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forestry Archives - The Global Plant Council

The secret lives of roots: Tropical forest root systems are central to understanding the carbon stock change

By | Forestry, News

Tropical forest roots play a crucial role in climate change dynamics, yet they’re often overlooked. New research highlights the significance of understanding root function in tropical ecosystems. By integrating this knowledge into vegetation models, scientists aim to improve predictions of carbon stock changes, essential for mitigating climate impacts.

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Image: Leaf with herbivores. Credit: Lisa Hülsmann

Overcrowding increases tree mortality, perhaps explaining higher biodiversity in tropical forests

By | Forestry, News, Plant Science

New research reveals that tree mortality increases with overcrowding, especially in tropical forests. The study, involving 52 scientists worldwide, suggests specialized pathogens or herbivores as culprits. These findings shed light on why tropical forests harbor more species and underscore the importance of long-term forest studies for biodiversity conservation.

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Image: Section of the world map focussing on Africa. Many coloured dots mark the location and type of different forms of land use after deforestation. Credit: Screenshot of the App https://robertnag82.users.earthengine.app/view/africalu

Mapping how deforested land in Africa is used

By | Forestry, News

Africa’s forests, constituting 14% of global cover, face accelerating decline due to human-driven economic activities, impacting climate and biodiversity. A study provides high-resolution mapping of post-deforestation land use, aiding conservation efforts and supporting the EU’s Deforestation Regulation, crucial for sustainable resource management.

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Image: The Amazon Forest seen from the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory, a scientific research facility in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil. Credit: Dr Jess Baker, University of Leeds.

Amazon deforestation linked to long distance climate warming 

By | Forestry, News

New research reveals that deforestation in the Amazon not only warms immediate surroundings but also impacts areas up to 100 kilometers away. Analyzing data from 2001 to 2020, the study links regional forest loss to a significant temperature rise—4.4 °C in areas with both local and regional deforestation. The findings emphasize the critical importance of understanding how Amazon deforestation contributes to climate change and highlight the potential benefits of reducing deforestation for local, regional, and national scales.

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Image: Oxalis corniculata to grow between basalt rock at Jeju. Credit: Jjw/Wikimedia

Does Urbanization Trigger Plant Evolution?

By | Forestry, News

Urban environments have become hotspots for understanding how rapid evolution occurs in response to extreme environmental changes. These habitats exert selective pressures on resident organisms that impact their evolutionary trajectories. Recently, researchers from Japan investigated how the creeping woodsorrel plant might adapt in response to elevated temperatures that result from urbanization. Understanding these effects can help predict evolutionary traits to manage plant evolution in the face of shifting climatic conditions.

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