In a finding that overturns the conventional view that large old trees are unproductive, scientists have determined that for most species, the biggest trees increase their growth rates and sequester more carbon as they age. In a letter published today in the journal Nature, an international research group reports that 97 percent of 403 tropical …
Forests are major components of the global carbon cycle, providing substantial feedback to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations1. Our ability to understand and predict changes in the forest carbon cycle—particularly net primary productivity and carbon storage—increasingly relies on models that represent biological processes across several scales of biological organization, from tree leaves to forest stands2, 3. …
Across south-eastern Australia this morning, people are waking up to forecasts of scorching heat for the week ahead. Players and spectators heading to the Australian Open should prepare for some baking hot days at the tennis: 35¬∞C today, rising to 41¬∞C on Tuesday, with temperatures in the high 30s or low 40s expected to linger …
The Australian government’s “direct action” policy is like giving money to an illegal drug dealer to stop dealing drugs, then having no penalty if he keeps selling them. Moderate conservative that he is, Australian environment minister Greg Hunt ran on a platform of “lean” government, where private businesses “are the true creators of wealth”, individuals …
In the closing days of this year, Australia’s unique and fragile environment is under attack like never before. After just 100 days in government, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has waged a war on environmental programs. In this week’s budget update the government cut $6.7 million from the Caring for our Country program, removed federal funding …
The Abbott government’s announcement to suddenly cut the funding of the Environment Defenders Office is a hostile, cowardly and shameless attack on the country’s most respected environmental legal voice. Funding that was promised by the previous Labor government has been withdrawn and comes at a time when there is an unprecedented and unremitting attack on …
MyEnvironment’s court appeal to stop logging of the small pockets of habitat where the critically endangered Leadbeaters Possum still survives … was dismissed; they lost! The three judges found the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act is too weak to protect even the state’s faunal emblem from extinction! MyEnvironment, a community group and local champions of …
The state government has withheld from the Commonwealth a survey of rare and threatened plants of an area of the Alpine National Park earmarked for a cattle grazing trial. It is believed scientists at the state’s biodiversity research body – the Arthur Rylah Institute – were asked to look for rare and threatened plants in …
Killing the Lakes with salt – for the offshore oil and gas industry. Lakes Entrance has once again been dug out to a depth that is killing the ecosystem of this Ramsar listed wetland and internationally renowned chain of coastal freshwater lakes. For the expedience of the offshore oil and gas industry, the Lakes are …
The states and territories have buddied up with Tony Abbott at COAG today (13.12.13)to gut national environment protection. “States and territories have all made dodgy deals with Tony Abbott today to slash federal environment protection,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said. “These deals pave the way for Tony Abbott to abolish a 30-year-old …
