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Atacama surprise: The world’s driest desert is teeming with hidden life
Even in the ultra-dry Atacama Desert, tiny soil-dwelling nematodes are thriving in surprising diversity. Scientists found that biodiversity increases with moisture and altitude shapes which species survive. In the most extreme zones, many nematodes reproduce...
Massive asteroid impact 6.3 million years ago left giant glass field in Brazil
For the first time ever, scientists have uncovered a vast field of tektites in Brazil — mysterious glassy fragments forged when a powerful extraterrestrial object slammed into Earth about 6.3 million years ago. Named “geraisites” after Minas Gerais, where they were...
Rainforest deaths are surging and scientists just found the shocking cause
Tropical trees are dying faster than ever, and it's not just heat or drought to blame. Scientists have uncovered a surprising culprit: ordinary thunderstorms. These quick, fierce storms, powered by climate change, are toppling trees with intense winds and lightning,...
Rainforest deaths are surging and scientists just found the shocking cause
Tropical trees are dying faster than ever, and it's not just heat or drought to blame. Scientists have uncovered a surprising culprit: ordinary thunderstorms. These quick, fierce storms, powered by climate change, are toppling trees with intense winds and lightning,...
When rainforests died, the planet caught fire: New clues from Earth’s greatest extinction
When Siberian volcanoes kicked off the Great Dying, the real climate villain turned out to be the rainforests themselves: once they collapsed, Earth’s biggest carbon sponge vanished, CO₂ rocketed, and a five-million-year heatwave followed. Fossils from China and...
Fighting fire with fire: How prescribed burns reduce wildfire damage and pollution
Wildfires are becoming more intense and dangerous, but a new Stanford-led study offers hope: prescribed burns—intentionally set, controlled fires—can significantly lessen their impact. By analyzing satellite data and smoke emissions, researchers found that areas...
Tiny creatures, massive impact: How zooplankton store 65 million tonnes of carbon annually
Zooplankton like copepods aren’t just fish food—they’re carbon-hauling powerhouses. By diving deep into the ocean each winter, they’re secretly stashing 65 million tonnes of carbon far below the surface, helping fight climate change in a way scientists are only just...
Wildfires threaten water quality for up to eight years after they burn
Wildfires don’t just leave behind scorched earth—they leave a toxic legacy in Western rivers that can linger for nearly a decade. A sweeping new study analyzed over 100,000 water samples from more than 500 U.S. watersheds and revealed that contaminants like nitrogen,...
Scientists create living building material that captures CO₂ from the air
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an astonishing new material: a printable gel that’s alive. Infused with ancient cyanobacteria, this "photosynthetic living material" not only grows but also removes CO₂ from the air, twice over. The bacteria use sunlight to...
Gravity, flipped: How tiny, porous particles sink faster in ocean snowstorms
In a twist on conventional wisdom, researchers have discovered that in ocean-like fluids with changing density, tiny porous particles can sink faster than larger ones, thanks to how they absorb salt. Using clever lab experiments with 3D-printed agar shapes in a...
These beetles can see a color most insects can’t
Beetles that can see the color red? That s exactly what scientists discovered in two Mediterranean species that defy the norm of insect vision. While most insects are blind to red, these beetles use specialized photoreceptors to detect it and even show a strong...
83% of Earth’s climate-critical fungi are still unknown
Underground fungi may be one of Earth s most powerful and overlooked allies in the fight against climate change, yet most of them remain unknown to science. Known only by DNA, these "dark taxa" make up a shocking 83% of ectomycorrhizal species fungi that help forests...
83% of Earth’s climate-critical fungi are still unknown
Underground fungi may be one of Earth s most powerful and overlooked allies in the fight against climate change, yet most of them remain unknown to science. Known only by DNA, these "dark taxa" make up a shocking 83% of ectomycorrhizal species fungi that help forests...
