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FOREST DECLINE
In 1987, Denmark launched restoration of 2,200 hectares around the Skjern River. 19 years later, SPA status arrived in 2006 as wildlife returned to the restored wetlandsDenmark restored the Skjern River wetlands after agricultural decline and pollution. The project re-meandered over twenty kilometers of riv...
America introduced Chinese Privet as an ornamental plant in 1852. It later spread across millions of acres of forestFirst spotted in 1852, Chinese privet has spread relentlessly across the American Southeast, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems. This invas...
Earth’s forests lost 60% of their canopy during ancient global warming—could it happen again?Ancient forests endured extreme global warming over 56 million years ago. This warming event caused a significant loss of forest canopy cov...
In 1946, imported beetles were released against toxic St. Johnswort in northern California; by 1957, the weed had fallen to less than 1% of its former abundanceBy the 1940s, European Klamathweed had established itself as a major rangeland threat in California. To combat this invasive species, leaf ...
In 2018, Natasha Whetzel helped burn 20 acres at Delaware’s Hurley Tract to restore habitat. 10 weeks later, native purple love grass had spread extensively, transforming the site into habitats for birds and pollinatorsConservation work in southern Delaware is helping restore and protect important habitats within the Nanticoke River watershed. At Middlefor...
Why is Ohio spending $200,000 on refrigerated trailers for deer? The surprising plan could solve 3 growing problems at onceOhio is rolling out an unusual new deer management program that will use five refrigerated trailers to collect donated deer during key hunt...
In 1998, New York listed Keuka Lake as impaired after DDT contamination. 16 years later, fish-tissue data led officials to remove the lake from the impaired waters listKeuka Lake DDT cleanup shows how a pesticide banned decades ago kept affecting fish through contaminated soil and runoff. The problem began...
Beginning in the 1900s, U.S. hunters imported Eurasian wild boar for sport; today’s feral swine threaten firefly larvae and turtle nests across the SoutheastWild pigs are destroying firefly larvae and turtle eggs in southeastern parks. These invasive animals root up the soil, disrupting delicate...
In 1943, families displaced from a North Carolina town were promised a road home; 83 years later, the seven-mile ‘Road to Nowhere’ still ends above their lost villageThe Road to Nowhere ultimately represents much more than an unusual dead-end highway in North Carolina. It is a reminder of the human cost ...
In 1989, a 185-page California climate report warned that a warming would slash the state's spring runoff by a full third. 30 years later, its warnings proved right, with mountain snow cover falling by half as droughts, floods and fires worsenedCalifornia received climate change warnings thirty years ago. These projections accurately predicted droughts, floods, and heat waves. The ...
In a 1982 US reservoir review, fish and plankton productivity rose after valleys were flooded, then declined as spawning habitat and detritus became less availableFollowing the creation of American reservoirs, there’s an initial surge in fish populations, creating a thriving aquatic ecosystem. However...
In 1831, Swedish Navy planted 300,000 oak trees on Visingsö for future warships; when they were ready in 1975, Navy rejected the timber as ships had switched to steel, leaving a forest behindSweden's Navy undertook an intriguing initiative by planting oak trees on Visingsö to secure timber for future warships. Decades later, as ...
JP Morgan once bought 117 acres of Maine coast including Sand Beach as a wedding gift for his daughter, but his grandaughter later donated 100 acres; here's whyIn 1900, financier JP Morgan bought 117 acres of Maine’s coast, including Sand Beach and Great Head, as a wedding gift for his daughter Lou...
In 1972, Costa Rican conservationists established the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 54 years later, it protects 10,500 hectares of cloud forest feeding two oceansCosta Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve boasts extraordinary biodiversity and unique water collection. Mist contributes significantly ...
Siliguri corridor: From chicken's neck to elephant's trunkThe Siliguri Corridor, affectionately dubbed the Elephant's Trunk, highlights its essential role in connecting northeastern India with neig...
In the 1980s, the richest closed-canopy mangroves covered 77,643 sq km globally. 43 years later, they had grown to 88,772 sq km, helping turn decades of mangrove loss into a net global gainMangroves are far more than trees growing along tropical and subtropical shorelines. They form complex coastal ecosystems that provide habi...
In 1965, a mountaineer climbed 6,000 feet and found a seabird's last two colonies; he spent the next 50 years keeping it from extinctionA New Zealand salesman made a notable discovery in 1965 by locating nesting sites for the Hutton's shearwater, a unique alpine seabird. Sad...
In 1904, Newfoundland released just 4 moose onto the island after an earlier introduction. 122 years later, their descendants number about 110,000 and have become powerful drivers of change across the island's forestsMoose impact on Newfoundland forests: Newfoundland introduced four moose in 1904, which now number around 110,000. These animals significan...
In 1955, Hawaiʻi released a predatory snail to control giant African snails; it climbed into native forests and helped wipe out rare tree snailsIn Hawaii, the introduction of the rosy wolfsnail was intended to combat a pest, but it drastically backfired. Instead of targeting its int...
The hidden owl war: An invasive owl is conquering ancient forests, putting the threatened northern spotted owl at even greater riskInvasive barred owls are occupying ancient forests vital for northern spotted owls. These aggressive competitors concentrate in the exact h...