 | Welsh mystery | The £1 cuppa | Planting trees | Sandwich spreadAre we alone in having sentimental memories of Watford Gap services (Watford Gap: M1 services that hosted Stones and Beatles faces demolition, 3 November)? We dined there on our wedding day – not by choice. We said at the time that if married life started with such an awful journey, travelling by coach on a windy night instead of flying from Manchester to London, things could only get better. Happily, 60 years later we are still here to prove we were right.Anne and Terry DavisStourbridge, West Midlands• I was fascinated to read about the engineering marvel of Dinorwig power station in north Wales (Electric mountain: the power station that shows the beauty of infrastructure, 2 November). But I was disappointed to discover that the visitor centre has been closed for some years. Its marvels will therefore remain mysterious.Jane LowShenstone, Staffordshire Continue reading…
- A database unifies the information on damage to European forests over the last 60 yearson November 7, 2023 at 3:53 pm
Researchers are creating a database that harmonizes the recording of disturbances caused by insects and diseases in forests in 8 European countries by combining remote sensing, satellite images and field data.
- A database unifies the information on damage to European forests over the last 60 yearson November 7, 2023 at 3:53 pm
Researchers are creating a database that harmonizes the recording of disturbances caused by insects and diseases in forests in 8 European countries by combining remote sensing, satellite images and field data.
- Kenya makes 13 November nationwide tree planting day a public holidayby Associated Press in Nairobi on November 7, 2023 at 11:04 am
Move announced by interior minister is part of ambitious Kenyan plan to plant 15bn trees by 2032The Kenyan government has announced a surprise public holiday on 13 November for a nationwide tree planting day, part of its ambitious plan to plant 15bn trees by 2032The interior minister, Kithure Kindiki, made the announcement via an official notice posted to social media. Continue reading…
- Country diary: Leaf colour changes by the week, and by the instant | Derek Niemannby Derek Niemann on November 7, 2023 at 5:30 am
Sandy, Bedfordshire: One moment the lime tree is ablaze in early-morning yellow-gold, and the next, the fire has been put outThis shifting season paints itself in two trees outside my window. I rootled in a bag of coloured pencils at half-term for lime and sycamore, and began to draw. Though my sketching skills are limited, I have learned to see colour changes by the week, the day, and even in an instant, with the parting of clouds.The old lime to the right is at the end of a line that once marked the boundary of a Victorian villa. Two weeks ago, my drawings would give it a strong mid-green base, for only the leaves on the outermost twigs curled and furled, all their chlorophyll sucked back into the core. This marked the patchy beginnings of a brief golden age, when previously subsumed carotenoids and xanthophylls gave the lime its first hues of autumn. Continue reading…
- Q+A: What can trees tell us about environmental history and climate adaptation?by Monica Evans on November 7, 2023 at 4:19 am
Aster Gebrekirstos on the just-launched African Tree Ring Network for Resilience
- Study examines the relationship between mice and a plant that flowers once a centuryon November 6, 2023 at 10:04 pm
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have revealed new insights into the interaction between mast seeding plants and the animals that eat their seeds. Hanami Suzuki and Professor Hisashi Kajimura examined the behavior of field mice using seeds from once-in-a-century flowering sasa bamboo plants in central Japan.
- Learning more about how flu strains evolved may help guide future vaccine developmenton November 6, 2023 at 6:49 pm
Simon Fraser University researchers studying the evolutionary history of flu viruses have found that a new quantitative analysis of how they evolved may help predict future strains. The research draws on a field known as phylogenetics, which focuses on how groups of organisms are evolutionarily related, and is published in the journal Science Advances.
- The fascinating relationship between mice and a plant that flowers once a century in terms of seed dispersalon November 6, 2023 at 6:49 pm
Researchers have discovered several factors that affect field mouse behavior using seeds from dwarf bamboo plants, a plant that flowers once in a century. Their findings not only suggest the previously underappreciated role of mice in the forest ecosystem, but also show that they store small sasa seeds for later use. These challenge a previously held model of mouse behavior.
