Arrays of technologies and innovative research are helping scientists better understand forests, fires, and the future of our shared landscape.
forests
Posted inFeatures
Last Tree Standing
Refugia repopulate forests after fires, but climate change is making these woodlands increasingly unpredictable.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The World’s Roots Are Getting Shallower
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.
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 inEditors' Highlights
A Burning Issue
California has lost 7% of its forest cover to climate change over the past 25 years.
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.