Latest news with #tropicalforests
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Earth's seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk
By Daniel Hernández Carrasco and Jonathan Tonkin of Monsoon rains represent one of Earth's major seasonal cycles. Photo: Shutterstock Seasonality shapes much of life on Earth. Most species, including humans, have synchronised their own rhythms with those of Earth's seasons. Plant growth cycles, the migration of billions of animals and even aspects of human culture - from harvest rituals to Japanese cherry blossom viewings - are dictated by these dominant rhythms. However, climate change and many other human impacts are altering Earth's cycles. While humans can adapt their behaviour by shifting the timing of crop harvests or indigenous fire-burning practices, species are less able to adapt through evolution or range shifts. Our new research highlights how the impacts of shifting seasons can cascade through ecosystems, with widespread repercussions that may be greater than previously thought. This puts species and ecosystems at risk the world over. We are still far from having a full picture of what changes in seasonality mean for the future of biodiversity. From tropical forests to polar ice caps and abyssal depths, the annual journey of Earth around the Sun brings distinct seasons to all corners of the planet. These seasonal rhythms shape ecosystems everywhere, whether through monsoonal rains in equatorial regions or the predictable melt of snowpack in mountain ranges, but the seasonality of these processes is changing rapidly, due to local human impacts. This includes dams in many rivers, which completely and abruptly disrupt their natural flow, and deforestation, which changes the timing of the onset of the rain season. These local influences are compounded by climate change, which is systematically modifying seasonal patterns in snow cover, temperature and rainfall around the world. From the earlier seasonal melting of glaciers and the snowpack to the disruption of monsoonal rain cycles, the effects of these changes are being felt widely. Many important ecological processes we rely on could be affected. A mismatch between plankton blooms and the life cycles of fish could affect the health of fisheries. Tourism dependent on seasonal migrations of large mammals could suffer. Even the regulation of the climate system itself is tightly controlled by seasonal processes. Changing seasonality threatens to destabilise key ecological processes and human society. The seasonal rhythms of ecosystems are obvious to any observer. The natural timing of annual flowers and deciduous trees - tuned to match seasonal variations in rainfall, temperature and solar radiation - transforms the colours of whole landscapes throughout the year. The arrival and departure of migratory birds, the life cycle of insects and amphibians, and the mating rituals of large mammals can completely change the soundscapes with the seasons. These examples illustrate how seasonality acts as a strong evolutionary force that has shaped the life cycles and behaviour of most species, but in the face of unprecedented changes to Earth's natural rhythms, these adaptations can lead to complex negative impacts. For instance, snowshoe hares change coat colour between winter and summer to blend in with their surroundings and hide from predators. They are struggling to adapt to shifts in the timing of the first snow and snowmelt. The impact of changing seasonality on hare populations is linked with changes in predation rates, but predators themselves may also be out of sync with the new onset of seasons. Our research highlights that these kinds of complex interactions can propagate impacts through ecosystems, linking individual species' seasonal adaptations to broader food web dynamics, or even ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration. Although biologists have studied seasonal processes for centuries, we know surprisingly little about how they mediate any ecological impacts of altered seasonality. Our findings show we are likely underestimating these impacts. The distinct mechanisms involved deserve further attention. Until we account for these complex processes, we risk overlooking important ecological and human consequences. Understanding the extent to which impacts of altered seasonality can interact and propagate from individuals to whole ecosystems is a big challenge. It will require different types of research, complex mathematical modelling and the design of new experiments, but it is not easy to manipulate the seasons in an experiment. Scientists have come up with inventive ways of experimentally testing the effects of altered seasonality. This includes manually removing snow early in spring, manipulating rainfall patterns through irrigation, and moving plants and animals to places with different seasonality. Some researchers have even recovered seeds from centuries-old collections to sprout them and look at how recent changes in climate have affected plant populations. These efforts will be of great value for forecasting impacts, and designing effective management strategies beneficial for ecosystems and humans alike. Such efforts help to anticipate future shocks and prioritise interventions. For instance, understanding the mechanisms that allow native and non-native species to anticipate seasonal changes has proven useful for "tricking" non-native plants into sprouting only in the wrong season. This gives an advantage to native plants. Similarly, studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to seasonality can help us determine whether certain species are likely to adapt to further changes in seasonal patterns. This research can also point out genes that could be targeted for improving the resilience and productivity of crops. Not only are we likely underestimating the ecological risks of shifting seasons, we tend to forget how much our everyday lives depend on them. As Earth's rhythms change, the risks multiply, but so does our opportunity to better understand, anticipate and adapt to these changes. This story was originally published on [ The Conversation]. Daniel Hernández Carrasco is a PhD candidate in Ecology at University of Canterbury. Jonathan Tonkin is associate professor of Ecology and Rutherford Discovery Fellow at University of Canterbury
