http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/forests/ Forest Biomes. Read all about forests, including forest ecology, carbon uptake, and how human activities are affecting forests. Full articles, photos. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/forests/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111083055.htm Because land use changes are responsible for 50 percent of warming in the US, policymakers need to address the influence of global deforestation and urbanization on climate change, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, experts urge. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111083055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092049.htm The kelp forests off southern California are considered to be some of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, yet a new study indicates that today's kelp beds are less extensive and lush than those in the recent past. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171750.htm Fossil plants provide clues as to what our planet looked like millions of years ago. Identifying fossil plants can be tricky, however, when plant organs fail to be preserved. Researchers recently discovered abundant fossilized specimens of a conifer (previously known as "Libocedrus" prechilensis) found in Argentinean Patagonia. Characteristics of these fossils match those currently found only in tropical, montane New Guinea and the Moluccas. This discovery helps to explain the remarkable plant and insect diversity found in Eocene Patagonia. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105353.htm Aerosols, very small particles suspended in the air, play an important role in the global climate balance and in regulating climate change. They are one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate change models. ESA's GlobAerosol project has been making the most of European satellite capabilities to monitor them. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091107115833.htm Tree-dwelling ants generally live in harmony with their arboreal hosts. But new research suggests that when they run out of space in their trees of choice, the ants can get destructive to neighboring trees. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091107115833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173728.htm They may only be 1.5mm in size, but the tiny wasps that pollinate fig trees can travel over 160km in less than 48 hours, according to new research. The fig wasps are transporting pollen ten times further than previously recorded for any insect. The fig wasps travel these distances in search of trees to lay their eggs, which offers hope that trees pollinated by similar creatures have a good chance of surviving if they become isolated through deforestation. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106111214.htm Predictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106111214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102954.htm In foods, soil samples or customs checks, plant fragments sometimes need to be quickly identified. The use of DNA "barcodes" to itemize plant biodiversity was proposed during the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Summit. Researchers have now tested this method in the tropical forest. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106102954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143823.htm An innovative proposal by the Ecuadorian government to protect an untouched, oil rich region of Amazon rainforest is a precedent-setting and potentially economically viable approach, says a team of environmental researchers. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm Researchers found that removing all of the trees from a section of the forest had a negative effect on amphibians during their later life cycles, but had some positive effects during amphibians' aquatic larva stages at the beginning of their lives. To lessen the negative effects during the later life stage, scientists recommend partial or selection cuts to forests rather than completely removing trees from an area. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102212153.htm An ancient South American civilisation which disappeared around 1,500 years ago helped to cause its own demise by damaging the fragile ecosystem that held it in place, a study has found. Archaeologists examining the remains of the Nasca, who once flourished in the valleys of south coastal Peru, have uncovered a sequence of human-induced events which led to their "catastrophic" collapse around 500 AD. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102212153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm A recent assessment finds some positive trends among indicators of biodiversity loss in China -- notably, growth in forest coverage and improvements in marine ecosystems. However, other indicators, such as the rate of discovery of invasive species, are worsening. Many animals are under growing threat. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090530.htm One of the first-ever analyses of the effects of global warming on endangered primates has examined how El Niño warming has affected the abundance of four highly threatened New World monkeys. All four monkey species showed drops in abundance relating to large-scale climate fluctuations. The study suggests that the consequences of intensified climate fluctuations could be devastating for several primate species. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028192613.htm Fire is often thought of something that trees should be protected from, but a new study suggests that some trees may themselves contribute to the likelihood of wildfires in order to promote their own abundance at the expense of their competitors. The study says that positive feedback loops between fire and trees associated with savannas can make fires more likely in these ecosystems. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028192613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152806.htm Biologists for the first time have documented a second breeding season during the annual cycle of five songbird species that spend summers in temperate North America and winters in tropical Central and South America. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027111451.htm Surveys have confirmed that the finest montane forests in Timor-Leste, and possibly the whole island of Timor, are to be found on the inaccessible Mount Mundo Perdido -- literally, "Lost World." With 22 of the restricted-range species of the Timor and Wetar Endemic Bird Area found so far, Mount Mundo Perdido has been recognized as Timor-Leste's seventeenth Important Bird Area. