forests

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Scientists Find Tropical Forest—in the Arctic

It would have thrived near the equator 380M years ago

(Newser) - Bet you didn't know there was a tropical forest in the Arctic. That's what scientists say they've uncovered in Svalbard, Norway, though the remnants of the forest are actually 380 million years old and fossilized. Back when the early trees—a type dubbed Protolepidodendropsis pulchra—were alive...

Since 1990, We've Erased a Forest Twice as Big as Texas

Still, UN report finds rate of forest loss has improved over 25 years

(Newser) - There are positives and negatives to grasp from a new report on forest loss from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. The good news: The rate of deforestation worldwide has been halved over the last 25 years. The bad news: We lost 500,000 square miles of forest—an...

Earth Has 3T Trees —and That's Not Good

Study shows Earth has lost nearly half its trees since farming began

(Newser) - Congratulations, environmentalists, tree-huggers, and people who enjoy breathing oxygen: the Earth has seven times more trees—approximately 3 trillion—than previously estimated, according to a new study in Nature . Scientists from around the world created the first "data-driven global tree census" by combining satellite images with tree counts from...

Earth Has Just 2 Giant Forests Left
 Earth Has Just 2 
 Giant Forests Left 
STUDY SAYS
Mar 24, 2015 10:40 AM CDT

Earth Has Just 2 Giant Forests Left

The only 2 unfragmented forest habitats are the Amazon, Congo

(Newser) - To see the Earth's ecology forest for its trees, first we have to acknowledge there aren't many large, intact forests around. In fact, according to a new study published in Science Advances , there are only two such continuous forests left: in South America and Africa, Christian Science Monitor ...

Wisconsin's New Scourge: 'Crazy Worms'?

Invasive species has done what locals hoped it wouldn't—survive winter

(Newser) - With 5,000 or so species of earthworms wriggling about the planet, a few are bound to be nastier than the rest. So is the case with Amynthas agrestis, aka the "Asian crazy worm" or "Alabama jumper," an invasive pest found in Japan, Korea, and—for five...

In Chernobyl's Forests, Decay Is Terribly Stalled

Leaves aren't decaying, and they could fuel fires

(Newser) - Radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster is messing with local forests' ability to decay—and that's dangerous, both for local ecosystems and perhaps the area's neighbors. Researchers were concerned that decades after the disaster, dead trees in the area still hadn't decomposed, the Smithsonian notes. "We...

Oldest Trees are Fastest Growers
 Oldest Trees 
 Grow at a 
 Scary Rate 
STUDY SAYS
Jan 16, 2014 7:03 AM CST

Oldest Trees Grow at a Scary Rate

They keep 'growing like crazy' as they age

(Newser) - Conventional wisdom about forestry has been chopped down and sent through the chipper by new research that shows large, old trees grow much faster than their younger counterparts—and speed up their growth as they age, becoming stronger as the years go by. Researchers studied measurements of more than 670,...

There's an Upside to Yosemite Wildfire

It could restore the forest's ecosystem back to its natural state

(Newser) - The Atlantic goes looking for some silver lining to the Yosemite wildfire , and finds this: Carl Skinner, a US Forest Service ecologist, has discovered that the forest has been altered over the past 100 years due to human intervention into naturally occurring forest fires, becoming less diverse. So the current...

'Carbon Saturation' Close for Europe's Forests

Carbon sink at risk, study warns

(Newser) - Yet more bad news for the climate: Europe's forests are approaching the peak of their ability to absorb carbon and may not be able to suck up the same level of emissions in future, according to a new study. Scientists say that while Europe is at its most forested...

World&#39;s Oldest Trees Dying at Alarming Rate
 World's Oldest Trees 
 Dying at Alarming Rate 
new research
Dec 7, 2012 7:09 AM CST

World's Oldest Trees Dying at Alarming Rate

Research shows 10 times the normal death rate

(Newser) - In what one researcher calls a "very, very disturbing trend," new research finds that the planet's oldest trees have started dying at 10 times the normal rate, a change that could greatly damage the planet's ecosystems and biodiversity. Researchers blame logging, development, drought, and climate change...

