Ebony and ivory: Why elephants and forests rise and fall together in the Congo Basin
The forest elephants of the Congo Basin are critically endangered and face extinction.
Ecology
Sep 10, 2025
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Page 11: Research news on forest ecosystems
Forest ecosystems are complex, multiscale ecological systems dominated by tree communities and structured by vertical stratification (canopy, understory, forest floor) that regulate energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, and habitat availability. They integrate interactions among primary producers, heterotrophs, decomposers, and abiotic factors such as climate, soils, and hydrology, resulting in distinct successional dynamics and disturbance regimes (e.g., fire, windthrow, pest outbreaks). Forest ecosystems play central roles in carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and water regulation, exhibit high spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity, and are key model systems for studying resilience, feedbacks between vegetation and climate, and anthropogenic impacts such as fragmentation, land-use change, and altered disturbance frequencies.
Soil runoff from logged forests releases more reactive carbon, undermining climate mitigation efforts
The global demand for wood-based products is constantly increasing, creating a challenge for the logging industry. In an attempt to keep up in a sustainable manner, the industry replaces logged areas with tree farms and nurseries ...
Making younger trees age faster could create more homes for wildlife—and it can be done without chainsaws
For wildlife, not all trees are equal. Large old trees have many horizontal and dead limbs for perching, and many fissures or hollows for sheltering. By contrast, younger trees have far fewer such features or lack them entirely. ...
Ecology
Sep 8, 2025
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Bark beetle outbreaks raise forest temperatures, but deciduous trees offer cooling effect
A new study from Stockholm University reveals that spruce bark beetles, already infamous for killing millions of trees in Sweden, are also changing the forest microclimate. Using a combination of temperature sensors attached ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 5, 2025
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Proactive forest management reduces high-severity wildfire by 88%, stabilizes carbon during extreme droughts
New research finds that treated forests are 88% less susceptible to high-severity wildfire than their unmanaged counterparts, and can recover carbon stocks in only seven years. The findings, carried out by researchers at ...
Ecology
Sep 5, 2025
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Mirror image molecules reveal drought stress in the Amazon rainforest
In 2023, the Amazon rainforest experienced its worst recorded drought since records began. River levels dropped dramatically and vegetation at all levels deteriorated due to intense heat and water shortages. In such conditions, ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 5, 2025
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Beavers return to the forest landscape, reviving its natural environment
A long-term study spanning more than 50 years illustrates how the beavers that have returned to the Evo region in southern Finland have increased habitat biodiversity. This speaks to their significant role as ecosystem engineers, ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 5, 2025
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Trees alone won't save us: New study says forestation has less potential to fix the climate than hoped
Planting trees is seen as a cornerstone of efforts to avert climate breakdown. But a major new study in Science finds their potential has been drastically overstated—and relying on forests to offset carbon emissions could ...
Environment
Sep 3, 2025
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Researchers find tree growth boosts insect herbivory
Researchers led by Prof. Liu Xiaojuan from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have analyzed data from 8,800 trees across 80 species in nine biodiversity experiments from the Tree Diversity Network ...
Ecology
Sep 3, 2025
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Deforestation reduces rainfall by 74% and increases temperatures by 16% in Amazon during dry season, study says
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is responsible for approximately 74.5% of the reduction in rainfall and 16.5% of the temperature increase in the biome during the dry season. For the first time, researchers have quantified ...
Earth Sciences
Sep 2, 2025
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