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027111451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141126.htm Scientists have identified an important but fixable error in legal accounting rules for bioenergy that could, if uncorrected, undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gases by encouraging deforestation. They propose a fix that accounts for the direct and indirect land use impacts of biofuels. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013132127.htm Urban grasslands are an extremely common, but poorly studied ecosystem type. Many receive high rates of fertilizer, creating concerns about nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions. Recent research has been focused on long-term study plots to evaluate multiple ecological variables in different components of the urban landscape. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013132127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094054.htm Logged rainforests can support as much plant, animal and insect life as virgin forest within 15 years if properly managed, new research has found. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163020.htm Global warming in the next century could cause a significant increase in the productivity of high-elevation forests of the Pacific Northwest, a new study suggests. However, forests at lower elevations -- which in recent years have accounted for more than 80 percent of the region's timber harvest -- could face a decline in growth. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230441.htm Researchers working in Colombia's Cerrejón coal mine have unearthed the first megafossil evidence of a neotropical rainforest. Titanoboa, the world's biggest snake, lived in this forest 58 million years ago at temperatures 3-5 C warmer than in rainforests today, indicating that rainforests flourished during warm periods. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191908.htm Scientists have found that orangutans move through the canopy of tropical forests in a completely different way to all other tree-dwelling primates. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007091752.htm The many environmental issues facing our society are prevalent in the media lately. Our ecosystem is composed of a very delicate network of interactions among all species and the non-living environment. Predicting how each component of this complex system will respond to the many environmental changes sweeping the globe is a challenging problem today's scientists face. This study explores how increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be affecting trees and, ultimately, affecting water and carbon cycles. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007091752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007103059.htm The role of the forests is assumed to increase in the future, as an important buffer of climate change and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations. So-called Earth system models, computer systems making predictions for the globe, estimate that this effect can be very large. However, new research results, based on measurements at hundreds of European forests, indicate that predicted effects by these models are overestimated because they ignore the limitation of nitrogen. It makes the current predictions by Earth system models more than twice as high as they most likely will be. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007103059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161126.htm A 16-year study of tropical butterfly migration links a global climate pattern, El Niño, to local increases in plant production and peak migrations. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164414.htm A long-term study of Africanized bee invasion of Mexico's Yucatan shows that "killer bees" may actually increase food resources for native bees. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001181051.htm Tiny organisms that covered the planet more than 250 million years ago appear to be a species of ancient fungus that thrived in dead wood, according to new research. Scientists believe that the organisms were able to thrive during this period because the world's forests had been wiped out. This would explain how the organisms, which are known as Reduviasporonites, were able to proliferate across the planet. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001181051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002105359.htm The pathogen that causes sudden oak death disease in California has a different genetic fingerprint than fungal strains found in nurseries in Oregon and Washington, according to scientists. This discovery will allow scientists to distinguish infections in other states as likely having originated from either California or the Pacific Northwest. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002105359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923133002.htm The American chestnut was a dominant species in eastern US's forests before a blight wiped it out in the early 1900s. Today it's being returned to the landscape thanks in part to work by Tennessee forestry experts. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923133002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901143313.htm Scientists argue that current international strategies to mitigate manmade carbon emissions and address climate change have overlooked a critical player -- inland waters. Carbon burial and outgassing by streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetlands play important roles in the carbon cycle that are unaccounted for in conventional carbon cycling models. Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901143313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831213002.htm Research suggests that the expansion of rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) in Southern Appalachian mountain hollows may increase the likelihood of landslides during and after intense rain events. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831213002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140932.htm The composition of some of our nation's forests may be quite different 200 to 400 years from today according to a recent study. The study found that temperature and photosynthetic active radiation were the two most important variables in predicting what forest landscapes may look like in the future. The uncertainties became very high after the year 2200. Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123513.htm Levels of chloride, a component of salt, are elevated in many urban streams and groundwater across the northern United States, according to a new government study. Chloride levels above the recommended federal criteria set to protect aquatic life were found in more than 40 percent of urban streams tested. The study was released today by the US Geological Survey. Elevated chloride can inhibit plant growth, impair reproduction, and reduce the diversity of organisms in streams. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140926.htm Ecologists have discovered that timber plantations in Hawaii use more than twice the amount of water to grow as native forests use. Especially for island ecosystems, these findings suggest that land management decisions can place ecosystems -- and the people who depend on them -- at high risk for water shortages. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910184308.htm Estimates say more than 70 million ash trees have been destroyed nationally by the emerald ash borer insect. An Iowa researcher is racing the clock to collect seeds from different ash species including green, white, blue and black ash, and many variations within each species before they are killed by the pest. He thinks he may be about 10 percent there. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910184308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090913134030.htm The link between declining carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere and the formation of the Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago has been confirmed for the first time in a major research study. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090913134030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908133814.htm Beginning August 26, 2009, and continuing into September 2009, a large wildfire in the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles known as the Station Fire burned more than 140,000 acres through September 3. Carbon monoxide in the smoke from this large fire was lofted as high as 8.3 kilometers (27,000 feet) into the atmosphere, where it was observed by JPL's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908133814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112119.htm Investing in restoration and maintenance of the Earth's multi-trillion-dollar ecosystems -- from forests and mangroves to wetlands and river basins -- can have a key role in countering climate change and climate-proofing vulnerable economies. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717150250.htm Thread-like fungi that grow in soils at high elevations may play an important role in restoring whitebark and limber pine forests in Canada. Researchers are looking for ways to use fungi to help pine seedlings get a strong start. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717150250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101209.htm After two years of research over five degraded landscapes in the National Park of Sierra Nevada, scientists have established that field mice base their diet on holm oak and pine seeds, causing a deterioration of the habitats and an extension of scrubland in the forests. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827101209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825090755.htm The world's last remaining "pristine" forest -- the boreal forest across large stretches of Russia, Canada and other northern countries -- is under increasing threat, a team of international researchers has found. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825090755.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161142.htm Impoverished fishermen along the coast of tropical African countries like Mozambique and Madagascar may have only a few more years to eke out a profit from one of their nations' biggest agricultural exports. Within a few decades, they may no longer have a livelihood at all. That's because swampy mangrove forests – essential breeding grounds for fish and shellfish in these countries – are being destroyed by worsening pollution, encroaching real estate development, and deforestation necessary to sustain large-scale commercial shrimp farming. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161142.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813190936.htm Three Thai orchids have been found to rely on a wide range of fungi to help them take carbon out of the soil instead of producing their own organic carbon. Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813190936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804071402.htm Insect herbivore species often specialize on the host plants that they eat, evolving adaptations to use a plant's unique set of resources. However, specialization doesn't come without costs. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804071402.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817073502.htm Massive burning of forests for agriculture thousands of years ago may have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide enough to alter global climate and usher in a warming trend that continues today, according to a new study in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817073502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142150.htm Walking outdoors in the fall, the splendidly colorful leaves adorning the trees are a delight to the eye. In Europe these autumn leaves are mostly yellow, while the United States and East Asia boast lustrous red foliage. But why is it that there are such differences in autumnal hues around the world? A new theory proposes taking a step 35 million years back to solve the color mystery. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092538.htm There is mounting evidence that human activity is changing the world's oceans in profound and damaging ways. Man-made carbon emissions "are affecting marine biological processes from genes to ecosystems over scales from rock pools to ocean basins, impacting ecosystem services and threatening human food security," warn experts. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141716.htm The Southern Ocean plays an important role in mitigating climate change because it acts as a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Most current models predict that the strength of the Southern Ocean carbon dioxide sink should increase as atmospheric carbon dioxide rises, but observations show that this has not been the case. Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141716.htm