http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/rainforests/ Rain Forest News. Current science articles on rainforest animals, rainforest plants, and ecosystems of old-growth forests. en-us Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:05:01 EST Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/rainforests/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121852.htm By combining airborne laser technology, satellite mapping, and ground-based plot surveys, a team of researchers has produced the first large-scale, high-resolution estimates of carbon stocks in remote and fragile Madagascar. The group has shown that it is possible to map carbon stocks in rugged geographic regions and that this type of carbon monitoring can be successfully employed to support conservation and climate-change mitigation under the United Nations initiative on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121852.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214226.htm A new study provides compelling evidence that the arrival of the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird (ladybug) to mainland Europe and subsequent spread has led to a rapid decline in historically-widespread species of ladybird in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. The analysis is further evidence that harlequin ladybirds are displacing some native ladybirds, most probably through predation and competition. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214226.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206122618.htm Several periods of field work during 2008 have led to the discovery of a new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice in Costa Rica's high-altitude region Cerro de la Muerte. The discovery was made thanks to molecular data analysis of mitochondrial DNA. The collected records have also increased the overall knowledge of plant lice (one of the most dangerous agricultural pests worldwide) from the region with more that 20 percent. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206122618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163754.htm A new study shows that land-cover changes, in particular deforestation, in the vicinity of glaciers do not have an impact on glacier loss. However, the study also shows that deforestation decreases precipitation in mid elevation zones, which affects the quality of life of the population living in the surrounding areas. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120205163754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181218.htm Yellow-cedar, a culturally and economically valuable tree in southeastern Alaska and adjacent parts of British Columbia, has been dying off across large expanses of these areas for the past 100 years. But no one could say why -- until now. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201181218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151009.htm Tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previously thought. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America. Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120129151009.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127174844.htm Powerful Cyclone Funso's eye has been clear in NASA satellite imagery over the last several days until NASA's Aqua satellite noticed it had "closed" and become filled with high clouds on January 27. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127174844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124162353.htm When it comes to conserving the world's orchids, not all forests are equal. Ecologists revealed that an orchid's fate hinges on two factors: A forest's age and its fungi. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124162353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184235.htm Researchers were stunned to rediscover one of the rarest primates in Borneo, the grizzled langur, thought by many to be extinct. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120184235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183044.htm Scientists have found one of the rarest and least known primates in Borneo, Miller’s Grizzled Langur, a species which was believed to be extinct or on the verge of extinction. The findings confirms the continued existence of this endangered monkey and reveals that it lives in an area where it was previously not known to exist. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118173701.htm Portions of the Amazon basin are experiencing a transition in energy and water cycles. Evidence suggests that the Amazon may also be transitioning from a net carbon sink to a net source. This research shows that although the Amazon is resilient to individual disturbances, such as drought, multiple disturbances override this, increasing the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to degradation. This review provides a framework for understanding the associations between natural variability and drivers of change. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118173701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111223352.htm Biologists just discovered two new species of frogs in New Guinea, one of which is now the world's tiniest known vertebrate, averaging only 7.7 millimeters in size -- less than one-third of an inch. It ousts Paedocypris progenetica, an Indonesian fish averaging more than 8 millimeters, from the record. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111223352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120108143601.htm Those making land use decisions to reduce the harmful effects of climate change have focused almost exclusively on greenhouse gases -- analyzing, for example, how much carbon dioxide is released when a forest is cleared to grow crops. A new study aims to present a more complete picture -- to incorporate other characteristics of ecosystems that also influence climate. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120108143601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120107151247.htm Biologists have discovered a new primate species in the Sahafina Forest in eastern Madagascar, a forest that has not been studied before. The name of the new species is Gerp’s mouse lemur (Microcebus gerpi). Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120107151247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105143305.htm A smuggler using a public bus to transport a veritable aviary of rare birds for the illegal pet trade was recently arrested by Indonesian authorities. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105143305.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111721.htm The Bechstein’s bat or Myotis bechsteinii lives in deciduous forests. It used to be very common in the Holocene era, but today there are only a few dispersed groups, despite the fact that a colony can be found almost anywhere in Europe. It has been rendered vulnerable by human interference and forest destruction. And this has even led to confusion about its origin. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104111721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222133459.htm Researchers treated burnt soil with an organic polymer used in agriculture. Applying granules of the non-toxic polymer cut soil erosion by half in both laboratory and field experiments. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222133459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222105510.htm A dramatic photo of a female jaguar and her two cubs near the Isoso Station of the Santa Cruz-Puerto Suarez Gas Pipeline in Kaa Iya National Park in Bolivia has just been released. The adult jaguar, nicknamed Kaaiyana, has been seen with her cubs in the area for over a month; though conservationists have confirmed she has been a resident in the vicinity for at least six years. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222105510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133913.htm Forest thinning to help prevent or reduce severe wildfire will release more carbon to the atmosphere than any amount saved by successful fire prevention. There may be valid reasons to thin forests – such as restoration of forest structure or health, wildlife enhancement or public safety – but increased carbon sequestration is not one of them. