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FOREST ECOLOGY RESEARCH
Thailand promoted Leucaena trees for fodder and reforestation, but scientists found that the fast-growing species is suppressing the natural regeneration of native forestsThailand's well-intentioned tree planting initiative with Leucaena leucocephala has backfired, with scientists discovering the fast-growing...
Canada's birds have been shrinking since the 1970s as insect populations collapsed by more than 60%, scientists foundA groundbreaking study reveals a stark 60% decline in insects at Canada's Long Point Bird Observatory since the 1970s, directly impacting t...
Malaysia's tallest rainforest trees keep pumping water to their highest branches even during drought, thanks to a hidden hydraulic adaptation, scientists foundA groundbreaking study challenges the long-held belief that taller trees are more vulnerable to drought. Researchers found that giant dipte...
Hawaii, in the late 1800s, planted Leucaena trees for fodder and fuelwood, but scientists now say the invasive trees have replaced native habitats that evolved nowhere else on EarthHawaii's idyllic image belies a significant ecological challenge: Leucaena, an introduced shrub, now covers 10% of the islands. Brought for...
New Zealand in the 1850s planted millions of pines for timber, but today scientists are spending millions trying to stop them from overrunning native mountainsNew Zealand's high country is battling an invasion of non-native pine trees, introduced generations ago for forestry. These 'wilding conife...
South Africa, in the mid-1800s, planted millions of Australian acacias as a dune fix; 180 years later, that decision is costing the country its rivers and ecosystemA 19th-century solution to coastal erosion in South Africa, planting Australian Acacia trees, has become a major environmental crisis. Thes...
Britain in the 1920s planted millions of Sitka spruce trees for timber, but scientists now say the country's forests support far fewer birds, plants, and insects than native woodlandsBritain's vast Sitka spruce plantations, while economically vital, host a surprisingly limited number of species compared to native trees. ...
Israel, in the mid-1900s, planted millions of pine trees, and ecologists later found that the Mediterranean shrubs that grew back underneath decided which birds would move inPine forests teeming with birdlife have a secret: it's not the trees, but the undergrowth. A study reveals that dense shrub layers dramatic...
Against all odds, one of nature’s most colorful little survivors just made an incredible returnA vibrant blue gecko, once threatened by the pet trade and habitat loss, is making a remarkable comeback in Tanzania. Conservation efforts,...
The rise of India’s art collectives and how they are reshaping identity, access, and creative practiceAcross India, new art collectives are emerging, focusing on identity, heritage, and marginalized voices. Groups like The Confluence Collect...
Flowering plants may have recruited dinosaurs long before birds or mammals, with hundreds of fossil fruits revealing an ancient seed-spreading strategyFossil discoveries in New Mexico reveal that flowering plants were producing large, animal-attracting fruits millions of years earlier than...
In the 1940s, the brown tree snake reached Guam hidden in post-WWII cargo and set off a chain reaction that scientists are still measuring today; birds gone, tree seedlings down by up to 92%, and spiders multiplying up to 40-fold on an island that once had neitherAn invasive brown treesnake on Guam has decimated native bird populations, leading to a silent forest. This loss has crippled the island's ...
Aravalli Biodiversity Park helps Delhi retain 3 million litres of rainwater, reduce flooding: StudyDelhi's Aravalli Biodiversity Park is a vital green lung, retaining nearly three million litres of rainwater annually and significantly red...
Italy planted Norway spruce across the Alps in the 1930s, a deliberate-but-naive reforestation drive, but 90 years on, plant diversity is 50% lower than in native forestsA 90-year-old reforestation project in Italy's Prealps planted Norway spruce. A new study reveals this decision drastically reduced plant d...
In 1960, Spain planted an invasive tree thinking it was a great idea, and now it's hammering local birdlife because the ecosystem can't keep upNew research from Spain reveals a stark difference in birdlife between native forests and eucalyptus plantations. While species numbers rem...
Ants distracted by potato chips in Panama may be forgetting one of their biggest jobs, and scientists say that could slow the seed dispersal plants depend onHuman food scraps on hiking trails disrupt a vital ecological partnership. Ants, crucial for planting seeds, abandon their task for easy sn...
He shot a wolf for fun. Then something in its dying eyes turned a hunter into America's greatest conservationistAs the animal lay dying, Aldo Leopold looked into its eyes and saw what he later described as a “fierce green fire” fading away. In that mo...
When the Black Death killed half of Europe in the 1340s, ecologists expected the land to bloom; instead, plant diversity plummeted for 150 years until farming returnedA new study reveals the Black Death's devastating impact on Europe's plant life. The plague's population crash led to a sharp decline in pl...
In the 1950s, Swiss farmers intensified and mechanized their fields; nine decades of records now reveal an unexpected divide: butterflies are still struggling, while forest beetles have fully bounced backButterflies and beetles are disappearing at an alarming rate. A Swiss study reveals significant butterfly losses since 1930, linked to farm...
18 koalas moved to Kangaroo Island in the 1920s; a century on, 27,000 descendants are stripping eucalyptus bare and risk mass starvationKoalas are overpopulating in South Australia's Mount Lofty Ranges. This boom threatens eucalyptus forests, their food source. Scientists pr...