Researchers have discovered that miR319a, a microRNA, significantly enhances poplar trees’ resilience to salt stress, potentially revolutionizing tree cultivation in saline environments. This discovery sheds light on how trees maintain essential ion balance under salty conditions, paving the way for developing salt-tolerant varieties.
Tag: Forestry
Study enhances forest monitoring accuracy in Mexico
Led by the University of Delaware, a team of researchers assessed forest extent in Mexico using satellite data and ground inventories with the goal of improving accuracy in forest monitoring. The research will improve future data collection efforts and enhance decision-making for forest management.
New report ‘braids’ Indigenous and Western knowledge for forest adaptation strategies against climate change
Severe droughts and wildfires, invasive species, and large insect outbreaks are straining national forests and surrounding lands. A new report outlines a new approach to forest stewardship that “braids together” Indigenous knowledge and Western science to conserve and restore more resilient forestlands in the U.S.
Tree expert on the best times to view fall colors
With autumn set to start Sept. 23, leaf peepers won’t have long to wait for forest leaves to turn and produce spectacular color displays. The vistas to be found in Southwest Virginia are just about guaranteed to be jaw-dropping regardless of the upcoming weather.
What motivates family forest landowners to manage invasive species?
Over half of forests in the United States are privately owned, especially in the Eastern part of the country. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at how family forest landowners in Maine and New Hampshire approach invasive species management and what factors influence their decisions.
Upstate 2.0 Wins $1 Million NSF Award to Transform Economy
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is pleased to announce Upstate 2.0, a partnership between ESF and Cornell University that aims to bolster economic development in upstate New York, has received a $1 million development award from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines.
Sampling for sustainability in outer space
An international project led by Kyoto University tested and confirmed the high wood durability of space wood at the International Space Station — the ISS. The experiment results showed minimal deterioration and good stability of the samples selected for the wooden artificial satellite LignoSat.
More woodlands will not impact tourism
The Howgill Fells is located in the north-west of England and is known for its soft, rolling and open landscape. It is a popular area for tourists seeking the outdoors and hill-walking in particular. But how will it affect tourism, if the area was to be covered with more woodlands?
Trees in savanna areas of Cerrado produce three times more bark than species in forest areas
In tropical regions of the planet, savannas and forests often coexist in the same area and are exposed to the same climate.
American chestnut public input needed
Public input is needed for federal regulatory approval for the blight-tolerant American chestnut developed by the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Once approval is received, ESF and The American Chestnut Foundation can begin distribution.
El Niño increases seedling mortality even in drought-tolerant forests
Global climate change may lead to more extreme weather events such as droughts.
Fast-growing poplars can release land for food production
Researchers at Stockholm University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have developed a novel value chain for production of textile and bio-fuel from fast-growing poplars.
Eco-glue can replace harmful adhesives in wood construction
Researchers at Aalto University have developed a bio-based adhesive that can replace formaldehyde-containing adhesives in wood construction.
Robin Hood Oak Offspring Marks an ESF Connection
A little oak tree that sprouted this spring in Newton, Massachusetts, is part of a rich history that links a postwar seventh-grade girl with ESF’s first woman president.
Scavengers can be picky eaters
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia found that when presented with a smorgasbord of options, vertebrate scavengers were selective about what or whom they ate—providing insight into how nutrients can cycle through food webs.
During Historic Drought, Higher Temperatures Helped Beetle Kill More California Pine Trees
Increased temperatures during an historic drought in California contributed to the death of large numbers of giant pine trees speeding up the life cycle of a tree-killing beetle.
Creating solar cells and glass from wood – or a billion tons of biowaste
A digital, urbanised world consumes huge amounts of raw materials that could hardly be called environmentally friendly. One promising solution may be found in renewable raw materials, according to research published in Advanced Materials.
Study reveals gophers’ biofluorescence
Researcher discovers that the underground species has a secret glow
Southeast’s gray foxes may be struggling for survival
A new study published by researchers from the University of Georgia suggests competition for food from coyotes—a relative newcomer to the Southeast—may be putting pressure on foxes, particularly the gray fox.
Extreme heat, dry summers main cause of tree death in Colorado’s subalpine forests
Even in the absence of bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire, trees in Colorado subalpine forests are dying at increasing rates from warmer and drier summer conditions, found recent University of Colorado Boulder research. The study, published in the May print…
New measure of tropical forest vulnerability to help avoid ‘tipping point’
Humid tropical forests, vital in global efforts to limit rising temperatures, are under threat as a result of changes in land use and climate. Now, researchers reporting in the journal One Earth on July 23 have developed a new way…
California’s carbon mitigation efforts may be thwarted by climate change itself
UCI study: Higher heat will limit ecosystem’s role in removing atmospheric CO2
Eco-friendly plastic from cellulose and water
Göttingen University researchers create new kind of environmentally friendly bioplastic with hydroplastic polymers
Removal of barred owls slows decline of iconic spotted owls in Pacific Northwest, study finds
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A 17-year study in Oregon, Washington and California found that removal of invasive barred owls arrested the population decline of the northern spotted owl, a native species threatened by invading barred owls and the loss of old-forest…
Young forests are preferred summer vacation destinations for bats
Recently cut forest spaces suit bats more than long-established woods
Remote sensing techniques help treat and manage hollow forests
Oak tree decline detected by advanced remote sensing techniques
DNA duplication linked to the origin and evolution of pine trees and their relatives
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Plants are DNA hoarders. Adhering to the maxim of never throwing anything out that might be useful later, they often duplicate their entire genome and hang on to the added genetic baggage. All those extra genes are…
Epicentre of major Amazon droughts and fires saw 2.5 billion trees and vines killed
A major drought and forest fires in the Amazon rainforest killed billions of trees and plants and turned one of the world’s largest carbon sinks into one of its biggest polluters.