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218221321.htm By 2100, global climate change will modify plant communities covering almost half of Earth's land surface and will drive the conversion of nearly 40 percent of land-based ecosystems from one major ecological community type -- such as forest, grassland or tundra -- toward another, according to a new NASA and university computer modeling study. Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111218221321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135933.htm The number of sugar maples in Upper Great Lakes forests is likely to decline in coming decades, according to ecologists, due to a previously unrecognized threat from a familiar enemy: Acid rain. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215094923.htm The forests of the world supply a significant amount of moisture that creates rain. A new study reveals how this important contribution of forests to the hydrologic cycle is often overlooked in water resource policy, such as that of the EU. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215094923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153127.htm Over the past 10 years, the death of forest trees due to drought and increased temperatures has been documented on all continents except Antarctica. This can in turn drive global warming by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by trees and by releasing carbon locked up in their wood. New research offers evidence for the physiological mechanism governing tree death in a drought. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124707.htm Researchers report that the brains of tiny spiders may fill their body cavities and overflow into their legs. As part of research to understand how miniaturization affects brain size and behavior, the scientists measured the central nervous systems of nine species of spiders, from rainforest giants to spiders smaller than the head of a pin. As the spiders get smaller, their brains get proportionally bigger, filling up more and more of their body cavities. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092647.htm Researchers have released a set of 1x1 km tree species maps showing the distribution of 20 tree species over Europe. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208121028.htm Tropical birds are moving to higher elevations because of climate change, but they may not be moving fast enough, according to a new study. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208121028.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208121016.htm A groundbreaking study shows that earthquakes, including the recent 2010 temblors in Haiti and Taiwan, may be triggered by tropical cyclones. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208121016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115147.htm Not water, but sunlight is the main factor in determining the growth of the hundreds of tree species in tropical forests. The variation in physiological characteristics between tree species explains how the various species fit into their ecological niches, thereby contributing to diversity in tropical forests. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128115147.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111125160856.htm Rainforests that are subject to use by the human population and are divided into forest fragments can maintain their ecological functionality. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111125160856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122112123.htm Ecological tourism has no effect on the presence of large mammals in the Amazon, according to a study that for the first time compares the biological diversity of ecotourism zones with that of protected areas. Furthermore, it can help to protect the biodiversity of areas that are not officially protected yet are vital in the ecological framework. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111122112123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121104153.htm Natural selection has played a role in the development of the many skins patterns of the tiny Ranitomeya imitator poison dart frog. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121104153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111119153540.htm Tornadoes are expected to accompany severe storms in the springtime in the US, but this time of year they also usually happen. When a line of severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front swept through the US southeast on Nov. 16, TRMM collected rainfall data on the dangerous storms from space. Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111119153540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140629.htm Organisms living on small islands are particularly threatened by extinction. However, data are often lacking to objectively assess these threats. Researchers have used satellite imagery to assess the conservation status of endangered reptiles and amphibians of the Comoro archipelago in the Western Indian Ocean. The researchers used their results to point out which species are most threatened and to define priorities for future protected areas. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116162248.htm After an amazing five of the seven wild cat species found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra were recently caught on camera in tract of forest being rapidly lost to deforestation, the World Wildlife Fund in Indonesia is urging companies and authorities to take immediate steps to save the valuable area. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:22:22 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116162248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116132910.htm The impact of deforestation on global warming varies with latitude, according to new research from a team of scientists representing 20 institutions from around the world. The finding calls for new climate-monitoring strategies, researchers say. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116132910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115073941.htm In Europe, forests appear evergreen even in the cloudiest conditions, while the lush interiors of Asian jungles are typically overshadowed by a dense canopy. The ability of trees to adapt to light conditions, and even increase their intake of carbon for photosynthesis in poor light, has been explored by Czech researchers. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115073941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110192306.htm By analyzing nearly a decade of satellite data, a team of scientists has created a model that can successfully predict the severity and geographic distribution of fires in the Amazon rain forest and the rest of South America months in advance. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110192306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110142354.htm Humans play a far greater role in the fate of African elephants than habitat, and human conflict in particular has a devastating impact on these largest terrestrial animals, according to a new study. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110142354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110142054.htm Tiny temperature changes on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans provide an excellent way to forecast wildfires in South American rainforests, new research shows. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111110142054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109093852.htm A recent report provides new ideas regarding carbon and energy benefits forests and forest products provide. The report summarizes and analyzes the most recent science regarding forests and carbon accounting, biomass use, and forest carbon offsets. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109093852.