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.
Trees, grasses, corals, and oysters are foundational to the structure of an ecosystem while they are alive. But new research led by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 10, 2026
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9
Climate change-fueled landslides wiped out nearly one in 10 remaining members of the world's rarest great ape species on Indonesia's Sumatra island, scientists said Wednesday.
Plants & Animals
Jun 10, 2026
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16
While many people tacitly appreciate the intrinsic and aesthetic value forests and trees provide, governments and policymakers have struggled to take firm action to protect Earth's forests.
Environment
Jun 10, 2026
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6
The world's tropical rainforests are edging towards collapse. But knowing how to stop deforestation isn't enough to drive action. The challenge is aligning all the pieces of the puzzle to initiate substantial change. Now ...
Environment
Jun 9, 2026
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8
Mature and old-growth forests are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, cultural traditions and economic activity. But in Alaska and British Columbia, these rich resources have not been reliably mapped, leaving much unknown ...
Ecology
Jun 9, 2026
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8
Fire began crackling like approaching rain on a recent morning in the Xerente Indigenous Territory in Tocantins in northern Brazil. But the Indigenous residents weren't afraid and didn't rush to put it out.
Environment
Jun 7, 2026
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13
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates how radiocarbon dating can reveal the maximum lifespan of Mediterranean hardwoods, uncovering hidden links between human history and ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 6, 2026
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426
One of the most important changes to New Zealand's environmental regulations in recent years came into force this week. Yet outside policy circles, the forestry sector and a handful of councils, few people are likely to have ...
Environment
Jun 6, 2026
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10
How can plants that compete for the same resources grow in the same area without one driving the other to extinction? Ecologists have been trying to answer this question for decades, and a surprising new explanation has now ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 5, 2026
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43
India gained around 2.1 million hectares of tropical dry woodland between 2014 and 2024—an area larger than Wales—according to a major new study involving researchers from The University of Manchester's Global Development ...
Environment
Jun 5, 2026
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