A dangerous invasive beetle, the goldspotted oak borer, has reached Ventura County, California, threatening local oak ecosystems with significant tree mortality. The beetle, native to Arizona, spreads mainly through firewood and has already killed around 200,000 oak trees in the state. Efforts are underway to contain its spread through tree removal, insecticides, and public education, but eradication remains unlikely.
A groundbreaking study estimates that lightning strikes kill approximately 320 million trees annually worldwide, significantly impacting forest ecosystems and carbon emissions, with potential increases as lightning frequency rises due to climate change.
New research from TUM estimates that lightning kills about 320 million trees annually worldwide, significantly impacting forest ecosystems and carbon cycling, with potential increases in lightning-related tree mortality expected in temperate and boreal forests due to climate change.
Germany's iconic fairy tale forests are under threat as 79% of all trees nationwide are sick, dying, or dead, according to a recent government survey. The forests, which have long captured Germany's cultural imagination, are turning gray and dying due to a combination of climate change and bark beetle infestations. The changing landscape is a cause for concern for foresters, tourists, and business owners alike. Efforts are being made to save the forests, including planting tree species from the United States and rethinking forest preservation methods, but the future remains uncertain.
