#forestecology — Public Fediverse posts

Pioneer species (Botany 🌱)

Pioneer species are resilient species that are the first to colonize barren environments, or to repopulate disrupted biodiverse steady-state ecosystems as part of ecological succession. Various kinds of events can create good conditions for pioneers, including disruption by natural disasters, such as wildfire, flood, mudsl...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_species

#PioneerSpecies #Botany #ForestEcology #RuderalSpecies #EcologyTerminology #EcologicalSuccession

Geospatial Analysis of Carbon Offset Projects - A Broader Scientific Outlook
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https://www.eldhollow.com/blogs/geospatial-analysis-of-carbon-offset-projects <-- shared technical blog
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[this post should not be considered an endorsement of a particular organisation, rather scrutinising the spatial use case & technical approach]
H/T @kyle Arvisais | Forest Carbon Scientist
“Geospatial analysis is at the core of [the H/T’s company’s] project quality assessments, and [the author is] constantly finding ways to make the pipeline better and ways to use it. [They are] obviously not the only one who uses these types of tools, but to be perfectly honest, the quality of models [they have] seen over the years has been all over the place.
This blog makes a casual introduction to [their] pipeline while talking about the field at large…”
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“The world has committed to protecting and restoring nature at an unprecedented scale. Whether that commitment delivers what it promises comes down project execution on the ground. Local socioeconomics and forest ecology intertwine to create complex challenges for projects to overcome during implementation, and at the end of the day, projects boil all of these complexities down to one single unit: the carbon credit. So the question becomes: can we actually measure what is happening to a forest, accurately and honestly, and everywhere at once?
For a long time, the honest answer has been no. Historically, many forest carbon projects overstated their impact. Usually it was because the baseline was too generous, or because the measurements underneath were flawed. For anyone with a stake in nature markets, that uncertainty is one of the core risks.
Robust geospatial analysis can help mitigate that risk. If you treat a carbon credit as what it really is, a scientific claim, then we can hold it to that standard and assess it objectively. [Their] geospatial pipeline turns satellite data and ground truth data into models about how much forest is standing, how it is changing, and what might put it at risk in the future. The pipeline does this anywhere on Earth…”
#GIS #spatial #mapping #usecase #carbonoffset #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #qualityassessment #objectivity #projectpipeline #model #modeling #application #nature #environment #ecosystems #ecology #local #regional #factors #socioeconomics #forestecology #vegetation #forest #tree #carboncredit #climatechange #climatecrisis #forestcarbonprojects #global

When you realize ecosystem services are free and bug spray isn't

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#solarpunk #agroecology #agroecosystems #ecology #science #technology #innovation #lowtech #workingclass #nature #biology #forestecology #insects #bugs #benicetobugs

Hydraulic traits govern opposing range shifts of montane trees under warming

Sayre, R. et al. A new high-resolution map of world mountains and an online tool for visualizing and…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #Climatechange #ClimateChange/ClimateChangeImpacts #Climate-changeecology #EnvironmentalLaw/Policy/Ecojustice #Forestecology #general #Science
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/849359/

Human-caused climate change is severely escalating wildfire frequencies above natural levels in major California national parks by driving vegetation biomes into higher elevations.
#Climatology #ForestEcology #EnvironmentalScience #ClimateChange #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2026/07/as07292601.html

Targeted tropical forest restoration can offset deforestation-induced water flux losses

Mitchard, E. T. A. The tropical forest carbon cycle and climate change. Nature 559, 527–534 (2018). Article  CAS …
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #Climatechange #ClimateChange/ClimateChangeImpacts #EnvironmentalLaw/Policy/Ecojustice #Forestecology #general #hydrology #Science
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/803541/

Increasing atmospheric dryness and storms accelerates biomass turnover in Amazonian forests

Pan, Y. et al. The enduring world forest carbon sink. Nature 631, 563–569 (2024). Article  CAS  Google Scholar …
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #Biogeochemistry #Climatechange #ClimateChange/ClimateChangeImpacts #Ecosystemecology #EnvironmentalLaw/Policy/Ecojustice #Forestecology #general #Science #Tropicalecology
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/674298/

Five years of satellite monitoring of forests in Germany found that trees that had been attacked by the gypsy moth delayed leaf production the following year, starving the emerging moth larvae and halving the subsequent leaf damage.