- The world’s boreal forests may be shrinking as climate change pushes them northwardon November 6, 2023 at 5:19 pm
Earth’s boreal forests circle our planet’s far northern reaches, just south of the Arctic’s treeless tundra. If the planet wears an Arctic ice cap, then the boreal forests are a loose-knit headband wrapped around its ears, covering large portions of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia.
- Stay Safe and Earn CEUs with the Z133 Video Safety Courseby Madeline Koenig-Schappe on November 6, 2023 at 3:49 pm
ISA offers a variety of educational materials and products to help arborists expand their professional knowledge and experience. Every month, we will feature a product or group of products. …
- Fossils tell tale of last primate to inhabit North America before humanson November 6, 2023 at 2:37 pm
The story of Ekgmowechashala, the final primate to inhabit North America before Homo sapiens or Clovis people, reads like a spaghetti Western: A grizzled and mysterious loner, against the odds, ekes out an existence on the American Plains.
- Millions of sterile fruit flies are being dropped on LA to fight an infestationon November 6, 2023 at 12:27 pm
The citrus trees at C&S Nursery in Baldwin Hills would normally be full of passionfruit, kumquats and other fruits this time of year. But last month, employees stripped dozens of them and placed them at the rear of the lot, away from the public, as part of an all-out quarantine effort aimed at eradicating one of the most destructive pests in the world: the Mediterranean fruit fly.
- ‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestationby Jonathan Watts in Altamira on November 6, 2023 at 11:35 am
By now, the rivers should be full. But large-scale cattle farming, the climate crisis and weather events like El Niño mean Brazil is near the point of no returnCows, dust and smoke. That was what greeted me on my return home to Altamira, after several weeks on the road. An unusually fierce dry season has taken a horrific toll on the Amazonian landscape, swathes of which are already denuded by cattle ranches. Together, they threaten the integrity of the world’s biggest tropical forest.I will get to the science behind that horrifying statement shortly. But first, let me describe what is happening on the ground, in and around my home in Altamira, in Pará state, northern Brazil. Continue reading…
- Beef, soy and palm oil products linked to deforestation still imported into UKby Helena Horton Environment reporter on November 6, 2023 at 6:00 am
Campaigners accuse government of failing to stick to promises made at Cop26 climate summit in 2021UK politics live – latest updatesBeef, soy and palm oil products driving deforestation are still being imported into the UK, despite government promises this practice would end, data has revealed.Campaigners have criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for failing to put practices in place to stop the import of goods from areas with high deforestation rates. This is despite the government having promised at the Cop26 climate conference in 2021 to implement the rules. Continue reading…
- Country diary: May the circle be unbroken | Mark Cockerby Mark Cocker on November 6, 2023 at 5:30 am
Shimpling, Suffolk: An imperfect ring of wonderful milkcap toadstools brings to mind how the landscape here is supposed to beThrough the foliage it just looked like some weird plasticated white mess across the ground. Only when you went under the bushes to the exact spot could you see the real magic. It was an almost perfect circle of fungi, and each toadstool a creamy plate – glistening, succulent and as fleshy as a fillet of ox liver – and probably one of 30-plus species known as milkcaps.It struck me as a metaphor for this place, Alpheton Hall Wood. In spring it is strewn with flowers and ringing with birdsong. Most special among the multi-coloured carpet is the soft lemon of oxslips, because Alpheton is one of a suite of Suffolk sites celebrated for being among Britain’s best ancient woodlands and of national wildlife importance. Continue reading…
- In the World’s Driest Desert, Ancient Wisdom Blooms Eternalby Irjaliina Paavonpera on November 6, 2023 at 1:25 am
Burned out from life in New York, a photographer traveled to northern Chile to study the ancient wisdom of the Lickanantay, the area’s Indigenous people. Here’s what she saw.