Mysterious 'Forest Boy' Identified as a Fraud

Robin Van Helsum admits he made it all up

(Newser) - The mysterious "Forest Boy" who showed up in Berlin last year with (so he said) no idea who he was is actually Robin Van Helsum, a 20-year-old from the Netherlands who had been reported missing by his family days before his appearance in Germany. Authorities identified Van Helsum—who...

American Forests Not Coping With Climate Change

Study shows they're not migrating as expected

(Newser) - Conventional wisdom has always held that America’s forests would shamble northward in the face of rising temperatures, but a new Duke University study shows that the majority of Eastern US tree species are remaining stubbornly, well, rooted in place. Almost 59% of species actually showed that their geographic ranges...

Dying Forests May Mean Hotter World

We're losing a major sponge of carbon dioxide: New York Times

(Newser) - The New York Times has a gloomy story on the state of forests in the US and around the world and the potential effect on the environment. Vast swaths are dying off: Pine beetles that used to be kept in check by cold winters are gorging on trees in the...

English-Speaking Teen From Forest Stumps Berlin Cops

'Ray' says he recently buried his father and is all alone

(Newser) - He says he's been living in the forest for years, his parents are gone, and he doesn’t know where he came from. Identified only as “Ray,” a teenage boy arrived in Berlin’s City Hall two weeks ago and remains a mystery to police. On arrival,...

Alien Earthworms Threaten Our Forests

One reason for their spread: Fishermen tossing bait

(Newser) - Worms may seem like they would be natural friends of the forest, but some alien invaders are causing problems in the Northeast, say researchers at Colgate University. When exotic species of earthworm are introduced to America's northern forests, they chow down on the organic "forest litter" on the...

USDA Sinks $60M Into Trio of Climate Change Studies

3 projects seek adaptable agriculture for specific regions

(Newser) - The USDA is sinking $60 million into a trio of studies that will investigate how climate change affects crops and forests. The three studies will focus on specific crops in specific regions—Midwestern corn, Northwestern wheat, and pine forests in the South—and aim to help farmers and foresters continue...

Climate Talks Near Deal to Save Forests

Plan pays people to preserve carbon-reducing landscapes

(Newser) - Negotiators in Copenhagen are putting the final touches on a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests. A final draft of the agreement will be given to ministers today, the New York Times reports. A signed agreement, which could be one of the most significant accomplishments of the...

Calif. Scientists Trim Forest, Create 'Carbon Bank'

Researchers look for the most efficient way to store emissions

(Newser) - Researchers in California are perfecting the science of carbon dioxide "banking"—tweaking a forest to store the maximum amount of the gas. In Big River forest, scientists have cleared some undergrowth, leaving the state's iconic redwoods to grow bigger thanks to lack of competition. The idea is that...

Let's Pay People Not to Cut Down Trees
Let's Pay People 
Not to Cut Down Trees 

analysis
Sep 25, 2009 2:42 PM CDT

Let's Pay People Not to Cut Down Trees

A deal could curb greenhouse gas emissions by 18%

(Newser) - Deforestation releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, so how about paying people to keep trees standing? A pilot project in Brazil has paid families to do just that, and aroused the interest of world leaders who plan to negotiate a climate deal in Copenhagen in December, the Economist reports. But...

'Tough' Toddler Survives 2 Days in Mo. Woods

He was 4 miles from home—starved, naked, and grinning

(Newser) - By the time his bare bottom was spotted in the woods yesterday, rescue crews were doubtful they would find Joshua Childers alive. But the 3-year-old sprang up and grinned when a volunteer called out to him. He had wandered into the Missouri woods Monday morning and survived 50 hours barely...

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