A reflection of the planet’s increasingly volatile climate and the enduring influence of industrial interests, North American grasslands find themselves at the epicenter of one of the most severe biodiversity crises on the planet. Formerly a vibrant mosaic of life — teeming with migratory birds, diverse fauna herds and formidable predators — the Great Plains […]
Read MoreUK forests are heading for “catastrophic ecosystem collapse” within the next 50 years due to multiple threats including disease, extreme weather and wildfires, researchers have warned, with trees dying on a large scale. The study, published in the journal Forestry, was put together by a panel of 42 researchers, with 1,200 experts consulted. Lead author, […]
Read MoreWhich came first, the acorn or the oak? A more important question is which came first: our words for trees, or our understandings of what trees are? Human discourse around trees both shapes and is shaped by our education, beliefs, experience and relationships with trees. Simply put, how we speak about trees matters. Ten years ago, I […]
Read MoreCoronado Cays, Calif. – Just below Nino the gondolier and the couple he’s paddling along for a sunset ride down canals lined by multimillion-dollar homes, a less idyllic scene is unfolding. An aggressive algae able to clone itself from a fragment the size of a fingernail into an underwater forest that quashes nearly all other […]
Read MoreA new collection of papers on artificial light at night show the impact of light pollution to be surprisingly far-reaching, with even low levels of artificial light disrupting species communities and entire ecosystems. Published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B , the special theme issue, which includes 16 scientific papers, looks at the effects of […]
Read MoreTOKYO — The release of a third batch of treated radioactive wastewater from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean ended safely as planned, its operator said Monday, as the country’s seafood producers continue to suffer from a Chinese import ban imposed after the discharges began. Large amounts of radioactive wastewater have accumulated at […]
Read MoreTexas A&M Forest Service awarded 260 rural volunteer fire departments with more than $15.7 million in assistance grants last week through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Grant Program. “Our agency is very thankful to state leadership for allowing us the opportunity to assist volunteer fire departments in Texas,” said Jason Keiningham, Texas A&M Forest Service […]
Read MoreThe Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board has declared a Modified Phase I Water Shortage due to ongoing dry conditions throughout the region and increasing water supply concerns. This will enforce restrictions in Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties; portions of Charlotte, Highlands and Lake counties; the […]
Read MoreA wildfire in the Nantahala National Forest continues to burn without any containment over a week after a lightning strike first sparked it Oct. 23, officials say. A total of 55 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service and North Carolina Forest Service are working the fire, which burns at 90 acres as of Oct. 31, […]
Read MoreHiring a dedicated staff member to advise Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on water is a move meant to bring the often-siloed issue front and center, said Vijay Ramasamy, who started the job this fall. “My job is to make water central to a lot of our conversations,” Ramasamy said on the Kansas Reflector podcast. Ramasamy, […]
Read More