Deforestation is the large-scale, often permanent removal of forest cover, typically through logging, burning, or land conversion for agriculture, infrastructure, or resource extraction, resulting in the reduction or fragmentation of forest ecosystems. As a research topic, it encompasses quantifying forest loss using remote sensing and geospatial analysis, assessing impacts on carbon stocks, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, hydrological cycles, and soil integrity, and examining social-ecological drivers such as governance, commodity markets, and land-use policies. Deforestation studies also investigate feedbacks to climate systems, resilience thresholds, and the effectiveness of interventions including protected areas, certification schemes, and zero-deforestation supply-chain commitments.
Antonio has spent the past seven years running toward fires that most others run from. A firefighter in the Brazilian Amazon since 2019, he works inside the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, one of the most biodiverse places ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 27, 2026
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In February, mining company Alcoa was hit with a $55 million penalty for illegally clearing about 2,000 hectares of WA's Northern Jarrah Forest. About $40 million was earmarked for so-called "permanent ecological offsets," ...
Environment
Apr 24, 2026
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184
Even after fires, severe droughts, and windstorms, the vegetation in degraded Amazonian forests demonstrates a high capacity for regeneration, including tree species. However, recovery occurs under new ecological conditions, ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 24, 2026
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Thousands of slips in Tairāwhiti in January. The loss of eight lives in the Bay of Plenty later that month. And, days ago, landslides that damaged homes, forced evacuations and blocked roads across the North Island.
Earth Sciences
Apr 23, 2026
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Tropical rainforests are known for their unique biodiversity, with species found nowhere else on Earth. But nearly 30% of tropical rainforest has been destroyed or has become seriously degraded since 1990. Many of these forests ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 23, 2026
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In the Philippines, Indigenous communities have been harvesting wild honey for centuries. A new chemical analysis of this honey now provides insights into the biodiversity of the region. "And an additional reason to protect ...
Ecology
Apr 23, 2026
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61
California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published ...
Environment
Apr 22, 2026
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A major international study involving researchers from The University of Manchester has found that rising global demand for beef is a key force behind deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The research shows how consumer ...
Environment
Apr 22, 2026
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15
Geoengineering could protect the Amazon rainforest from climate change, new research shows. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) aims to artificially cool Earth by increasing the reflection of incoming solar radiation, thereby ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 22, 2026
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19
The loss of our forests is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Forests are key to curbing carbon emissions and protecting the plants, animals, and humans that call Earth home.
Environment
Apr 21, 2026
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