- Q+A: Seed banks – critical for climate adaptationby David Henry on November 6, 2023 at 12:30 am
Genetic diversity conservation in the spotlight at GLF Nairobi
- Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversityon November 3, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world’s protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more variable tree cover, which is expected to benefit biodiversity overall.
- The kids aren’t alright: Saplings reveal how changing climate may undermine forestson November 3, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Researchers studied how young trees respond to a hotter, drier climate. Their findings can help shape forest management policy and our understanding of how landscapes will change.
- The kids aren’t alright: Saplings reveal how changing climate may undermine forestson November 3, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Researchers studied how young trees respond to a hotter, drier climate. Their findings can help shape forest management policy and our understanding of how landscapes will change.
- Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose shown to contribute to tree diversityon November 3, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world’s protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more variable tree cover, which is expected to benefit biodiversity overall.
- Climate change is turning swaths of California’s mountains into ‘zombie forests’on November 3, 2023 at 11:28 am
There’s something eerie about this forest in the southern Sierra Nevada. Tangles of bony branches obscure the ground. Dead trees stand gray and bristly. An aura of doom hangs over the green conifers that remain.
- Italy’s olive growers lament poor harvests from extreme weatheron November 3, 2023 at 10:09 am
At this time of year, the trees on Alan Risolo’s land in central Italy should be groaning with olives. But extreme weather blamed on climate change has ruined his harvest.
- What happens after conservation payments stop?by Cauê D. Carrilho on November 3, 2023 at 12:30 am
Exploring the permanence of avoided deforestation in a Brazilian REDD+ site
- Government should target tree aftercare rather than planting, say UK expertsby Helena Horton Environment reporter on November 2, 2023 at 11:48 am
Experts at Royal Horticultural Society conference argue for change of focus as many saplings are dyingTree establishment should replace tree planting in government targets, experts have said.Billions of pounds of taxpayer money could be being wasted planting trees that end up dying because government tree targets are focused on planting rather than survival, they argued, amid concern that saplings were dying because they are often neglected. Continue reading…
- Two More Arrests Made Over Destruction of Sycamore Gap Treeby Jenny Gross on November 1, 2023 at 9:34 pm
More than a month after the tree was mysteriously cut down, the police in Britain said they had arrested two men in their 30s on suspicion of criminal damage.
- ‘Darwin’s oak’ to be felled to make way for Shrewsbury bypassby Damien Gayle on November 1, 2023 at 6:51 pm
Shropshire county council narrowly approves road handing death sentence to tree Darwin may have climbed as a boyAs an eight-year-old, Charles Darwin may have sat in the shade beneath its boughs and climbed its branches. Two hundred years later, “Darwin’s oak” has been handed a death sentence to make way for a new road to bypass Shrewsbury.Along with eight other veteran trees, the 550-year-old, open-grown oak tree, which has a girth of 7 metres (23ft), stands in the path of the planned Shrewsbury North West Relief Road (NWRR), an £80m bypass linking the northern and western parts of the town. Continue reading…
- November 2023 Issue of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry Now Online!by Madeline Koenig-Schappe on November 1, 2023 at 1:48 pm
The November 2023 Issue of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry is now online! In this issue: Evaluating the Reproducibility of Tree Risk Assessment Ratings Across Commonly Used …
- Dealing with Fearby Michael Hoppe on November 1, 2023 at 12:19 pm
If you’re going to be a tree climber, you’ll have to decide how far you want to progress down that road, and whether or not you have what it takes to do the tough jobs. And if you decide you have the requisite physical as well as mental fiber to take on the tough ones, The post Dealing with Fear appeared first on Tree Care Industry Magazine.
- Emerald Ash Borer Two Decades Laterby Richard Hauer on November 1, 2023 at 11:43 am
The post Emerald Ash Borer Two Decades Later appeared first on Tree Care Industry Magazine.