Fruit-eating mastodons? Ancient fossils confirm a long-lost ecological alliance
Ten thousand years after mastodons disappeared, scientists have unearthed powerful fossil evidence proving these elephant cousins were vital seed spreaders for large-fruited trees in South America. Using dental wear, isotope analysis, and fossilized plant residue,...
Space-laser AI maps forest carbon in minutes—a game-changer for climate science
A pioneering study reveals how archaeologists' satellite tools can be repurposed to tackle climate change. By using AI and satellite LiDAR imagery from NASA and ESA, researchers have found a faster, more accurate way to map forest biomass critical for tracking...
Space-laser AI maps forest carbon in minutes—a game-changer for climate science
A pioneering study reveals how archaeologists' satellite tools can be repurposed to tackle climate change. By using AI and satellite LiDAR imagery from NASA and ESA, researchers have found a faster, more accurate way to map forest biomass critical for tracking...
What a dinosaur ate 100 million years ago—Preserved in a fossilized time capsule
A prehistoric digestive time capsule has been unearthed in Australia: plant fossils found inside a sauropod dinosaur offer the first definitive glimpse into what these giant creatures actually ate. The remarkably preserved gut contents reveal that sauropods were...
Agriculture in forests can provide climate and economic dividends
Forest-based agroforestry can restore forests, promote livelihoods, and combat climate change, but emerging agroforestry initiatives focusing only on tree planting is leading to missed opportunities to support beneficial outcomes of forest management, scientists...
Agriculture in forests can provide climate and economic dividends
Forest-based agroforestry can restore forests, promote livelihoods, and combat climate change, but emerging agroforestry initiatives focusing only on tree planting is leading to missed opportunities to support beneficial outcomes of forest management, scientists...
Does planting trees really help cool the planet?
Replanting forests can help cool the planet even more than some scientists once believed, especially in the tropics. But even if every tree lost since the mid-19th century is replanted, the total effect won't cancel out human-generated warming. This post is an...
Does planting trees really help cool the planet?
Replanting forests can help cool the planet even more than some scientists once believed, especially in the tropics. But even if every tree lost since the mid-19th century is replanted, the total effect won't cancel out human-generated warming. This post is an...
When the forest is no longer a home — forest bats seek refuge in settlements
Many bat species native to Germany, such as the Leisler's bat, are forest specialists. However, as it is becoming increasingly hard for them to find tree hollows in forest plantations, so they are moving to settlements instead. Using high-resolution GPS data from...
When the forest is no longer a home — forest bats seek refuge in settlements
Many bat species native to Germany, such as the Leisler's bat, are forest specialists. However, as it is becoming increasingly hard for them to find tree hollows in forest plantations, so they are moving to settlements instead. Using high-resolution GPS data from...
When the forest is no longer a home — forest bats seek refuge in settlements
Many bat species native to Germany, such as the Leisler's bat, are forest specialists. However, as it is becoming increasingly hard for them to find tree hollows in forest plantations, so they are moving to settlements instead. Using high-resolution GPS data from...
Nordic studies show the significance of old-growth forests for biodiversity
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 99 scientific publications that compared the flora or fauna of old-growth forests, managed forests and clearcut sites in boreal Europe. The reviewed studies showed large differences in the species communities inhabiting...
Nordic studies show the significance of old-growth forests for biodiversity
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 99 scientific publications that compared the flora or fauna of old-growth forests, managed forests and clearcut sites in boreal Europe. The reviewed studies showed large differences in the species communities inhabiting...
Nordic studies show the significance of old-growth forests for biodiversity
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 99 scientific publications that compared the flora or fauna of old-growth forests, managed forests and clearcut sites in boreal Europe. The reviewed studies showed large differences in the species communities inhabiting...
El Niño and La Niña climate swings threaten mangroves worldwide
New international research demonstrates global-scale patterns in how El Ni o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influences mangrove growth and degradation. Previously, impacts had only been documented at individual sites, such as a dramatic die-off in northern Australia in...
