Root-filled soils are hot spots of nutrient cycling and carbon storage. New research finds that the world has lost millions of cubic meters of rooted soil volume—and we’re on track to lose much more.
forests
Posted inNews
Monitoring Moisture from Afar
Undisturbed tropical rain forests are experiencing more frequent droughts, but the ecosystems are isolated and difficult to assess. Scientists are using remote sensing to expand the depth and scope of monitoring efforts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Amazon Basin Tree Rings Hold a Record of the Region’s Rainfall
New research provides a 200-year reconstruction of interannual rainfall in the Amazon basin using oxygen isotopes preserved in tree rings in Ecuador and Bolivia.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Plants Need a Lot of Power to Pump Sap
A novel calculation reveals how much power plants need to move water through their stems—and how plants gain energy from the process.
Posted inNews
Neighborhood Strategies Inform Boston’s First Urban Forest Plan
The city prioritizes equity and inclusion as it incorporates tree coverage into climate resiliency efforts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Plant-Nibbling Insects May Make It Cloudier and Cooler
Insects that eat plant leaves could change the local atmosphere, but current climate models do not account for this impact.
Posted inNews
Scientists Bring Forests into the Internet of Things
Armed with $10.5 million in funding, researchers will deploy novel sensors for real-time data assimilation and modeling of how changes in climate are affecting woodlands.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Forest Structure Drives Productivity
Data from northern Wisconsin forest sites uncovered that vertical heterogeneity metrics are the most influential factors underlying rates of photosynthesis.
Posted inNews
Tree Mortality Risk Surges in Australian Rain Forests
Researchers link vulnerability to “atmospheric drought” associated with climate change.
Posted inNews
Large-Scale Reforestation Efforts Could Dry Out Landscapes Across the World
The complex interactions between forests and the water cycle might end up with more rain falling in the ocean—far from a thirsty land.