The Independent
25-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
No more grandstanding: Deforestation pledges will burn in flames if we ignore inequality
In 2024, the majority of tropical forests didn't fall to the chainsaw; they burned. For the first time on record, wildfires became the primary cause of tropical forest loss, as global deforestation spiked to levels 'unlike anything we've seen in over 20 years of data,' said Elizabeth Goldman, co-director of Global Forest Watch. Wildfires destroyed 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest last year. That's roughly the size of Ireland. It was nearly double the previous year's total and the largest area of fire-related tropical forest loss ever recorded. This spike in fire-driven deforestation isn't just another grim statistic of a 1.5C world. It's the clearest sign yet that pledges made in global halls, without accounting for realities on the ground, are falling flat on their faces and can't save the world's forests. In 2021, Boris Johnson launched a landmark global forestry pledge in Glasgow to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. Hailed then as a crucial step to protect the world's tropical forests, it now stands in bare-naked shame. Across the tropics, climate extremes turned forever-damp forests into tinderboxes, and from the Amazon to the Congo, 'illegal' ranchers and miners took advantage by lighting fires, clearing land, and exploiting government blind spots. In Brazil, the host of this year's climate summit, the scale of destruction last year is simply staggering. During what was the country's worst drought in 70 years, an area roughly three times the size of Scotland burned to dust. The dense, wet Amazon rainforests are unimaginably diverse, and rarely at risk of fire. However, according to monitoring platform MapBiomas, Brazil saw a 79 per cent increase in fire-related forest loss last year, and almost two-thirds of this was in the Amazon rainforest. Experts across the country agree that while the country's drought set the stage for last year's devastation, only a tiny percentage of fires were due to 'natural causes.' Instead, the more than 140 thousand fires set last year are thought to have largely been caused by organised crime networks that took root in the Amazon during the previous Jair Bolsonaro administration. This comes only a year after the Brazilian government rolled out a new plan to ramp up forestry enforcement, crack down on illegal ranchers, and stop deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. As national policies tightened, non-fire-related deforestation dropped by 30 per cent in a year. The fight to reverse Bolsonaro's blatant green light to cut down forests en masse had been successful. But the battlefront was about to shift, and ranchers turned to fire at such a scale that the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, called it 'climate terrorism'. In Colombia, we see a similar phenomenon. The arrival of the progressive Petro government in 2022 led to the biggest drop in primary forest loss in 20 years. But last year, that all turned around, and primary forest loss increased by nearly 50 per cent. After decades of civil conflict and militarised forest patrols, peace has proven hard to keep profitable in many of the country's poorest regions. Without sustainable livelihoods, illegal mining and coca cultivation have expanded to unprecedented levels. What is needed to stop deforestation in many of these regions isn't a new global pledge, but new jobs, and help to imagine what Joaquin Carrizosa, a Senior Advisor at WRI Colombia calls 'local, nature-based economies' But the report didn't just contain bad news. Indonesia and Malaysia were two of the few bright spots last year. In both countries, deforestation rates are dropping, as efforts to tackle poverty, restore degraded land and reduce wildfires have helped keep forests intact. However, with a change of government in Indonesia planning to clear an area of rainforest in Papua nearly as big as Belgium, to make way for sugarcane and rice, these priorities may be about to shift. But what these results make clear is that protecting the world's forests is far easier said than done. The pledge to end deforestation by 2030 is certainly not a lost cause, but achieving it isn't just about governments making grand announcements to protect forests. This is undeniably a critical first step, but in order to keep these forests intact long-term, you need to empower the people who live with and make their living from forests themselves. This undoubtedly includes indigenous peoples around the world, who continue to prove to be the best defence against illegal loggers. But it's one thing to stop a truck; it's another thing to stop miners with guns or a fire. What happens in these unregulated mines, out of sight, can be horrific. They need law enforcement to back them up. But it also needs to include these ranchers, miners, and poor people living across these regions, drawn into the trade. When I was 19, I spent weeks living in and around illegal gold miners in Guyana, trying to understand what drives them to the trade. I met some whom I genuinely was afraid of. But I also met others, former high school teachers and bus drivers, dedicated dads trying to send money back home to their families. These aren't people who were born to hate forests; they're just looking for better options. If the world is serious about meeting any of its climate and biodiversity goals, then 2024 must mark a turning point. We simply can't meet any of the IPCC 's liveable climate scenarios without tackling deforestation. We probably don't need any more global pledges. We've had plenty of those. The lessons learned this year need to be that instead of big global pledges, we need to work with those living in and around these incredible ecosystems and give them real opportunities to make a living protecting them. We don't need to compete dollar for dollar with criminal networks, but we do need to offer an alternative.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
