Forests

A new study shows that climate change is disproportionately affecting U.S. forests, particularly in the West, where adverse effects like reduced tree growth are prominent. This trend challenges the forests’ role as carbon sinks and highlights the urgent need for greenhouse gas emission reductions and forest conservation. Credit: SciTechDaily.comClimate change is impacting U.S. forests, especially in the Western regions, leading to decreased tree growth and challenging their ability to act as carbon sinks.Climate change is…

A new study in Scientific Reports reveals significant differences in the nucleolus organizing region (NOR) of American and Chinese chestnut genomes. This disparity challenges assumptions about their compatibility in hybridization for blight resistance.Potential implications for American chestnut restoration and blight-resistance.The chromosomes of American and Chinese chestnuts are not so similar after all, at least in one key region of the genome – the nucleolus organizing region (NOR).The finding, published today…

Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This weekly newsletter is part of a CBC News initiative entitled "Our Changing Planet" to show and explain the effects of climate change. Keep up with the latest news on our Climate and Environment page.Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox every Thursday.This week: Electric garbage trucks clean up in a variety of ways Hot enough for ya? 2023 shattered planetary heat records Carbon offsets are helping protect B.C.'s Great Bear Rainforest. Is that sustainable?…

A groundbreaking study by UCL and international scientists has discovered that just 2.2% of tree species account for half of the trees in tropical forests globally. This uniform pattern across diverse regions like Africa, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia suggests a fundamental mechanism shaping these ecosystems.Scientists have found that a small number of tree species dominate tropical forests worldwide, challenging previous notions about the diversity of these ecosystems.A major international collaboration of 356…

That can be easily eliminatedAn artistic decision tree generated by Dall-EThere is a chance that your decision trees and random forests suffer from a small bias, which can be eliminated with ease, for basically no cost. This is what we explore in this post.Disclaimer: the post discusses a recent research conducted by the author.IntroductionDecision trees and random forests are widely adopted classification and regression techniques in machine learning. Decision trees are favored for their interpretability, while random…

Every year, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) ranks the top 10 Canadian weather stories. Senior climatologist David Phillips compiles the list and this year, there was no doubt about what would take the number one position: the record-setting wildfires."There's no drum roll here," Phillips said. "The fires dominated everything.... In 28 years of putting together , it's never been a more obvious number one."Wildfire season got an early start due, in part, to the persistent drought conditions across B.C. and in…

Recent research indicates that trees in wetter regions are more vulnerable to drought, challenging previous beliefs about tree resilience. This study, involving the analysis of over 6.6 million tree rings, reveals that trees in drier areas are surprisingly resilient to drought. The findings underscore the widespread impact of climate change on forests and suggest that genetic diversity in drier regions could be crucial for adapting to changing conditions. Credit: SciTechDaily.comScientists flip the script, revealing trees…

Starre Vartan: I love a short cold-water swim in Puget Sound in Washington State. I start from a rocky shore near my home. Vartan: If I kept swimming just another 100 feet out, I could dive a few feet down through these clear waters into an underwater forest where animals such as shrimp, crabs and small fish like lingcod, rockfish—and maybe even salmon—like to live. Vartan: This is Scientific American’s Science, Quickly. I’m Starre Vartan. Kelp forests are made up of thick, undulating ribbons of brown algae that…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Protecting and restoring forests is one of the cheapest and most effective options for mitigating the carbon emissions heating Earth. Since the third UN climate change summit, held in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, different mechanisms have been trialed to raise money and help countries reduce deforestation and restore…

European forests, especially in Italy’s mountainous regions, are facing drastic changes due to the climate crisis. New research reveals a likely decrease in suitable habitats for many tree species, with some expanding. The study underscores the need for diverse tree stands and cautions against potential new risks. Further research is planned to extend these findings across Italy and Europe. Credit: SciTechDaily.com Forests in the Italian mountains are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to the changing conditions…