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Declining Sugar Maples

December 23, 2015 By WAMC WEB

The sugar maple, one of the most economically and ecologically important trees in the eastern United States and Canada, is showing signs of being in decline, according to scientists at SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Harvard Forest.

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Feast Before The Famine

December 7, 2015 By WAMC WEB

New York’s Hudson Valley is experiencing a “mast year.” Mast refers to the seeds of woody plants that are eaten by wildlife. “Soft mast” has seeds surrounded by fleshy pulp, and includes berries and fruits. “Hard mast” has seeds protected by an outer coat, such as acorns and hickory nuts.

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The Missing Sink

November 18, 2015 By WAMC WEB

One of the puzzles of atmospheric chemistry is why carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere aren’t rising even faster. Our activities emit some 37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. About 45% stays in the atmosphere, 25% is taken up by the oceans. The rest is a bit of a mystery.

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The Trouble With Sustainability

October 23, 2015 By EarthWise

Since its inception, sustainability has been human-centric. It came into vogue in 1987, with the publication of a UN report called Our Common Future, which defined sustainable development as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

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