All articles tagged with #trees
A Georgia homeowner alleges a neighbor cleared more than 100 trees along their property line to make way for a retention-pond project without a written agreement, triggering HOA involvement, a land survey, and calls for police and legal action amid online backlash.
The article discusses the diverse and distinct microbiomes inside living trees, highlighting the complex interactions between microbial communities such as bacteria and fungi within different tree tissues and their roles in tree health, decay, and ecosystem functions.
Recent studies suggest that trees may use the summer solstice as a key marker for timing their growth, leaf senescence, and reproduction cycles, particularly in temperate regions, to optimize survival and reproduction, with evidence pointing to synchronized seed production across Europe linked to temperature changes around the solstice.
New research suggests that under a warming climate, trees may release less CO₂ than previously predicted due to their ability to adapt to temperature changes over long periods, which could impact future climate models and predictions.
Researchers have discovered that changes in leaf color, specifically increased greenness due to higher carbon dioxide levels from magma, can serve as an early warning signal for volcanic eruptions, potentially enhancing prediction methods through satellite monitoring.
A study in the Dolomites found that trees synchronize their bioelectrical signals during a solar eclipse, with older trees leading the response, highlighting their role in forest resilience and communication through the 'wood wide web.'
A study published in PNAS reveals that climate change is causing tree populations to move away from the soil fungi that sustain them, particularly in northern latitudes. This migration lag is due to the trees relocating to soils lacking the necessary mycorrhizal fungi, which are crucial for their nutrient uptake and survival. The research highlights the importance of understanding and protecting these symbiotic relationships to mitigate the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems.
A new study has found that trees, specifically the konara oak tree, may be acting as a sink for airborne microplastics by accumulating them on the waxy surface coating of their leaves. Microplastics, tiny plastic particles found nearly everywhere on Earth, have uncertain effects on human and environmental health due to the variable and indeterminate combination of chemicals present in them. The discovery highlights the importance of preserving forests as they provide yet another crucial service by filtering out microplastics from the air.
Trees in warmer, drier climates are struggling to absorb excess CO2 and are instead releasing it back into the atmosphere, a process known as photorespiration. This subverts the belief that trees can help reduce carbon emissions, and as global warming increases, the ability of trees to absorb CO2 is expected to decrease significantly. Researchers found that in hotter climates, trees are releasing up to two times more CO2, and any climate exceeding average daytime temperatures of around 68 degrees Fahrenheit experiences this effect. This discovery raises concerns about the future impact of climate change on the planet's ability to mitigate CO2 levels.
Trees in warmer, drier climates are struggling to absorb carbon dioxide, leading to increased release of CO2 through a process called photorespiration, which challenges their role as natural carbon sinks. Research led by Penn State shows that as temperatures rise, trees are less able to draw down CO2 from the atmosphere, potentially reducing their effectiveness in offsetting human carbon emissions. The study suggests that the impact of climate change on trees' ability to sequester carbon needs to be considered in future climate models and highlights the need to understand how plants might adapt to a warming world.
A recent study published in the journal Science suggests that the cooling benefits of planting trees may be overestimated, as darker forests can warm the Earth by reducing the albedo of the land they cover. Trees also release organic compounds that can react with oxidants, leading to a reduction in the destruction of methane and an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. The study emphasizes the need for a more inclusive effort to mitigate climate change, including environmental management and lower energy-intensive consumption, to maximize the climate benefits of planting trees. Additionally, the focus should be on not only planting trees but also preserving current forests, as tree planting may make more sense for some areas than others.
Powerful winds exceeding 50 mph caused trees to topple and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands across Northern California, leading to damage to homes and vehicles. Viewer videos shared with KCRA 3 show the aftermath, including large trees falling onto homes, damaging fences, and narrowly missing neighboring houses, as well as collapsing on top of vehicles. Cleanup efforts are underway as debris covers roadways in affected neighborhoods.
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that climate change is reducing the effectiveness of trees to filter carbon dioxide, particularly in warmer and drier climates, due to increased photorespiration. This could lead to trees releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming. The impact on trees' ability to mitigate carbon dioxide levels underscores the urgent need to address climate change and its effects on the environment.
Exceptionally preserved 350 million-year-old tree fossils discovered in Canada reveal bizarre bushy trees unlike anything seen before, with a dense canopy of more than 250 leaves crowded around the top of a spindly, unbranched trunk. Named Sanfordiacaulis, these trees likely evolved their spiral layout to maximize sunlight for photosynthesis and may represent an evolutionary experiment from the Carboniferous period that eventually failed. The discovery challenges our understanding of ancient tree architecture and sheds light on the diverse experimentation in the plant kingdom during deep time.
A study led by Penn State researchers reveals that trees in warmer, drier climates are experiencing increased photorespiration, releasing more carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere instead of sequestering it, challenging the belief that trees can offset carbon emissions. The study found that as temperatures rise, trees struggle to draw down carbon dioxide, potentially impacting their ability to mitigate climate change. The research team developed a method to measure photorespiration rates using wood samples, offering insights into past and future tree responses to climate change.