Living near woodlands is good for children and young people’s mental health
Analysis of children and young people’s proximity to woodlands has shown links with better cognitive development and a lower risk of emotional and behavioural problems, in research led by UCL and Imperial College London scientists that could influence planning decisions…
When fawns perceive constant danger from many sources, they almost seem to relax
Researchers use trail cameras to study animals’ interaction, behavior in human-dominated landscapes
Roadless forests see more blazes and greater severity, but fire resilience is the result
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Roadless national forests in the American West burn more often and at a slightly higher severity than national forests with roads, but the end result for the roadless forests is greater fire resilience, Oregon State University researchers…
Fire operations-prescribed burning combo reduces wildfire severity up to 72%
Firefighters battling wildfires in the western United States use a variety of suppression tactics to get the flames under control. Prescribed burns, or controlled fires intentionally set to clear shrubs and forest litter before a wildfire ever ignites, can make…
Global study reveals effectiveness of protected area
Certain countries perform significantly better than their neighbors in the effectiveness of their protected areas, finds new study.
Global study reveals effectiveness of protected areas
Certain countries perform significantly better than their neighbors in the effectiveness of their protected areas, finds new study.
Ecosystem destruction endangers local soy agriculture in Brazil
New research: Agriculture-driven ecosystem destruction turns up local temperatures, eats up billions in soy revenue in Brazil
Rise in Southeast Asia forest clearance increasing greenhouse gases
Forest clearance in Southeast Asia is accelerating, leading to unprecedented increases in carbon emissions, according to new research. The findings, revealed by a research team including University of Leeds academics, show that forests are being cut down at increasingly higher…
Many nonprofits, companies report using commercial species in tree planting projects
Nonprofits and companies planting trees in the tropics may often pick species for their commercial rather than ecological value, researchers found in a new analysis of organizations’ publicly available data. They also found many may not have tracked the trees’…
How seeds know it’s a good time to germinate
New work reveals a protein that plays a critical “go, or no-go” role in the germination process
Sentinel-2 constellation of satellites used for the ongoing monitoring of grasslands
A research group at the University of Cordoba has conducted study focused on evaluating the potential of the Sentinel-2 sensor system’s configuration to predict the amount of forage on permanent Mediterranean grasslands. Pasture quality assessment in permanent grasslands is essential…
University of Guam: Less than 10% of transplanted cycads survive long-term in foreign soil
Long-term monitoring needed to accurately measure transplantation success
New species of pseudo-horses living 37 million years ago
Researchers at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country describe two palaeotheriidae mammals that lived in the subtropical landscape of Alava
Unlocking the power of the microbiome
Hundreds of different bacterial species live in and on leaves and roots of plants. A research team led by Julia Vorholt from the Institute of Microbiology at ETH Zurich, together with colleagues in Germany, first inventoried and categorised these bacteria…
Future wood use assures long-term climate benefit from commercial forests
New long-term study demonstrates the important role that planting new commercial forests could play in the fight against climate change
Glyphosate pesticides persist for years in wild plants and cause flower infertility
Researchers show for first time that commonly used herbicides can persist within wild forest plants for years, reducing fertility long-term and potentially also impacting pollinators
Like your olives bitter? Molecular breeding can make them even better!
Scientists from China assembled a high-quality genome of a European olive species and identified genes of economic importance
New models predict fewer lightning-caused ignitions but bigger wildfires by mid century
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Central Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise,…
Trees, plants and soil could help cities cut their carbon footprints — when used smartly
Researchers call for international product standards for green infrastructure
Biodiversity ‘hotspots’ imperiled along California’s streams
Intensive water management promotes ‘live fast, die young’ cycle in floodplain forests
Climate change leads to unprecedented Rocky Mountain wildfires
June 14, 2021 – Last fall, the Mullen fire west of Laramie raged for the better part of two months, burning more than 176,000 acres and 70 structures in Wyoming’s Carbon and Albany counties, and in Jackson County, Colo. Unfortunately,…
Indigenous mortality following Spanish colonization did not always lead to forest regrowth
A new study, published now in Nature Ecology and Evolution , draws on pollen records from tropical regions formerly claimed by the Spanish Empire in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, to test the significance and extent of forest regrowth…