Managing surrogate species, providing a conservation umbrella for more species
A new study shows that monitoring and managing select bird species can provide benefits for other species within specific regions. This post is an excerpt from the original article. We’re just sharing this great piece with our readers! All credit goes to the original...
New study reveals how competition between algae is transforming the Gulf of Maine
New research shows how rapidly proliferating turf algae are waging 'chemical warfare' to inhibit the recovery of kelp forests along Maine's warming coast. This post is an excerpt from the original article. We’re just sharing this great piece with our readers! All...
Something’s fishy here
In nature, ecosystems are tightly linked through the flow of organisms, detritus, and nutrients across boundaries arbitrarily imagined by humans. These systems are deeply in tune with seasonal changes, fostering a harmonious ebb and flow of resources. Many of these...
Something’s fishy here
In nature, ecosystems are tightly linked through the flow of organisms, detritus, and nutrients across boundaries arbitrarily imagined by humans. These systems are deeply in tune with seasonal changes, fostering a harmonious ebb and flow of resources. Many of these...
Songbirds’ great risk results in great genetic reward
Songbirds who make the arduous flight from their nesting sites in northern boreal forests to warm, southern climates in the winter may be rewarded for their journey with greater genetic diversity. This post is an excerpt from the original article. We’re just sharing...
Forest management can influence health benefits
Forests play a crucial role in promoting health and wellbeing, but not all forests provide the same benefits. A large-scale study demonstrates how specific forest characteristics -- such as canopy density and tree species diversity -- can affect various health...
Scientific breakthrough: We can now halve the price of costly cancer drug
The demand for the widely used cancer drug Taxol is increasing, but it's difficult and expensive to produce because it hasn't been possible to do it biosynthetically. Until now, that is. Researchers have now cracked the last part of a code that science has struggled...
Dual associations with two fungi improve tree fitness
When trees and soil fungi form close associations with each other, both partners benefit. Many tree species have further enhanced this cooperation by forming a concurrent symbiosis with two different groups of mycorrhizal fungi. Those trees cope better with water and...
Australia’s oldest prehistoric tree frog hops 22 million years back in time
Scientists have now discovered the oldest ancestor for all the Australian tree frogs, with distant links to the tree frogs of South America. This post is an excerpt from the original article. We’re just sharing this great piece with our readers! All credit goes to...
Growth before photosynthesis: How trees regulate their water balance
In order for trees to grow, they need to control their water balance meticulously. A study shows how trees react to drought -- and revises previous perceptions. This post is an excerpt from the original article. We’re just sharing this great piece with our readers!...
Meet a Tree: Basswood
by John Zasada Editor’s note: Author John Zasada is a retired US Forest Service research scientist. His interests and passions (and talents!) turned to special forest products upon his retirement. John is enamored with a common Minnesota tree species: basswood, also...
What Will Minnesota’s Forests Look Like in 2100?
Anthropogenic Climate change (this means, climate change originating in human activity) is driving changes to our forest landscapes. We can and do manipulate forest diversity, composition and structure through management decisions What will happen if we can stabilize...
Forest of Points
By Jennifer Corcoran - Remote Sensing Program Consultant and Keb Guralski - Statewide Forest Inventory Coordinator, DNR Resource Assessment Forest inventory plays a crucial role in good forest management. For example, in the last MFA Newsletter, readers learned that...
Spotting Invasive Species in the Fall
Post originally published for Itasca Woodland Services by Marissa Berguson As the long, bright days of summer give way to crisp air and auburn hues, northern folk settle into their apple pie-baking, hot cocoa-sipping, turkey-basting, marshmallow-toasting,...
Meet a Tree: Learning More
Once again, in this issue of Minnesota Woodlands, we are deviating from the ‘norm.’ We assume, as MFA members and likely owners of a woodland, you know your basic tree identification. But do you know some intimate details about those trees? For instance, do you...