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Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Agencies Adopt Diverse Strategies for Wildfire Management Amid Climate Change

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Agencies Adopt Diverse Strategies for Wildfire Management Amid Climate Change

Federal land management agencies and a non-profit organization within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are increasingly adopting a mix of management strategies—Resist, Accept, and Direct (RAD)—to address ecological transformations driven by climate change and wildfires. A study involving interviews with fire and forest managers from the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition revealed that while most current practices still prioritize 'resist' actions to maintain existing conditions, there is a growing openness to 'accept' and 'direct' changes. These changes include allowing natural regeneration post-fire in some areas and actively guiding ecosystems toward new, desired states, particularly for high-value vegetation communities like whitebark pine and Douglas-fir forests. The study highlights that agencies often share the overarching goal of fostering 'resilient landscapes,' ...

Custer Gallatin National Forest Issues Christmas Tree Permits, Citing Forest Health Benefits

Custer Gallatin National Forest Issues Christmas Tree Permits, Citing Forest Health Benefits

The Custer Gallatin National Forest has begun issuing permits for Christmas tree cutting, a practice officials state can contribute to forest health. According to Charity Berry, Public Affairs Specialist for Custer Gallatin National Forest, cutting Christmas trees helps thin dense stands, allowing remaining trees greater access to sunlight, water, and nutrients. This thinning process is also said to reduce waste and improve wildlife habitat. Permits are mandatory, and tree harvesting is restricted to specific areas within the Gallatin Forest, excluding campgrounds, picnic areas, trailheads, wilderness or riparian zones, natural landmarks, and reforestation sites. Permittees are limited to three trees per household and must cut the entire tree, not just the top, with the stump as low as possible, ideally six inches or lower. Fourth-grade students with an 'Every Kid Outdoors pass' can obtain a free permit, though a small reservation fee may apply. The initiative aims to balance holiday traditions with ecolog...

Avery Schuyler Nunn '15 Spotlighted for Environmental Journalism and Advocacy

Avery Schuyler Nunn '15 Spotlighted for Environmental Journalism and Advocacy

Avery Schuyler Nunn, a 2015 alumna, is being spotlighted for her extensive work as a journalist, writer, photographer, professor, explorer, freediver, surfer, and nature enthusiast. Nunn defines herself as a 'student of the earth,' influenced by her upbringing near Philadelphia's Wissahickon and summers at the beach. She travels globally, reporting on the impacts of climate change on various ecosystems, including how Antarctica's warming climate affects penguin species. Her work has taken her from the Gorringe Seamount off Portugal to the Sunflower Star Laboratory in California, where she documents marine life and 'lost kelp forests.' Nunn, a graduate of Columbia Journalism School, is currently on contract with National Geographic and teaches science journalism at Cal Poly. She also runs 'Earthward,' a mentorship program for emerging nature storytellers and science journalists. Her articles have appeared in Scientific American, Popular Science, Atmos, and Nautilus.

Forest Fragmentation Linked to Warmer Canopy Surfaces Globally, Study Finds

Forest Fragmentation Linked to Warmer Canopy Surfaces Globally, Study Finds

A new global study has revealed that forest fragmentation, the process of breaking up continuous tree cover into scattered patches, is linked to warmer canopy surfaces in approximately two-thirds of the world's forests. The research, conducted by Jiawei Li, Jiaxin Wu, and Jun Ma at Fudan University in Shanghai, analyzed satellite data and found that even with the same amount of tree cover, a more broken-up forest exhibited higher treetop temperatures. This phenomenon, known as fragmentation, occurs when roads, farm fields, or clearings divide forests, creating more edges and reducing the deep interior. The study indicated that in about half of the forests examined, the degree of fragmentation had a greater impact on canopy surface temperature than the total amount of forest remaining. Fragmentation caused by farming, particularly large-scale clearing for market goods, was associated with the most significant increases in surface temperature, as it exposes more canopy edge to direct sunlight.

Massachusetts Cranberry Farm Transforms into Wetland After Over a Century of Operation

Massachusetts Cranberry Farm Transforms into Wetland After Over a Century of Operation

Century Bog, a 75-acre former cranberry farm spanning Plymouth and Wareham, Massachusetts, is undergoing a significant ecological restoration to revert to its natural wetland state. The project involves extensive construction work, including excavating soil, removing pine trees, and breaking up buried plastic piping to eliminate farm infrastructure. The goal is to uncompact the soil, allowing it to retain more water and function as a natural wetland. This initiative is part of a broader trend in Massachusetts where a growing number of cranberry farmers are retiring their bogs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a 40% increase in retired bogs between 2017 and 2022, with projections indicating that 20% of the state's remaining bogs are likely to retire within the next decade. The land for Century Bog was sold to the state in 2010 by its last owner, the A.D. Makepeace Company, and subsequently protected as part of the Red Brook Wildlife Management Area.

