Tree cover in the tropics will likely change in surprising ways as climate change increases the frequency of extreme rainfall events, according to a study by scientists from Wageningen University published today in Nature Cl ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jun 03, 2013 4.2 / 5 (5) 2 |

A new study, published 28 May in the open access journal PLOS Biology, has revealed the potential importance of rare species in the functioning of highly diverse ecosystems. Using data from three very different ecosystems—coral reefs, ...

Biology - Ecology

May 28, 2013 5 / 5 (1) 0

(Phys.org) —Scientists have proposed a practical way to tackle the urgent need to restore huge areas of badly-degraded forest and grassland worldwide, based on Australian environmental experience.

Space & Earth - Environment

Apr 22, 2013 4.3 / 5 (6) 0

(Phys.org) —Geckos' ability to stick to trees and leaves during rainforest downpours has fascinated scientists for decades, leading a group of University of Akron researchers to solve the mystery.

Biology - Plants & Animals

Apr 01, 2013 5 / 5 (1) 0 |

The Earth's forests perform a well-known service to the planet, absorbing a great deal of the carbon dioxide pollution emitted into the atmosphere from human activities. But when trees are killed by natural ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jan 28, 2013 5 / 5 (2) 0 |

Brazil will undertake the massive task of cataloging the trees of the Amazon, in an effort to better monitor and protect the world's largest tropical forest, the environment ministry announced Friday.

Biology - Ecology

Jan 25, 2013 5 / 5 (2) 0

Variations in the soil and stone beneath it are the biggest factor behind which trees grow where in the rainforests of the Congo basin, a new study has found.

Space & Earth - Environment

Nov 06, 2012 not rated yet 1 |

(Phys.org)—Forest carbon stocks in protected West African rainforests increased despite a 40-year drought, due to a dramatic shift in tree species composition.

Biology - Ecology

Aug 30, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 0

Big seeds produced by many tropical trees were probably once ingested and then defecated whole by huge mammals called gomphotheres that dispersed the seeds over large distances. But gomphotheres were probably ...

Biology - Ecology

Jul 16, 2012 4 / 5 (2) 1 |

The management practice known as retention forestry, which involves deliberately leaving selected trees standing when wood is harvested, has spread to forests over much of the world and is bringing broad benefits to conservation, ...

Space & Earth - Environment

Jun 12, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 0

How species diversity is maintained is a fundamental question in biology. In a new study, a team of Indiana University biologists has shown for the first time that diversity is influenced on a spatial scale ...

Biology - Ecology

May 17, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 4 |

Whether it's learning how forests respond to environmental change or answering questions about the history of ancient cultures, trees continue to be a solid source of information for many kinds of researchers.

Space & Earth - Earth Sciences

Feb 24, 2012 4.5 / 5 (2) 0

Conservation group WWF said it spotted 18 critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Indonesian waters off Borneo island Tuesday and called for greater protection of the species' habitat.

Biology - Plants & Animals

Feb 07, 2012 5 / 5 (1) 0

The northern forests of western Canada are likely absorbing less carbon dioxide because of climate change, and the decline may be making a bad situation worse, researchers from Quebec and China have concluded.

Space & Earth - Environment

Feb 02, 2012 3.4 / 5 (11) 17 |

Another attractive theory falls foul of the facts. A census of trees in rainforests on three continents has confirmed that competition plays a central role in structuring communities. This contradicts the so-called neutral ...

Biology - Ecology

Jan 26, 2012 4 / 5 (1) 8 |