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.
Invasive woody plants present a major ecological challenge in eastern U.S. forests by outcompeting native species and spreading quickly, forming dense thickets that crowd out native plants and disrupt ecosystems. Land managers ...
Plants & Animals
May 11, 2026
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Mixing tree species can lead to better growth in the forest—at least above ground. A new study published in Nature shows that mixed forests had lower activity in the complex belowground ecosystems than previously thought. ...
Ecology
May 7, 2026
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Climate change makes the southern Amazon's rain increasingly sensitive to deforestation, a new study finds. Clearing large areas of forest can trigger severe and lasting reductions in rainfall regardless of climate, but as ...
Earth Sciences
May 7, 2026
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A new study led by UBC researchers has found that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples consistently protect forests, biodiversity and carbon stores at levels equal to or greater than government-designated protected areas—yet ...
Environment
May 6, 2026
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Around two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest could shift into degraded forest or savanna-like ecosystems at 1.5–1.9°C of global warming if deforestation increases to roughly 22–28% of the Amazon, according to a new study from ...
Earth Sciences
May 6, 2026
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The mountains of Mexico and Central America harbor some of the greatest biodiversity of oak trees worldwide, and a landmark study conducted by The Morton Arboretum with U.S. and Mexican collaborators provides the most definitive ...
Evolution
May 5, 2026
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In his office at Michigan State University, forestry professor David Carter shows off an image of a virtual forest on his laptop. It's not just any forest. It's a computerized replica, or "digital twin," of a loblolly pine ...
Ecology
May 4, 2026
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Spring in the forest: Many insects, particularly caterpillars, hatch just when the trees' nutrient-rich leaves are still young and soft. This means they find a table laden with food and can start eating straight away. If ...
Evolution
May 1, 2026
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A major analysis led by the University of Cambridge has found that many REDD+ projects achieved meaningful reductions in forest loss—offering real environmental benefits. This is despite the study confirming that almost 11 ...
Environment
Apr 29, 2026
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When Hurricane Maria made its ferocious landfall on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in September 2017, the loss extended beyond several thousand human lives: The damage to the island's natural ecosystems, including its ...
Ecology
Apr 29, 2026
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