Hurricane Disturbances May Increase Resilience in Wet Tropical Forests

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Hurricanes are typically considered destructive and disastrous, with high-speed winds exceeding 75 miles per hour and torrential downpours. These powerful storms can have major impacts on tropical forests, ripping open the forest canopy and causing organic debris to pile up on the forest floor. Despite these seemingly destructive qualities, new research suggests that ecological disturbance… Read more »

Water is key to tropical forest carbon storage

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rainforest

Tropical forests are sometimes referred to as the “lungs of the planet,” and for good reason – the high plant biomass of tropical regions produces a large portion of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Rainfall, nutrient availability, and amount of disturbance (natural or human) a forest experiences can all… Read more »

LTER sites part of new regional climate hubs

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The USDA recently announced the formation of regional climate hubs at seven locations across the United States in an initiative aimed at helping farmers, ranchers and rural communities cope with the effects of climate change. Three of these hubs are associated with Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network sites—the Jornada LTER in southern New Mexico,… Read more »