U Oregon says that old growth forests should count double in forestry accounting

sea-maid submitted, created time 3 months 3 weeks (www.sciencedaily.com)

Contrary to forty years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" -- they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries.

However, international treaties, such as the Kyoto Protocol, do not take the age of forests into account when considering forest preservation. Researchers from the University of Oregan have proposed that old growth forests should count more in carbon accounting.

Submit comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: international treaties environmentalism kyoto protocol politics old growth trees old growth trees forests organic carbon global climate change carbon dioxide

Biotechnology: Can hydrogels solve our water problem?

Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

I remember reading BIll Bryson's description of a pre-blight American chestnut tree. When he came to the transpiration of water, he said, "imagine how much metal and noise humans would have to use to move that many gallons water."

Well artificial water transport just got a bit quieter, even if it can't match the chestnut just yet. A tiny microtree made from the same type of gel used to make contact lenses has mimicked water transport in plants. Scientists say that it could be used to extract water in dry places or make more efficient cooling systems

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: water trees biotechnology hydrogels plants transpiration chips ground water water economy water supply water quality water use

Is Smokey the Bear Worsening Global Warming?

sea-maid submitted, created time 5 months 1 week (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

Scientists have long believed that preventing or dousing forest fires helps combat global warming by saving trees and thus allowing forests to take up more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But surprising new data on hundreds of California forest sites suggest the opposite. The work could help quantify the role of forests in the global carbon cycle and shape U.S. federal fire policy.

Small, natural fires thin out shrubs and small trees without killing larger trees. This allows the larger trees, which absorb the most carbon, to flourish without interference

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: ecology global warming global climate change climate change forest fires fire U.S. federal fire policy trees forests global carbon cycle carbon dioxide global warming

Involvement of CBF Transcription Factors in Winter Hardiness in Birch

kavin submitted, created time 7 months 3 weeks (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Cold acclimation of plants involves extensive reprogramming of gene expression. And in the paper, the researchers suggest that in addition to their role in cold acclimation during the growing season birch CBFs appear to contribute to control of winter hardiness in birch.

3 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: trees plants winter seasons botany Birch transcription CBF Transcription Factors

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