News about PaperPanda, Open Access, and Research
Brace yourselves, allergy suffers – new research shows pollen season is going to get a lot longer and more intense with climate change. Our latest study finds that the US will face up to a 200 percent increase in total pollen this century if the world continues producing carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, power plants … Read more
Citizen surveys have revealed that common toads often climb trees to hide in hollows or in nest boxes Life 11 March 2022 By Michael Le Page The European common toad (Bufo bufo) Henry Andrews The common toad is a rather rotund animal with short legs and an ungainly gait. It certainly doesn’t look like a … Read more
As storms become stronger, it might be possible to keep more trees standing if they are planted closer together Environment 11 March 2022 By Alex Wilkins A cedar forest in Kiso district, Nagano prefecture, Japan Sunphol Sorakul/Getty Images Trees that grow close together can survive powerful storms and prevent wind damage by supporting each other. … Read more
Planting trillions of trees won’t replace the 10 million hectares of forest ecosystems lost each year, but documenting them could prevent further losses Environment | Comment 2 March 2022 By Jingjing Liang Michelle D’urbano SINCE the 13th century, forests have been managed as sources of trees that can be processed into timber. More recently, with … Read more
An outbreak of African swine fever in 2015 reduced the wild boar population by 90 per cent in Białowieża primeval forest, so more acorns grew into trees Life 2 March 2022 By Jason Arunn Murugesu Oak trees in Białowieża forest, Poland Aleksander Bolbot / Alamy An outbreak of African swine fever led to the growth … Read more
The venerable elders of a forest are hugely important to the diversity, fitness, and survival of the woodland as a whole, new research shows – and they bring with them a hardiness and experience in dealing with change, as well as a lifetime of ecological interactions preserved in their immediate surrounds.. Scientists used models … Read more
A new global estimate of tree diversity suggests there are thousands of undiscovered species, but many will be rare and vulnerable to extinction Environment 31 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador, South America robertharding / Alamy Earth is home to many more types of tree than previously thought, according to researchers who … Read more
About 800 years ago, a giant oak tree in England’s Sherwood Forest helped shelter Robin Hood from the corrupt sheriff of Nottingham. Though the tale is likely a myth, the tree is not: It still stands as one of the world’s oldest oaks. Such ancient trees—some dating back more than 3000 years—are key to the … Read more
Eucalyptus trees rely on root fungi to source nutrients and water – but the fungi actually control the genetic development of the tree roots by releasing tiny chunks of RNA Life 10 January 2022 By Michael Le Page Pisolithus microcarpus mycorrhizal root tips on Eucalyptus grandis Jonathan Plett A root fungus that helps eucalyptus trees … Read more
An accidental slingshot hit on a Cecropia tree in Panama has led to a surprising discovery: the Azteca alfari ants that live inside these trees are often ready to fix damage to their living homes. When high schooler Alex Wcislo fired the 9 mm (0.35 inch) clay ball through the tree, leaving clean entry and exit … Read more