- Country diary: A calculated garden that’s still thriving | Sara Hudstonby Sara Hudston on November 1, 2023 at 5:30 am
Culbone Woods, Somerset: We have Ada Lovelace and her husband to thank for this stretch of misty, coastal woodland that harbours many gemsTake the coast path west from Porlock Weir and you enter the fantastical ruins of a mathematician’s dream. Past the whimsical thatched gatehouse that guards entry to the Worthy toll road, you soon encounter an odd, semicircular stone bridge with an ivied turret clinging to its side. It is part of a wider system of curving walls, towers and tunnels, built on the orders of Ada Lovelace, the early computer programmer known as “the enchantress of numbers”.During the 1830s and 40s, Ada and her husband embarked on extensive landscaping, creating a crenellated Italianate villa with parterres, walkways and carriage drives. Here, she strolled with her friend, the inventor and philosopher Charles Babbage, discussing calculations for his “analytical engine”, a proposed computer. Continue reading…
- How to tap agroforestry’s huge potential as a natural climate solutionby Monica Evans on November 1, 2023 at 1:00 am
Review defines gaps hindering uptake and recognition of key mitigation approach
- Carbon credits from forest conservation exaggerate impact of ill-targeted REDD+ projectsby Sven Wunder on October 31, 2023 at 9:00 am
More accurate methods of estimating avoided deforestation are urgently needed
- Amazon deforestation linked to long distance climate warmingon October 30, 2023 at 11:45 pm
Deforestation in the Amazon causes land surfaces up to 100 kilometers away to get warmer, suggests a new study. The research suggests that tropical forests play a critical role in cooling the land surface — and that effect can play out over considerable distances.
- Deforestation has big impact on regional temperatures, study of Brazilian Amazon showsby Jonathan Watts on October 30, 2023 at 7:40 pm
Research highlights benefits forests bring surrounding regions in terms of cooler air and more rainfallDeforestation has a far greater impact on regional temperatures than previously believed, according to a new study of the Brazilian Amazon that shows agricultural businesses would be among the biggest beneficiaries of forest conservation.The research has important political implications because farmers in Amazonian states have, until now, led the way in forest destruction on the assumption that they will make money by clearing more land. Continue reading…
- Offset markets: New approach could help save tropical forests by restoring faith in carbon creditson October 30, 2023 at 6:14 pm
A new approach to valuing the carbon storage potential of natural habitats aims to help restore faith in offset schemes, by enabling investors to directly compare carbon credit pricing across a wide range of projects.
- ‘Killing’ trees: How true environmental protection requires a revolution in how we talk about, and with, our forestson October 30, 2023 at 5:20 pm
Which came first, the acorn or the oak? A more important question is which came first: our words for trees, or our understandings of what trees are?
- Ancient Pear Tree Comes Back to Life After Being Felled to Make Way for High Speed Rail in UKby Andy Corbley on October 30, 2023 at 1:20 pm
In a huge surprise and delightful resolution to a painful situation, the second-oldest pear tree in Britain is regrowing vigorously after being transplanted to make way for a high-speed railway line. Known as the “Cubbington Pear” due to its location in a woodland near this town in Warwickshire, contractors working on the new HS2 low-carbon The post Ancient Pear Tree Comes Back to Life After Being Felled to Make Way for High Speed Rail in UK appeared first on Good News Network.
- Red Maple Trees Line English Road to Honor 418 Canadian Soldiers Who Died Defending Freedom Overseasby Good News Network on October 29, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Stunning photos of autumnal red maple trees lining a highway are a moving commemoration to Canadian soldiers who gave their lives overseas during the two World Wars. Many motorists are unaware that they are passing through a sacred war memorial on the A3 in Hampshire, England. The 418 maples, Canada’s national tree, were planted near The post Red Maple Trees Line English Road to Honor 418 Canadian Soldiers Who Died Defending Freedom Overseas appeared first on Good News Network.
