Silvan Planet

  The American Redstart is a small migratory songbird that nests in the birch and maple trees of New England in June. The female is a cryptically colored bird with grey and yellow plumage, and it is known for its unique nesting habits. This species builds its nests in well-hidden locations, such as in the dense foliage of birch and maple trees. The nests are difficult to spot due to their camouflaged appearance. For Redstarts, whose populations are growing smaller, success depends heavily on the availability of the trees that serve as their home, not only for nesting but also for feeding on insects. Habitat loss and fragmentation of wooded areas can have a negative impact on the survival of this species. ADDITIONAL READING ==> https://thelocalne.ws/2022/06/12/the-american-redstart-is-nesting-well-hidden-in-birch-trees-and-maples/

  A large scale study in Brussels, Belgium found that preserving existing mature trees in urban areas provides greater benefits in terms of reducing air pollution and improving the quality of life for city residents than planting new trees. Using LIDAR, researchers were able to identify 616,379 trees for the entire region with data on the diameter the crowns, and the density of trunks in a given area. The study then compared the benefits of tree cover to local sales of medicines. Where tree cover was high, medicine sales were low. So trees improved the health of urban residents, but not uniformly. The impact of trees on human health was much greater with old trees with large crowns than with a lot of young trees. The researchers concluded that preserving existing mature trees had a greater impact on carbon sequestration than planting new trees, due to the fact that mature trees sequester more carbon than young trees. The article emphasizes the importance of considering the preser...

  A new study shows how different species of trees respond differently to drought stress and how this affects their ability to recover from such stress. The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that certain tree species are more resilient to drought stress than others. The researchers examined the recovery of 12 different species of trees following a drought period in California. They found that some species, such as the Bigleaf Maple and the Coast Live Oak, were able to recover quickly from drought stress, while others, such as the Blue Oak and the Jeffrey Pine, had slower recovery rates. The study also found that different tree species have different strategies for coping with drought stress. Some species, such as the Bigleaf Maple, invest more in root growth and water uptake to cope with drought stress, while others, such as the Blue Oak, invest more in storing water in their tissues. These findings have important implications f...

The article discusses the importance of knowing how many trees are on the planet and the challenges involved in accurately counting them. Trees play a vital role in the environment, but the lack of data on the number of trees and their distribution makes it difficult to understand their full impact. There are various methods for counting trees, including satellite imagery, ground surveys, and citizen science initiatives, but each has limitations. A global tree census would provide valuable information for conservation efforts, climate modeling, and other fields. It would also require collaboration between researchers, governments, and citizens to make the census accurate and comprehensive.   A tree census would likely include information about the number of trees, their species, age, size, location, and health. It could also provide data on the distribution of trees in different regions of the world and how this has changed over time. One would want to know the diameter of each tr...

  A recent report by Ontario Nature identifies 30 candidate protected areas in the province of Ontario, Canada. These areas are identified as important sites for biodiversity conservation and include wetlands, forests, and other habitats that support a wide range of plant and animal species. The report uses a variety of data sources and analysis tools, including GIS mapping, to identify these areas and provide recommendations for their protection. The article highlights the importance of protecting these areas as part of a larger effort to conserve biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change. It also emphasizes the need for collaboration between government agencies, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders to ensure the long-term protection and management of these areas. GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, which is computer-based software used to capture, store, analyze, and present geospatial data. It allows users to visualize and analyze data in the f...

 Toronto Trees Getting A Head Start - You can see it here: https://torontofieldnaturalists.org/toronto-trees-getting-a-head-start/  

One of the challenges involved in supporting trees to realize their full potential for sequestering carbon dioxide is the large numbers of trees that are destroyed each year by forest fires. These days in North America, lumber operations are usually run responsibly with planting operations to restore forests after the harvest is taken. But most forest fires occur on public lands with inadequate means to replant after devastation. So we need to learn how to plant trees faster and cheaper than is possible with conventional methods. This is the kind of situation where one wants to look at what new technologies may have to contribute. That's just what an enterprising group of Canadians are doing. Lets get around, they are saying, the back-breaking on foot labour and difficult accessibility of forest terrains by using drones. Not the giant military weapons, but the small, inexpensive and increasingly stable, remote controlled aircraft that can fly missions over difficult terrain wit...