Sep 08

Image: Virginia bluebells at Trelease Woods. Credit: Jennifer Álvarez

A century of data reveals declining forest diversity

By Isabel Forestry, News

Researchers have analyzed 96 years of forest census data to better understand ecological changes and inform management practices. Their study, reveals concerning homogenization trends. This means the forest has become less diverse over time, losing trees that played a critical role…

May 12

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Image credit: Frontiers in Environmental Science

Tree rings track atmospheric mercury cheaply

By Isabel Forestry, Global Change, News, Plant Science

Wild fig tree rings offer a cheap method for tracking toxic atmospheric mercury, a byproduct of gold mining in the Global South, according to a study conducted in the Peruvian Amazon

Apr 02

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Image credit: C stocks and fluxes after 16 years of tree growth. Credit: Global Change Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70089. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70089

Mixed-species forests outperform monocultures in carbon storage, even in extreme weather

By Isabel Forestry, News

An international study has found that forests with many tree species can store significantly more carbon than those with only one species.

Jan 13

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Image: Large Populus fremontii subsp. fremontii — at Willow Spring of Willow Creek, Cold Creek area. Credit: Stan Shebs CC BY-SA 3.0

How an iconic desert tree survives extreme heat—and the unique risk it’s facing now

By Isabel Forestry, News

Extreme heat and drought threaten the Fremont cottonwood, a tree vital to desert ecosystems. Research shows these trees, which rely on water to thrive, struggle under combined stress. As water sources dry up, cottonwoods die, reducing biodiversity, cooling effects, and…

Dec 27

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Male cone of Pinus pinaster. Credit: Wikimedia

Maritime pine seeds remember temperature conditions

By Isabel Forestry, News

Young maritime pine trees retain a memory of early temperature conditions through epigenetic changes, researchers report. These marks, influencing gene expression but not DNA, persist for up to two years post-germination. This discovery highlights how trees could be conditioned early…

Dec 20

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Image: Full outdoor shot of a hillside forest. The foreground displays a slope covered with low-lying, brownish-green vegetation, interspersed with fallen branches and logs of varying lengths and shades of light brown and tan. Mid-ground shows numerous, tall, slender, light-gray, aspen-like trees, with a light-green canopy, evenly spaced, rising from the slope. Some pine trees, dark green in color, are visible among the aspens towards the back and right side of the image. These pine trees are primarily in the background and higher up on the slope. The sky is a vibrant, unblemished blue, with a few faint, wispy, white clouds. The overall impression is one of a coniferous and deciduous forest on a sunny day, situated on a gentle slope. credit: Northern Arizona University

Study shows climate change is hindering aspen tree maturity

By Isabel Climate change, Forestry, News

Aspen forests face complex challenges from climate change, not just rising temperatures but interactions with drought, fire, and browsing. A 42% aspen mortality rate highlights vulnerabilities, especially for young trees in dry, low-elevation areas. Adaptive management and collaborative strategies are…

Oct 18

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Image credit: The strategic placement of mirrors beneath Serianthes seedlings has been shown to boost available light and improve plant survival. Credit: Thomas Marler

Under-plant mirrors improve endangered plant survival and growth

By Isabel Forestry, News

Researchers improved the survival and growth of *Serianthes nelsonii*, an endangered tree, by using under-plant mirrors to reflect sunlight. This technique increased light availability by over 70%, boosting seedling survival by 160% and plant height by 170%, offering a low-cost…

Oct 02

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Image: The thick smoke seen in vegetation fires in the Amazon rainforest contains millions of ultrafine particles (diameters less than 50 nm), which could seed cloud droplets and intensify heavy rain in the atmosphere. Current understanding is that smoke from burning biomass does not include ultrafine particles although larger particles (>100 nm diameter) are known to be prevalent. Credit: Jason Tomlinson/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Amazon Rainforest Fires Produce Secondary Ultrafine Particles That May Affect Weather and Climate

By Isabel Forestry, News, Plant Science

Oxidation of gases emitted by vegetation fire smoke forms abundant ultrafine particles that may intensify deep clouds and heavy rain in the Amazon rainforest

Sep 12

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Image: mature forest. Credit: Joe / Pixabay

Mature forests vital in frontline fight against climate change

By Isabel Forestry, News

A new study reveals that mature forests play a crucial role in combating climate change by capturing more carbon dioxide (CO2) than previously thought. Researchers found that older trees increased wood production by nearly 10% when exposed to higher CO2…

Jul 19

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Cold-air pooling is a phenomenon where cold air drops from mountaintops into valleys below. Photo: Melissa Pastore, U.S. Forest Service

Scientists Discover Forests That May Resist Climate Change

By Isabel Climate change, Forestry, News

Researchers discovered forests with cold-air pooling, where colder air settles in valleys, reversing typical temperature patterns. These areas could protect cold-adapted species from climate change, serving as refuges and aiding conservation efforts. The study emphasizes the importance of such forests…

Forestry

A century of data reveals declining forest diversity

Tree rings track atmospheric mercury cheaply

Mixed-species forests outperform monocultures in carbon storage, even in extreme weather

How an iconic desert tree survives extreme heat—and the unique risk it’s facing now

Maritime pine seeds remember temperature conditions

Study shows climate change is hindering aspen tree maturity

Under-plant mirrors improve endangered plant survival and growth

Amazon Rainforest Fires Produce Secondary Ultrafine Particles That May Affect Weather and Climate

Mature forests vital in frontline fight against climate change

Scientists Discover Forests That May Resist Climate Change

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