carbon storage

The Spread Of Bark Beetles

November 9, 2017 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Bark beetles are a global scourge of evergreen forests. Mountain pine beetles have destroyed pine trees across western North America. Spruce beetles decimated spruce trees from New Mexico into Colorado and beyond. Altogether, bark beetles have ravaged 85,000 square miles of forest in the western U.S, an area the size of Utah, since 2000. They have killed trees across an additional 65,000 square miles of British Columbian forests and have caused millions of dollars of damage to the lumber industry in states like Alabama and Mississippi.

Invasive species are a great concern for the health and stability of ecosystems. They are defined as plants, animals or pathogens that are non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause harm. It is that latter consideration that isn’t always obvious.

[Read more…] about A Helpful Invader

Positive Environmental News

March 2, 2017 By EarthWise

From melting Arctic ice to dying coral reefs to rising sea levels, there was no shortage of grim environmental news in 2016. But the news wasn’t all bad. There were several bright spots for the environment last year as well.

A Refuge For Black Spruce

August 23, 2016 By WAMC WEB

In the Canadian province of Quebec, a study of more than 26,000 trees across an area the size of Spain forecasts winners and losers in a changing climate.

The Value Of Street Trees

July 13, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Why should you care whether there are trees on your street or on the streets nearby? Besides the obvious fact that they make streets more attractive, street trees provide a number of real benefits both for residents and for the environment.

Primates And Toucans As Climate Allies

January 14, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Many of us have a soft spot for primates and toucans. These charismatic creatures are prized for their intellect and beauty. But did you know they also play a vital role in combating climate change?

Counting Trees

October 8, 2015 By EarthWise

A new satellite study led by Yale University and published in the journal Nature calculates that there are more than three trillion trees on Earth. This is seven and a half times more than previous estimates, which had calculated just over 400 billion trees worldwide.

[Read more…] about Counting Trees

carbon storage

From melting Arctic ice to dying coral reefs to rising sea levels, there was no shortage of grim environmental news in 2016. But the news wasn’t all bad. There were several bright spots for the environment last year as well.

In the Canadian province of Quebec, a study of more than 26,000 trees across an area the size of Spain forecasts winners and losers in a changing climate.

Why should you care whether there are trees on your street or on the streets nearby? Besides the obvious fact that they make streets more attractive, street trees provide a number of real benefits both for residents and for the environment.

A new satellite study led by Yale University and published in the journal Nature calculates that there are more than three trillion trees on Earth. This is seven and a half times more than previous estimates, which had calculated just over 400 billion trees worldwide.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio