A recent study has developed a method of diagnosing the environmental condition of wildlife habitats in forest areas. This allows biodiversity conservation to be integrated into the planning and management of the European-wide Natura 2000 nature protection areas.

Despite being high on the political agenda, biodiversity is still declining. A new analysis has focused on forest biodiversity in Finland, Russia and Peru and concluded that a global ecosystem approach can make a link between human and ecological systems but bottom-up initiatives are needed to effectively put the concept into action.

A new study exploring the sensitivity of grassland and forest plants to decreasing habitat size and isolation in north-central Europe concludes that an irreversible shift in the most dominant plant species may already be underway in forests and grassland, where forests are more vulnerable than grasslands.

Hunting is not an effective tool for reducing damage caused by deer to managed forests in Europe, according to a recent assessment. Forests will be better protected through 'close-to-nature' management techniques, says the study, which evaluated the effects of different control mechanisms on deer populations and behaviour, including the influence of wild predators, such as wolves, and forest structures.

Ticks that are able to transmit Lyme disease are more abundant in deciduous oak forests than pine forests, according to a study conducted in Belgium, which provides an example of how landscape can influence human health. To help prevent tick attacks and the incidence of Lyme disease, the researchers suggest increased efforts are needed to raise public awareness of control measures, such as protective clothing and repellants.

To preserve rich biodiversity in protected areas of tropical forests, safeguarding the surrounding area can be just as important as safeguarding the park or reserve itself. This is according to a new study, which assessed the ecological health of 60 protected areas across the tropics.

Careful choice of tree species and sites could transform plantations into refuges for woodland plant diversity, new research from Ireland suggests. Plantations of native species on or near historic woodland and those with adequate light levels below the tree canopy were found to support more plant species.

Conserving genetic diversity is vital to allow populations to adapt in the face of changing conditions. A new study, assessing the conservation of genetic diversity of trees across Europe, has identified areas for improvement that could help maintain the genetic diversity of Europe's forests.

Woodlands in the grounds of old manor houses or castles can provide high quality habitat for numerous forest species, a recent study from Estonia concludes. The researchers found that, compared to nearby forests, old rural park woodlands appeared to be better at supporting biodiversity.

Tourists would be willing to pay for increased biodiversity and reduced clear-felling in forests, a recent Finnish case study suggests. In a survey of over 900 visitors to Lapland, most stated that they felt landscape quality and biodiversity were important, and that they would be happy to pay their share for preserving these qualities.

Controlled fires could help the regeneration capacity of some insects in regions of intensively managed forests, according to a recent study of Finnish forests that are part of an EU LIFE restoration project. Results indicated that fire can be an effective conservation measure but its impact depends on the region???s history and context.

Gold mining areas in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest expanded from under 10 000 hectares in 1999 to over 50 000 hectares by 2012, and now destroys more forest than agriculture and logging combined, new research has shown. Using high-resolution satellite imaging, researchers estimated gold mining areas to be twice as large as estimated by previous studies, which did not include the combined effects of thousands of small, mainly illicit, mining operations.

Agroforestry — managing trees alongside crop or animal-production systems — has been proposed as a means of protecting biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem service supply. A study bringing together evidence has confirmed that agroforestry does have an overall positive effect over conventional (separate) agriculture and forestry. Its environmental benefits, which should be considered in rural planning policy, include reduced nutrient run-off and soil erosion, and biodiversity protection.

Record high prices for gold have driven a recent six-fold increase in deforestation in parts of the Peruvian Amazon with damage that can be measured from space, according to a new study. Rates of forest clearance and imports of mercury, used to process gold ore by local, small-scale miners, were both found to increase with the rising international price of gold.

Sulphur and nitrogen emissions have been significantly reduced across Europe in recent decades, but a recent study from Sweden finds that some forest soils are still struggling to recover from the acidifying effects of the pollutants. Some areas are also at risk of nitrogen leaching from soils into surface waters.