Savannah Morning News

New federal rules put Georgia species at risk

New federal rules put Georgia species at risk

Changes to the Endangered Species Act may leave iconic Georgia wildlife like the right whale vulnerable.

Indonesia Releases Eight Orangutans Rescued from Borneo Wildfires into Protected Forest

Indonesia Releases Eight Orangutans Rescued from Borneo Wildfires into Protected Forest

Eight orangutans, including three mother-and-baby pairs and two male teenagers, have been released into the Batu Nyambu Protected Forest in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. These orangutans were rescued in recent weeks from blazes that ravaged their habitats, primarily plantations near forest areas, on Borneo island last month. The relocation was carried out by Indonesian authorities and the YIARI wildlife rehabilitation foundation. The Batu Nyambu Protected Forest is a 23,000-hectare reserve offering primary and secondary forest cover, chosen for its suitable food and water sources and connectivity to other forests. Between August and October 9, Indonesian authorities and YIARI collectively rescued 46 orangutans from fire threats. Orangutans are critically endangered, with only about 104,000 remaining in Borneo and Sumatra, a significant decline from over 230,000 a century ago. The fires, intensified by the El Nino weather phenomenon, have affected 52% of Borneo's orangutan population's habitats.

Orangutan Rescued from Indonesian Wildfires Receives Intensive Care for Burns

Orangutan Rescued from Indonesian Wildfires Receives Intensive Care for Burns

An orangutan, nicknamed Novita, was rescued from wildfires in Indonesia's Borneo and is currently receiving intensive care for burns. The three to four-year-old female ape was found clinging to a tree in late September after walking through flames. The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation tranquilized her and provided oxygen and intravenous fluids before transporting her to the Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation center in Palangkaraya. Officials report that the burns on her hands and feet are improving, though full recovery to her previous state is uncertain. These fires, intensified by the El Niño weather phenomenon, have put significant pressure on the already endangered orangutan species, leading to numerous high-stakes animal rescues.

Ocean Experts Convene to Address Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems

Ocean Experts Convene to Address Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems

Hundreds of ocean experts from around the world are gathering at 'The Ocean in a High-CO₂ World' conference in Wellington to discuss the profound effects of climate change on marine environments. The conference aims to explore solutions to issues such as ocean acidification, marine heatwaves, and deoxygenation, which are threatening ocean life. Dr. Christopher Cornwall, a marine biologist at Victoria University of Wellington and conference chair, highlights that ocean acidification makes it difficult for organisms with calcium carbonate shells to grow and can promote opportunistic seaweeds. These changes occur alongside local stressors like pollution, sewage spills, coastal development, and increased sediment runoff. Dr. Pete Russell, an oceanographer with Coastal People Southern Skies Centre of Research Excellence at the University of Otago, is developing a global catalog of massive plankton blooms that occur after tropical storms, aiming to understand their role in marine food chains and their potential ...

El Niño Conditions Drive Unusual Marine Life Sightings and Sea Snake Strandings in Southern California

El Niño Conditions Drive Unusual Marine Life Sightings and Sea Snake Strandings in Southern California

Southern California is experiencing an influx of warm-water marine species, including venomous yellow-bellied sea snakes, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, and mahi-mahi, attributed to the current strong El Niño event. Five of the six recorded yellow-bellied sea snake sightings in California have occurred during El Niño years, with the first in 1972-73 and three more during the 2015-16 event. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County describes the current El Niño as potentially the strongest in over a century, leading to significantly warmer ocean temperatures off the California coast. These warmer waters and shifting currents are carrying open-water species far north of their typical habitats. As autumn and winter approach, cooler temperatures cause these snakes to become sluggish and stop eating, making them vulnerable to being pushed ashore by lunar tides or strong onshore winds. Experts anticipate more strandings between October and January. An endangered olive ridley sea turtle also nested near ...

The fish behind America’s fish sticks is fueling a fight over trawling in Alaska

The fish behind America’s fish sticks is fueling a fight over trawling in Alaska

The nets for Alaska’s massive pollock fishery also catch salmon and other marine life

Monarch Butterflies Find Critical Stopover at Gibbs Gardens During 3,000-Mile Migration

Monarch Butterflies Find Critical Stopover at Gibbs Gardens During 3,000-Mile Migration

Monarch butterflies are utilizing Gibbs Gardens in Cherokee County, Georgia, as a vital refueling stop during their annual 3,000-mile migration from Canada and the northern United States to central Mexico. The gardens, particularly a sprawling meadow of cosmos, zinnias, and other wildflowers, provide essential nectar sources for the butterflies. According to Eric Johnson, a horticulturist and host of PBS's GardenSmart, monarchs need to refuel daily, and the availability of nectar sources is crucial for their survival during this arduous journey. The 376-acre estate, developed by landscape designer Jim Gibbs, repurposed a significant portion of its gardens in 2021 to focus on supporting the monarch population, especially as their numbers were collapsing. This initiative provides a critical resource for the eastern migratory monarch population, which has seen an estimated 80% decline since the mid-1990s.