- A Central Park Garden, Renewedby Jane L. Levere on October 27, 2023 at 8:45 pm
Rows of new crab apple trees are being carefully planted to replace dying ones as part of the Conservatory Garden’s multi-year restoration.
- A mystery disease hit South Africa’s pine trees 40 years ago: New DNA technology has found the killeron October 27, 2023 at 4:28 pm
In the 1970s and 1980s, pine trees growing in various forestry plantations in South Africa’s Western Cape province began to die in patches. These trees succumbed to a mysterious root disease and the patches expanded gradually. Spontaneous regrowth of seedlings in the patches died dramatically.
- Can wild meat be hunted sustainably in tropical forests?by Monica Evans on October 27, 2023 at 1:00 am
Teasing out complex conservation and livelihood challenges in the bushmeat sector
- Scientists identify gene that triggers dramatically increased root growthon October 26, 2023 at 7:57 pm
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists identified a gene “hotspot” in the poplar tree that triggers dramatically increased root growth. The discovery supports the development of better bioenergy crops and other plants that can thrive in difficult conditions while storing more carbon belowground.
- Wright Service Corp. Chair and CEO Retiresby TCIA Staff on October 26, 2023 at 5:56 pm
After more than 25 years with the company, Scott D. Packard, Wright Service Corp.’s chair and CEO, retired on September 30, 2023. Packard joined Wright Service Corp. in July 1998 and was appointed president and COO three years later. In October 2002, Packard took on the position of chair and CEO of Wright Service Corp. The post Wright Service Corp. Chair and CEO Retires appeared first on Tree Care Industry Magazine.
- A Severe Drought Pushes the Amazon Rainforest to the Brinkby Ana Ionova and Manuela Andreoni on October 26, 2023 at 5:53 pm
The rainforest holds a fifth of the world’s fresh water, but deforestation, dwindling rain and unrelenting heat are sucking it dry.
- Davey Tree Donates 1,861 Trees to Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh Through Three Sports Partnershipsby TCIA Staff on October 26, 2023 at 5:53 pm
The Davey Tree Expert Company has donated 1,861 trees as of October 2023 through partnerships with the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, the MLB Cleveland Guardians and the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins to help re-establish tree canopies in Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Davey recognizes the positive impact and critical role trees have in our communities, so it’s The post Davey Tree Donates 1,861 Trees to Northeast Ohio and Pittsburgh Through Three Sports Partnerships appeared first on Tree Care Industry Magazine.
- Bandit celebrates 40th anniversary at corporate headquartersby TCIA Staff on October 26, 2023 at 5:46 pm
Bandit Industries celebrated its 40th anniversary with a corporate event on September 27 and 28, 2023. The event included a welcome reception with plant tours and equipment demonstrations. The event wrapped up the evening of the with dinner and entertainment. Visitors from the USA and 15 different countries attended, including from Australia, Argentina, Brazil Canada, The post Bandit celebrates 40th anniversary at corporate headquarters appeared first on Tree Care Industry Magazine.
- Investigating the effects of surface treatment on the antibacterial activity of woodon October 26, 2023 at 5:19 pm
Research indicates that several pathogenic bacteria can remain contagious on a range of surfaces from hours to days and weeks. While wood as a surface material is known for its antibacterial properties, dry contamination via hands has so far been poorly understood, as most prior research has involved adding bacteria in liquid droplets to materials.
- 75% of exclusive hardwood may be illegally harvestedon October 26, 2023 at 5:16 pm
The tropical wood type ipe is popular for building exclusive wooden decks, and in North America and Europe, the demand for the material has increased sharply. Now, a study shows that more than three-quarters of all ipe from the top producing region in Brazil could have been harvested illegally.
- Even treated wood prevents bacterial transmission by handon October 26, 2023 at 5:15 pm
According to a new study, surface treatment and moisture affect the antibacterial properties of wood. Based on the findings, treated wood should be increasingly used as surface material.