COP30: Calls for tropical forest protection at next climate change conference
There are calls for the next climate change conference, COP30, to focus on saving tropical comes after a new report shows they disappeared faster than ever last the study also highlighted how governments and communities are finding ways to help these environments and make a positive South East Asia, area of forest loss slowed down in countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, thanks to organisations working together. What did scientists find? Tropical rainforests, like the Amazon, are sometimes called the 'lungs of the planet' because they absorb and store carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas which scientists think help cause rising global also produce oxygen, which living creatures animals need for a result, rainforests are seen as one of the best tools against climate when researchers looked at satellite data they found that the world's tropical forests disappeared faster than ever recorded last report estimates that an area the size of eighteen football pitches were lost every were the main cause, overtaking land being cleared for farming, for the first breaking heat levels also led to more drought as well as the increased risk of fire. Experts say that burning forests release rather than store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that plays a major role in global warming. How are countries making a positive difference? The research also showed positive news from South East countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia have managed to reduce forest loss, despite difficult Goldman, co-director of the Global Forest Watch project, explained that this was the result of an effort by governments and communities working together to enforce "no burning" countries, including Brazil, have seen success in the past with similar researchers also agree that this year's UN climate summit COP30 - which is being hosted in the Amazon in Brazil - will be important for sharing and promoting forest protection idea being worked on is looking at rewarding those countries which maintain tropical forests financially, to help them keep their forests standing, rather than chopping them down.
Japan Times
21-05-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
Fires drive tropical forest loss to 'red alert' record high
Eighteen football pitches every minute of every hour of every day: that is the record extent of tropical rainforest destroyed last year due in large measure to fires fueled by climate change, researchers reported Wednesday. Tally it all up and the world lost 67,000 square kilometers of precious primary tropical forest, an area double the size of Belgium or Taiwan. The loss was 80% higher than in 2023, according to the Global Forest Watch think tank. "This level of forest destruction is completely unprecedented in more than 20 years of data," its co-director Elizabeth Goldman said in a briefing. "This is a global red alert." Fires are responsible for nearly half of these losses, surpassing for the first time agriculture as the main driver of destruction. Loss of tree cover in 2024 — from deforestation and fires, deliberate or accidental — generated more than 3 billion tons of CO2 pollution, exceeding India's emissions from fossil fuel use over the same period. Tropical forests, which harbor the highest concentrations of biodiversity, are the most threatened of any forest biomes on the planet. They are also sponges for CO2, helping to prevent global temperatures from rising even faster than they have. Forest fires are both a cause and effect of climate change, injecting billions of tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere that in turn accelerate warming and the conditions leading to more destructive fires. Extreme conditions The exceptional fires last year were fuelled by "extreme conditions" that made them more intense and difficult to control, the authors said. Climate change driven by the massive burning of fossil fuels and boosted by natural El Nino weather phenomenon made 2024 the hottest year on record, with temperatures averaging more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Historically, most fires in tropical forests are set to clear land for agriculture and livestock, especially the so-called "big four" commodities: palm oil, soy, beef and timber. Brazil saw 2.8 million hectares of primary forest destroyed last year, two-thirds to fires typically started to make way for soybeans and cattle. In 2023, Brazil made measurable progress in reducing forest loss during President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's first year after returning to office. "But this progress is threatened by the expansion of agriculture," said Sarah Carter, a researcher at the World Resources Institute in Washington. The Brazilian Amazon was most affected, with destruction at its highest level since 2016. Global Forest Watch reports on forest destruction from all causes, deliberate or accidental. This stands in contrast to the Brazilian government's monitoring network MapBiomas, which published figures last week showing a sharp decline in deforestation in 2024 — but based on narrower criteria and not including many areas ravaged by fire. New phenomenon Forest protection is high on the agenda of the COP30 U.N. climate conference that Brazil will host in November in the tropical city of Belem. Neighboring Bolivia's forest loss — 1.5 million hectares — skyrocketed by 200% last year, with a record 3.6% of primary forests destroyed in a single year, mostly due to fires set to clear land for industrial-scale farms, according to the report. The picture is mixed elsewhere, with improvements in Indonesia and Malaysia but a sharp deterioration in Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While policies have resulted in a slowdown of the extent of forests lost to palm oil plantations, notably in Asia, the destructive footprint of other commodities has expanded, including avocados, coffee and cocoa. "We shouldn't assume that the drivers are always going to be the same," said Rod Taylor, director of the WRI's forest program. "One new driver we are seeing, for example, is linked to mining and critical minerals."
