If the Amazon rainforest functions as our planet’s lungs, what do raging wildfires threaten? An atmospheric scientist explains why the fires, though devastating, won’t suffocate life on Earth.
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Articles on Tropical forests
Displaying 41 - 60 of 69 articles
Don’t blame climate change for the 39,000 forest fires now incinerating huge tracts of the Brazilian Amazon. This environmental catastrophe is human-made and highly political.
A new study shows these elephants boost the carbon stored in their forests by 7%.
Restoring tropical rainforests is good for the climate, wild species and humans. But where to start? A new study pinpoints locations that will maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts.
The impact of deforestation for oil palm plantations is well known – and now research has found the replanting process could be additional harm to biodiversity.
Many nations are restoring degraded tropical forests to slow climate change, protect endangered species and improve rural life. But those forests often are cleared again soon afterward.
Brazil has set itself a target of restoring almost 50,000 sq km of the Amazon rainforest by 2030. But it won’t get there without changing its policies and how it engages with local people.
Tropical deforestation can release a huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
Thousands of dirt roads crisscross the Brazilian Amazon, serving ranchers, loggers and miners. The area’s fragile waterways — and the spectacular fish that live in them — pay a high price.
Forest fires emit twice as much carbon in the Brazilian Amazon as deforestation, according to new research.
Future initiatives for conservation mainly depend on the proper co-ordination of scientists, governments, conservation groups and the media, especially when corruption is close by.
Guam’s trees are in trouble, thanks to the accidental release of a snake species 70 years ago, which has killed off many of the bird species that are vital for the health of the island’s forests.
Indonesian peatlands are important to many people: farmers, bureaucrats, businesspeople, and conservationists. But preserving this value for everyone will mean listening to everyone’s concerns.
There are rising concerns that rapid deforestation across the Amazon and Southeast Asia could spread to Africa. The continent hasn’t yet seen vast agricultural expansion but it could be on the way.
Forests and savannas are expected to be strongly affected in the coming decades by changing rainfall patterns. But land use will also have a major impact.
Bird diversity may be the secret to forest resilience.
The extinction threat you haven’t heard of: several South American birds teeter on the brink of existence due to habitat loss. And history is not the best guide for how to save them.
Queensland’s Wet Tropics are home to a dizzying range of plant and animal species, but are at risk of being overrun by yellow crazy ants.
Forests that grow back after being cleared for agriculture or by logging grow back much faster than old-growth forests, soaking up carbon and providing vital habitat.
The country must protect its huge forests from fires and logging.
Top contributors
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Professor of Conservation Science, Bangor University
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Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate, James Cook University
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Professor of Global Change Science at University of Leeds and, UCL
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Emeritus Professor of Biotechnology, University of South Wales
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Honorary fellow, University of York
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Professor of Conservation Science, Lancaster University
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Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Professor Emerita of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut
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Research scientist working on savanna and forest distribution, Université de Montréal
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Head of department of Conservation Biology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
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Senior Lecturer in Latin American Politics, University of Liverpool
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Associate Research Professor, University of Vermont
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Adjunct Professor of Conservation, University of Kent
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Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Purchase College State University of New York
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Professor, University of Utah