- Can AI nip tree disease in the bud?on October 26, 2023 at 4:19 pm
Global trade, tourism and other forms of human movement are accelerating the spread of tree and plant pathogens between continents. Dutch elm disease, first seen in Europe in 1910, was detected in Canada just four decades later. Since then, it has destroyed billions of elm trees in in North America and Europe.
- The Scientists Watching Their Work Disappear From Climate Changeby Catrin Einhorn and Thea Traff on October 26, 2023 at 1:41 pm
Some are stubborn optimists. Others struggle with despair. Their faces show the weight they carry as they witness the impact of climate change.
- Fire, other ravages jeopardize California’s prized forestson October 26, 2023 at 8:16 am
On a mountainside where walls of flames torched the forest on their way toward Lake Tahoe in 2021, blackened trees stand against a gray sky.
- ‘It’s Like Our Country Exploded’: Canada’s Year of Fireby David Wallace-Wells on October 25, 2023 at 8:47 pm
Endless evacuations, unimaginable smoke and heat, 45 million acres burned — is this the nation’s new normal?
- Can We Save the Redwoods by Helping Them Move?by Moises Velasquez-Manoff on October 25, 2023 at 8:43 pm
The largest trees on the planet can’t easily ‘migrate’ — but in a warming world, some humans are helping them try to find new homes.
- Can We Save the Redwoods by Helping Them Move?by Moises Velasquez-Manoff on October 25, 2023 at 8:43 pm
The largest trees on the planet can’t easily ‘migrate’ — but in a warming world, some humans are helping them try to find new homes.
- Himalayan communities are under siege from landslides—and climate change is worsening the crisison October 25, 2023 at 4:53 pm
Three-quarters of annual rain in the Himalayas arrives in the monsoon season from June to September. Within this rainy period are sudden and extremely intense cloudbursts, which often “pop” over a relatively small area (akin to a cloud bursting open like a balloon).
- Single model predicts trends in employment, microbiomes, forestson October 25, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Researchers report that a single, simplified model can predict population fluctuations in three unrelated realms: urban employment, human gut microbiomes and tropical forests. The model will help economists, ecologists, public health authorities and others predict and respond to variability in multiple domains.
- New study finds hidden trees across Europe: A billion tons of biomass is overlooked todayon October 25, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Through satellite imaging a new AI driven mapping of biomass and CO2 storage shows that a huge number of trees are overlooked in Europe’s urban, rural, and agricultural areas. Across Europe, researchers have discovered a billion tons of hidden biomass.
- New study finds hidden trees across Europe: A billion tons of biomass is overlooked todayon October 25, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Through satellite imaging a new AI driven mapping of biomass and CO2 storage shows that a huge number of trees are overlooked in Europe’s urban, rural, and agricultural areas. Across Europe, researchers have discovered a billion tons of hidden biomass.
- Study finds hidden trees across Europe: A billion tons of biomass is overlooked todayon October 25, 2023 at 1:55 pm
Trees isolate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, benefit wildlife, and biodiversity and make us humans happy. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have trees in your backyard, outside your window, or in a nearby park. Forests aren’t the only place where foliage enriches the planet. But until now, we have simply not been able to account for all the many trees not in forests, according to new research from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management.
- Explainer: Five reasons why trees are a solution to the climate crisisby Monica Evans on October 25, 2023 at 6:08 am
From carbon sequestration to storm surge protection, trees matter every step of the way
- New study on the importance of tree leaves for carbon dioxide storageon October 24, 2023 at 3:31 pm
In a large-scale study with almost 400 partners, researchers worldwide have collected data on tree species, to which scientists from Bayreuth have contributed their knowledge about the Kilimanjaro region. The study, which has now been published in the journal Nature Plants, improves our understanding of the different leaf types of trees and thus enables us to draw conclusions about ecosystems and the CO2 cycle.
- New study shows surprising effects of fire in North America’s boreal forestson October 23, 2023 at 7:58 pm
A new study, using a first-of-its-kind approach to analyze satellite imagery from boreal forests over the last three decades, has found that fire may be changing the face of the region in a way researchers did not previously anticipate.
