Laura Olivieri -- Threats impacting forest health

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Laura Olivieri -- Threats impacting forest health

20 August 2015 2:15 pm

Forests are vital. They help produce the oxygen we breathe and sequester the carbon that is warming the planet. But what happens when forest health starts to decline? This week’s Science special issue on forest health explores that question, and examines threats facing forests around the globe—both natural and human-caused.

1. Wildfire

Fire is a natural part of forest ecosystems, and the boreal forests of the far north are no stranger to flames. One widespread boreal tree, the black spruce, owes its success to an adaption to fire. The spruce’s seeds are locked away in cones that only open up when they get singed. The seeds secure a new generation of spruce after a wildfire has swept through a forest. But increasingly hot summers are favoring more intense and frequent wildfires, a trend that makes it harder for new spruce to sprout.

NPS Climate change response/ Flickr

2. Insects and pests

The mountain pine beetle (responsible for the brown and orange patches pictured) is just one dramatic example of a growing insect threat to some forests. Thanks in part to a warming climate, in Canada the native beetle has spread into forests 300 kilometers east of its original territory in western Canada. (That’s a 3-hour drive at typical highway speeds.)

Dezene Huber

3. Browning

The heart of the North American boreal forest is losing vitality. For the past 30 years, the photosynthesis rate in some regions of the forests has been declining. The trend is most obvious from space, in data from satellite sensors that monitor specific wavelengths of light. Scientists call the phenomenon “browning”—the shade used in false color maps to show regions where photosynthesis is declining.

Katherine Taylor

4. Drought legacy

Droughts may prevent trees from curbing climate change, researchers warn. By studying tree rings, the scientists discovered that drought slows tree growth for years after the initial drought. The slower the trees grow, the less carbon dioxide they pull from the air.

DAVID MCNEW/Reuters/Corbis

5. Permafrost melting

Permafrost, which is a layer of permanently frozen soil found in northern climates, houses thousands of years of organic matter. Now, thanks to climate change and increased fire activity, the permafrost is melting in some areas. That could release massive carbon reserves into the atmosphere, accelerating the warming. Melting permafrost can also cause trees to tilt at extreme angles (like those pictured above).

Anja Leidel/ Flickr

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How to Digitally Record/Video a UFO sighting:

Como registar digitalmente ou gravar um vídeo de um avistamento de um UFO:

Stabilize the camera on a tripod. If there is no tripod, then set it on top of a stable, flat surface. If that is not possible lean against a wall to stabilize your body and prevent the camera from filming in a shaky, unsteady manner.

Estabilize a camera com um tripé. Se não tiver um tripé, então coloque-a em cima de uma superfície estável. Se não for possível, então encoste-se a uma parede para estabilizar o corpo e evitar que a camera registe de maneira tremida e instável.

Provide visual reference points for comparison. This includes the horizon, treetops, lampposts, houses, and geographical landmarks (i.e., Horsetooth Reservoir, Mt. Adams, etc.) Provide this in the video whenever is appropriate and doesn’t detract from what your focus is, the UFO.

Forneça pontos visuais de referência para comparação. Isso inclui o horizonte, cimo das árvores, postes de iluminação, pontos de referência geográficos (como o Reservatório de Horsetooth, Mone Adams, etc) Forneça esses pontos no vídeo sempre que for apropriado e não se distraia do que é o seu foco, o UFO/a Nave.

Narrate your videotape. Provide details of the date, time, location, and direction (N,S,E,W) you are looking in. Provide your observations on the weather, including approximate temperature, windspeed, any visible cloud cover or noticeable weather anomalies or events. Narrate on the shape, size, color, movements, approximate altitude of the UFO, etc and what it appears to be doing. Also include any unusual physical, psychological or emotional sensations you might have. Narrate any visual reference points on camera so they correlate with what the viewer will see, and thereby will be better able to understand.

Faça a narração do vídeo. Forneça pormenores sobre a data, hora, local e direcção (Norte, Sul, Este, Oeste) que está a observar. Faça observações sobre as condições atmosféricas, incluindo a temperatura aproximada, velocidade do vento, quantidade de nuvens, anomalias ou acontecimentos meteorológicos evidentes. Descreva a forma, o tamanho, a cor, os movimentos, a altitude aproximada onde se encontra o UFO/nave, etc e o que aparenta estar a fazer. Inclua também quaisquer aspectos pouco habituais de sensações físicas, psicológicas ou emocionais que possa ter. Faça a narração de todos os pontos de referência visual que o espectador irá ver e que, deste modo, será capaz de compreender melhor.

Be persistent and consistent. Return to the scene to videotape and record at this same location. If you have been successful once, the UFO sightings may be occurring in this region regularly, perhaps for specific reasons unknown, and you may be successful again. You may also wish to return to the same location at a different time of day (daylight hours) for better orientation and reference. Film just a minute or two under “normal” circumstances for comparison. Write down what you remember immediately after. As soon as you are done recording the experience/event, immediately write down your impressions, memories, thoughts, emotions, etc. so it is on the record in writing. If there were other witnesses, have them independently record their own impressions, thoughts, etc. Include in this exercise any drawings, sketches, or diagrams. Make sure you date and sign your documentation.

Seja persistente e não contraditório. Volte ao local da cena e registe o mesmo local. Se foi bem sucedido uma vez, pode ser que nessa região ocorram avistamentos de UFOs/naves com regularidade, talvez por razões específicas desconhecidas, e talvez possa ser novamente bem sucedido. Pode também desejar voltar ao mesmo lugar a horas diferentes do dia (durante as horas de luz)para ter uma orientação e referência melhor. Filme apenas um ,inuto ou dois em circunstâncias “normais” para ter um termo de comparação. Escreva tudo o que viu imediatamente após o acontecimento. Logo após ter feito o registo da experiência/acontecimento, escreva imediatamente as impressões, memórias, pensamentos, emoções, etc para que fiquem registadas por escrito. Se houver outras testemunhas, peça-lhes para registar independentemente as suas próprias impressões, pensamentos, etc. Inclua quaisquer desenhos, esbolos, diagramas. Certifique-se que data e assina o seu documento/testemunho.

Always be prepared. Have a digital camera or better yet a video camera with you, charged and ready to go, at all times. Make sure you know how to use your camera (and your cell phone video/photo camera) quickly and properly. These events can occur suddenly, unexpectedly, and often quite randomly, so you will need to be prepared.

Esteja sempre preparado, Tenha sempre uma camera digital, melhor ainda, uma camera vídeo consigo, carregada e pronta a usar sempre que necessário. Certifique-se que sabe como lidar com a sua camera (ou com o seu celular/camera fotográfica) rápida e adequadamente. Esses acontecimentos podem acontecer súbita e inesperadamente e, por vezes, acidentalmente, por isso, necessita estar preparado.

Look up. Be prepared. Report. Share.

Olhe para cima, Esteja preparado, Relate, Partilhe.

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