The climate benefits of trees storing carbon dioxide is partially offset by dark forests’ absorption of more heat from the Sun, and compounds they release that slow the destruction of methane in the atmosphere.
trees
The Best Way to Kill Trees to Create Habitat
Standing dead trees—or snags—shelter animals, store carbon, and cycle nutrients. A long-term monitoring study found that lopping off a tree’s top branches is a good way to turn it into a snag within about 20 years.
Measuring Methane Stemming from Tree Stems
Wetland tree stem emissions have emerged as a significant contributor to the global methane budget. A new study tracks how they vary by season, location, and hydrological conditions.
Guatemala Is Reclaiming Overexploited Forests
Researchers, local communities, and authorities are tackling deforestation and forest degradation at the Maya Biosphere Reserve.
Grow-Fast-Die-Young Strategy Increases Swiss Forest Biomass
Climate change and CO2 fertilization can increase both growth and mortality of trees. The net effect on forest biomass depends on that trade-off, which long-term studies in Switzerland reveal.
A Strong Quake (or Two) Rattled Puget Sound 1,100 Years Ago
Tree rings hint that two neighboring faults ruptured within 6 months of each other and suggest that the maximum magnitude of quakes around Puget Sound could exceed previous estimates.
South American Rainforests Are on the Brink of Becoming Carbon Sources
Plants’ ability to stock carbon ceased during the 2015–2016 El Niño, as temperatures skyrocketed and trees died.
Établir une carte d’identité du bois pour freiner la déforestation illégale
Des chercheurs ont créé un nouvel outil d’analyse pour améliorer la traçabilité du bois qui pourrait permettre d’appliquer la législation de l’Union européenne visant à lutter contre la déforestation.
Fingerprinting Wood to Curb Illegal Deforestation
Researchers developed a new forensic tool for tracing the origins of timber that could enable enforcement of antideforestation legislation in the European Union.