- New study shows surprising effects of fire in North America’s boreal forestson October 23, 2023 at 4:37 pm
Using satellite images, researchers found that fires in North America’s boreal forest may be changing the environment in ways that researchers didn’t previously anticipate.
- New study shows surprising effects of fire in North America’s boreal forestson October 23, 2023 at 4:37 pm
Using satellite images, researchers found that fires in North America’s boreal forest may be changing the environment in ways that researchers didn’t previously anticipate.
- Fungal evolution discovered: Mycena can now invade living hostson October 23, 2023 at 3:02 pm
Biologists have long known mushrooms of the genus Mycena, commonly known as bonnet mushrooms, as fungi that live off of dead trees and plants. New research from the University of Copenhagen demonstrates that bonnets can also find their ways into young, healthy trees and plants, where they try to cooperate. In doing so, they have made an evolutionary leap which challenges our understanding of the ecological roles of fungi.
- Harnessing heat-induced floral overexpression using CRISPR techniqueson October 23, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Plant migration and gene flow from genetically modified or invasive plant species to wild relatives is a major public and regulatory concern. To counteract potential spread, various strategies have been developed, ranging from identifying naturally sterile plants to engineered sterility via gene editing.
- Agroforestry and beekeeping a boon for Botswanan farmersby Christopher Katema on October 23, 2023 at 4:11 am
Training workshop builds capacity on climate-smart tools and approaches
- Why you should count your chickens (and kookaburras, lorikeets or other backyard birds)on October 20, 2023 at 5:19 pm
This year is the tenth annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count, which Professor Simon Griffith says highlights the important role citizen science projects play in our understanding of changes taking place in our world.
- Most people would welcome more trees and wildflower meadows in their townscapes, UK survey findson October 20, 2023 at 4:54 pm
Recent collaboration between Bangor University and the UK Center for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) has shown that most people want more nature like trees and wildflowers in their towns and cities.
- Why You Don’t Need to Rake the Leavesby Remy Tumin on October 20, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Thinking about raking freshly fallen leaves into a pile? Think again, scientists and naturalists say.
- Land use: Producing more food and storing more carbonon October 20, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Doubling food production, saving water, and increasing carbon storage capacity — this may sound paradoxical, but would be theoretically feasible considering the biophysical potential of the Earth. Reaching this goal, however, would require a radical spatial reorganization of land use.
- Understanding mutualism can help control the spread of invasive specieson October 19, 2023 at 8:54 pm
Cooperation between species to help each other’s survival is known as mutualism. It is seen among many types of organisms, such as plants and fungi that exchange nutrients with one another, plants that provide bees with nectar in exchange for pollination, and sea anemones that provide protection for clown-fish in exchange for excreted nutrients.
- Unearthing the ecological impacts of cicada emergences on North American forestson October 19, 2023 at 7:17 pm
New research unveils the cascading effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest ecosystems ahead of an historic convergence of broods set to emerge spring of 2024.
- Unearthing the ecological impacts of cicada emergences on North American forestson October 19, 2023 at 7:17 pm
New research unveils the cascading effects of periodical cicada emergence events on forest ecosystems ahead of an historic convergence of broods set to emerge spring of 2024.
- Yeast speeds discovery of medicinal compounds in plantson October 18, 2023 at 11:45 pm
Researchers have harnessed the power of baker’s yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.
- Study elucidates evolution of mosquitoes and their hostson October 18, 2023 at 8:19 pm
Study creates a mosquito family tree to better understand disease transmission and host choice.
- Researchers study one of the world’s darkest riverson October 18, 2023 at 3:56 pm
They set out to study the Congo Basin’s carbon cycle and in the process have become aware of one of the world’s darkest blackwater rivers: the Ruki. In the first study on this major jungle river, an international research team explains how this blackness comes about and what it says about the river system’s carbon balance.
