Forests
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National Geographic has an interesting article this week on a new NASA study documenting increases in forest fires caused by lightning strikes in the boreal forest in the northern parts of North America. The article says that “Since 1975, the number of fires ignited by lightning has increased between two and five percent, driven by…
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I don’t live in Alabama, so can’t watch this new documentary on a recently discovered Ice Age forest hidden near Alabama’s coast when it is broadcast on the air, but for those of you who do, it looks like a fascinating look at some Alabama natural history. I am going to see if I can…
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Here’s a notice about a webinar that looks very interesting. I am posting it because I would like to see it myself. Note that you do not have to preregister. Here is the description of the webinar: “Fall 2016, several southeastern states were experiencing significant wildfires due to a severe drought and an increased frequency…
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It’s no surprise that weather has a big effect on crop development this time of year. The floods in the Midwest have been particularly bad for farmers, but other regions have also experienced impacts from frost and other extreme weather. Here is a sampling of recent stories I have read that caught my eye. AgWeb:…
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The Atlantic magazine posted an interesting article this week about the migration of trees from one region to another. Of course the trees don’t actually pick up their roots and walk away, but over time some areas see a decline in saplings while other areas see new growth. What surprised the scientists quoted in the…
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In spite of removal of many trees from around urban areas, some pockets of old-growth forest still remain. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote about a few such remnant forests around Atlanta in an article earlier this week which noted that these forests have been recognized by the Maryland-based Old-Growth Forest Network. You can read about it here.…
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Lee Shearer of the Athens Banner-Herald posted an interesting story today about land use changes across Georgia in the past few decades. Climatologists know that changes in land from bare group crops to forests can cause changes in the local climate because of how it changes the energy balance. Similarly, changing land from fields to…