Summary: https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/oak-trees-can-starve-caterpillars-by-delaying-their-spring-leaves/

Original paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03071-9

#Science #Ecology #ForestEcology #Trees #GypsyMoth

Healthy forest floor; ground ivy, common ivy, enchanter's nightshade, etc. The herbaceous layer of a forest is perhaps the most undervalued, but the recognition of its importance to a wooded habitat is increasing.

#environment #environmentalscience #environmentalStewardship #nature #naturephotography #forest #forestecology #ecology #flora #naturalforest #woodland

A study of 2.7 million trees in 17 forest plots located from 5 deg. S to 47 deg. N found that tropical forests had higher neighborhood diversity--trees had more different kinds of neighbors--in tropical plots. Three explanations for this phenomenon are proposed.

Summary: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tropical-trees-neighborly-equator.html

Original paper (not open access): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10349-2

#Science #Ecology #ForestEcology #Trees #Diversity #Competition #Facilitation

The latest research results on stomatal dynamics from our PhD candidate (and quite proud of it :-) : the shade tolerant Fagus sylvatica , the common beech, shows more reactive stomatal responses on shade leaves than on sun leaves, suggesting an optimisation to increase CO2 uptake. The differences in stomatal dynamics were not related, as usually assumed, to differences in stomatal morphology.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ppl.70856

#AcademicChatter #PlantPhysiology #BioDiversity #Stomata #StomatalAnatomy #PlantScience #ForestEcology

@junesim63 The wood wide web, not as wide as it seems : this idea of interconnecting trees, based on Suzanne Simard's papers and then largely publicised by Peter Wohlleben in his book "The Hidden Life of Trees", is largely based on #CitationBias towards positive effects , as this very nice review paper here shows : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-01986-1
#ForestEcology #Forests

@MiguelGuerreiro hello, biologists and ecologists is a very wide field. I'm rather on the plant side of things, more specifically in #ForestEcology looking at tree #PlantPhysiology and #EcoPhysiology

Nice study showing yet another effect of the ongoing temperature increase due to #ClimateChange : French oak populations were, over time, less exposed to late spring frost damage, in frequency as well as extent, which are largely driven by the temporal advance of both the last spring frost day and budburst dates.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110927

#Forest #EUForests #ForestEcology #ForestDynamics #Ecology #EcologicalModelling
#AcademicChatter

Montane ecosystem (Ecosystems 🏞️)

Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial factor in shaping plant community, biodiversity, metabolic processes and ecosystem dynamics for montane ecosy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montane_ecosystem

#MontaneEcosystem #Ecosystems #ForestEcology #MontaneEcology

Forest floor (Biogeochemical cycle 🔄)

The forest floor, also called detritus or duff, is the part of a forest ecosystem that mediates between the living, aboveground portion of the forest and the mineral soil, principally composed of dead and decaying plant matter such as rotting wood and shed leaves. In some countries, like Canada, forest floor refers to L, F and H organic hori...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_floor

#ForestFloor #Leaves #SoilBiology #ForestEcology #BiogeochemicalCycle

Canopy (botany) (Habitat 🌄)

In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant cropping or crop, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns. In forest ecology, the canopy is the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms. The communities that inhabit the canopy layer are thought to be involved in maintain...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(botany)

#Canopy #Habitat #Rainforests #ForestEcology #BotanicalTerminology

Diversity in forest management promotes biodiversity

An international team studied #ManagementZoning in European beech woods using real-world data and virtual landscapes. They collected data about three types of #ForestManagement to develop “virtual forest landscapes” for analysis: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/3240.html?id=7924

Research in PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2512683122

#ForestBiodiversity #Sustainability #ForestEcology

🌲 Beneath your feet, a hidden city hums with life.
Forests are not just trees standing alone. They are linked by living fungal threads that share carbon, water, and warnings. Scientists call it a mycorrhizal network. You might know it as the Wood Wide Web.