There is a growing body of scientific research into the health benefits of urban forests, such as improving air quality and providing recreational space. However, new research challenges the assumption that their overall impact on quality of life is always positive and land planners need to take into account ecosystem disservices as well as services, say the researchers.

Researchers have identified plant fungi in the Ecuadorian rainforest that can digest plastic. The discovery hints that there may be a wide range of effective waste-consuming microbes in existence, according to the study, which found that several different fungi, including one called Pestalotiopsis microspora, can break down the widely used plastic, polyurethane.

Pests that cause millions of euros in damage to Europe’s forests every year could be controlled using fungi. A new study finds that certain strains and formulations of fungi are extremely effective in killing large pine weevils. Control of the weevils using fungi may provide forest managers with an alternative to chemical pesticides.

Artist Hunter Franks' idea to transform a defunct Akron highway into a leafy urban retreat is a winner in the 2017 Knight Cities Challenge.

From N.H. to Nova Scotia, Ancient forests emerge only during rare periods of extreme low tide.

The world's forests support the planet's diverse creatures, and keeping forests robust also could help humanity achieve some of its biggest goals.

Non-native earthworms are damaging hardwood forests; one University of Minnesota group is working to clear up the misconception that they're always harmless.

What’s been called the largest wetlands restoration in the Western U.S. was halted in December. California is projecting up to a $42 billion budget shortfall

Deforestation’s impact on climate change has piqued NASA’s interest in documenting its progress across the globe. Here are seven examples of deforestation f

Kazakhstan's Altyn Emel, a newly named UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to deserts, forests and floodplains — and a giant sand dune that sings.

Ancient tree stumps set the tone at Neskowin Ghost Forest in Oregon.

Sustainable forestry. Here's an overview of how the sustainable forestry movement has evolved from the 1960s to the present.

Forest certification program announces its new Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant program.

The American Forest & Paper Association announced today an ambitious set of sustainability goals for its member organizations to aim for by 2020.

A new report suggests that while many countries are getting better at managing their tropical forests, deforestation remains a very real danger.

Marijuana smokers might praise their drug of choice as "natural," but pot growers in national forests all over the country have caused "severe" damage to these

An inside look at the 4-year effort to restore Atlanta's Fernbank Forest, a 65-acre forest within the city.

The 50,000-year-old, perfectly preserved forest is showcased like never before in a newly released documentary.

Absorbing more carbon dioxide than they release, these vast forests can be credited with helping to lower levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Jadav Payeng single-handedly turned a barren sandbar in northern India into a lush new forest ecosystem.

If you're looking for a way to de-stress and relax, bath in the forest — or more specifically, take a walk through the woods.

Fracking fluid, the liquid waste left over from the controversial mining technique, wreaks havoc on a plot of land in a test by the U.S. Forest Service.

The Caribbean nation of Haiti was once lush with trees and the animals that lived there, but now only a few sections of primary forest remain.

A wildlife corridor in Brazil's Atlantic Forest will help animals like the golden lion tamarin thrive in its preferred environment.

U.S. startup DroneSeed merges technology and forestry to give scorched woodlands a second chance from above.

Chuck Leavell on what the U.S. Green Building Council can learn from Georgia’s governor.

Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games and "Fortnite," is using the popularity of his virtual worlds to make a big impact in his home state of North Carolina.

Video: Rock star Bryan Adams chats about his Canadian homeland and what they're doing to stave off deforestation.

In an effort to combat pollution, China is building 'forest cities' and people will be moving into the first one in about 2 years.

Moving invasive purple sea urchins off the California coast helps to restore balance to the ecosystem.

A new website makes it super easy to help save the world, a little bit at a time.

Honestly, it would be a touch difficult to hit the books on a campus this wildly verdant.

Bosco Verticale, Milan's literal vertical forest, boasts the equivalent of 2.4 acres of richly green land.

Brazil's once-expansive Atlantic Forest has now almost completely disappeared.

Only 68 critically endangered Javan rhinos are left on Earth.