forest
In PNG, researchers find a large pigeon lost to science for 140 years
After 140 years, a pigeon subspecies lost to science has been found again on Fergusson Island off eastern Papua New Guinea. Using a remote camera trap, researchers photographed the black-naped pheasant-pigeon (Otidiphaps nobilis insularis), a large, ground-dwelling bird, for the first time since it was described in 1883. “After a month of searching, seeing those […]
Mycorrhizal fungi, nature’s ‘wood wide web,’ get a $3m conservation boost
Beneath our feet, a vast network of fungus spreads like a web. Mycorrhizal fungi connect the roots of plants to the surrounding soil, facilitating the exchange of water and nutrients for sugars from the sun and playing a vital role in the health of terrestrial ecosystems. Now, this “wood wide web” is getting a conservation […]
EU ‘moving the goal posts’ with new timber requirement, Indonesia says
BERLIN — Indonesian officials have slammed the European Union’s proposal of a regulation that they say negates more than a decade of progress by the Southeast Asian country to comply with EU sustainable timber rules. Under a voluntary partnership agreement, or VPA, signed in 2011, Indonesia developed a system, known as the SVLK, to verify […]
Report unveils ties between Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas and Canada’s Paper Excellence
JAKARTA —Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas, which has a long history of deforestation and conflicts with local Indigenous communities, secretly controls Canadian paper and packaging company Paper Excellence, which could soon become one of the biggest pulp and paper suppliers in North America, a new investigative report has alleged. The report, Papering over Corporate Control, was […]
Honduran forest governance agreement brings cautious hope
Community-based groups in Honduras have expressed optimism that a new timber export agreement with the European Union will help curb illegal logging and other illicit activities impacting the country’s forests and forest communities. Nearly a decade in the making, the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA-FLEGT) took effect Sept. 1, […]
Avocado farming is threatening Colombia’s natural water factory
“We always grew native products that come from here, like corn, beans, potatoes or lulos,” says Don Danilo, a longtime farmer near Sonsón, a small municipality in the Colombian state of Antioquia. But since losing the land he was cultivating, he has switched to beekeeping and fish farming. Don Danilo is just one of the […]
In new climate deal, Norway will pay Indonesia $56 million for drop in deforestation, emissions
JAKARTA — Norway has agreed to pay Indonesia $56 million in a climate agreement between the two countries, as Indonesia has succeeded in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by preserving its vast tropical rainforests. The contribution agreement, signed Oct. 19 by both governments, is a follow-up to both countries’ new climate deal, which was struck on […]
For water quality, even a sliver of riverbank forest is better than none
Trees and plants along the banks of waterways are more than picturesque. They serve as a line of defense, absorbing pollutants and keeping harmful runoff out of rivers and streams. But how much forest needs to be preserved along the rivers to do the job? Even a small strip of forest can make a difference, […]
With FSC rule change, deforesters once blocked from certification get a new shot
JAKARTA — Environmental activists have slammed a rule change by the Forest Stewardship Council that will allow some loggers who couldn’t qualify over the past 30 years to now be certified sustainable. Known as Motion 37, the rule moves a crucial cutoff date from 1994 to 2020: Under the long-standing rule, companies that had cleared […]
Sustainability pledges help Indonesia produce palm oil with less deforestation
JAKARTA — Sustainability commitments and greater scrutiny of supply chains is helping bring down deforestation rates associated with palm oil in Indonesia, a new analysis suggests. The country is the world’s top producer of the commodity, and although production is increasing while prices are rising — factors that usually drive a surge in forest clearing […]