In Peru, gold mining harms rain forests and human health. Satellite data can now track forest recovery in protected areas and the migration of informal miners to less regulated areas.
rain forests
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Exploring Methane Emissions from Africa’s Tropical Forests
Global methane budgets suffer from a lack of field studies in African forests, but new research sheds light on methane emissions and uptake from upland forests in the Congo Basin.
Posted inNews
New Report Puts the Amazon Rain Forest on the Main Stage at COP26
The Science Panel for the Amazon prepares to launch its first report, the most comprehensive document on the rain forest so far.
Posted inNews
Forest Recovery in the Amazon Is a Slow Process
For the first time, a study analyzes Amazon forest loss and recovery at national and subnational levels. One finding shows that new plantings offset less than 10% of emissions associated with deforestation.
Posted inNews
The Rain Forest Can Recover After Fire, but It’s Not the Same
New research finds that temperatures rise in the Amazon rain forest after a fire, even in areas that are not converted to agricultural land or pastures.
Posted inNews
Finding Prehistoric Rain Forests by Studying Modern Mammals
Mammal teeth store a record of the plants they ate, providing clues about the ecosystems in which they lived.
Posted inNews
Congo Rain Forest Endures a Longer Dry Season
The forest’s dry season has been starting earlier and ending later for decades, making parts of it vulnerable to incursions by drought-resistant ecosystems.
Posted inNews
Elephants Boost Carbon Storage in Rain Forests
Forest elephants are the “gardeners of the Congo.” How might their dwindling population affect carbon storage in the world’s second-largest tropical forest?
Posted inScience Updates
Quantifying Coastal Rain Forest Carbon Transport
Aquatic Carbon Biogeochemistry of the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest Region Workshop; Seattle, Washington, 7–10 February 2017
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Smoke Signals in the Amazon
Forest fires can occur naturally, but in the world's largest rain forest, fire can signal large-scale deforestation.