🔗 Read the full story: https://TPC8.short.gy/Pjr6Yfbu

#WoodWideWeb #MycorrhizalNetwork #Fungi #Mycology #Forests #Ecology #Biodiversity #SoilScience #EcosystemScience #ForestEcology #ClimateResilience #Sustainability #Conservation #TPC8

Old growth forests in eastern Canada show that the climate started changing almost 100 years ago
#Canada #ClimateChange #OldGrowthForests #TreeRings #Environment #SnowPack #RiverFlow #Caribou #Hydropower #DroughtHistory #Forests #ForestEcology #ClimateData
https://the-14.com/old-growth-forests-in-eastern-canada-show-that-the-climate-started-changing-almost-100-years-ago/

HT @carolannie

#Agroecology offers blueprint for #resilient farming in northern #Ghana

by Caleb Ahinakwah, 5 Dec 2024

Excerpt: "Alley cropping in practice: Healing the land

"As climatic conditions worsen, farmers in the region are turning to agroforestry techniques. One approach that has taken root, literally, in the Builsa area is alley cropping, which integrates trees with traditional farming practices. Tree Aid, an international nonprofit that works on forest and land restoration projects in Ghana and elsewhere, introduced this technique to farmers in the region in 2014. Farmers have planted rows of trees such as shea, baobab and moringa 12 meters (39 feet) apart, and continued to grow crops like millet, cowpeas and groundnuts beneath them.

"Yakubu Issah began planting baobab and shea trees on his farm five years ago. 'At first, it seemed like extra work with little reward. But now, our millet grows healthier, the soil holds water longer, and we even earn extra income by selling baobab leaves,' he said.

"He added that bees have returned, along with birds and squirrels: 'The farm feels alive again."'

#SolarPunkSunday #Agroecology #Sustainability #Agricuture #Resilience #Ecology #AgroForestry #AlleyCropping #ForestEcology #ForestRestoration #Permaculture #SustainableForestry #GardeningForPollinators #ProtectTheForests #TreeAid #Resiliency #Rewilding

Meanwhile, here in #Maine...

Students explore nature and sustainability with #MaineLocalLivingSchool

Kingfield Elementary School students participated in an immersive day of place-based learning, guided by the Maine Local Living School, which focuses on practical skills and ecological #stewardship, and Arbor Mountain Tree Service, exploring #sustainable forestry, acorn ecology, and bridge construction.

By Rebecca Richard, December 5, 2024

KINGFIELD — "There was a whirlwind of activity last month at Kingfield Elementary School [KES] as students immersed themselves in a day of place-based learning with Maine Local Living School and Arbor Mountain Tree Service. Tailored for each grade level, the lessons highlighted ecological connections, sustainable practices and community engagement through hands-on projects.

"The Maine Local Living School, dedicated to teaching practical skills and fostering ecological stewardship, partnered with Arbor Mountain Tree Service to guide students in exploring sustainable forestry, acorn ecology and hands-on bridge construction.

"Kindergarten and first grade students worked with Chris Knapp of Maine Local Living School to explore the seasonal abundance of acorns. 'This fall was a tremendous acorn harvest,' Knapp said, explaining how the lessons tied to the season. Students acted out the germination process of an acorn and identified oak leaves using compare-and-contrast exercises.

"Knapp also emphasized the cultural significance of acorns. 'We honored the long history of peoples for whom acorn has been and is a staple crop,' he said. The day ended with students playing a food web game, simulating predator and prey roles while gathering acorns and enjoying freshly baked acorn biscuits.

"Second and fourth grade students collaborated with Knapp on constructing a community footbridge to cross a stream in the biodiversity field at the front of the school. “The footbridge project reflects Maine Local Living School’s and KES’s shared goals to engage in project-based learning,” Knapp said.

"The students began by identifying cedar trees, prized for their rot-resistant properties and thinned over 20 saplings from a dense stand. 'Students were asked to consider which trees were the best candidates for the future forest based on crown health, upright habit, and space,' Knapp explained."

Original article:
https://www.sunjournal.com/2024/12/05/students-explore-nature-and-sustainability-with-maine-local-living-school/

#SolarPunkSunday #NatureBasedLearning #TEK #KingfieldMaine #ForestEcology #MaineSchools #SustainableForestry #Acorns #ArborMountainTreeService #Sustainability #FoodForests #Biodiversity #ProtectTheForests