- Deforestation caused by rubber vastly underestimated: studyon October 18, 2023 at 3:10 pm
Deforestation for rubber cultivation has been “substantially underestimated”, and is two to three times higher than generally assumed, a new study said Wednesday.
- How Megafires Are Remaking the Worldby Emily Anthes on October 18, 2023 at 2:45 pm
In our Pyrocene age, enormous wildfires aren’t merely damaging ecosystems but transforming them.
- African scientists school up to adapt agriculture to climate changeby Monica Evans on October 18, 2023 at 7:00 am
First cohort graduates from CRISPR course ready to develop climate-smart crops
- Subalpine forests in the Northern Rockies are fire resilient–for nowon October 17, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Using lake sediment cores, scientists determined how these subalpine ecosystems recovered after 4,800 years of fire.
- Subalpine forests in the Northern Rockies are fire resilient–for nowon October 17, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Using lake sediment cores, scientists determined how these subalpine ecosystems recovered after 4,800 years of fire.
- AI models identify biodiversity from animal sounds in tropical rainforestson October 17, 2023 at 4:33 pm
Animal sounds are a very good indicator of biodiversity in tropical reforestation areas. Researchers demonstrate this by using sound recordings and AI models.
- Sacramento Zoo is no longer home to chimpanzees. Here’s why, and where they wenton October 17, 2023 at 11:00 am
For the first time in 75 years, the Sacramento Zoo is no longer home to a troop of chimpanzees.
- Deer Are Everywhere, but We Barely Know Themby Ashley Stimpson on October 16, 2023 at 4:31 pm
A decade-old research project in Pennsylvania has been revealing the secret lives of familiar woodland mammals.
- Wildfires threaten environmental gains in climate-crucial Amazonon October 16, 2023 at 4:27 pm
Despite steps toward decreasing deforestation, uncontrolled wildfires are threatening environmental gains in Brazilian Amazonia, one of the world’s most critical carbon sinks and a region of high biological and cultural diversity.
- Turf experts explain why mulching leaves is a better solution than disposalon October 16, 2023 at 3:28 pm
October is peak season for admiring fall foliage and soon those leaves will begin to fall, if they haven’t already done so. Before you start to clean them up, Virginia Tech turf experts suggest that you try a different approach instead of bagging and tossing.
- Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes finally on conservation agendasby Anja Gassner on October 16, 2023 at 11:06 am
Intersectoral collaboration on the cards as advisory body meets to help implement GBF
- Making waves: centring water in agroecological research and practiceby Monica Evans on October 16, 2023 at 10:00 am
Focus on inclusive water management and aquatic food at World Water Week
- Scientists Debunk the Myth: Do Trees Really Have Feelings?by Heidelberg University on October 13, 2023 at 10:58 am
Many attributions in popular publications lack scientific evidence. Plants are frequently often attributed with abilities similar to those recognized in animals or humans. For instance,…
- Fieldwork in the forest: deforestation dynamics more complex than they first appearby Malte Ladewig on October 12, 2023 at 1:11 am
A PhD student reflects on a month spent investigating artisanal mining in eastern DRC
- The good and bad uses of biomass for Californiaon October 11, 2023 at 10:22 pm
A new study examines the good and bad uses of biomass and the best pathways to meet California’s goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 85% of 1990 levels by 2045.
- Epiphytes, amazing plants like moss and bromeliads found in trees, face growing threatson October 11, 2023 at 10:20 pm
Epiphytes, plants such as orchids and mosses that grow in trees, draw nutrients from the air and create refuge for all sorts of other life forms. They are the foundation of forest canopy ecosystems, but they are facing threats from human and natural disturbances.
- Stay Warm with ISA Apparel Powered by Arborwearby Madeline Koenig-Schappe on October 10, 2023 at 2:43 pm
ISA offers a variety of educational materials and products to help arborists expand their professional knowledge and experience. Every month, we will feature a product or group of products. …