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Science
- Malay Mail
Rainforests burn at record pace, 18 football fields lost every minute, says think tank
PARIS, May 21 — Eighteen football pitches every minute of every hour of every day: that is the record extent of tropical rainforest destroyed last year due in large measure to fires fuelled by climate change, researchers reported today. Tally it all up and the world lost 67,000 square kilometres of precious primary tropical forest, an area double the size of Belgium or Taiwan. The loss was 80 per cent higher than in 2023, according to the Global Forest Watch think tank. 'This level of forest destruction is completely unprecedented in more than 20 years of data,' its co-director Elizabeth Goldman said in a briefing. 'This is a global red alert.' Fires are responsible for nearly half of these losses, surpassing for the first time agriculture as the main driver of destruction. Loss of tree cover in 2024 — from deforestation and fires, deliberate or accidental — generated more than three billion tonnes of CO2 pollution, exceeding India's emissions from fossil fuel use over the same period. Tropical forests, which harbour the highest concentrations of biodiversity, are the most threatened of any forest biomes on the planet. They are also sponges for CO2, helping to prevent global temperatures from rising even faster than they have. Forest fires are both a cause and effect of climate change, injecting billions of tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere that in turn accelerate warming and the conditions leading to more destructive fires. Extreme conditions The exceptional fires last year were fuelled by 'extreme conditions' that made them more intense and difficult to control, the authors said. Climate change driven by the massive burning of fossil fuels and boosted by natural El Nino weather phenomenon made 2024 the hottest year on record, with temperatures averaging more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Historically, most fires in tropical forests are set to clear land for agriculture and livestock, especially the so-called 'big four' commodities: palm oil, soy, beef and timber. Brazil saw 2.8 million hectares of primary forest destroyed last year, two-thirds to fires typically started to make way for soybeans and cattle. In 2023, Brazil made measurable progress in reducing forest loss during President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's first year after returning to office. 'But this progress is threatened by the expansion of agriculture,' said Sarah Carter, a researcher at the World Resources Institute in Washington. The Brazilian Amazon was most affected, with destruction at its highest level since 2016. Global Forest Watch reports on forest destruction from all causes, deliberate or accidental. This stands in contrast to the Brazilian government's monitoring network MapBiomas, which published figures last week showing a sharp decline in deforestation in 2024 — but based on narrower criteria and not including many areas ravaged by fire. New phenomenon Forest protection is high on the agenda of the COP30 UN climate conference that Brazil will host in November in the tropical city of Belem. Neighbouring Bolivia's forest loss — 1.5 million hectares — skyrocketed by 200 per cent last year, with a record 3.6 per cent of primary forests destroyed in a single year, mostly due to fires set to clear land for industrial-scale farms, according to the report. The picture is mixed elsewhere, with improvements in Indonesia and Malaysia but a sharp deterioration in Congo-Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While policies have resulted in a slowdown of the extent of forests lost to palm oil plantations, notably in Asia, the destructive footprint of other commodities has expanded, including avocados, coffee and cocoa. 'We shouldn't assume that the drivers are always going to be the same,' said Rod Taylor, director of the WRI's forest programme. 'One new driver we are seeing, for example, is linked to mining and critical minerals.' — AFP