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103212157.htm New research into greenhouse gas emissions from oil palm plantations provides robust measures now being used to inform international policies on greenhouse gas emissions. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103212157.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143243.htm Scientists braved ticks and a tiger to discover how human activities have perturbed the nitrogen cycle in tropical forests. Studies at two remote Smithsonian Institution Global Earth Observatory sites in Panama and Thailand show the first evidence of long-term effects of nitrogen pollution in tropical trees. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103143243.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031220600.htm Climate change, land use and other human-driven factors could pit savannas and forests against each other by altering the elements found by researchers to stabilize the two. Without this harmony, the habitats, or biomes, could increasingly encroach on one other to the detriment of the people and animals that rely on them. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:06:06 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031220600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082115.htm The tropical rainforests harbor a multitude of living resources. Where, when and how did this wealth of biodiversity appear? To find answers to these fundamental questions, biologists have realized the first evolutionary history of a family of plants characteristic of this ecosystem: palms (Arecaceae or Palmae). Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028082115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024153444.htm The reclusive American marten is getting even harder to find in the Sierra Nevada, according to new research. A new study at the Sagehen Experimental Forest found that marten detections have dropped 60 percent since the 1980s -- a decrease that may be caused by a degradation of the wooded areas in which they live, researchers say. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024153444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111023135657.htm The largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent. The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source would be carbon-neutral or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this research, that wasn't true in any scenario. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:56:56 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111023135657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105758.htm Studies of ant populations in Borneo reveal an unexpected resilience to areas of rainforest degraded by repeated intensive logging, a finding which conservationists hope will lead governments to conserve these areas rather than allow them to be cleared and used for cash crop plantations. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020105758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019171740.htm Wildfire, insect outbreaks and hurricanes destroy huge amounts of forest every year and increase the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere, but scientists are now learning more about another force that can significantly affect their climate impact. Researchers conclude in a new study that the albedo effect, which controls the amount of energy reflected back into space, is important in the climatic significance of several types of major forest disturbances. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019171740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019171128.htm In a new camera trap survey in the world's most biologically diverse landscape, researchers have identified more individual jaguars than ever before. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019171128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018111932.htm Microscopic animals that live in soils are as diverse in the tropical forests of Costa Rica as they are in the arid grasslands of Kenya, or the tundra and boreal forests of Alaska and Sweden, according to new research. Scientists have generally accepted that a wider range of species can be found above ground at the equator than at Earth's poles. But this study proves for the first time that the same rules don't apply to the nematodes, mites and springtails living underground. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018111932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013183806.htm Tropical tree cover will jump sharply between a forested state and savanna or treeless conditions rather than respond smoothly to climate change, according to a new study. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013183806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013153955.htm North American forests appear to have a greater capacity to soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas than researchers had previously anticipated. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111013153955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011154457.htm It is one of the rarest shrubs in the southeastern United States, and for scientists trying to save it, the critically endangered Michaux's sumac (Rhus michauxii) is not cooperating. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011154457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004132529.htm A new report identifies gaps in forest monitoring and ways to improve data collection. This will produce reliable estimates of greenhouse gas emission reductions from activities aimed at reducing deforestation. Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004132529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003151823.htm A forest may look like a forest, have many of the same trees that used to live there, but still lose the ecological, economic or cultural values that once made it what it was, researchers suggest. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003151823.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928131806.htm Scientists recently used long-term data to examine the feasibility of managing forests for water supply under the changing weather conditions forecast for the future. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928131806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926151741.htm A recent analysis of two decades of data shows the live volume of hemlocks in the eastern United States still increasing despite spreading infestations of hemlock woolly adelgid. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926151741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926095333.htm New cacao types with unique flavors that are distinctly Peruvian have been identified. These new flavors could one day be marketed like wine, by geographical provenance. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926095333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926081921.htm Predictions of the ground-level pollutant ozone may be more accurate in the future, thanks to new research into plant circadian rhythms. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere when volatile organic compounds like isoprene -- which is emitted by some plants - react with nitrogen oxides from car engines or industry. Ozone at ground level is very harmful to human health, may decrease crop yields, and is a greenhouse gas. Researchers have now found that the rate at which plants emit isoprene is influenced by their body clock or circadian rhythm. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926081921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926081904.htm Deforestation in the Amazon has been decreasing over the last 6 years, but it appears that the downward trend may have stopped, this year. Apart from deforestation, the Amazon rainforests are also reported to be sensitive to climate change. In turn, the forests play an important role in regulating climate, rainfall and South-American water supply. Are the Amazon forests, its waters, climate and society are under threat of degradation over the coming decades because of global climate change and regional deforestation? Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926081904.htm